The Lost Mage (32 page)

“Well, you’re not alone there. There are a lot of people who are afraid to fly. They’ll take trains and boats, but no airplanes.”

“I’d like to say right now that I will not be getting into a mechanical bird. Ever.”

She laughed. “Deal.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

After work that evening, Nora once again took them home by a different route.

“How long will we be doing this?” Darakin asked.

“What does it matter, we get home either way. I doubt the police got involved, I just feel better taking a different route, is all.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, it makes me feel better.”

As they approached the apartment, Darakin held Nora’s arm to stop her from putting her key in the lock. “Do you hear something inside?” he whispered.

She stopped and listened. The sound of something dragging on the floor could be heard through the door. She opened the door as quietly as she could and stood back to let Darakin enter.

He burst in and ran to the living room. There in the middle of the floor, was the stun gun and Mrowley standing over it, one paw extended and ready to bat it around.

“Mrowley!” he shouted.

What?

“What are you doing?”

Nora rushed in behind him and saw the stun gun. She picked it up before Mrowley could touch it again.

Nothing.

“Nothing? You were batting this around like a toy.”

It was taunting me.

“Oh Jaysus, I can’t believe I didn’t put this in a drawer.” She picked the cat up and hugged him. “You could have been hurt or worse.”

Worse? From the toy?
He looked at Darakin for clarification.

Darakin pointed at the stun gun in Nora’s hand. “That isn’t a toy, Mrowley. It’s a dangerous weapon. I thought you said you would stay away from it?”

From what?

“The stun gun! Don’t you remember all the sparks and snapping noises? You ran under the couch and I told you to stay away from it.”

Dude, if I was under the couch, how could I see what you wanted me to stay away from?

“Uh, I … but you saw … oh never, mind. Listen, kitty, this could really hurt you. You can’t play with it.”

For the record, I don’t play, I practice attack techniques.

“Got it.”

“I’ll be sure and put it away proper, Darakin. I’m sorry.” Nora put Mrowley down, took the stun gun and went to put the it in a more secure hiding place.

Darakin followed her in with Mrowley, who was determined not to be locked out of the bedroom, right on his heels. He jumped on the bed and stretched out, his body reaching almost from one side to the other.

Nora looked at the cat and laughed. She put her hand on Darakin’s arm. “You know, sweetie, I think I’m too tired tonight. How about we let the cat stay and we just go to sleep?”

“Of course.” They got undressed and Darakin held Nora in his arms. Within a minute, her breathing had changed to the gentle sound of sleep. Mrowley got up from the end of the bed and engaged in a long, luxurious stretch. He then walked up Nora’s hip until he found the smallest of spaces between the two of them. He let his body fall into the space and was soon fast asleep.

The next morning, Nora got up early. They were going to Ravenwynd’s shop that day and she had the overwhelming desire to look as good as she could. As she stared in the mirror and applied makeup, she said to her reflection, “Since when have you been so vain?” And then she answered herself. “Since you fell for the gentle, naïve mage sleeping in your bed, you ninny.”

Mrowley stared from the doorway.
Why are you talking to yourself?

Nora jumped at the sound of Mrowley’s meow. “You startled me, kitty. We’ll keep this between us, okay?”

Keep what between us?

“I’ll assume that means yes.”

It’s so hard to talk to humans sometimes. Except Darakin.
The cat went back to the bedroom.
I like talking to him. He understands me.
He leapt on the bed and started kneading on Darakin’s belly.

“Ow!” The mage screamed in pain and jumped up. As he jumped, the cat’s claws ripped down his belly.

What?

“What’s wrong?” Nora came running in alarm.

“The cat … sharp claws.” He pulled the blanket down to look at the small puncture wounds Mrowley had made.

“Let me get something to clean that with.” Nora went back to the bathroom for some antiseptic.

What’s wrong, dude?

“You scratched me! That’s what’s wrong.”

 
I didn’t scratch you. I was mrrrrrrring.

“Mrrrrrring? What the hell is that? There doesn’t seem to be a word for it in this language. Does it mean scratching me?”

That wasn’t a scratch. See? This is mrrrrrrring.
Mrowley demonstrated his technique by kneading the blanket next to the mage.

“That’s mrrrrrring?”

No, mrrrrrrring. You left out an er.

“Excuse me. That’s mrrrrrrring?”

Yep,
Mrowley purred as he pulled at the blanket.

“Then why can’t you always do it on the blanket? Your claws pierce my skin and it hurts. The skin on the belly is kind of sensitive, you know.”

I thought you’d be happy that I was mrrrrrrring, people usually do that googly-eyed ‘oh look how cute’ thing when I mrrrrrrr, but okay, I’ll use the blanket.

“Thank you.”

Nora came back and wiped the small cuts with antiseptic.
“Oh, how cute, he’s kneading the blanket!”

She continued her ministrations, oblivious to the dirty look Darakin was giving her as the cat gave him a knowing look and a smug smile.

“So, you call that kneading?” he asked Nora.

“Aye, some people say ‘making bread’ but it’s all the same. Why?”

“Because when he says what he’s doing, it doesn’t translate. Just sounds like he says he’s mrrrrrrring.”

“Interesting. According to behavioral experts, they say that the cat is reliving how it would sort of knead their mother’s belly to get milk. Supposedly makes them feel comforted.”

Darakin turned to Mrowley. “Is that true?”

But Mrowley said nothing. He just kept mrrrrrrring
the blanket.

“He’s not talking.”

“I think there are some things they’d like to keep hidden about themselves. Gives them that air of mystery.”

She smiled and Darakin was overwhelmed with desire. He took her hand and pulled her down next to him.

“I thought you wanted to go to that New Age shop today?”

“Mm. This won’t take long.”

“Just what every woman wants to hear!” She laughed as he kissed her. The two became so involved with one another that Mrowley’s presence on the bed was forgotten until the movement of the bed was too much for him. He stood up and stared at the two entwined humans.

You’re doing it wrong.

“I assure you, little cat, I am
not
doing it wrong.”

Okay, but don’t expect to make kittens like that.

Darakin laughed. “I’m not trying to make kittens.”

“What?” Nora choked.

“Mrowley thinks we’re doing this wrong.”

“The only thing wrong about it is that you’re talking to a cat while we’re doing it.”

And you interrupted my mrrrrrrring.

 “Go in the other room then,” Darakin said, his speech muffled by the fact that his mouth was buried in Nora’s hair as he kissed her.

My species was once worshipped as gods. Now we get sent to the other room.
Mrowley leapt off the bed in a huff and went to the living room to watch TV.

A short time later, Darakin and Nora left to go to Ravenwynd’s shop, leaving a disgruntled Mrowley home watching soap operas.

Once they were out on the street, Nora asked, “Any chance that we can take the subway? It’s much faster than the bus.”

Despite having ridden the train the night they chased the krekdapop, Darakin was still apprehensive about the mechanical dragon, but he didn’t want to appear cowardly to Nora. “I guess so.”

“But listen, no jumping the turnstile this time. That will get you arrested – you just got lucky that night that nobody was around. Let me swipe my fare card, okay?”

“Fare card?”

“Yes, this.” She held the card up. “Remember, the very first time we went down – before you saw the train – I let us through the turnstile with it.”

“Vaguely.” In truth, Darakin didn’t remember anything but the spitting, fire-breathing mechanical beast from that trip, but he certainly didn’t want to get arrested so he let Nora swipe her card for him.

They waited for the train with their backs against the wall because Darakin wouldn’t go any closer to the tracks. When the train finally arrived, he followed Nora with trepidation. Since it was well past the early morning, they were able to get seats. She didn’t want to think about how he would feel on a crowded, rush hour train.