Page 5 of Cerulean Truth
“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 amtheexpert 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 atmeas ifIhad 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.
