Bastial Explosion (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

my mother doesn’t know who he is.”
    “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Effie said.
    “It’s fine,” Reela answered. “I never knew him. Anyway, he didn’t know my mother was pregnant with me when he left Kyrro to rescue Vithos from the Krepps. With my mother’s money, he hired a woman skilled in the art of stealth to go with him. They were trapped by the Krepps and my father was killed by the Slugari leaders—Doe and Haemon are their names.” Reela’s gaze became locked to the table. “I’m sure we’ll meet them at some point during this war. Rek says their magic is the strongest in the world, though he doesn’t know how. Neither does he know why they’re so large when every other Slugari stands no taller than our waists.”
    “How big are they?” Effie asked.
    Zoke answered. “Taller than me and perhaps ten feet long.”
    “Oh, that’s right,” Steffen realized aloud. “They were your leaders when you were with the Krepps.”
    “Their size and power comes from years of eating something they call eppil plants,” Zoke said. “That’s what Vithos told me.”
    As interested as Steffen was in the story, he kept finding his focus being drawn to Gabby. She was seated next to him with her hand in his. Her thumb sensuously slid along the top of his, making the hairs on his arm stand on end.
    “Was this woman who went with your father killed, too?” Effie asked.
    “No,” Reela said. “She made it back and told my mother what happened. Besides how sorry she was, I didn’t know anything else about her except her name…” Reela’s mouth dropped open as a memory struck her. “My Bastial stars…I haven’t thought about it in years. I think her name was Quessa—” Reela stopped herself in the middle of mouthing the last name. “Wait, could it really be that?”
    “Why does that matter?” Effie asked, placing her hand on Reela’s arm.
    “It’s her last name that matters,” Reela said. “I just wanted to be sure before I said it. And now I am. Her name was Quessa Polken.”
    “Like Cleve Polken?” Steffen slipped his hand from Gabby’s to avoid distraction. “She’s related to Cleve?”
    “She must be,” Reela said. “I wonder if he knows what happened to her.”
    “What do you mean?” Steffen asked.
    Reela shook her head. “My mother doesn’t know what happened to her after she came back from the Krepp encampment to deliver the news of my father’s death. My mother was worried that Quessa went back at a later point to try to retrieve Vithos and was killed. She told me that Quessa was distraught about failing at her task—something she’d apparently never done before.” Reela sighed. “I miss Cleve and Vithos…and Rek as well.”
    Effie stood and came behind her to squeeze Reela’s shoulders, nestling her head against her friend’s cheek. When it was done, Effie leaned down for a closer look at Reela’s ears.
    “They’re so pretty, Reela.”
    She looked away with a somewhat embarrassed smile. “Thank you. I’ve wanted to let them show my whole life. And now the thought of keeping them hidden with both my brothers gone is too painful to endure.”
    Effie said, “I still don’t completely understand why you had to keep your ears hidden.”
    “King Welson exiled Rek because his power with psyche was too strong and he’d learned some of the King’s secrets,” Reela said. “If he’d found out I was related to Rek, he most likely would’ve exiled me as well. But I’ve proven my allegiance to Kyrro by now, I’m sure.”
    A silence followed. Being unable to picture Rek, for Steffen had never met him, his thoughts turned to Vithos instead. It was easy to imagine the smile usually brightening the Elf’s face.
    “Does this mean I can touch your shiny hair now?” Effie’s tone was playfully excited.
    Reela let out a flattered giggle. “As much as you’d like, Eff.”
    Zoke stood. “I’m very tired,” he said bluntly.
    If it were anyone else, Steffen would’ve thought