Framework of the Frontier, Sain Artwell [read me a book .TXT] 📗

stare melted into a gleeful grin. “That’s the spirit. Come on! I’ll take you on without mercy.”

William stared at her every twitch of movement as he took a careful step forward. She wasn’t as strong as him, but she was a trained swordswoman. If she hadn’t been serious before, then now he was royally fucked. Had to go and blurt dumb shit, didn’t you. You’re gonna end up getting your ass whooped black. And now he couldn’t even back down anymore.

He knew he should have powers. The others had possessed abilities similar to their characters and he did feel something too, a strange swirling energy flowed within his veins. Shame he had no clue how to use it or how it worked.

“Well? Hop hop.” Lidarein taunted him.

“Don’t let her bully you,” shouted a voice of encouragement from the sidelines. Bless her precious little heart.

The swirling mists shifted inside him, moving towards Ember. A tingling sensation traveled with them through his shoulder, arm, and into his palm where it dissipated in a soft sputtering glow of white light.

Bless her.

Could it be so simple?

Nothing seemed to have happened to her, aside from her eyes going wide to match Lidarein’s. Maybe it had another step in the casting. The energies danced on his palm, which meant touching might be a part of it.

His excitement swelling, William focused again on the mist within him. About a tenth of it felt missing, but aside from that there seemed to be no side effects. He closed his eyes, placed a palm on his chest and prayed, God give me strength.

“Ready to show me the real deal?” Lidarein asked.

A euphoric tingling surged from William’s palm, spreading through him. He felt light. Incredibly light. But it was like he’d lit a match on fire. It wouldn’t last long. “Yep, all ready now.”

Lidarein lunged at him, still as fast as ever.

William abandoned defense, swinging a sideways swipe in hopes of getting her off balance. She flipped her weapon to receive the blow.

Wood cracked. William watched his strike cleave through her sword, pinning her arm to her ribs. Before he could stop the swing the elf was lifted off her feet and sent stumbling across the field all the way to a broken section of the parapet, through which she fell.

His excitement shattered into dread.

“Lidarein! Noo!” Ember hurried to the edge.

“Oh fuck, oh shit, I definitely didn’t mean to do that.” William hurried after her. The thought of seeing a splatter on the street below gripped him with nauseating fear for the whole two seconds it took him to spot her.

Clutching her ribs, Lidarein hung off of a vine.

“Oh, thank the gods you’re alive.” Ember fell on her knees, sighing in relief. “Are you okay?“

“You know what, I’m gonna think about adding that wall.” Lidarein grunted, failing to pull herself up higher with her trembling right arm. “I could use a hand.”

They helped her back up. Her arm wasn’t broken, only badly bruised.

“Do you want me to get the healer?” Ember asked.

Lidarein shook her head, downplaying the pain as she flexed her arm slowly. “It’s fine. I’ll take it easy for today and drink a couple drops of vitality elixir before bed.”

More than a twinge of guilt poked at William’s guts. His experiment had endangered the first friendly people he had encountered in this world. More than that, he’d nearly killed one of them outright.

He felt like a fool. Well, he was a fool.

A big fucking idiot.

Worse yet, he had been all high and mighty judgemental towards Thomas and the others before. He still couldn’t justify what they had done, given that they had not owned up to it. But he guessed that lack of control had no doubt played no small part in the devastation they had caused.

William swallowed, offering Lidarein an apologetic look. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I had that much strength. I should’ve stopped the fight the moment I found out how to trigger my magic.”

“You should be.” She gave him a pat on the arm, offering a weak smile. “Nah, it’s as much my bad for getting you all riled up. I should’ve dodged that instead. What was that? Ember, you said he had no magic.”

“He didn’t.” Ember looked over William, curiosity brimming in her eyes. She picked up the bright blue gem on her necklace and muttered something inaudible. A bright sheen expanded from the edges of her amber-brown eyes, giving them an enchanting sun-like shimmer. “Still doesn’t. Could you bend down a little bit?”

William hunched, growing aware of the faun’s gentle touch brushing his leg. “I’m not sure what it is, but I do have a hunch.”

“Wait a moment, I want to try to figure it out myself. Hold still, please.” Ember put her soft little fingers against the sides of William’s head, closing her eyes. When she began to guide him closer, William licked teeth, staring at the plump parted lips beneath him. He puckered his, preparing to meet hers in an unexpected kiss.

Her forehead thudded against his and the motion stopped.

“Sorcerer’s Eye needs closer contact for powers more esoteric than typical magic.” Her murmur was honey, nearly as soft as her touch.

“Right…” His gaze trailed back to her full lips, lush eyelashes and calm expression of focus.

She smelled nice, damn nice. Ember’s scent was sweet and feminine laden with vanilla and something woody. His gaze trailed to the steadily rising shape of breasts restrained by a near skin-tight gray sleeveless leather top. They were huge, barely proportional to her body and even then only because her rear end was equally majestic.

William closed his eyes, praying, down boy, down.

Ember gasped.

She released William as a face of shock and cheer widened her eyes. She looked between the two of them, drawing breaths, balling her