“Don’t feel like you need to help here; we got this,” she said, motioning to all of the people working to stock the ships.
“Kirsten, I came to talk to you about these,” he said as he pulled the crystal she had given him from his pocket. Glancing at her, he noticed Max stepping around the boxes they were securing.
Max rubbed his hands together and came to stand next to Kirsten to look at the blue hue of the crystal in Anders’ hand.
Kirsten took notice of Max, then started fishing in her pocket for something, “You want it back? I kind of assumed you wanted me to keep it.”
“I do want you to keep it. I came to teach you how to use it,” he said. Anders saw Kirsten perk up at the idea. He looked at Max, “I want to teach all of you how to use them.”
Max frowned, “I tried to use it, when she was first bitten, but it didn’t work.”
Several people pushed past them, trying to find places to store more supplies. Kirsten grabbed Anders by the arm and led him over to the side of the ship. Max followed. Anders used the crystal as a prop and spoke loudly at both of them, “These crystals were designed specifically for use by non-bonded people. Just because it didn’t work for you the first time, Max, doesn’t mean it won’t work at all. I want to show you and others how to use these magical tools so we have a better shot at defending ourselves in a war.”
Anders heard a familiar voice behind him, “Did you say you’re going to teach people to use some form of magic?”
As Anders turned to see who had spoken, Max stepped toward the speaker saying, “Evans, you don’t want to be a part of this. If your father finds out...”
“If our father finds out,” Evans said as Anders recognized the face of the young man who’d handed him the chickens just moments earlier. After seeing more of Evans’ father, he could see the resemblance in the square jaw and thick brow on his forehead. He must’ve taken more of his mother’s stature, because he did not look older than Anders by the amount of muscle on his frame or thickness of body, like other soldiers in the Westland Revolution. Evans was a smaller and more reasonable version of his father, but he suspected the young man shared some of Tony’s fiery spirit.
“If you get involved, he’ll blame me,” Max warned.
Anders looked at Max’s foster brother and said, “Right now we’re going to need all the help we can get with willing participants. Bo’s already turned me down.”
“You talked to Bo about this, too?” Max asked.
Anders nodded.
“And why wouldn’t he be included,” Kirsten asked, glaring at Max.
Max groaned, “I didn’t mean to imply that he shouldn’t.”
“Good, because he should be included,” Kirsten said. “He’s better with the sword anyway.”
Max raised his hands slightly, shaking his head and looking to Anders.
“Are things between you two okay?” Anders asked, eyeing them both.
Anders was answered by another familiar voice sounding from behind, “Are they still bickering?” Britt asked. “I thought making them work together would force them to sort out their problems.”
Anders turned to see the dark-eyed Rollo warrior Captain standing with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.
“I hope you won’t be distracting my crew for too long? Or have you come to aid us in our work?” she asked.
“Distraction is not my intention, Captain,” Anders assured her. “I have come to seek some help, and it could be something that you’d be interested in. Having a strong warrior like yourself trained could make a difference in our future.”
Britt looked to Max and Kirsten, then asked, “You have my attention, Anders. What help are you seeking?”
Anders realized he had closed his fist around the crystal when Evans appeared from behind. Opening his hand, he exposed the light blue crystal, “I want these to be put to good use and into the hands of those they were intended for. Will you come with us? I can show you how to use their power.”
Britt took a small step back when she saw the crystal. Her stern expression moved first to Kirsten, lingered, then shifted to Anders. Shaking her head, she said, “I can’t. I must stay here and oversee the task you’ve given me.”
“Really? You’re going to pass up this opportunity?” Kirsten asked.
Anders eyed his cousin as she, too, put her hands on her hips, shifting and looking as though she was trying to look through Britt.
Britt tensed, appearing to have been caught telling a lie, then said, pointing to the crystal in Anders’ hand, “Those things, they don’t work for me.”
“That’s what Bo said, too. How do you know they don’t work if you only tried to use them once and that was in a panic?” Anders asked.
Britt shifted uncomfortably and Max said, “She’s tried to use it more than once.”
“When did you try to use it?” Kirsten asked.
“When you were seizing after the goblin bite. I tried to use it then, with all my willpower I tried to heal you, but it didn’t do anything. Then when you gave me the crystal at Solomon’s, I tried to use it on the guards who attacked Max and me. It never worked; no matter how hard I tried, it didn’t do anything.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Kirsten asked, placing her hand on Britt’s shoulder.
“I tried,” Britt said sheepishly.
“You never mentioned that it didn’t work for you. After you came back safely, I just assumed it had been of use to you,” Kirsten said.
“I had other things on my mind then and I didn’t want you or Bo to think that I couldn’t be counted on,” Britt said, glancing awkwardly at Evans, who remained next to Anders.
Kirsten didn’t reply and Anders scratched at the back of his head before saying, “Nobody doubts your abilities here, Captain.” His words seemed to bring back her normal stern demeanor and she straightened with some pride intact.
“I would offer two members of my crew as recruits,” Britt said.
Anders nodded, “Who should I expect?”
