Page 9 of Suffer No Fools
Chapter 2
Hugo
While Stan and Tovey slept, Hugo was under the careful watch of Jermain, the earth weaver, and Frost, the ice weaver. Both of the elders had been kind to him, but he missed the sense of security he felt with Tovey and Stan watching over him. Even when he couldn't see them, he could feel their weaves surrounding him.
Not that it mattered, not really. Hugo still couldn't call fire to his fingertips, let alone to the matchstick Frost set before him on a tin plate.
"Don't force it," Frost said. "It will come when it's ready." His smile was kind as he held out his palm. "Want to try ice again?"
Hugo nodded. This time, he placed his hand palm-up over Frost's.
"Find your sorrow."
Hugo recalled how abandoned and sad he'd felt when his mother had passed. The feeling was still raw from when he'd cried on Olivia's shoulder.
"That's it," Frost said. "Much better than before. There's nothing blocking the flow, now. Can you channel it into your palm?"
Hugo felt a push of cold from Frost, showing him how to cool the air above his hand. The air above his palmcondensed, drawing moisture toward it through Frost's weave. Hugo followed along with his own power, drawing moisture from outside the sphere to condense and freeze into a solid ball of ice.
He sensed movement, and glanced up at Frost, who was now standing before him with both hands clasped at his waist. "Don't look at me," he said. "You're doing this all on your own."
Hugo chuckled, and he lost control of the weave, tumbling the ball of ice to the floor. It rolled across the floor toward the sound of scampering paws. A gray-striped kitten leapt through the doorway and landed on the ball. He rolled onto his side and kicked at it with his hind feet, sending it rolling up one of the barrier sails a few inches before rolling back at the kitten.
"This must be Mewskers," Hugo said. The kitten was now on full sideways display toward the ball, his fur standing on end from the tip of his tail to the scruff of his neck, back arched as the ball came to a stop.
"Sorry to interrupt," Klaus said as he popped through the doorway and waved. "How are you feeling after your healing ordeal?"
"Better." Hugo had tried to resent Klaus for stealing Vadim away, but he couldn't. Klaus was just too kind and likeable.
"Well, I brought the last of our cheese stores and some cinnamon hard tack." He held up the platter in his hand. "You'll have to excuse us plying you with food."
"Yes, especially now that you're learning your weaves," Frost said. "The children in our care have morning and afternoon snacks, along with their three meals a day. I expect you to eat as much and as often as you can."
"Petri will spoil you rotten when we arrive on Aquarion, don't you worry," Jermain said from the doorway. He'd pickedup the kitten, who had taken one good swat at the melting ball of ice and decided it was now repulsive. Jermain carried the little ball of fluff to Hugo and dropped him in his open arms. "Now, to find your joy. There's much joy to be found in a kitten at play."
"Just don't burn him alive," Klaus added.
Hugo stared down at the kitten with mounting dread. "No."
"I was ... oh, honey, I was joking." Klaus clasped his shoulder and ran his other hand over the kitten's fur.
"That's the trouble with fire," Hugo whispered. "We find it with joy, and then we hurt whatever brought us that joy."
"No," Klaus said, the sharpness in his voice drawing Hugo's attention to his stern frown. "I don't believe that. You're stronger than that. You'll learn to control it, same as Niall."
"Gods, I hope so." Hugo followed Klaus's gentle prodding toward the divan.
Klaus sat beside the pile of pillows, where Hugo had buried the book he'd been reading, and dropped the platter between them, gesturing for Hugo to eat. Mewskers was far more interested in the food than he was, but Klaus scooped him up before he could steal a hunk of cheese.
Footsteps drew their attention to the doorway, where Frost and Jermain were headed back into the hall to stand guard. "Thank you for your help," Hugo called.
"You're welcome, Your Majesty," Frost said with a slight bow.
"It's strange," Klaus said, looking around. "Why didn't they put you in a crate like ours? This room has so little privacy."
"I'm not meant to have privacy," Hugo said. "I'm too dangerous."
Coryn had drilled that into him since his mother's death. Coryn had even accused him of killing her, but he'd seen the cuts on her body. An air weaver had done that. An ice blade wouldhave left marks, same as any edged weapon. Air cut cleanly. She'd been tortured before she'd been punctured right through the heart.
