Mages of Buldoun (Aether's Revival Book 5) Read online

  Gregory spun, coming back at Rafiq. He didn’t block, just dodging everything Rafiq threw in those two seconds. Before Jenn could get to him, Gregory managed to slap Rafiq’s snout, earning a harsh grunt from the crocodilian eurtik. That was followed with a much lower blow that was barely a tap, then a chop with the side of his hand to the back of Rafiq’s neck.

  Rafiq had to admit that he hadn’t been prepared for the snout hit. That slowed him from infusing his body where the next two attacks hit him. He raised his hand as he stepped back, knowing a fellow apprentice would have crumpled in that spot.

  Then, Jenn was on Gregory and he fought his best, dodging, slipping, and deflecting everything that came his way. That was right up until he couldn’t move fast enough, and a shadow caught his left leg.

  “Yield,” Gregory said as he dropped to a knee.

  Jenn’s kick went just over his head as she bent backward to miss him. “That was close.”

  “I would’ve needed Mindie,” Gregory panted as he stayed down.

  Clapping caught everyone’s attention. Egil was standing in the doorway, grinning. “I was sent to tell you to clean up. The overseer has arrived. He is talking with Lightshield, and dinner will be soon.”

  “Yes, sir,” the group said.

  “Well done, Pettit,” Egil grinned before going back inside.

  The group headed inside, and Gregory thought back to Mindie asking him to bathe with them. He hesitated, as Rafiq was beside him when they entered the inn.

  “I will see you for dinner,” Rafiq said.

  “Huh?”

  “I do not need to bathe again. I didn’t do enough to need a bath. I should fix my outfit, though.”

  “Oh... uh... right,” Gregory said.

  Rafiq walked past all the women, who’d paused in the hallway.

  That left just Gregory, his wives, and their friends in the hall. Gregory’s cheeks heated a little, but he smiled. “So… a bath?”

  Mindie opened the door. “If it’s okay?”

  They followed her into the room. As they disrobed, Gregory didn’t try to stop his eyes from roving. He mostly kept his gaze on his wives, but he did glance at the three he’d been in a bath with before. He only kept his gaze from Mindie, not wanting to embarrass her more.

  When he finished undressing, Mindie was staring directly at him, her cheeks burning. He froze, his gaze darting up and down her body out of reflex. She’s the softest of them. She hasn’t kept up with physical conditioning, so that makes sense. Beautiful, though... I bet she’d be wonderful to snuggle with. Gregory jerked his eyes away, coughing. “Uh... can I get your back, Mindie?”

  “Yes,” Mindie whispered, aware of the others watching them. “Do I look okay?”

  “Beautiful, if you ask me,” Yukiko murmured, moving to her side. “Do you mind?”

  “Umm... no?” Mindie asked.

  Yukiko hugged Mindie, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Very nice.”

  “T-thank you,” Mindie stammered as she returned the hug.

  “Oh, I want to hug her, too!” Clover said, quickly coming over. “Can I?”

  Yukiko giggled and stepped away.

  “Yes,” Mindie said, feeling a little more comfortable. They might be in better shape than she was, but they all looked at her without any negativity. One by one, the women hugged her, each helping reduce her anxiety.

  Gregory shifted around all of them to the inner bathroom door. “I’ll get the water ready.”

  Mindie’s uplifting moment came crashing down. Yukiko sighed, moving back to whisper to Mindie, “He’s just afraid of hurting you. He’s already said he’ll wash you. When he finishes, return the favor. You have our approval to be a little forward with him.”

  Mindie’s face blazed, but she nodded. “Okay...”

  “He enjoys it when we lean into his back while we wash him,” Jenn said.

  “Oh, umm... yes... I’ll try that,” Mindie whispered.

  Gregory was pumping water when the women entered. This inn had a proper hot spring bath that they could all fit in, making bathing less awkward than the smaller tubs would have. Swallowing, he did his best to not be awkward, but the six women were all gorgeous in their own ways, and he couldn’t stop his body from reacting accordingly.

  “Two ready so far,” he said with a bit of strain in his voice.

  “Clover, get my back, please?” Jenn asked as she came over and grabbed a bucket.

  “Sure!”

  “Ling, I’ll get you first, too,” Yukiko said, claiming the second bucket.

  “As you wish, Yuki.”

  Gregory finished pumping enough for them all to have a bucket before he looked at Mindie shifting nervously a few feet away. “Have a seat, Mindie. I’ll be right there.”

  “Okay, Greg. Thank you.”

  Roshana gave him a smile as she bent over to collect her own bucket, her small, round tail twitching a little. Gregory swallowed and pulled his gaze away from that sight. Roshana bit her lip— she knew what she’d done, and she loved being just a little naughty.

  Setting the bucket beside Mindie, Gregory knelt behind her. “Wet your hair and back for me? Looks like citrus is the only soap tonight.”

  Mindie did as Gregory asked, using a small part of the bucket water to wet her hair and back. She had to lean forward to do it, trying to keep the water out of her fox ears. Gregory had never thought about it before, but eurtik with ears on top of their head would have real problems ducking under water.

  That helped get his mind off what he was doing as he lathered his hands. Moving out of reflex, he began to wash Mindie’s hair first. Her red hair slipped through his fingers smoothly as he massaged her scalp. Mindie inhaled slowly and her shoulders hunched slightly, enjoying the sensation. When Gregory massaged around the base of her ears, a small exhale of pleasure escaped her.

  Gregory’s hands froze for a moment before he continued what he was doing. He didn’t prolong it, but he wasn’t going to stop, either. When he finished with her head, he soaped his hands up again, then began on her back. His hands glided over her smooth skin and he chewed his lip for a second before gently kneading her back.

  “Oh, goodness...” Mindie exhaled. “You don’t have to…”

  “If you want me to stop, I will,” Gregory said when she trailed off. “Yuki and Jenn both enjoy the small massages when I scrub them.”

  “He does have wonderful hands,” Jenn sighed happily.

  “Lucky,” Clover sighed. “Maybe you’ll get my back tomorrow, Greg?”

  “If we share a bath, then yes,” Gregory said.

  “He’ll get each of you once,” Yukiko said, “if it works out that way.”

  “Thank you, Yuki,” Ling purred, happy with the strong fingers digging into her back.

  Roshana stayed quiet as she washed her front. She was timing her movements, waiting for her moment.

  “All done,” Gregory said softly. “I’ll take that spot when you finish.”

  “I’ll be quick,” Mindie exhaled. “Thank you.”

  He leaned in just a little closer to her ear, “And you are beautiful, Mindie. Different, but just as beautiful as my wives. I just didn’t feel comfortable hugging you nude. I’m sorry.”

  Mindie swallowed, her heart soaring. “Thank you...”

  “You can use the bucket on your hair. I’ll help with your ears,” Gregory said as he leaned back.

  “Oh, thank you,” Mindie smiled widely, doing that before scrubbing her front.

  The moment Gregory was done helping Mindie, Roshana looked over at him. “Greg, can you get my back?”

  “Oh... double lucky,” Clover exhaled.

  Gregory laughed as he looked back at Clover. “I’ll get you and Ling next time. We’re an odd number, so someone was left without a partner.”

  “Sorry...” Clover said softly.

  “We understand,” Jenn said, kissing Clover’s cheek. “Now rinse your hair. I’ll help.”

  “Thank you, Jenn.”

  “Already got your hair?” Gregory asked.

  “Yes, but I could use your help rinsing after you get my back, please,” Roshana said.

  “Okay.”

  Gregory massaged Roshana’s back as he scrubbed her down. His lips curled up when he thought about her small tease just a moment ago. When he was nearly done, he paused to work her tail with extra attention.

  Roshana’s breath caught and her face burned as Gregory gently unrolled her tail, scrubbing the length of it. She stared straight ahead as she tried not to react to what he was doing— washing another’s tail was a sign of intimate affection in Limaz. She wanted to tell him, but didn’t because she didn’t want him to stop. That made her feel guilty, and she promised to tell him afterward.

  “All done,” he said, taking his hand away.

  Her tail lay flat against her back. “Th-thank you,” she exhaled shakily. “Greg… washing another’s tail… is intimate. I should have stopped you... I’m sorry.”

  Gregory froze, and his eyes went to Yukiko and Jenn. All the others stared back at him.

  “Why didn’t you?” Yukiko asked into the silence, her tone neutral.

  “He caught me off guard… and then, I didn’t want him to stop. I’m sorry, Yuki, Jenn… I’m sorry to all of you, and our friends back at the academy,” Roshana sniffled, realizing she’d been wrong to allow him to finish.

  “Vicky did hump his leg when they kissed,” Jenn murmured.

  “And Greg encouraged her,” Yukiko nodded. “Greg?”

  “I didn’t know. That’s something else that’s not in any of the books we’ve read.”

  “Are you upset with her?” Yukiko asked.

  Gregory hesitated, then answered, “No. I wish she’d told me, but I grabbed her tail without warning, so it’s partially my fault.”

  Jenn glanced at Clover, and then her lips twisted up at the corner. “I’ll allow it, but he should make sure to treat our friends equally.”

  Yukiko glanced over to see Clover’s slightly crestfallen expression light up, and she giggled. “That would be fair.”

  “Really?!” Clover nearly squealed in joy.

  “Yes,” Jenn said.

  Gregory looked at Clover, and he had to smile at her expression. “Yeah, really.”

  “What about those of us without tails?” Ling asked softly.

  “Ear massage,” Mindie said. “Trust me…” Her face was flushed when she said it.

  Ling’s smile widened. “Oh? I’ll accept that.”

  Yukiko laughed. “Accepted, but only if Greg is okay with it.”

  Gregory looked at the others who were watching him, then nodded. “I already told my wives that if they approve, I will, too.”

  “It’s your turn to get your back cleaned,” Yukiko said, “after you help rinse Roshana’s ears and tail.”

  “Oh, right,” Gregory said.

  “And I’ll be doing that,” Mindie said with a small smile on her lips.

  Chapter Eight

  The bath had been a little tense, but Jenn broke that tension once they were soaking. She told them the story about Yukiko proposing that they all stand naked in front of each other to get over their embarrassment. Clover had jumped to her feet, declaring they should do it, too. Ling grabbed her and pulled her down, quickly saying they shouldn’t. The others laughed— Mindie did so a little awkwardly, but everyone laughed, including Clover.

  They were still chuckling over it when they got dressed for dinner. Gregory didn’t keep his eyes from roaming, but he made sure not to stare, either. His own face was a little pink when he caught them returning the attention, though he didn’t try to hide from them.

  ‘What’s good for the gander is good for the goose,’ as Yuki once said, Gregory thought. Need to make sure to leave clothing out tonight so it can get cleaned. I’m so glad we all have extra clothing in our storage spaces. It makes changing into clean clothes after bathing easy.

  Dressed in fresh clothing, they left the room to find Hemet waiting for them with a small, knowing smile on his face. “Dinner is in a few minutes. The private room is through the door there,” he said, pointing to it. “Ling, I left some items for you to study in your room. Clover, the elder left alchemical supplies in their suite,” he motioned at Gregory, Yukiko, and Jenn, “so you can work on your magic. When you need more, let us know.”

  “Thank you, Hemet,” the pair of apprentices said.

  “We do try,” Hemet smiled. “You can join us at the table now, or in a few minutes.”

  “Now’s fine,” Gregory said after he checked with his friends.

  “Very well. Follow me.”

  Entering the private dining room, they found the overseer was already there. He was talking softly to Lightshield while Egil and Rafiq were having a conversation of their own. “Overseer, may I present the young generation of Aether’s Guard?” Hemet asked.

  Gregory was shocked to see the man seated beside Lightshield. He glanced at Yukiko and saw that she was just as surprised. Instead of the gray kimono they’d seen him in before, here, the man was wearing a periwinkle kimono with the academy emblem displayed on the sleeves.

  Laozi gave them a bow of his head. “It is a pleasure to meet you formally.”

  “The honor and pleasure are ours, Honored Sage,” Yukiko replied before any of the others could. That didn’t stop them all from bowing formally with her to him.

  “Sit. We shall discuss after dinner,” Laozi said, his former affable nature not to be seen. He spoke as a sage of the empire should: firmly, knowing that he would be obeyed.

  The group all took their seats, wondering if they’d done something to offend him. Lightshield wasn’t smiling the way he normally would, which didn’t ease the tension for them any.

  “Since we are all here, I shall summon the meal now,” Lightshield said, using the bellpull near his chair.

  The staff bustled in with the food, setting plates in front of everyone before quickly leaving. Gregory felt the tension growing over the course of dinner. Clover looked frayed as it came to an end— she’d dropped her fork twice, both times getting flat glances from Laozi.

  When they’d finished, Lightshield had the staff clean the table and bring them tea, then asked for them not to be disturbed. The maids were quick to do as he asked, bowing deeply when they finally left the room.

  “You have made a lot of enemies,” Laozi said as soon as the door closed behind the staff. “Do you believe they will leave you be?”

  “No, sir,” Gregory said. “We are aware of the worst and expect them to continue trying to pull us down. As for others, it will not be surprising if more try, but we also have allies.”

  “Are you certain of those allies?”

  “As certain as we can be. Among those we call allies, there are those who are jealous as well, but I believe we will not have trouble from them.”

  “Hmm... Time will tell, as it always does,” Laozi replied. “I shall make the formal introduction now. I am Sage Laozi Windfoot. I am the youngest of the remaining sages of the empire, and have been overseer since the academy was placed in Wesrik.”

  When he stopped talking, the younger magi bowed in their seats to him before introducing themselves. Gregory thought he’d caught a glimmer of amusement in Lightshield’s eyes, but he wasn’t positive.

  “Honored Sage,” Gregory started slowly, wondering how big of a mistake he was about to make, “if I might ask a question?”

  “I believe you still have two remaining,” Laozi replied. “If you wish to use one here, I will answer.”

  Gregory hesitated, suddenly realizing that Laozi was speaking of his counsel from the academy council. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get a chance to use them in the future, so he pressed on, “Thank you, sir. When we first met you, you were sweeping in front of an arena. You told us you had no rank and were merely a sweeper. Why the deception?”

  Yukiko’s hand clamped down on Gregory’s knee, her heart going to her throat. Jenn’s eyes bulged in fear, afraid of what might happen. Each of his other friends grew tense, waiting for the sage to denounce his question as insolent.

  Laozi’s eyes narrowed at Gregory before he started to chuckle. “That is a long story, Pettit. Suffice to say, I was strictly following my orders from the emperor himself. When he assigned me to start the academy, he told me quite bluntly to clean it of filth and put it in order. One might have taken that to mean removing the eurtik archivists, but I was certain he meant ‘keeping it clean.’ I devoted myself to keeping the academy as clean as I could while letting the council that was appointed after me bicker over how to run it. The grandmasters and elders of the council come and go, replaced every few years or decades, but I remain. It wasn’t deception, but a version of the truth.”