The Lost Mage (30 page)

Darakin couldn’t stop thinking about Nora. She was the most beautiful, enchanting woman he’d ever met. If he didn’t know for a fact that she had never dabbled with magic, he’d think she had cast a spell on him. The problem was that he had no idea if he was capable of being a good mate in this society. It was fairly emasculating that he didn’t know how to take care of even the most basic of chores. Every day, she had to help him with simple tasks. But none of that changed the fact that he had indeed fallen in love with her.

When it was time to leave, they met at the door and walked several blocks in silence. They had gone two blocks when Darakin stopped and grabbed Nora’s arm to stop her.

“Shush. I heard something.”

“What?” Seeing the alarm on Darakin’s face, Nora tried to get her pepper spray out of her bag, but was unable to reach it before a man jumped out of the shadows holding a gun. She was fairly certain that Darakin had no experience with handguns and was terrified that he would get hurt.

“Darakin, he has a gun. Do as he says.”

“You heard the lady. Give me your wallet.” He looked at Nora with an admiring eye, “You too, honey.”

Darakin took advantage of the thief’s diverted attention to make his move. He reached out with his left hand and grabbed the gun, pushing it away from them. He twisted the gun to the side and the thief cried out in pain as his finger in the trigger hole broke. Darakin let go and the gun dropped to the ground. The mage followed up with a sharp jab to the man’s gut. As the young man bent forward clutching his middle, Darakin landed a second blow on the chin. The thief staggered backward from the force of Darakin’s punch and fell to the ground, moaning.

As Darakin moved to get closer to the injured man, Nora held a hand out to stop him. “No! We have to get out of here.”

“But this thief should be brought to the local magistrate.”

“I’m sure he’s learned his lesson. Please, don’t argue with me. Just come.” She took a napkin out of her pocket and picked up the gun with it.

Darakin wanted to see the thief brought to justice, but he sensed the urgency in Nora’s hasty retreat and followed without argument. When they had gone a few blocks, he asked, “Why are we running away? We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“If the police get involved, they’re going to want our ID. What are you going to show them? Your cape?”

“My
cloak
is an indicator of my profession not my identity.”

She groaned. “Not the point, Darakin. The point is that you have no ID. And I’m not a legal resident. They would call the INS. Remember? I told you about them?”

“Yes.” They walked a few more blocks before Darakin spoke up again. “Nora?”

“Yes?”

“This isn’t the way home.”

“No, it’s not.”

“May I ask where we’re going?”

“To the river.”

“There’s a river here?” Darakin asked in surprise. “How come I never saw it?”

“We haven’t had occasion to come this way. But I’m going to dump this gun in it.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know what crimes that jerk’s committed with it, and I don’t want anyone to find it. But I have to finish wiping your fingerprints off it first.”

“My fingerprints?”

“Yes, you touched it with your bare hands. The oils from your fingers leave fingerprints on everything you touch. They have ways of taking fingerprints off things and they use it to identify people.”

“But they don’t know who I am.”

“Not yet. What happens if you ever have a run in with the authorities and they’ve found this gun and … I don’t have time to go into all of this. Remind me to have you watch a detective show on the magic box.”

Nora finished wiping the gun clean as best she could, being careful not to touch the trigger. When she was done she looked around to make sure they were alone before tossing it into the water.

As they turned to walk back home, Nora asked, “How did you learn to do that?”

“What?”

“Fight that way. Here, they train people to disarm guns with fighting techniques, but they’re usually police or military and you said you’re not a combat mage.”

“Combat mages learn to use magic to fight. Traveling mages are taught hand to hand fighting disciplines and how to use various weapons. It can be dangerous traveling alone in my realm if you can’t defend yourself, and mages are necessary to our society’s survival.”

“Oh.”

Darakin could tell that Nora was impressed by his skill. It felt really good to be able to protect her. For the first time since he’d arrived, he felt like a man. He took Nora’s hand in his, the two of them touching for the first time since she told him she loved him.

They walked that way for a few more blocks before Nora turned to Darakin and said, “Look, about earlier this afternoon. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I blurted that thing out on the way to work. It just slipped out. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Really? I was kind of hoping that it meant you loved me.”

“What?”

“Well, you said you loved me. I was hoping that it meant exactly what it sounded like.”

“I … uh …” Nora was unsure how to respond.

He took her hands. “Nora, I know I don’t seem like much of a man in this place where I can’t even make coffee, but I love you, too, and if you can overlook my failings, I’d like to try to make it up to you.”

“Not seem like a man? You’re, well frankly, you’re spectacular.”

“Huh?”

“First of all, you’re gorgeous. You have a physique that makes women stop and gawk as you walk by. Have you not noticed?”

“No.” Truth be told, Darakin was so afraid everyone was staring at his hair and strange mannerisms that he went out of this way not to look at anyone.

“Well, trust me, they do. And look how you protected me from that robber! I don’t know what I’d have done if I was alone. Just like you said, I didn’t have time to get my pepper spray out before he pulled the gun.” She shuddered and he held her hand tighter. “And as for your failings – well, you haven’t failed at anything. I was the horrible one who didn’t believe you.”

He laughed and hugged her close. “Let’s start over. Nora, I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He took her hand in his and they walked home.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Though it was late when Darakin and Nora arrived home, they headed straight to the bedroom and shut Mrowley out. They enjoyed being intimate for the first time since confessing their love for one another.

Mrowley waited impatiently outside the door until Darakin finally opened it to let him in. He jumped on the bed and circled around for a minute until he found a spot to his liking, right between his two people.

Nora woke up before Darakin for a change and snuck into the kitchen to make him breakfast. She loaded a plate full of eggs, sausage and toast and brought it back into the bedroom. She waved the plate near his nose and Darakin opened his eyes in surprise.

“What’s this?”

“Breakfast in bed. It’s the epitome of luxury.”

“Breakfast in bed? Why would someone eat in bed? Beds are for sleeping and …” he looked at the cat and stopped.

Dude, I know what you two are up to in here when the door is closed. I’m not a kitten anymore, you know.

“All the same, it’s not something you discuss.”

“Darakin, you needn’t be shy. I’m a grown woman.”

“And a lady of the highest degree. I would never wish to insult you by discussing private matters in front of anyone.”

Hey! I’m not just anyone. I’m part of the family, remember?

Nora laughed. “So chivalrous. Anyway, if you’re not comfortable eating breakfast in bed, we can go to the living room.”

“I would prefer that, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure thing.” She took the plate and put it on the coffee table.

Darakin headed to the living room. Mrowley ran through his legs and was standing over the plate sniffing the food before Darakin could sit.

“Now Mrowley, that’s Darakin’s breakfast.” She picked him up and took him to the kitchen where she had dished some cat food onto his plate on the floor. Mrowley sniffed at it and ran back to the coffee table.

“I think he’d rather have sausage than cat food this morning.”

Who wouldn’t?

“All right then. I have a link leftover.” She cut the sausage into small pieces and put it in a dish for Mrowley who came running at the sound of the dish being placed on the floor.

Mm. Sausage.

“Now, I’m going to dress and run out for a few minutes.”

“Alone? Where are you going?”

“To see about the stun gun.”

He started to stand. “Well, if it’s about a weapon, I should go with you. I’ll get dressed.”

“No, that’s okay,” Nora said quickly. “Sit and eat your breakfast.” She gave him a gentle push back to a sitting position.

“Nora, of the two of us, I’m the only one who’s been trained to fight. Weapons should be my call.”

“Aye, that may be true, but how much experience do you have with a stun gun?”

“I may never have seen this stun gun you speak of, but I have plenty of experience with lightning – or electricity, as you call it.”