Magi's Path (Aether's Revival Book 3) by Daniel Schinhofen (best black authors .TXT) 📗

afraid he might change his mind at any moment. When Gregory didn’t bolt, she placed her hands more firmly on him and began to work the soap into his skin.

Gregory stayed as still as he could. His face was still burning, but her hands felt good. Not as skilled as Jess, but still really nice. The memory of his bath with Jess made it even more difficult to ignore the hard time he was having.

Almost as soon as it had begun, it was over. “All done,” Jenn told him.

“You are, too,” Yukiko said with a trace of humor to her tone. “Now, let’s finish washing up and then soak for a bit.”

Gregory nodded mutely as he picked up some soap and scrubbed up mechanically. His mind raced from thought to thought only for him to try slamming the door on each in turn. He was the first one finished, and he moved swiftly to the bath and sank into it.

The hot water, smelling faintly of minerals, helped pull his mind to something different. “A hot spring? Huh, nice location for an inn. I guess that explains the hot water from the pump, too.”

“Yes,” Yukiko said as she joined him. “This town is known for its hot spring inns. At least according to Lavent, they are.” Sitting beside him, she kissed his cheek, her eyes on Jenn as she lowered her voice to a barely-audible whisper, “Thank you, dearest.”

Gregory’s eyes tracked to Jenn before swiftly looking away as she stood. “Trying,” he murmured back. His gaze flickered to Jenn and away again when she came toward them— the image of her naked body on display seared into his brain.

Jenn’s pace hitched for a second when he looked at her, but she continued walking. Reaching the hot spring, she eased into it across from them. “Oh, that is nice,” she said, her face red.

Gregory closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. “It really seeps into the muscles after a minute.”

“Who are you training with, dearest?”

“Oh, a man named Bryn Abrosum. He’s the bowyer of Brighid’s Bows. Brighid was his grandmother. Today, he spent our few hours together quizzing me on various parts of the job. I’m certain he was surprised at how much I already knew.”

“I’m at Lavox’s Leathers, Jenn,” Yukiko told her. “The owner is called Lavent Lavox. He’s half-elven and has been in this town for generations, but he originally comes from Buldoun. I had a similar day with him— he quizzed and tested me over what I knew of leatherworking. He was excited about how much I know, and I’m sure that he’ll be moving onto the actual work tomorrow.”

“You both met Micklen,” Jenn said. “Her given name is Kassidy, and she let me call her Kass by the end of the day. She doesn’t say a lot, but I could tell she was pleased to have someone who could do the job and not bug her with questions.”

“We all have solid instructors, it seems,” Gregory said. “Not surprising, though. I doubt Lightshield would have arranged for us to have less than good instructors.”

“Only if he couldn’t help it,” Yukiko said. “He can’t change people. He can only see what might happen.”

“True,” Gregory sighed.

“Greg, am I ugly to you?” Jenn blurted.

Head coming off the wall, his eyes shot open. “No!”

“Okay,” Jenn said slowly, “because it feels like you don’t even want to glance at me.”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, is all. You’re beautiful and it’s hard to not appreciate you. I’m having an incredibly difficult time because both you and Yukiko are here. I’m sorry.”

Jenn’s cheeks were burning again. “No, it’s fine. I know that Yukiko is prettier, but I—”

“Not prettier. Different, but not prettier,” Yukiko said. “I’d love to have your tanned skin instead of my pasty skin tone.”

“Porcelain, not pasty,” Jenn told her. “Your skin is beautiful and silky smooth, and I know it is, having washed your back a number of times now.”

Gregory chuckled as a memory came to mind, and both women looked at him with questioning gazes. “Uh, sorry. The wall between the bathing chambers in the training hall is just thin enough that if you talk loudly, voices carry to the other side. That reminded me of Yukiko and Michelle the first time we trained with Nick.” Both women stared at him, and he shifted uncomfortably under their gazes. Neither looked happy.

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier, dearest?” Yukiko asked pointedly.

“I... forgot until just now,” Gregory admitted, clearly repentant. “Michelle had been complimenting your hair, kind of like you two were just doing.”

“I’m glad we don’t bathe there anymore,” Jenn said simply, “and I forgive you, Greg.”

Yukiko continued to stare at Gregory for a few more seconds before her lips twisted into a smirk. “Good thing the clan hall is better built. I think his head would have exploded if he heard half of the things we’ve talked about in there.”

Jenn began to laugh as she watched Gregory’s face. “Yes. Look, he’s already trying to figure out what it could’ve been.”

Gregory took a deep breath and submerged himself underwater. Muted laughter reached him, making his ears burn. Well, you walked into that one, and she was right... I was trying to figure it out. He surfaced and gave them both a sheepish grin. “I was,” he admitted before leaning back against the wall again. “Going to tell me?”

“No,” Yukiko laughed.

Jenn laughed as well, shaking her head. “Girl talk isn’t discussed with men.”

Gregory chuckled, the tension from earlier gone now. “Fair enough. I’d try to say the same about guy talk, but frankly, there isn’t any conversation that would be that interesting.”

“I would be shocked if there was,” Yukiko grinned. “I can’t imagine Gin telling you the things that Inda or Indara might tell