Chapter 7: December

Brock's sword clanged off David's buckler, and then David pushed it away, swinging with his own sword. Brock blocked that attack with his dagger, and lunged with his sword, trying to catch David off guard. David swiveled, to allow Brock to go past him, and then brought his sword down onto the back of Brock's neck. Had they been practicing at speed, Brock would have been lying on the ground at that point. They were, however, moving slowly, to work out moves, rather than actually sparring.

"Damn," Brock said after David let him stand up. "I thought I had you."

"You telegraphed your move. I saw you shift your foot back."

"Shit. How are you supposed to not do that? I mean, I have to shift my feet, to be stable for the lunge."

"Then distract me with your hands. Use your dagger to confuse me. If we were stage magicians, instead of real wizards, this would be easier for you, as their whole profession is based on making people look exactly where they want them to. You have to get me to look at your hands when I should be looking at your feet, and at your feet when I should be looking at your hands. And it's made all the harder by the fact that I know ahead of time that that's exactly what you're going to be doing."

"Shit. So, how am I supposed to pull it off?"

"By either making me forget what I'm supposed to be doing, or by doing something I simply cannot safely ignore."

"So, slashing at you with my sword as I shift my feet..."

"As long as you don't put yourself off balance, or open yourself up to an attack in the process."

"Right. Shit, I don't think I'm ever going to get this stuff. I'm sure as hell not ready for King of the Mountain in March."

David snorted. "I don't think any of us is ready for that. We've only been doing the two-on-one stuff for a couple weeks. I don't know how we're supposed to be ready for multiple attackers so quickly."

Brock shrugged. "You want to go again, or..."

'No, I think we've worn ourselves out enough."

They started back toward the locker room. They had been practicing outside, since the gymnasium wasn't available, but they still had access to their lockers.

As they changed out of their fighting clothes, David asked, "Hey, what're you doing for Yule?"

"Nothing special. Going home."

"Big family get-together?"

"Nah. I don't actually have much of a family. Both my parents were only children, and so am I."

"Oh. Well, in that case, I was wondering if you wanted to come down and stay at my place in Bolmont over the break. I'm going to have my own Yule celebration, and I'm inviting my friends to stay over."

"Yeah? Hey, that'd be awesome. I haven't seen your house. Say... could Trisha stay over, too?"

"Sure."

"Hey, uh... you wouldn't mind if, like, we slept in the same room, would you?"

David snorted. "I'm not your mother, Brock, and I'm hardly a prude. What you and Trisha do together is none of my damned business. Just don't break the bed."

Brock chuckled at that. "Thanks. I'll see if she wants to stay. Who else will be there?"

"Olissa and Flo will both be there. My friends Ellie and Anne decided to stay, as well. You and Trisha are pretty much the only other close friends I've got at this school now, so that's all. Oh, I'll invite some people over just for Christmas Day, but they won't be staying more than maybe overnight."

"That's cool. And you're okay with us staying all four weeks?"

"Sure. The house is huge, Brock. There's plenty of room. Frankly, I'm tired of walking through it while it's empty."

Brock chuckled about that.

"Oh. I guess I should say, in case it matters, that I have invited a couple of the ghosts to come down and visit, as well. Penny said she would, but the others were less certain."

Brock shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me, one way or the other."

David nodded. "Just wanted to make sure you were aware."

"This is gonna be cool. It feels kinda like... preparation for leaving home, you know? My first Yule away from the family. Since I figure to leave at the end of the year, it's good timing."

"You're not continuing after this year?" David asked.

"Nah. First, I'm going to find someone I can apprentice with for metamorphosis. Then I'm going to open my own morphing service, once I get my mastery."

"Morphing service?" David asked.

"Sure. People will bring me items they don't need anymore, and pay me to morph them into something they do."

"Hmm. Now, there's a question for me to ask Prof. Arpilla."

"What's that?"

"Morphs are done with charms, not enchantments. But lots of morphs are, in fact, permanent, like the kind you're talking about. How, then, do those not wear out someone who performs a lot of permanent morphs?"

"Oh, I can tell you that. See, the charm itself does the morph, but it's not needed to keep the item morphed. The change is... I guess you'd call it self-sustaining. That's why, if you want to reverse a morph you've done, you use zurukken, and not peractus."

"Right. I hadn't thought of that. Damn, still learning shit about it, and I'm not even in the class anymore!"

Brock chuckled.

"Anyway, let me know for sure if Trisha's gonna stay with you. I'll take everyone down on Saturday after finals."

"Great. Thanks again."

"No problem. It should be fun. Anyway, gotta run. I have to get ready for patrol tonight."

"Good luck with that," Brock said.

David just grunted.

"Left parry... heel turn... high block...slash one, slash two, thrust! And guard... and down," David called out. Prof. Teller had tasked him with calling out the moves for their form.

"Very good," Prof. Teller said. "That concludes the forms portion of your exam. We will now begin the sparring portion. Let me have David Stroud and Skerritt Irons."

As David and Skerritt approached, Prof. Teller muttered a charm and waved his hand, and a circle suddenly appeared on the floor outside of the sparring square. "The rest of you will stand somewhere on the circle, if you please."

As the other students moved to the circle, Prof. Teller explained. "This will not be as formal as most of our sparring. When I say go, you are to simply work as hard as you can to defeat your opponent. When I feel a winner is obvious, I will call the loser out of the square, to be replaced with another opponent. I will continue this until I feel I have seen everyone's skill level... or until no one can continue."

The class chuckled at that, but they knew he wasn't actually kidding, so their laughter was a bit strained. The professor turned back to David and Skerritt, who had each taken up a line.

"Once the fight starts, it is not to stop. New opponents will step in and immediately enter combat. As such, you will all show respect now. You may choose whichever weapon you prefer for this fight. So. Draw your weapons!"

David chose his staff. He was still better with it than he was with the extra defensive weapons of the sword, and since this was a final exam...

"Respect!" Prof. Teller called out. Everyone performed the maneuver. "To those on the circle, Relax. To my combatants, Guard!"

David slipped his left foot back and spun the staff in a circle, so to bring the free end into his left hand. Skerritt was using sword and buckler, so David knew this would be an interesting match.

"Begin!" Prof. Teller ordered. Skerritt lunged at David, who parried, and then slid sideways, to get out of Skerritt's line of attack. David swung his staff vertically, trying to bring it over the buckler to Skerritt's shoulder, but at the last second, the buckler raised, and David's staff impacted it, sliding off and doing no damage.

For three or four minutes, the two fought, until David finally was able to sweep Skerritt's feet out from under him, and them smacked his wrist hard enough to cause him to drop his sword. This would allow a killing blow, which they weren't supposed to replicate during sparring.

Prof. Teller had already selected the next person to enter the ring. He called out, "Skerritt Irons, out! Brock Beeble, in!"

Brock, who was also armed with a staff, charged into the ring. David, however, was waiting for that, and Brock was on the floor before he could even set up for combat. David allowed him to get up, and then the fight was on in earnest.

For the next twenty-five minutes, David fought off opponent after opponent. He'd made his way through about half the class before he finally wound up on the floor, a dagger to his throat. His staff was four feet away, well out of reach, and David yielded to his opponent before the professor had to say anything.

After he'd managed to get up and collect his weapon, David limped over to the benches, where those who had already had their go were sitting. He had injured his leg while fighting Brock, but had refused to let it slow him down. His challengers didn't look like they were in any better shape than he was.

Finally, after another ten minutes, the last person had entered the square. At that, Prof. Teller called David over. David walked over to the professor.

"Do you think you can handle one more match?" he asked David, still watching the fight.

"Don't expect my best, but I can give it one more go."

"Good."

After another minute, the professor called out, "Luke Marks, out! David Stroud, in!"

David had his staff ready, and he stepped in a bit slowly. His opponent, a girl named Karina Darblecant, was a reasonably good fighter, and she wasn't nearly as tired as David was. She was armed with sword and dagger, and she immediately lunged at him. Instead of parrying, David decided to avoid. He rolled slightly to one side, but toward her, using his staff to protect himself from any quick slashes she might try to make as he passed.

Luckily for David, Karina had been too intent on her attack, trying to make quick work of David, because she was beginning to tire. When he returned to his feet, he found himself behind her, and she was just starting to turn around. David spun on his heel and brought his staff around, stopping an inch from her ear. Karina froze.

"Yield?" David asked.

"I yield. It was a stupid mistake."

"You're tired," David offered.

"Thanks," she said, acknowledging the reprieve from someone she knew to be a better fighter than herself, anyway.

"Winner, David Stroud!" the professor called out. The two put away their weapons and shook hands, then stepped out of the square.

"I will forego the normal performance of Respect at the end of the fight, since I'm not sure that all of you would be able to perform the maneuver without wobbling. You have all passed the exam, of course. Most of you did quite adequately. I would like to point out David Stroud as class leader here, however. He fought more than half of you to victory."

For that, the class applauded. David merely wiped the sweat out of his hair with a towel.

"For those of you who need to retest for your weapons carry license, the test will take place in Bolmont, at the Norris Martial Arts Center, in two weeks. If you cannot make it to that facility, you will have to wait until the end of the school year, when the officials will return to Woodward.

"I will see all of you next month. Good luck on your other finals, and have a Happy Yule. Dismissed!"

David made his way into the locker room with everyone else. "Damn, I thought that'd never end," he said to Brock.

"The downfalls of being good at this shit," Brock said gleefully.

"Oh, shut up. You only passed 'cause I bribed Prof. Teller for you."

"Hah!" Brock said, then chuckled.

"You plan on taking your carry test?" David asked Brock.

"Now that I'll be in Bolmont, yeah. You?"

"I have to. The professor made it clear that if I don't come back with my license in January, I won't be allowed back in his class."

"Damn. Harsh."

David shrugged.

"All right, you've got ninety minutes," David said to the class. "There are fifty questions on the test. As usual, I will call you each up to perform a practical demonstration during your test time. I'm going to start with..." David consulted a predetermined list, and said, "Callista Strumenhertz. The rest of you may start your exam now."

Everyone else got down to taking their exam while Callista joined David at the front of the room. He ushered her into the side room, so that they could get on with the practical exam.

"Flo Tractus," David called out as the previous examinee walked back to their seat. Flo got up and joined David quickly. He motioned her into the side room, and then he closed the door. He sat, though she chose to remain standing.

"Relaxed?" David asked with a smile.

"Sure," Flo said sarcastically.

"Good!" David said with a huge smile. "Is your Conjuring Room empty?"

"Yes."

"Okay, good." David pulled out a small wooden block. "I want you to put this in your Conjuring Room."

Flo performed the charm, and the block disappeared.

"Okay, good," David said. "Now bring it back."

It took Flo two tries to bring the cube back into the real world.

David nodded. He then brought out a second cube, and put it next to the first. The new cube was blue, while the first cube was red. "Put both of them in your CR now."

Flo did so, vanishing them one at a time.

"Now, bring back only the blue one."

Flo tried, but she ended up grabbing the red one by mistake. She frowned.

David's demeanor didn't change. "Okay, put that back in your CR and try again."

Flo finally grabbed the blue one on the third try.

"Okay, bring back the red one now," David said. As she did, David looked over at Prof. Blackstone, who gave the minutest shake of the head.

David nodded once, and then turned back to Flo. "Have a seat, Flo," David said. She sat in the chair opposite him. "Did you leave your exam out on your desk?"

"Yeah. I can go get it," she said, starting to rise. David stopped her with a raised hand.

"Really, Flo? Have you forgotten which class you're in?" David motioned with his hand, and her exam appeared in front of him, while she blushed at her slip.

David looked over her exam briefly, and then looked up. "Flo, how do you think you're doing on this exam?"

"Poorly," she said honestly.

"Why do you think you're doing poorly?" David asked.

"Class is over half over, and I've only answered twenty questions. And my performance in here... sucked."

"Okay. Now, I'll ask you the same question, just slightly differently. Why do you think you're doing so poorly? Do you not grasp the information?"

"I'm not sure. When I'm listening to you in class, I think I've got it, but as soon as I get back to my room, to try it on my own, I'm never able to do it. The stuff in the book just confuses the hell out of me, so that's not much use. I guess I just need, I don't know, a supervisor in order for me to get it right."

"But I was here today, and you were struggling."

"You're judging me today, not helping," she said.

"Fair enough. Do you know where this conversation is going?"

"I think so. I can save you the trouble, though. I hadn't planned on signing up for Conjuring next semester."

"I see. Is there anything I could have done to have made the subject more clear for you?"

"No. Your explanations were the only part I did understand. Maybe if you'd have written the textbook..." she said with a smile.

David grinned at her briefly. "Don't hold your breath. But, as you have guessed, you won't be permitted to pursue Conjuring any further. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault I didn't get it."

"Don't feel the need to finish your exam unless you're just obsessive about your grade," he said, handing it back to her. "Although I'd appreciate it if you filled out the last page for me before turning it in."

"Okay," she said. They both stood, and he ushered her back to the door. As she walked to her seat, he called in his next victim.

Flo sat down next to David at dinner that night. As he turned to say hi to her, she leaned in and kissed him strongly for a very long moment. David enjoyed the kiss immensely, but he was a little confused.

"Wow. What was that for?" David asked, once she'd let loose of him.

"Just to let you know there were no hard feelings for this afternoon."

"Ah. Well, thanks. For the kiss, and for not being mad at me."

"What happened this afternoon?" Olissa wanted to know.

"Bastard kicked me out of his class," Flo said with a grin.

"I did not!" David said, abashed. "I simply told you that..."

"...that I couldn't come back," Flo finished for him, an evil grin on her face.

"I am sorry," David said.

"Oh, don't be. I knew I wasn't going anywhere with it. I was struggling too much."

"Why didn't you ask me for more help?"

"Because I knew it wouldn't matter. I understand it while you're explaining it to me. Something happens after you leave, and I just don't get it while I'm alone." She shrugged. "It's okay, David. I have other things I can focus on."

"Well, I'm glad you're not upset. I don't like that part of the job, especially."

"How many did you have to reject today?" Olissa asked gently.

"Three. But it'll be more than that by the end of the week. I graded their exams, and six more of them didn't pass, and four more are borderline, which we'll have to retest on their practical to make a decision."

"We?"

"Even if I was a real teacher, the head of the department would have to sign off on those four."

"You're about as real a teacher as any other I've had here," Flo told him.

"Thanks, Flo. You're still coming down to my house for Yule, even though I kicked you out of class, right?"

"Hell, yes," she said with a grin.

"Good."

"Okay, folks... I know that these patrols are wreaking hell with your ability to study for whatever finals you still have. That can't be helped. Last night's little incident proves that," David said to the DIRT members.

"For those of you who aren't aware, The Clan had a little party at the west gazebo last night. They were pretty well trashing the place. Chloe's team tried to break it up, but were so severely outnumbered that they had to back off. For the record, Chloe, that was the right decision," he told her. She nodded in thanks.

"After retreating to a safe position, she called me, and I called in the other on-duty team. I also apprised Seth of the situation, and he called in some of his security people as a standby backup, in case we needed help.

"With seven of us there, it was a lot easier to deal with them. There was a short encounter that led to three of them winding up in the infirmary. Kyle, how's your arm?"

"Sore, but it's getting better," he replied.

"Good. Now, chances are, after last night's little row, The Clan will be quiet until after break. But, having said that, there's also a not insignificant chance that they might try to retaliate tonight, so watch your backs.

"Also, I want to announce that, over break, I'll be solidifying teams. I think I've got enough information from the team leaders to figure out who will work best together. So, when you get back, it's likely that you will have a specific set of teammates that you work with for the rest of the year. Of course, there will be the occasional substitutions for scheduling conflicts or injuries, but mostly, it'll be the same people each time. This will allow you to build up a sense of trust in your partners, to be able to anticipate their reactions during trouble.

"Well, that's all I've got. Charlie, I'll be going with your team tonight. Chloe, watch yourself out there. And everyone, let's be safe out there. That's all."

"Well, hello, David. Come on in. How are you today?" Prof. Rutherford asked.

"Doing pretty good, Professor. You wanted to have a review today of my progress?"

"Yes. We didn't have time for anything earlier this week, thanks to finals, and I want to see what you've managed to pick up on this semester. Now, just review for me, really quickly, what your goals for the semester were."

"Mainly I wanted to improve my terramandy skills. Also, I wanted to explore the various options that blending offered, not so much in practice, but in theory."

"And did you discover the various uses of blending?"

"Yes. I'm not sure I found them all, but I certainly was able to come up with at least one use for each of the... well, the 'safe' blending options."

Prof. Rutherford chuckled.

"I did have one question about that, though."

"Go ahead."

"Just exactly what does happen if you try to use aquamandy and electromandy together?"

"I don't know," Prof. Rutherford admitted. "I've never tried it. I merely passed along to you the warning that my Master gave to me. You know, you're probably the only person I know who could find out safely. Someday, if you find yourself in an area with electricity and an isolated lake, give it a shot. See what happens. Might want to be in ghost form at the time, though."

David chuckled. "Okay. I'll let you know if I ever attempt it."

She nodded. Then she said, "So. I want to see if you've truly improved your terramandy any. We can either do that through a bunch of small tests, or you can just pull out all the stops and show me the best thing you've got."

"I like that second choice, but it might take us a while."

"I have all afternoon available," she told him.

"Okay. Well, as you know, power isn't really my strong suit when it comes to elemandy."

"You're no slouch..." Prof. Rutherford objected.

"No, but I'm not a powerhouse, either. Especially where terramandy's concerned. So, I decided, rather than trying to make myself a stronger terramander, I'd work at making myself a more precise one."

"Okay, go on."

David stepped over to the dirt bin that they used for classes. Before he began, he said, "This will take several minutes."

Prof. Rutherford just nodded.

David turned to the bin and raised his hands. He closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, and centered his attention. Opening his eyes, he moved his hands in the prescribed fashion, quietly muttered the spell, and kept the image in his mind clear.

Slowly, the grains of dirt in the bin began to move and shift. Dirt moved in from the edges, starting to mound up in the middle. This was hardly impressive in itself; any first-year terramandy student should be able to shift loose dirt. But David continued mounding up the dirt, and slowly a shape started to emerge. The mound of dirt developed a flat top, with a depressed ring around the outside edge.

David didn't stop there, and more dirt flowed into and over his mound, forming a smaller mound on top of it, one that filled almost all the space inside the ring depression. This new, smaller, mound also finished with a flat top, except for an odd groove that ran from one edge toward the center.

Yet a third mound formed, on top of the second. This one was like the first, in that it had a ring depression around the outside.

Finally, a fourth mound appeared. It had the same flat top and ring depression, but it also had a raised ring, immediately inside the depression. As David continued to focus, something else was emerging from the top mound.

At this point, Prof. Rutherford knew what she was looking at, but didn't dare say a word or break David's concentration. What he was doing was, she knew, intensely difficult, and few elemandy masters ever developed the sheer precision that this sort of work required. David would never be strong enough to be considered a master, she knew, but what he was doing proved that strength wasn't everything.

Once David had finished recreating the castle on the top mound, he moved back down, recreating each building on the Academy moat level, the terrace, and finally in the monster moat. Once the sand settled, what sat in the bin was an extremely detailed model of Mt. Woodward, including its buildings.

David wasn't quite done, however. Suddenly, a groove appeared in the dirt surrounding the model. Now that she understood what she was seeing, she knew that this new groove represented the river that ran into the mountain.

With the groove finished, David swung his one hand away from the dirt bin, toward the small tub of water that was also in the classroom. Prof. Rutherford jolted as a huge wave of water jumped from the water tub into the dirt bin, landing in the dry river bed and filling it, flowing toward the model. It flowed underneath the mound, and then, several seconds later, the water burst forth from the castle and flowed outward, filling the castle moat and making a waterfall down to the Academy level. It continued on until it had finally filled the Monster Moat. As the water spilled over that waterfall, down to what should be an ocean, David circled it back around to refill the river bed again. For a solid minute, he kept the system running.

"Can I stop now?" he asked with a grin. Prof. Rutherford had been staring, dumbstruck, at David's performance. She jolted at his question.

"Oh! Oh, sorry. Yes, you can stop." As David drew the water out of the mountain, back into the containing tub, Prof. Rutherford just watched in surprise and a bit of awe.

Once David was finished putting the water back, he returned to his chair across from her desk.

Prof. Rutherford finally tore her eyes away from his model of Mt. Woodward, which was still sitting in the bin. "I must say, you've certainly gotten better with your terramandy."

David grinned.

"I don't know if you know this, but most terramanders, including myself, can't do what you just did. Not at that level of detail. I could make the mountain, but I couldn't make the buildings. And I'm not exactly sure how you got the water to flow the right way."

"I just hollowed out a channel for it inside the mountain."

Prof. Rutherford nodded. "This is amazingly clever stuff. Using the right materials, you could actually use what you just did to make a sculpture. Of course, you know that model will crumble in an hour or two, because it has nothing to keep it sticking together."

"I know. I've made a few of these around campus."

She nodded. "I figured you'd practiced. Do you feel that you have any... well, significant progress that you can continue to make with terramandy?"

"Not really. As you've said, and I agree, I'm not a powerful elemander. What I do takes too long, and it's not usually very strong. So, I'm focusing on control... and I just don't see what more control I could get with terramandy."

"I'd have to agree with that. You're already at the level of single-particle positioning. I'm not sure there's even anywhere to go beyond that. So, with that being the case, what will you be focusing on when you return in the spring?"

"I'm not sure yet. Maybe aquamandy, but I'm also considering pyromandy. I'm going to think it over during break."

Prof. Rutherford nodded. "Well, you're already in a good place with both of those, so I can only imagine what you'll achieve with more in-depth study. I have to say that I am perfectly happy with your progress this semester, and I will report that to the registrar. I'm going to move our advisory meetings to Thursday for the spring, due to class scheduling. But I'm going to ask you to come in the evenings, at 7:00. That way, we won't be rushed."

"Okay, not a problem. Unless The Clan starts causing trouble, anyway."

"How is that going? I know there have been some scuffles between that gang and the DIRT..."

"Nothing serious yet. Things are getting worse, though. I wish the Board of Discipline would give us a little more bite, but so far, they've been resistant."

"What is it you're asking for?"

"The ability to hex troublemakers. They need to be afraid of us. They're not now, and at this rate, they never will be. I'm wondering if this is what they mean by we can't touch them."

"Hmm. Well, the Board makes up its own mind. I wish you luck."

"Thanks."

"And I'll see you next month."

"Yeah. Have a good Yule, Professor."

"You, too, David."

"What about your glidecar?" Olissa asked as the carriage they were riding in got underway. In the carriage with them were Ellie, Anne, Brock, Trisha, and Flo. They were just leaving Woodward, heading for his home in Bolmont.

In response to Olissa's question, David just shrugged. "If I need to get around, I can hire a carriage. There wasn't nearly enough room in the glidecar for all of us. I might bring it back with me on Monday, though."

"What's happening Monday?" Brock asked.

"I have something I have to do in Earth for my friend Zyla. Since my Earth car is parked up near the Gorumshead travel gate, I'll need to go back there before heading to Earth. Might as well grab my glidecar on the way back."

"Good idea," Flo said.

"Are you sure there's going to be room for all of us?" Trisha asked.

David snorted at the thought.

"If it's anything like his Florida house," Olissa said, "We should be okay."

David snorted again.

"What?" Olissa asked.

"Pendergrast Manor makes that house in Florida look like a freakin' studio apartment."

"Oh. Wow."

"Pendergrast Manor?" Brock asked.

"Named for the original owner, and the guy who gave it to me."

"Ah... where's he live now?"

"He's been cursed. He's stuck in Haven."

"Oh. Well, that sucks."

"Yeah. It's his money I've been spending all these years. He figured he didn't need it, so he signed it over to me."

"That had to make adjusting to your situation a lot easier," Trisha said.

"It did."

"Excuse me for saying this, but you don't act rich," Brock said.

David chuckled. "And I hope I never do. Money's a tool. It doesn't automatically impart greatness, nor does it remove the stench from farts."

The group all laughed at that.

It was still midday when the carriage pulled through the gates at Pendergrast Manor. Because the house was in front of the carriage, it was actually hard for anyone to really see it. Only when the carriage stopped and they climbed out did they get a good look at the place. It was currently adorned with a foot of snow, but that only added to the glitter and shine of the facade.

"Holy shit," Brock muttered.

"My god, it's huge," Trisha agreed.

"And I thought Big Pine Key was impressive," Olissa said to him.

Ellie and Anne, who had both been very quiet on the trip, due to the fact that they felt a little out of place, being underclassmen, both stared agape at the immense edifice before them.

Flo took it all in stride. "Pickles, look at all those new trees you have to climb!"

David chuckled. Jailla winged off to have a look around, as was his habit whenever David came here. He would then let David know if anything was wrong with the grounds.

"Come on, guys. Let's go inside."

The driver helped carry the luggage to the foyer, and then David paid him, and he departed. The others had already worked their way into the gallery, but no one had gone past that point.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" Ellie asked when David joined them.

"Came with the house. Okay, let me make a few things clear about your stay here. I'm not all stuffy and uppity, even where the house is concerned. You want to make noise, run in the hallway, or sunbathe nude in the sunroom, be my guest... as long as you don't mind being seen doing so," he added with a grin. "Try not to break anything, but if you do... eh, don't care all that much.

"Also, I don't have a cook, so we'll take turns cooking. If you can't cook, please say so, and I'll exempt us from having to force down your attempts."

Everyone laughed at that.

"If you want to use... whatever... go ahead. The only exception would be the master suite, which takes up the entire third floor. Please don't go there unless you're either invited, or you have a really good reason.

"You'll all be staying on the second floor, so why don't we grab luggage and get that all taken care of before you go exploring?"

It didn't take too long before everyone had chosen a room. Each had their own, except Brock and Trisha, who chose to share. With that accomplished, David showed them around the rest of the house. Once that was finished, they retired to the kitchen to make some lunch. It was just sandwiches, so they each made their own.

"Now I know why you thought it was funny that we were worried about having enough room," Trisha admitted.

"Yeah. This place is like a damned hotel," David said. "When it's just me here, it feels very, very empty."

"And you're okay with Shadow and Sassy?" Trisha asked, referring to her and Brock's familiars, a golden retriever and a cat, respectively.

"The brownies will clean up any messes, and I doubt they're going to hurt anything, so I've got no problems there."

"Say, how are they supposed to get around, though?" Flo asked. "I didn't see anything but the lift for moving from floor to floor, and you said we had to tell it where to go."

"We discovered... well, okay, Jailla discovered... that the lift can sense a familiar's desires to go up or down. So all they have to do is think "up" or "down", and it will go that way, one floor at a time."

"That's damned clever," Anne said.

"Yeah. I love magic," David said with a grin.

"We can't let that punk-ass kid back in here," the union leader said.

"He ain't gettin' past us again," the big man said. His name was Otto, which was just one of many things in his life that annoyed him. He had been the leader of the group that had repeatedly confronted David.

"I'm not?" David asked from behind them. They both jumped and spun around. "Funny, I didn't actually have that much trouble getting past you." David had arrived invisibly, as he hadn't felt the need to demonstrate his ability to physically stand up to them again.

Otto advanced angrily. "Get the fuck out of here, kid, or I'll-"

"You'll what? Hurt me? You've shown no ability to do that. Furthermore, if you make any further threatening moves against me, I will fire your sorry ass, and have you arrested for assault. I'm not a pushover, and I don't frighten. There is literally nothing you can do to me that would be worse than things that have already been done, so you have nothing to threaten me with. Now get back to work, before I dock your pay."

David stared the man down, which quickly became a very unpleasant experience for Otto. He moved off, while David just watched. Once Otto had retreated sufficiently, David turned to the union leader.

"And you'd better modify your attitude, Mr. Morello, or I'll file a complaint with the union directly."

Nick snorted. "And you think that will accomplish anything?"

"Yes. It will cover us legally when we fire you for interfering with the operation of this business. Now get back to work."

"You're not my boss," the man said snidely.

"Actually, fucknuts, I am your boss. Now you can either get back to work, or you can quit your job. Either way, if you're not doing something productive in the next sixty seconds, you're going to stop getting paid."

"I'm on my break."

"You've been standing here for twenty-three minutes already. Your break is only fifteen minutes long," David explained calmly. "That's already eight minutes' worth of wages you've stolen from this company. You now have thirty-six seconds to be doing something productive."

Nick glared at David, but that was a losing game all the way around. Finally, Nick walked off, back to the machine he was supposed to be running. David stood still for a few minutes, to see if any further trouble was going to arise, then he walked up the stairs to the office. He made sure that the books were in order, given that he was waiting for an inspector to show up. Zyla had gotten notice that OSHA had received complaints about the safety of the facility, and would be sending an inspector out today to examine the business. David had been in the shop for two hours already, and had walked through and made sure that the equipment was functional. His only real concern was what the workers might do while the inspector was actually present. He couldn't really control that.

David had also asked an appraiser to come by. They needed to get a sense of the value of the company, and this would be easier than trying to find another buyer, though not quite as accurate. When David saw a car pull up outside, he hurried out to meet the individual. He didn't know if it was the inspector or the appraiser, but either way, he wanted to make sure he was the first person they met.

"Mr. Stroud?" the man said, stepping out of his car.

"Yes, sir. You're..."

"Adam Weston. You asked me to come out and give an appraisal of this business?"

"Yes, sir. Sorry, I'm expecting someone else as well, and I wasn't sure which you were."

"Ah, okay," the man said with a grin.

David handed the man a hard hat. "Also, if you could do me a favor, and when we get inside, act a bit more like an inspector than an appraiser?"

The man raised an eyebrow at him.

"We have an OSHA inspection today, and I'm having some problems with a few of my workers. If they think you're the inspector, then they may act out in front of you, instead of him."

The man said, "Oh," and nodded in understanding. "Well, I have to do most of the same things, so it's really just a matter of attitude. I guess I can do that. Let's go in, shall we?"

David led the man into the building. The first thing they did was to walk the factory floor. They saw various workers not wearing hard hats, which was a major violation. David took the name of every individual spotted this way. They looked through the equipment storage lockers, and found the safety equipment missing. David made note of this, as well. Finally, once their "inspection" was done, they went up into the office, to look over the finances of the company.

After he was all finished, Weston and David walked back out to his car.

"I'll have an official appraisal to you in a couple days."

"Okay. Can you give me a quick-and-dirty ballpark figure?"

"Somewhere in the neighborhood of two and a half million. But don't hold me to that."

"I won't. I just wanted to know if my own estimate was anywhere near right."

The man nodded, shook David's hand, and then got back in his car and left. David turned and walked back into the building and up to the office. He pressed the button on the wall that stopped the assembly line, blaring a loud horn as it did so.

Speaking into the public address, he said, "The following people will report to the front door: The shop foreman, the shop safety officer, Gary Trudeau..." David read off a list of several employees, and then he walked down to the front door himself.

Once all of the workers had shown up, David noticed that Otto was among them. He had not called out Otto's name.

"What do you want?" David asked him.

"You called me. I'm the safety officer."

"You six," David said, motioning to six of the people standing there, "weren't wearing your hard hats. You'll be docked half a day's pay for that. If I see you not wearing them again, you will be fired on the spot. You can go back to your stations now."

As the men walked away, grumbling, David turned to the foreman and Otto. "Which of you two has keys to the safety equipment lockers?"

The foreman said, "He does. I gave my keys to him when we elected a safety officer."

"So the only person with keys to those lockers is you?" he asked Otto.

"And the owner, yeah. So?"

"So you've got ten minutes to put back the equipment you've hidden, or you're out one job."

"You seem to like threatening to fire people," Otto said.

"It's the only threat I have that means anything to you. You clearly don't give a shit about the safety of this company or your fellow workers, so all I have left is the safety of your paycheck. Now get that equipment back in those lockers, now."

"What makes you think they weren't empty already?" Otto said snidely.

"Because I checked them this morning when I got here."

Otto frowned.

"Now get your ass in gear, before the inspector shows up. If that equipment is not in those lockers during his inspection, your ass is gone."

"Wait... wasn't that the inspector who just left?" the foreman asked.

"No. That was the appraiser. Since I had to be here anyway, I figured I'd take care of that little issue, as well. And yes, I'm well aware that you thought it was the OSHA inspector. That was my intent. If it makes any difference to you at all who it was, you've just admitted to trying to damage this company."

The foreman was smart enough not to say anything further. He turned and went back to his post.

David looked at Otto. "You'd best get moving. I have no idea when the inspector is actually going to show up. Could be in five minutes."

Otto growled, but then turned and trotted off. David was quite sure that the lockers would be properly equipped when the inspector arrived.

When the OSHA inspector arrived, it was mid-afternoon. David had walked the floor of the factory invisibly during the entire time, especially focusing on the actions of Nick and Otto. The other workers all seemed to take their lead from them. Every time Otto tried to do something that would be a safety code violation, David "appeared" from around a corner to catch him. He considered just firing him outright, but he didn't want OSHA to hear that they had just fired their safety officer on the day of the inspection.

When the inspector walked through the factory, there were no major complaints. There were a couple minor details, things that David didn't really know were a problem. The inspector assured him they weren't serious infractions, and so long as they were fixed quickly, they weren't actionable. A quick look at the logs and records for the business showed that all was in order on that score.

"I don't understand. We got a call about serious safety infractions here," the inspector told David as they walked back out to his truck.

"You were lied to. We're in the midst of some trouble with some of our workers. They figured they could get us into trouble by calling you out, and 'misplacing' some equipment."

"Oh? So there was safety equipment gone?"

"Not gone. Just moved to an out-of-the-way spot."

"Ah," the man said, nodding. "Well, sign here."

David signed the form, which the man then gave him a copy of. "You'll get the official notice in the mail, but we'll most likely be closing this complaint out as a false alarm."

"Thank you."

"You have a good one."

David watched the man drive off, then went back up to the office, to file his copy of the form. Finally, with that taken care of, he sat and watched the factory workers do their jobs. He was trying to think of what else he could take care of while he was here, but nothing was coming to mind.

When the work day ended, he watched the employees all head out to their cars and drive off. He saw two cars still in the parking lot. Since his wasn't one of them, he knew there were still two people in the factory.

It didn't take long to find Nick and Otto having a discussion quietly in the back of the factory.

"Something I should know about, gentlemen?" David asked. Both men jumped.

"None of your goddamned business," Nick said.

"Everything that happens in this building is my business," David replied. "I believe the whistle has blown. Is there some reason you're still here?"

"Inspecting the equipment," Otto tried.

"Funny, all the equipment is over that way, and you're standing here, behind the vending machines. Isn't it hard to do an inspection from thirty feet away?"

Otto snarled and swung on David. David ducked, and then delivered a right cross to Otto's jaw. The punch was augmented with a hex, and Otto crumpled to the ground.

"If you ever swing on me again, I won't need to fire you," David said coldly, letting the implication of the statement stand on its own. He then looked up at Nick.

"If you're not off the premises within five minutes, I'm calling the police to have you arrested for trespassing."

Nick didn't try to glare at David again, but his jaw set. He helped Otto up, and the two walked out of the building together, talking in low tones. About what, David couldn't hear, but he knew whatever it was, was trouble for Zyla.

He would deal with that for her.

"Nervous?" David asked Brock.

"Bet your ass," Brock replied. They were in the Norris Martial Arts Center, waiting for their weapons-carry exam to begin.

"Hey, at least your class time isn't depending on you passing the test."

Brock grunted at that.

Several minutes later, the examiner stepped out into the hallway. "Okay, if you'll all follow me to our testing room..." There were a dozen of them taking the test, and they spread out through the testing room without being told to do so.

Once the man had passed out the exams, he said, "This exam is one hundred questions long. You have ninety minutes to complete it. This is only the first half of your examination. The second half will be your physical performance test, which will take place after I have graded your written exams. You may begin."

Unlike his last attempt at this test, David felt no anxiety this time. He had spent his morning before coming here meditating, to get his stress under control. He knew that he understood the material, and that he should easily pass the test. Keeping that in mind, he breezed through the easy questions, and even when he got to the harder questions, he didn't struggle very much. He had finished the hundred-question test in under an hour. He spent ten minutes looking it over, to make sure he didn't make any obvious mistakes. Satisfied that he'd done what he could, he took his test up to the examiner and turned it in. He was the first person to finish.

"Is there a place I can go to practice?" David asked quietly.

"The primary gymnasium is available for your use. Out the door, take a right, then another right at the end of the hall. You can't miss the entrance to the gymnasium."

"Thanks."

David headed out. He wasn't worried about his skills, but he felt a little stiff from sitting for an hour under the stress of the test. He didn't work himself hard, but he moved around just enough to get loose and warmed up for the physical testing. By the time he felt comfortable and relaxed, most of the other applicants had joined him, having finished their exams. Brock was one of the last people to enter the gym.

"How'd you do?" David asked.

"Lousy, most likely," Brock said with a frown. "I hate trying to remember all the rules and shit that you have to know. It's hard enough to remember how to use the damned weapon."

David cocked an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything about it. "Well, do some practice. You'll want to be loose when you test."

"Yeah," Brock agreed, and walked away to begin his own warm-ups. David decided to do some light calisthenics, just to keep himself loose. He found it odd that, though his body did not change shape, it clearly was capable of getting fitter, as he was far stronger and faster than he used to be, thanks to his weapons class. He was thankful for that; it would be tough to pull off some of the techniques he'd learned in class at his old fitness level.

After another twenty minutes, the examiner entered the gymnasium. He walked over and spoke quietly to one person, who frowned and left the room. The examiner then moved to the center of the gym.

"Your written tests have been graded. Everyone in the room currently has successfully passed that portion, though some of you were marginal. At this point, I'd like you all to step out into the hall. I will call you one at a time, so that you will not have the added stress of having to test in front of others. Mr. Stroud, if you'd stay, the rest of you should head out now."

David moved to a spot away from the examiner.

The examiner faced him and said, "Your written exam was actually a perfect score. So long as you make no major errors in your performance stage, you should have no trouble. Are you ready?"

"Yes, sir," David said, taking a deep breath.

"Draw your staff."

David pulled out his staff, twirling it a few times to make sure he was loose enough. The examiner said, "Sunrise Dragon, please."

David immediately settled into the starting pose for Sunrise Dragon. The examiner said, "Begin."

David began the form at a normal pace, his mind settling into the moves. As he proceeded, however, he naturally sped up. His hands moved fluidly as the staff flipped and spun in a blur. His stance was firm when it needed to be, and agile when it didn't. He was breathing hard at the end of the form, but he felt good.

The examiner next began calling out specific moves for David to perform with his staff. He moved through them calmly and easily.

When they were finished, the examiner made some notes, and then said, "Pull your sword, please."

David holstered his staff after shrinking it, and pulled out his sword.

"Bueller's Guard, if you please."

David nodded and slipped into position for the start of the form.

"Begin."

Once again, David spun and twisted, slashing and blocking as the form demanded. He ended the form moving as rapidly as he had for the first one. When he finished, he was sweating.

The examiner put David through several more moves, to make sure he knew what he was doing. Finally, he had David sheathe his sword. David waited calmly while the examiner finished with his notes.

"You might have noticed," the man said, "that I had you perform the same two forms as the last time I tested you."

"I actually couldn't remember what they were last time, sir," David said.

The man nodded. "I'm a bit curious. As poor as your score was last time, six months of training, even hard training, doesn't really explain this level of improvement. Now, I suppose you could have found a way to cheat on the written exam, but there is no way to fake your skill with these weapons in hand. How did you manage such an improvement?"

"The last time I tested, sir, I was suffering from... a personal issue that was affecting my concentration. It's not really that I'm so much better than I was when you saw me last, as it is that you never saw my real skill level last time."

"I see. Well, that does make sense. You did seem rather unprepared for your last exam."

"Yes, sir."

"Anyway, it's neither here nor there. You scored a perfect on the written, and I didn't actually see you make a mistake anywhere on your physical, either. You've certainly earned your license. Do you have your wizarding license with you?"

David reached into an inner pocket of his weapons-practice uniform, and withdrew his wallet. He pulled out his wizarding license and handed it to the examiner. The examiner used his own wand and uttered a spell. The license flashed briefly, and then the examiner handed it back. When David looked, he saw a new endorsement logo on the back side of his license.

"Thank you," he said to the examiner.

"No need to thank me. You earned it. Now, when you go out, could you ask... Erin Bostitch to come in?"

"Sure."

David headed out into the hall, asked Erin to go in, and then went to sit next to Brock.

"Well?" Brock asked. David just showed him the mark on his license. "Way to go! Was it hard?"

"Not this time."

"Hmph. Somehow I don't think I'm going to feel the same way."

"You'll do okay. Just try to relax."

"Yeah, right."

It wasn't long before it was Brock's turn. David sat calmly and waited for his friend to come out. When he did, it was clear before Brock said a word that it had not gone well.

"What happened?" David asked as they were leaving the martial arts center.

"I actually forgot the goddamned form! He had to offer a second one! And I missed three moves on that one! God, I suck."

"Do you have trouble with tests in your regular classes?" David asked.

"Some. Some I do fine on. Why?"

"I was just wondering if you had test anxiety. How'd your licensing test go?"

"I just told you."

"No, your wizarding license."

"Oh. Fine, I guess. I didn't like killing the damned rabbit, though."

"You're not supposed to like it," David reminded him. "Well, I guess you'll just have to try again at the end of the school year."

"I don't know if I'm going to bother," Brock admitted.

"Oh?"

"I may be dropping out of Sword and Staff. I don't think I'm ever going to pass the damned test. I mean, you're still correcting me on some basic stances and moves."

"Sorry..."

"Don't be. You're not wrong to correct me. I'm wrong for not getting it right. And I don't think I'm ever going to get it right. Which... what was it Prof. Teller told you? Why continue to study something you'll never be able to use?"

David frowned. "Well, it's your call. It'll suck if you leave, though. I'll have to find a new partner. Again."

"Sorry about that."

David shrugged. "Come on. Maybe Trisha can cheer you up."

"Only if she's in the mood," Brock said with a slight grin.

David replied, "I don't even want to know."

After Brock and David had returned from their weapons exam, everyone had worked together to decorate the entire manor for Yuletide. They had spent the entire rest of the day enchanting the house. David had purchased two large Christmas trees, one for the ballroom, and one for the second-floor lounge. He had hired fireflies to decorate both of them. The house itself was enchanted to appear to have strings of lights along all its edges.

Together, the six of them created a row of snowmen on either side of the driveway, plus two "guard" snowmen outside the gate. David had used his aquamandy skills to erect a giant snow-fairy statue, her wings reminiscent of half a snowflake each. He hoped it would last through Yule; it was a bit unstable.

The group had spent the morning of the Day of Reflection just lounging around, chatting, and having fun. It wasn't until after lunch that they got down to the purpose of the day.

David pulled out the Remember Orb, which he had purchased a few weeks prior, so that they would be able to perform the ritual. He had not bothered with an ostentatious orb; his Remember Orb sat amidst a bed of ice blue crystals.

"Everybody ready?" he asked. They were sitting in the second-floor lounge, which David had chosen as their "Christmas Spot", because the first floor was just a bit too busy. When everyone acknowledged they were ready, he turned to the orb and chanted the spell. The ball quickly began to swirl its colors, and David went and sat down, staring at the orb. He was immediately entranced.

David's memories of the previous year were mostly unpleasant. His ritual started out happy enough, as it showed him his time with Denise the night before Christmas. It quickly moved on, however, to review the thefts, and his inability to see the snake living beside him.

David spent some time reviewing his fight with Paul Andros. He felt no regret for the incident, but he no longer felt satisfaction over it, either. It had to be done, but that it had to be done was regrettable. He moved on.

There was little for David to review about his summer, which was mostly spent looking at his houses. He did enjoy watching his time with Lise, and with Olissa. It wasn't long, however, before he was back at school.

His year had started out troubled, and showed no signs of improving, with The Clan causing him and the rest of the DIRT no end of difficulty. By the time he had finished reviewing his year, he felt rather depressed.

When David came out of the trance, he realized he was the first one awake. That had never happened to him before. He got up and stretched. The clock on the mantel said that he'd been reviewing for only two hours. He shrugged and then went downstairs. It was his turn to make dinner, and he figured now was a good time to figure out what he was going to cook.

Although David had not much felt like attending, the Day of Celebration had cheered him somewhat. The entire group had gone into Bolmont and enjoyed the fun and games. It had been a very pleasant day, and they'd gone to bed worn out, but in good spirits.

Awakening on the Day of Redemption, David felt out of sorts. His major problems over the previous year were not things he had any way to bring resolution to. There was no redemption to be had with Jim; what he'd done wasn't David's fault, and anyway, David felt absolutely no desire to forgive him for his betrayal.

David also felt no desire to reconcile any issues with Paul Andros. In David's mind, the man had gotten what he deserved. He had been out of the infirmary for several weeks now, and David had made sure that Cat was not having a problem with him. The man was apparently smart enough to know that revenge would be a really bad idea.

The only issue in his life David felt needed resolution was his relationship with Dean Lengel. When he'd been put in jail, her words had really hurt him. Though she had apologized, he knew that he hadn't truly forgiven her yet. The problem for David was that he had no idea how to heal this particular wound. It left him with nothing to do on the Day of Redemption, except to sit and brood about it.

The others at the house had their own issues to attend to, though pretty much all of them had to be dealt with by mirror, since their classmates were spread all across Callamandia and Earth. David stood on his private balcony, looking down over the backyard, and considered what he should do with his day.

When David's mirror buzzed in his pocket, he was very glad for the distraction. When he took it out, he was not very surprised to see Dean Lengel on the other side.

"Good morning, Emile," David said quietly, remembering to address her as she preferred. "How are you today?"

"Fair," she said. "David, do you have some time for me to visit today?"

"Of course. Come down whenever you like. I'll warn you, though, it's Brock's turn to make lunch."

Dean Lengel smiled at him, and nodded. "I'll be down shortly."

David nodded, and then they fogged off with each other. He went and sat at the table. He knew it would be at least twenty minutes before she arrived.

"What do you figure she wants to talk about?" Jailla asked David.

"I have to assume it's about this summer. Things haven't been right between us since then."

Jailla nodded. "Why is it so hard for you to forgive her for that?" he asked.

"It's not so much that I can't forgive her for it, it just makes it really hard for me to trust her again. She turned on me so fast... I have to wonder what will happen the next time I get into a scrape."

"Perhaps, now that she knows that you will go this far for your friends, next time she won't be so shocked."

"Maybe. But that's just it: I don't know. And not knowing is the real problem. I guess I just don't see why she jumped like she did, before she'd even spoken to Cat about what had happened... or hell, even Annie knew pretty much the whole story..."

"I can see where that would be troublesome."

David nodded. "Anyway, can you go let someone know she's coming? I want to sit here for a few more minutes."

"And how am I meant to do that? You know I don't talk to anyone but you and Lise..."

"And other familiars. So go tell a familiar, and ask them to tell their wizard, and voila, you've told someone else."

Jailla nodded. Before he could wing off, David said, "Say, why exactly is it that familiars only speak to their wizards? It seems like it would be more useful to you... and your wizard... to speak to everyone."

Jailla replied, "For a familiar to speak to a human, a magical connection has to be made between us and them. This is something we have to do, and it's very difficult to accomplish. The more compatible we are with someone, the easier it is to make and maintain that connection. To try to communicate with a stranger, or someone I disliked, would be nearly impossible for me."

"Oh. So, every time you speak to me, you have to do something like cast a spell?"

"No. Once the connection is made the first time, I don't have to do anything further, but it uses up some of the magical energy I have. The more people I choose to try it with, the more of my energy it uses. That's why it took so long for me to choose to talk to Lise; I wanted to make sure it was worth the effort."

"I guess you feel let down now, huh?"

"Not really. She's still important to you, and she's still in your life."

"Yeah. I wish she'd have been able to come down for Yule. Or at least Christmas. But she had work to do. Anyway, go let someone know, okay?"

Jailla nodded and winged off. David sat and stared across the snowy yard for some time before he finally got up to go wait for his guest.

"Hello, Emile. Welcome to Pendergrast Manor," David said, greeting her as she stepped out of the coach.

"Hello, David. My, this is a beautiful home. But... Pendergrast Manor? You're not changing the name to Stroud Manor?"

"This is Jacob's house. I'm just living in it," David told her. "I see you brought me a friend." David had seen that Cupcake was the lead peg on the coach. He went over now and hugged her. Cupcake nuzzled tightly against him and nickered in pleasure.

"Madame Abernathy asked me to bring her down and leave her here. She thought you two should be together for Yule."

David nodded. "Tell Ellen I said thank you." He unharnessed Cupcake, who stepped away. David led her over to the carriage house, which had stalls for several horses. David had combined two of them together, because he knew he'd eventually have Cupcake visiting, and she was bigger than a normal horse. He made sure she was comfortable, and he left the door open for her, in case she wanted to wander back outside. He patted her and hugged her again, and then left her to settle in.

As they were walking across the yard to the house, David said, "Should I assume you're here for the Day of Redemption, or did you just want a sneak peek at the house before the Christmas Party?"

Emile snorted in amusement. "I'm not too worried about the house. But there is something between you and I that needs to be resolved."

"I know," David said. "But I don't know how to resolve it."

"I think I do," she said. "But I'd like to talk privately."

"Of course. We can go up to the sitting room on the third floor. No one goes up there without an invitation, so we won't be interrupted."

"Good."

David led her into the house, and then they boarded the lift. It took them up to the third floor, and they went into the sitting room. David offered her something to drink, but she declined. He nodded, then sat in a chair, motioning her to take her pick among the other furniture.

Emile settled onto the other chair in the room because it was closest to David. She took a deep breath, and then she began.

"I know that you are still upset with me over what I said in May. In truth, I can't blame you for that. I shouldn't have said anything, really. I should have simply waited until you could tell me about it yourself."

David nodded, but didn't say anything yet.

"The fact of the matter is, I knew it was a dumb thing to do at the time, but I simply couldn't stop myself. When I'd heard that you had been arrested and jailed for beating a man nearly to death... well, it brought back some things from my past, and those things affected my judgment.

"You see," she continued, "I didn't have an exactly happy childhood. My father was a drunk, and my mother was exiled for theft. I ended up with my father, because it was already clear that I would be a wizard, and it was just easier not to expose me to Earth. My father promptly led a parade of women through my life, none of whom was interested in becoming a mother figure to me. In truth, from the age of six onward, I didn't have a parent to speak of.

"When I was ten, I met a man. His name was William. He was, when I met him, someone who worked with my father. My father never kept a job for more than a year at a time, so William was only a colleague to my father for a little while. But by the time Father had been fired from that job, William had become Uncle Will, and a permanent part of my life.

"Uncle Will was the male role model I needed. Father was a useless drunk, unable to hold a job. Uncle Will had been working the same job for a decade. He was calm, understanding, and, to a ten-year-old, the wisest person in the world. He taught me how to deal with life, how to take care of myself. He gave me advice, showed me how to keep my temper under control... he did what a parent would have done for me, if I'd had one worth commenting on.

"For six years, Uncle Will was the person I trusted most. He was the man I went to when I had a problem. He was the one I bragged to when I accomplished something. I invited him to school events before I told my father about them... and usually he was the only one of the two to show up.

"Then, one night, my father, in one of his few clear moments, came to me and told me that I would never see Uncle Will again. William, it seemed, while being a perfect father to me, was a very evil man. He was a thief and a killer. The night my father talked to me, William had been arrested for beating a man to death. He wasn't drunk. He wasn't even angry. He had killed the man for simply mouthing off. He had done it, I found out later, to make an example of the man, so that others would know that William was not to be crossed. That man had a wife and three young children.

"I was devastated. I didn't trust another man for the next twenty years. Even though I'd been married twice in that time, I never really trusted those husbands. That's probably why the marriages didn't work out.

"Slowly, I started to allow myself a moderate amount of faith in people again, but I generally kept up a certain level of skepticism.

"By the time I met you, I had gotten used to not fully trusting anyone. I knew we had to give you a chance, we had to let you get your license, but I'll admit, David, that I expected you to be a serious problem from the beginning.

"It didn't take much, after the troubles started your first year, for me to realize that you weren't going to be what I'd expected. Slowly, I learned what to expect from you. I trusted you... well, I trusted you to act as I'd come to know you would. Over time, I put even more faith in you, because you'd earned it. You had shown me you were worthy of trust.

"By the time you were arrested, I trusted you as much as I have trusted anyone in the last... well, let's not go there. Let's just say since William.

"Then I got a phone call, from the Rimohr office, telling me that you had been arrested. And arrested for what? For nearly beating a man to death.

"I admit, David, I wasn't thinking at that point. I was simply hurting. All I could think about was William, and what he'd done. The only reason I waited as long as I did to call you was because I couldn't even communicate before then. I spent those days locked in my apartment. I didn't speak to anyone.

"By the time I did call you... And I am very sorry for this... I wanted you to hurt. I wanted you to understand how much pain you had caused me. But I wasn't really talking to you. I was talking to William, a man I never did speak to after he was arrested. He was sent to Barnard Hill, and killed in prison. I never got to close that chapter, and obviously, the wound is still there, ready to be reopened.

"I know that just saying I'm sorry is inadequate to what I did to you. In essence, I did the same thing to you that William did to me. I broke your trust. I can only hope that someday you'll be able to forgive me for it."

There were tears streaming down Emile's face by the time she had finished talking. David moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She returned his embrace, holding on tightly. After a moment, he pulled her up from the chair, so that they could hug more comfortably, and more meaningfully. He let her cry with her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her back, supporting her through the release of her emotion.

Finally, after long minutes, Emile regained control of herself. David grabbed a tissue off the table, so she could wipe her eyes and blow her nose. He stayed close to her, his hand on her arm, showing support and friendship.

"So. Now you know," Emile said after a minute of silence.

"How many people have you told about that?" David asked.

"Including you? Two. The other person I told was Sam."

David nodded. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Trusting me."

Emile immediately broke down again and cried. David once again held her, rubbing her back and gently swaying, to help her calm down.

When Emile finally stopped crying, she didn't pull away from David. She continued to hold on to him. David was aware her tears had stopped.

"You answered my question," David told her finally.

"Question?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

"The reason I had so much trouble letting go, was that I had no idea why you had acted that way. It was so out of character for the you I had come to know. I didn't know how I could trust you, if your reactions would be this unpredictable. Now I understand."

"So, can you forgive me?" she asked.

"Consider yourself forgiven," David said. He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. They then hugged again for a long moment.

Emile stayed for lunch, out of politeness, but it was a bit strained. She left shortly thereafter, promising to return for the Christmas Party.

"So, what did she want?" Brock asked David. Everyone else was also curious.

David didn't smile as he said, "That's a matter between friends."

David did not participate in the Day of Expectation. Instead, he spent that time getting the house ready for the Christmas party the next day, and making sure that the room was ready for Denise and Roy, as they would be arriving late in the day, so they could visit with their children for Christmas.

When the Hasterscants did arrive, it was well after dark. The house was lit and decorated and welcoming, and David was standing on the porch waiting for them, having received a mirror from Denise to let him know they were almost there.

As they alit from the carriage, they looked up, stunned, at the size of the house.

"I knew it was big," Denise admitted. "To be able to house all the guests you have, it had to be... but I just wasn't prepared for how big."

"Well, you know, it's a bit cramped, but I make do," David said, affecting nonchalance.

Denise giggled, and Roy chuckled.

"Let's get out of this cold. The kids are all inside. Gwen and Jess are here, as well."

"Oh? Are they staying overnight?"

"Yeah, that way they can be here in the morning."

The carriage driver helped them get their luggage to the porch, then David tipped the man and he left. Once inside, there were warm family greetings all around, and everyone was chatting and laughing. David went to retrieve some refreshments from the kitchen as the others settled into the lounge on the second floor.

"You seem a bit depressed," Jailla told him. Jailla had accompanied him down to the kitchen because the lounge was just a bit too noisy for his taste.

David shrugged. "I just kind of miss having a family of my own to share Christmas with."

"This is your family, David," Jailla told him.

"They're not family. Good friends, sure, but not family. With the exception of Olissa, I'm closer to my teachers than the people in this house right now."

"If you really miss your family, perhaps you should attempt to reconcile with them."

"If I thought that was actually an option, I'd try it. My parents aren't ever going to accept what's happened to me. No amount of me trying to explain it is going to help."

Jailla ruffled his feathers in discontent, then said, "Well... then perhaps you need to make yourself a new family."

David snorted. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Getting married is the typical method," Jailla replied.

David smirked. "There are only two women in my life I'd consider asking. One of them can't handle it, and the other doesn't want me."

"Then why do you stand by her?" another voice asked. David jumped, as he'd not heard Bispy come into the kitchen.

"Bispy! Shit, you startled me!"

The dragon jumped up onto the table and settled himself, staring at David. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Why do you stand by Olissa, if she doesn't want you?"

"Because she's my friend, and just because she doesn't want me doesn't mean I don't love her. And because... well, I want to protect her. I'm not sure from what, but..." David shrugged.

Bispy looked at him for a long moment, and nodded his head.

"Um... I'd kind of appreciate it if you didn't mention this to her," David said. "She doesn't need to feel awkward over how I feel. I can deal with this alone."

Bispy stared at him for a long moment. "If you really think that you have managed to conceal your feelings from her, then you aren't as intelligent as I gave you credit for."

David frowned. "There's what she sort-of knows, and then there's me coming right out and saying it. Like with Miss J, talking about this only makes it worse."

Bispy frowned, in his dragon way, and then nodded. He hopped down off the table and stalked out of the room, leaving David and Jailla to finish up getting the snacks.

David looked at Jailla, who did the bird equivalent of a shrug, and then David focused on his task.

Christmas morning was a happy time. Gifts were exchanged and some games were played. They all chatted and laughed, singing along to the music coming from every mirror in the house. After lunch, people split off into smaller groups, to relax and just enjoy the down time. David and Denise found a little time for themselves on the third floor, and they shared their real Christmas present to each other. By the time they were finished, it was growing dark, and David needed to get ready for the party.

Most of the guests for the party - at least those who weren't already staying at the house - all arrived at once, in the school's carriage. David opened the carriage door, and he held out his hand.

"Emile, welcome." She smiled at him.

"Professor Phillips, glad you could make it," David said, shaking his hand.

"Wouldn't miss it!" he replied.

"Sam," David said next, taking her hand as she stepped down. She hugged him tightly and kissed him passionately before moving away toward the house.

"Coach Hall, Annie, welcome."

David continued greeting his guests as Professors Dartson, Zoroaster, and Blackstone emerged from the carriage, followed by Madame Abernathy.

"Prof. Rutherford! I'm glad you could make it!"

"Thank you, David. This is my husband, Allen."

"Glad to meet you, sir. Welcome to my home. And how is Lyssa today?"

"Do you really live here?" she asked in way of response.

David chuckled. "Not very often. I live at the school, mostly, but this is my home. And there are some cookies on the table inside, if you want one."

The girl was off like a shot, and David chuckled.

Prof. Rutherford asked, "Did you do the sculpture?" She was referring to the snow fairy, which was still holding together, somewhat to David's surprise.

"Yes, ma'am."

"That's very impressive. By the way... I'd like to encourage you to study pyromandy next. We can talk about it a little later."

David was surprised. He'd been leaning toward aquamandy. "Okay. I'll make sure to find you so we can chat about it."

Prof. Rutherford nodded, and they moved off.

The final people waiting in the carriage were Cat and the children. She gave Cat a hug and a brief kiss, and then hugged both of the kids.

"Did you say there were cookies?" Angela asked.

David nodded, and the two kids were gone as fast as Lyssa had been.

"I'm glad you could come down," David said to Cat. They started to walk toward the house, but then David stopped to speak with the carriage driver.

"You can shelter the pegs in the carriage house. Cupcake is already there. And once you're done, please feel free to come join the party."

"Thank you," the driver said in surprise.

David nodded, and then turned to continue walking with Cat.

"Hear anything from your secret admirer today?" David asked.

Cat held up her left hand, which bore a stunning bracelet of silver, covered in diamond chips.

"Wow. That's nice. Glad I'm not trying to compete with the guy. I have lousy taste in jewelry."

Cat giggled as they stepped into the house. Everyone was gathered in the main front room, just milling about.

"Feel free to roam the house, everyone... except for the third floor, please. But the main refreshments and the entertainment are in the ballroom, this way."

David led everyone down the hall and into the ballroom. As soon as they saw him enter, the ensemble that David had hired for the evening started to play Christmas music. There was a set of tables along one wall liberally covered in cookies, candies, and hors d'oeuvres. Everyone gawked at it all, and several made a beeline for the food.

Soon, David found Dean Lengel at his side.

"This is very impressive," she said.

"I wanted to do something special for my friends," he replied.

She smiled at him. "I want to thank you for not saying anything about my visit when I arrived tonight."

"That's not anyone's business but ours," David said seriously.

Emile nodded at him in gratitude.

"Make yourself at home."

"How could I? My home would fit in this room alone!" she replied with a laugh.

David grinned. "Well, then... make yourself comfortable."

"That I can do. Thank you."

David nodded, and moved off to chat with the guests.

"Zyla! Glad you guys could come." David hugged Zyla, and then he took Grace from her for a hug from his god-daughter, who nearly strangled him with her arms. David held onto her as he greeted Joe.

"This is some spread," Joe said, motioning to all the food tables.

"We wanted to make sure no one went home hungry," David said.

Joe chuckled. David reached and grabbed a cookie, and handed it to Grace, who took it and tried to shove the whole thing in her mouth at once.

"Getting used to the place yet?" Joe asked as they watched Grace destroy her treat.

"It's a little easier with people staying here with me. This way, it's not so empty."

"Always helpful," Zyla said.

"Yeah."

"How have you been lately? We haven't had a chance to talk a whole lot this year," David asked.

Sam replied, "Bored, really. It's been a very quiet year. Other than the problems that you're having to deal with, of course. The Clan is a nightmare."

David nodded with a frown. "I've sent letters to other schools. I want to know if this is a kingdom-wide problem, or if they are targeting Woodward."

"That's a good idea." She set down her glass of punch on the table, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said, "and speaking of good ideas, how about I stay overnight?"

David smiled at her. "I'll even drive you home in the morning." Then, just to twist her tail, he said, "Of course, all I have left are servants' quarters..."

Sam looked at him in shock, then she realized he was kidding. "I'm gonna get you for that..."

"I look forward to it," he replied, and then the two of them kissed. They didn't get too wanton, as they were in public, but they did want to remind themselves what they meant to each other.

The party lasted well into the night. The children gave out first, and they took naps in the library, where the chairs were comfortable and the atmosphere was quiet. Finally, after midnight, the guests decided to depart. David saw them all off, then finally headed back up to the porch, where Sam was waiting for him.

"Just how much did this little get-together cost you?" she asked.

David just shrugged. "I didn't bother to add it up. Not that much, really. Some food and the band. It's not like I had to rent the ballroom, now is it?"

Sam chuckled. "It's a beautiful house, but there's only one problem."

"What's that?"

"I haven't seen your bedroom yet," she said, her eyes hooded and her hand caressing his chest.

"Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?"

Since he had to drive Sam back to Gorumshead anyway, David decided to take advantage of the opportunity, and he headed to Earth, to check on Zyla's factory. As usual, he parked several blocks away. He saw no reason to give his nastier employees any temptation to express their displeasure on his new truck.

As he was walking to the factory, he waited for an opportunity when no one was looking, and he faded to invisibility. He also saw no reason to let them know he was on the premises; it would only cause tension.

David's main goal was to keep an eye on Otto and Nick Morello. Otto, it was clear, was Nick's lackey, and so while Otto would be the one causing the trouble, Nick would be the one plotting. He needed to know what Nick's plans were for the future. He decided he would follow him around from time to time, and hope that he would catch him either discussing plans with someone, or actually doing something. He needed a reason to fire him, if he was to avoid trouble with the union.

At the moment, however, Nick Morello was simply doing his job, running one of the large machines in the factory. It was exceedingly boring to sit and watch. David wondered how anyone managed to stay sane doing a job like this one, but he figured it took all types to make the world work.

As the work day ended, David followed Nick out to his car. David slipped into the back seat and rode with Nick to his after-work hangout, a bar that seemed to cater to factory workers.

After the bar, Nick went home. He lived with his wife, but there were no children in evidence. David hung around until the couple went to bed. At that point, he slipped out of the house. They seemed interested in sex that night, and David was seriously not interested in witnessing that. Instead, he drove back to his home in Bolmont. Tomorrow, he would probably do it all over again.

For the next several days, David followed the same routine. He would drive to Haverhill, follow Nick Morello for most of the day, and then drive home. It was exceedingly dull, but David knew that he had to follow him as much as possible, if he had any hope of catching him "in the act".

On New Year's Eve, David abbreviated his surveillance, so that he could go home and get ready for the party. It was a much smaller party than the Christmas party; this one was meant only for those staying with him in the house. Still, he figured they could have some music, maybe play some games, dance a little, even, though the boy-to-girl ratio was heavily skewed toward the females. Mainly, he just wanted to let everyone have some fun.

David entered the Master Bedroom to get clean clothes to put on after his shower, and he saw someone standing out on his deck. He couldn't tell who it was, as the light was fading, and all he saw was a silhouette. He slipped on his school coat for warmth and stepped out to join whoever it was.

"Hi, there," David said quietly.

Anne jumped. "David! Geez, I didn't hear you. Um... I'm sorry I intruded in your private space. I needed some time alone."

"Something the matter?" he asked.

Anne frowned. "Just feeling a little... left out, I guess."

"I don't understand."

"All of you here are friends. Ellie fits in because she's your girlfriend... or... whatever... but, I mean, I'm just here because I'm Ellie's sister."

"Well, I'd like to think you're my friend..."

Anne snorted.

"What?"

"You can't really think that. You haven't asked to have sex with me."

David raised an eyebrow at her in surprise at her remark.

"Oh, c'mon, don't look at me like that. I know you've slept with every girl who's stayed in this house, except me, and Trisha. And Trisha's taken. I mean, Ellie, Mom, even Gwen, and she's gay! I can only assume you don't really like me."

"Excuse me? Your mother?"

Anne looked at him crossly. "Don't lie to me, David. I'm not stupid. Maybe Ellie's too naive to put the pieces together, and Gwen probably just doesn't want to see it, but I know you've slept with my mom. To tell you the truth, I'm a bit peeved at both of you for cheating on my dad."

David sighed. This was why hiding secrets was always a pain: they usually got out eventually. "Anne, I'm not allowed to explain that to you any better than this: Whatever is going on between your mother and me, your father knows all about it, and approves."

"Why would he do that?" she asked.

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Because I promised I wouldn't."

"Promised who?"

"Him."

"Oh."

"But we're getting off topic here. I don't sleep with every friend I have who's a girl... and frankly, I never thought you were interested."

"Why wouldn't I be interested?"

David shrugged. "You've just never said anything to make me think you were, until now. That is... if you are. I figured... well, once you got over your first-year problems, I figured you'd have a boyfriend by now, actually."

"I've only had a steady guy once, and that was years ago. It lasted for four months. Since then... a few dates, here and there. I'm not real good at socializing, and unlike my sisters, I don't really have looks to help me out. My friend Tadani always tried to help me be more outgoing. When I lost her... well, you saw what I became."

David nodded in understanding, and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Well," he said after a moment, "I have to take a shower. I wouldn't mind some company, though... if you're interested."

"You sure you're not just pitying me?" she asked, unsure.

"Quite sure. But if you're not interested, I guess I can shower alone... Shame to waste that big shower enclosure on just one person, but I'll manage..."

David sighed theatrically and started to walk back into the bedroom. He was reasonably sure she was following him. He intentionally did not look behind himself as he dropped his coat on the bed. He continued to ignore her forcefully as he took off his clothes, dumping them on the floor. He stepped into the master bathroom, and turned on the shower to let it warm up. Only then did he turn around.

Anne was standing right behind him, as he had expected.

"Oh, so you are interested? Or did you just want to sneak peeks at my body?"

Anne blushed crimson.

David moved closer to her and put his hands gently on her upper arms. "Let's clear up two things. First, I'm not as outgoing as I may appear, given the number of women I manage to gather. In almost all cases, they have made the first move, just like you did. Second, you are just as pretty as your sisters. Your beauty isn't the same, but you're still beautiful."

"Right. Maybe if I lost twenty or thirty pounds..."

"You've seen the girls I consider my closest friends. Prof. Fibblebitz, Olissa, Flo... do these ladies strike you as stick figures?"

Anne giggled at that. "No," she admitted.

"I'm not hung up on skinny girls, Anne. You look just fine to me. Well, with one exception."

"What?" she asked, slightly fearful.

"You've got an awful lot of clothes on for taking a shower," David said with a grin.

Anne laughed nervously. "Care to help me fix that?" she asked.

David lifted his hand, and Anne thought he was going to unbutton her blouse, but then he simply dropped his hand rapidly. Anne's clothing vanished in a flash of light. She squeaked in surprise.

David took in Anne's body, now that he could see it. She was curvaceous, but she looked just fine to him. Her breasts were as ample as the rest of the family's, but she also had a nicely rounded ass. She was shorter than him by a few inches, and so she looked up into his eyes, seeking disapproval or disappointment. She didn't find any.

"Come on," David said. "It's cold out here, and warm in there." He gently took her hand and pulled her into the shower with him.

Once he'd closed the door and turned back to her, she asked curiously, "Do you actually still get cold?"

"Yes. Probably easier than you do. I'm almost like a cold-blooded animal, where my body temperature's concerned. Come to think of it, that might be a bit uncomfortable for you. Should I warm myself up for you?"

Anne thought for a moment. "No, that's okay. I'd like to at least try it first."

David nodded, and then moved in close. He put his hands on her hips, pulled her to him, and kissed her softly. The kiss quickly grew into a passionate embrace as David slid his hands around to cup Anne's ass. She moaned into his mouth, indicating her approval.

For a long time, they kissed there in the shower. Finally, however, Anne pulled away and looked down. She saw David's cock, hard as iron and pointing right at her. She reached out and ran one finger along it.

"Do you mind?" she asked.

"Be my guest," he replied, not sure what she wanted to do, but happy to let her do whatever she liked.

Anne softly wrapped her hand around his cock, stroking it gently a few times. As she kept that up, she sank to her knees. She stared at his dick while continuing to move her hand back and forth. After a few more seconds, she slid her hand all the way up to the head of his cock, and when it slid back down, it was followed by her lips. She could not take his entire length, but she took as much of him as she could, and then she began to bob on his dick.

David groaned in pleasure, enjoying the feel of her soft lips on his hard cock. He rested his hands on her shoulders for balance, and just closed his eyes to enjoy the pleasure. It didn't take a whole lot of this treatment before David felt the cum boiling in his balls. He grunted softly to warn Anne, who just hummed in acknowledgment, but did not stop sucking on his cock.

After just a few more seconds, David loosed a torrent of cum deep into Anne's mouth. She hummed on his cock as he spurted, sending wonderful tingles throughout his body. Finally, when he was done, she swallowed, and then let him loose. He helped her get back to her feet, and then embraced her. He gave her a deep kiss, which she happily returned.

"That was... nice," he said in obvious understatement. "Now it's your turn."

Before Anne was sure what he had in mind, he sank to his own knees. He gently urged her to spread her legs, and she did. David then moved his head between her legs and began to run his tongue over her slit. Anne groaned loudly in sudden ecstasy, and grabbed for the shower shelf to keep from falling over.

David's tongue worked back and forth along her slit for a long moment before he slipped it between her lips, seeking out her hole. He pressed his tongue against her entrance, forcing it inside, where he wiggled it, causing sparks of pleasure to shoot throughout Anne's body.

"Oh, my god!" Anne screamed. She was rolling her hips against his face, trying to force his tongue even further inside of her. When he pulled it out, instead, she groaned in displeasure. David, however, moved his mouth up and began to slide his tongue over and around her clit. She moaned at that, loving the feel of it. Her body was heating up, and she could barely stand the wait. She was shivering already, her body quaking in anticipation. Finally, in one explosive moment, Anne came, crying out in bliss, her body shuddering so badly that David had to move back and hold her steady so that she wouldn't fall down. Slowly, he eased her down to the floor of the shower.

After several long moments to rest, Anne looked up at David, who was kneeling over her, his hand resting on her stomach.

"That was... incredible," she said.

"Think you can handle some more?" he asked.

"Even if I can't, we'll have fun finding out!" she told him.

David helped her back to her feet, and had her turn around and put her hands on the wall. This pushed her butt out at him nicely, and he slipped his fingers softly against her pussy lips, teasing her and making sure she was good and ready for him.

David placed the head of his dick at her entrance, and then paused. "How long has it been since you had sex last?"

"Four years or so, why?"

"I'll go slow," he promised.

She smiled at him. Seeing the size of his dick, she was grateful for his consideration.

David slowly pressed himself forward, and his cock pushed its way inside Anne's cunt, filling her up inch by inch until finally his hips were resting against her ass.

"Oh, I missed that," Anne murmured.

"You ready?" David asked.

"You bet your ass," she said.

David grinned. He took hold of her hips and began to thrust into her. His first few strokes were slow, but he quickly sped up to a rapid pace. He slammed into her hard and fast, causing her to grunt and pant. He could tell she was quickly approaching another orgasm. He sped up even faster and pushed her over the edge, causing her to cry out in ecstasy once again. He slowed his thrusts as she climaxed, but he didn't stop completely. As she came down from her high, however, she stood up, allowing his dick to slip from inside her.

Anne turned around and then she stepped against David and embraced him firmly. She pressed her lips to his, her tongue invading his mouth to play with its partner. She reached down and gently fondled his cock, keeping it fully hard and ready for the next round.

Finally, once Anne had caught her breath, she broke their kiss.

"What now?" she asked with a soft smile.

In the shower, there was a built-in foot rest, to help with cleaning the lower body. David moved her over to it, and then put his foot up on it. He leaned down and carefully lifted her leg, resting it on his knee. This exposed her pussy perfectly, and he put the head of his cock at her opening, then pressed into her. Anne sighed in contentment at having him back inside her.

In this position, David was able to embrace Anne and move slowly inside her. With their entire bodies rubbing wetly up against each other, it was intensely arousing. David kissed Anne repeatedly, keeping them short but meaningful. He looked into her eyes as he continued to slide his dick in and out of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he slipped his hands around to her lower back. They stayed like that for a very long time, changing position to the other leg only when David started to get tired. The two didn't say anything to each other as they made love; they merely moved, and looked, and felt.

Finally, Anne said, "Your leg's gonna fall asleep if we don't come soon." She smiled at him.

"I don't want us to be done yet," David admitted.

Anne kissed him hotly for a brief moment. "You've got to save something for next time..." she said.

"Oh? There will be a next time, then?"

"I seriously hope so," she replied with conviction.

David kissed her, running his hands up her back. He silently cast a spell, and the tendrils of energy he'd used with Rose slipped out of his back and down to wrap around Anne's legs. He held her tightly to him as the tendrils lifted her off the floor, gently pulling her legs apart and giving David easier access.

"Getting fancy on me?" Anne asked with a grin.

"The only way I know to go fast while still being able to face you," he explained. He picked up the pace of his thrusts, now able to move freely, his feet firmly on the floor. He used a couple more tendrils to support her back, so that he could slip his hands around to caress her ample breasts. He lightly tweaked her nipples, causing her to shiver in pleasure.

"You really know what makes girls feel good, don't you?" Anne said, smiling at him.

"I try," David said, speeding up his thrusts. He moved his hands off her breasts, as he was becoming too aggressive to keep his movements there tender. He grabbed her hips, instead, and began to slam into her as hard and as fast as he could.

Anne began to moan, her body rising toward its climax. David was pushing himself to his own, as well. He held off, waiting for Anne, and he was rewarded when she screamed out, "Oh, David!" and came, her body thrashing in the grip of his tendrils. As soon as her orgasm began, he let his own loose, blasting his load deep inside of her.

For long moments, the two writhed together in the throes of passion. Finally, however, David came down from his high. Anne was still a bit lost, though, so he continued to hold her as his cock softened, slipping gently from within her. He moved her back to a standing position, but continued to hold on to her, in case she felt a little wobbly.

Once she came back to her senses, Anne looked up at David with a soft smile.

"It's probably pretty faint praise, coming from someone with as limited experience as mine, but you are the best."

David smiled. "The only thing that really matters is that you enjoyed it."

Anne embraced him tightly and laid her head on his shoulder. "Oh, did I."

The two stood together quietly for a few minutes, but finally Anne let him go.

David looked at her with a smile, then said, "We should probably actually get clean now."

"You want me to wash you?"

"I'm not sure that's safe," David replied, arching his eyebrows.

Anne giggled. "I can control myself..."

"But who says I can?" he replied.

Anne laughed.

Once they got out of the shower, David conjured some of Anne's clothes from her room, so that she could get dressed in clean clothes. Then they sat together on the bed to talk.

"So, was it good for you?" Anne asked. "I know I'm pretty inexperienced..."

"It was very good for me, and you show no signs of being inexperienced. You were apparently a quick study."

Anne blushed at that.

David wrapped his arm around Anne and they sat quietly. Finally, he asked, "Did we start something today?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want to date?"

"Aren't you already dating Ellie?"

"Non-exclusively. But my relationship with Ellie will probably end at the end of the school year. I'll have taught her everything she asked me to teach her at that point. As that was the point of the relationship..." David said, and shrugged.

"Oh. Would you actually want to date me, non-exclusively or otherwise?"

"Yes," David said firmly.

"Even if I'm only a third-year?"

David snorted. "Like I give a shit. Your sister was a first-year when we started together."

"True. But... I wouldn't want to piss off Ellie by stealing her boyfriend. We could certainly date, though... if you really wanted to."

David asked seriously, "Why are you so uncertain of yourself? You're smart, you're pretty-"

"Am not,"

"Don't contradict an upperclassman," David said with a grin. "You've got a good, supportive family... what happened that made you so down on yourself?"

"My weight did a lot of it. The rest was just my lack of success at things growing up. All of my siblings won awards and got involved in things. I spent my time in the library, or helping out setting up the school activities, rather than participating in them. Then, when Tadani came along, she worked to bring me out of my shell a bit. For a couple years, I was... well, not really popular, but liked, I guess.

"Then Tadani moved away, and I realized that the strength I had while she was around was her strength, not mine. I'd been living off her light, and then the light went away, and I was stuck back in the shadows again. I didn't like that, which was why I was so..."

"Out of sorts?" David offered helpfully.

"Thank you, that's much kinder than you could have said. Anyway, that's why I was the way I was when we met. And that's why I act this way now. I'm not uncertain of myself, David. I know I don't have much strength of personality."

"I don't believe that for a minute," David said. "No one can give you strength. Tadani may have been able to support you and bring it out of you, but she didn't give it to you. It was always yours to begin with."

"I wish I could believe that," Anne said.

David hugged her again. "Well, believe this, then. I think you're a very nice person, and I would be happy if you would let me take you out from time to time."

Anne's eyes were a little teary, and she leaned over and kissed David.

"Thanks, David. I'd like that."

"Good. Now, let's go down and get ready for the party."

"Why are we having a party just because the calendar changes?" Anne asked on the way out the door.

"Do we really have to have a reason?" David asked.