Page 4 of Cerulean Truth (Sapere #1)

TWO

JAMES

“How’s the anger?” Jackson asked, casting a watchful eye in my direction while we strutted through the hallways of the Universitas, our Collective’s educational institution.

I averted my eyes and glanced at one of the “wisdom” plaques we passed almost every day, rereading the all too familiar words: “Magi are simply humans who’ve learned to wield their emotions into magic. This is no reason to feel superior.”

As per usual, I rolled my eyes at it?not because I didn’t think it held any merit, but because the hypocrisy of it grated on my nerves. As if translating our emotions into magic wasn’t all we were taught as soon as our head popped out of the fucking birth canal.

“James?”

“Huh? What?” I asked a bit dazed. That last hour in the training room must’ve tired me out more than I thought.

“How’s the anger?” Jackson repeated, patiently.

“Haven’t you heard? I’m charming now.” I grimaced.

Jackson chuckled. “Sure you are, and I just won America’s Next Top Magus. It was a little out of my comfort zone but I got to meet some nice people and I’m very excited to travel the world.”

I snorted, which was as close as I ever got to a real laugh.

“Seriously though James, how’s the ‘rage haze’ these days? Everything still under control?” Jackson pressed.

I took a subtle breath and simply shrugged, feigning boredom by his line of questioning. “Still simmering.”

He squinted. “Thank you for that elaborate response.” He pushed open the large gate toward the Atrium, revealing the extraordinary gardens surrounding the building.

I let out an exasperated sigh under the canopy. “What do you want me to say? I haven’t had an outburst in over twenty years. Don’t you think it’s time you stopped bugging me about it?”

I probably shouldn’t have felt as attacked by his question as I did. It was after all one of my best friends asking. But Jackson wasn’t asking as my best friend; he was asking as an envoy for the Maumars—short for Maurice and Maria—which annoyed me to no end.

Though knowing I couldn’t fault him or judge him too harshly—the Maumars were after all our Leaders as they spearheaded the Council—I still expected more loyalty to me than to them.

Especially since Jackson, being an Orator, didn’t typically sit in on the Council like I did.

But back then, with the Great Exposure looming on the horizon, all Orators and their lawyer-like capacities had been summoned by our Collective’s Council to provide guidance and advice—or so it seemed, to fucking question its members.

“You know I can’t do that James,” Jackson replied. “Especially since you’ve been selected as?—”

“I know what I’m training for,” I cut him off, trying not to lose my patience. “I wouldn’t have accepted it, if I thought there would still be an issue.”

Jackson smiled. “Fine, I believe you. Just checking.”

I quirked an eyebrow at him. “Since when did you become a licensed therapist anyway?”

“You know very well my ass belongs to the Maumars for now. They might’ve requested me, as your best friend, to check up on the status of your…issues,” he grunted.

“And you will tell them?” I asked, not in the least surprised by his admission.

“That there is absolutely no reason to doubt the decision of the United Chiefs to appoint you as our next Leader,” he replied with a wink.

“And that he’s not your best friend,” Matthew chimed in, coming out of the hallway right on time to overhear our conversation. He slapped Jackson playfully on the back and smiled at me.

Jackson sighed a little annoyed. “Don’t act like you’re not perfectly aware of the fact I am the expert on all things James Walker related.”

Matthew snorted. “Well, you’re certainly an expert on something…self-delusion maybe?”

“I think that title rather has your name written all over it, Matthew,” Jackson retorted. “After all, weren’t you the magus who once said, and I quote, ‘watch me, within six months I’ll be dating Justine Heckley’? Talk about self-delusion…”

Matthew gasped, shocked Jackson would go there. “You know very well, I?—”

“Guuuuys,” I interrupted, massaging my temples. Gods, at the rate they were giving me a headache, you'd think they both had shares in an aspirin company.

“Let’s go get a drink,” I suggested. “I know it’s early but I’m in the mood for something strong. I have a whole lot of meetings this afternoon and I’m really trying to procrastinate preparing for them.”

Though relieved, they agreed, I was still annoyed at the amount of moronic squabbling they did until we arrived at the Cube.

They were like an old married couple, unable to go a day without arguing.

Only last week, I had to sit through an entire argument on which side of the moon they’d live on if they were to move there.

And when I suggested they could each live on their own side, trying to end their pointless debate, they’d stared at me as if I had just invited them to a wholly unsatisfying orgy with pole-dancing aliens.

Arriving at the Cube, Matthew asked with a teasing grin, “So, James, how does it feel to be the crowned king of translation, yet again?”

“Yes, you’ve been strutting around like a full-blooded peacock lately. Your permanent scowl notwithstanding,” Jackson chimed in.

I rolled my eyes. Great, now their bickering had turned on to me. They gave me so much crap about becoming Leader in succession of the Maumars, I was seriously starting to wonder whether it was all worth it.

“Lately? Are you kidding me, Jackson? Remember when they made him First Offensive? When was it anyway, almost ten years ago? Barely twenty-one years old and he was already no more than a crown away from wearing a badge saying ‘I’m but an ordinary hero’,” Matthew added in that god-awful tone of his.

“Oh come on, I wasn’t that bad?” I growled, silently grateful they kept me grounded.

“Dude, you couldn’t talk about anything else for months and you know very well you turned your ‘I’m always angry and brooding’ crap into a female fan magnet. And now it’s become even worse. Even Justine can’t take her eyes off you anymore.” Jackson rolled his eyes.

“That’s not true,” I replied, frowning. Justine was one of our best friends and I didn’t really like the idea of her thinking of me that way.

“From angry orphan to translation wunderkind to our Collective’s Leader. Not too shabby, Mr. Walker.” Jackson winked.

“Right! Seems like only yesterday we had to help you manage your ‘darkness.’ Remember when you almost killed AJ by strangling him with his own scarf for insulting Stephen?” Matthew laughed in fondness of the memory.

I let out an annoyed grunt, failing to see how that was funny.

Jackson smirked. “Careful Mat, he looks like he’s getting angry again. Can’t have our favorite Leader blowing up Cyclos because you still think you’re funny.”

“You both know very well I haven’t had an incident since I started training as an Offensive ,” I replied dryly. Big mistake. Should’ve never entertained them and especially not in a serious tone.

“Ooooh we’re so sorry dear Leader, please forgive us.

Of coooourse you haven’t. You’re an Offensive prodigy!

Weren’t you but nine years old when they started training you?

The first one ever to specialize so young?

Oh please, let me kiss your feet!” Matthew exclaimed, while dramatically clutching his heart and bowing down.

Jackson laughed and even I had trouble not grinning at his idiotic facial expressions.

“Whatever dude.” I shoved him a little as I searched my pockets.

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, realizing I had forgotten my Nexus—a small circular communication and portal device, custom tailored to my energy—back at the loft at the Universitas.

“What?” Matthew asked.

“I got to head back, left my Nexus in my loft.”

“So?” Matthew disgustingly spat out whatever he was chewing on. “We’re here with you; not like anyone else is going to nex you.”

I sighed heavily, not feeling the need to explain how the Maumars should be able to locate me at all times.

“Need mine to portal back?” Jackson asked, stifling a laugh, and already taking his Nexus out of his pocket.

I shook my head. “No it’s fine, I prefer walking anyway.”

Matthew and Jackson exchanged meaningful glances.

“What now?” I asked harshly.

“Nothing James…simply noticing how much you’ve been ‘walking around’ lately,” Matthew replied with those innocent-looking eyes.

“Yes James, stretching your legs seems to have become a rather essential part of your daily work out?” Jackson added.

They both laughed as I silently cursed them to the darkest depths of the Mariana Trench. I turned away and left quickly, before they could give me any more crap about going on foot instead of using a portal.

They were right though; I had been taking more walks lately. Jackson and Matthew were under the impression I did it because of the general attention it got me when people saw me walking down the street. As it suited me best, I let them.

Truth was it helped me to map out the entire city, in case the Nexus would ever fail. Not that there were any indications that it would, our navigation device was as trustworthy as it comes, but still. One had to be prepared.

Striding through Cyclos, it did strike me how I’d never felt more at home, even with all those people stopping dead in their tracks to gawk at me.

Cyclos, my home for the last twenty-four years, except for a brief one-year stint in Switzerland, was the largest Collective on this side of the world and housed all the magi of the United States.

Being a resident of Cyclos already carried a certain prestige in our world.

Having been elected as its next Leader..

. Let's just say, any fear people used to feel when I showed up was now drowned out by straight-up admiration.