Free Element Wielder (The Void Wielder Trilogy Book 1) by Cesar Gonzalez

sudden hug.
    “Oh, thanks.” He returned the hug, though it was not as strong as Hiromy’s had been. Hiromy had chestnut-colored hair and a slender figure. Her wavy hair fell evenly down to her lower back. It reminded Falcon of a waterfall, untamed yet beautiful.
    She smiled as she handed Falcon a wielder glove engraved with gold and jade pearls. “Sorry, I can’t stay, but I wanted you to have this.”
    Falcon’s jaw dropped, as did those of half the people in the room. The golden glove made Falcon’s current dark glove appear as it belonged to a beggar. “I can’t take this. It must have cost you a fortune.”
    She looked at him with eyes that threatened to overflow with tears. Hiromy had always been good at using her looks to get what she wanted, but that wouldn’t work not on him. “Please don’t say that. I spent all day searching for the perfect gift.”
    A sense of guilt came over Falcon. I’m such a jerk . Or perhaps I’m not as immune to her charms as I thought. He forced a smile. “If you put it that way, I suppose I’ll take it. It’s a beautiful gift. Thank you, Hiromy.”
    “That’s great. I’m so glad you like it. You can even use it in battle, but it’s more for decoration. Besides, using it in public is akin to asking to be mugged.”
    “Thank you. I’ll remember that.”
    “Well, then. I’ll see you around.” Hiromy planted an unexpected kiss on his cheek and dashed off, her posse of giggling friends following close behind.
    Falcon’s face turned red. He grabbed a towel and wiped away the sweat that formed on his forehead. He hadn’t expected Hiromy to be so up front. Worst of all, she’d kissed him in front of everyone, even Aya, who stood in a corner arranging the gifts into neat stacks.
    “Good job, Falcon, not bad, not bad at all,” scoffed Lao. He playfully punched Falcon on his back.
    “Hey, watch out. That hurts.” He pushed Lao’s hand away. He and Lao were about the same size and equal in strength, but Lao’s mock punches always left him bruised and aching the next day.
    “Yeah, how did you ever get Hiromy to fancy you, mate?” asked Chonsey. Chonsey hadn’t changed much. He remained small for his age, standing around five feet. He was not much of a fighter, either. He ranked last at Rohad in every dueling category. Falcon was certain that if it wasn’t for Chonsey’s influential father, he’d have been expelled from Rohad ages ago. 
    “I didn’t do anything.” Hiromy had always been kind to him ever since they met, but he didn’t know why.
    Lao downed a mug of spinach juice in one gulp. His face instantly grimaced in a mass of wrinkles. “Listen, Falcon.” He took Chonsey’s mug of the green liquid and gulped it down as well. “You have to ask her why she’s being so nice to you. Does she want to be friends or more than friends?” Lao winked at Falcon. “You know what I mean, right?”
    “No, I don’t think I’ll be taking advice from someone who thinks spinach juice attracts women.”
    Lao glared at Falcon. “What? You doubt my advice? It might taste like it came from the backside of a beruda, but this green wonder brings luck with the ladies.”
    “Thanks, but I think I’d rather not ask Hiromy why she does what she does. If there is one thing I learned, it’s that attempting to figure out the female mind is useless. Besides, right now my mind is more on tomorrow’s trial, not Hiromy.”
    “True, mate,” said Chonsey. “Are you two ready?”
    Lao swung his imaginary sword in circles, almost causing Aya to drop her mug. “Of course I’m ready, Chonsey, ready to beat that pompous brat Laars to a pulp.”
    “You’re already doing that, mate. You and Falcon are the top male students at Rohad, after all—”
    “No, Chonsey. You’ve got it all wrong. To be respected, you must command it. For the last five years Falcon and I have outranked Laars in everything from trial speeds, exhibition matches, to power levels, you name it. And have