A Student's Dream (Twisted Cogs Book 1) by Malcolm Hemmings Read Free Book Online Page B

was too warm for the slightly over-warm room, but it slaked her thirst and that was enough. She was so lost in her meal that she didn’t notice the new presence by the table until Ele cleared his throat.
    Elena glanced up from her meal to find a woman with green eyes standing just a few feet away, holding a pie and a tankard of her own. She wore a black metal mask that marked her as a Rhetor, and that fact startled Elena so badly that it took her a few moments to recognize her; it was the woman from earlier, the one who had winked at Ele. A strand of blonde hair had fallen across her face, but she waited patiently as one might wait to be introduced.
    “ She’s not allowed to communicate unless spoken to, not even by signs.” Elena hadn’t noticed the Rhetorguard standing a pace or so away until he spoke. The black metal armor plating seemed to soak in the warm light of the room, contrasting with the thin silver design that matched the Rhetor’s mask. He was large, though Elena couldn’t tell if it was muscle or bulky armor that gave that impression. His neat goatee and heavy eyebrows lent to the effect of presence and size, which made his friendly smile seem almost out of place. “I believe she wants to join you at your table, if you have no objections.”
    “ Of course you can join us,” Ele said quickly. Elena shot him a glare. A pair of green eyes was all well and good, and she couldn’t stop him from being attracted to whomever he pleased, but to invite a Rhetor to eat with them was pushing that crush a little too far.
    The woman’s eyes wrinkled in the corners, her smile hidden by the mask, but she didn’t move to join them, instead glancing back at her Rhetorguard.
    Of course...he’s not Stormtouched, so he can’t see Ele, Elena realized she was in an awkward place. The woman had heard Ele, so she could hardly tell the Rhetorguard ‘no’.
    “ By all means,” Elena motioned to a seat across from them, and the Rhetor put her food down and sat primly.
    “ Mighty kind of you. I have to say I’m probably just as glad of the company as she is,” the guard said, settling in the seat next to her. “Staying by her side is a part of the job, always has been, but I didn’t realize when I started how many people would see me as a pariah as well, just by association. My name is Rolf, it’s good to make your acquaintance.”
    Elena was cowed by the Rhetor’s presence, but she had so many questions she didn’t know where she would even start. How could he be comfortable being so close to a Rhetor, day in and day out? How did she eat without taking the mask off? Did it bother her to be talked about as if she wasn’t there? If the woman was offended at being called a pariah she didn’t show it, meekly turning her head to expose the back of her neck to him as he fumbled at a string that hung around his neck.
    “ Ask what her name is,” Ele instructed, and Elena sighed.
    “ It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rolf,” she said, “and what is the name of your...companion?”
    “ I’m afraid there’s no way for us to know that,” Rolf said, “she can’t tell us about her family or her name, that’d involve communication.”
    As he spoke, he finally removed a twisted black key from the necklace, it’s haft made of cast iron and its fine teeth bent at exact angles. Elena wasn’t sure from a glimpse, but it might’ve been Machinator-made. It was certainly not easily duplicatable. Rolf carefully inserted the key into a small slot that lay lengthwise across the back of the woman’s mask, unlocking it with a small click. The mask fell off and onto the table with a dull and heavy sound.
    Elena scrambled to her feet before the sound had even died away, backing up until she was pressed against the wall behind the table.
    “ W-what are you doing? Why...how...” She gasped. The Rhetor held her gaze, looking up at her with a sad smile. Without her mask, she looked almost human, a beautiful girl whose feelings