The Lost Mage (34 page)

“But those are all things I can protect us against. Well, not the dragon, but we’d never leave anything shiny outside –”

“You’re the one who told me it’s dangerous for traveling mages there.”

“It is, but that’s why I’m trained to fight, Nora. I can keep us safe.”

“And I can take care of us here,” she interrupted.

“Really? Like the other night?”

“Darakin, if you’d not have been with me, I’d have had my pepper spray at the ready. And in the worst case, he’d have taken my money.”

“You don’t know that.” He stepped toward her and took her in his arms. She tried to pull her away, but he held her tight. “Nora, I can’t bear to think of you getting hurt and I dream of showing you how strong and brave I am in my own realm.”

“And I dream of having a life with you.”

“So come with me.”

“I … I can’t. I left everything and everyone I knew once. I don’t think I could do it again, especially not for a place like your homeland. I’m sorry.”

“As am I. I really was hoping you’d consent to come with me, but I’ll understand if you can’t.”

Am I staying here or going with you? I’m confused. Or maybe I’m going back out to the street?
The cat crouched low in rejection. In his experience, when people changed their living situation, he got left behind.

“Mrowley, you’ll be taken care of, not to worry,” Darakin reassured him.

“Yes, I’ll keep Mrowley with me. Your realm doesn’t sound safe for a small cat like him.”

Mrowley stood, arched his back and said,
Hey! Who is she calling small?

“I think he’d do fine with me. He’d just have to stay close.” He looked at the cat. “But there will be times when we’d have to go on boats.”

No, I told you I don’t like the water. I had a bath once, it was like being drowned. I don’t want to go in the water.

At the cat’s negative reaction to the idea of sailing, he said with a sad smile, “Perhaps he is better off here.”

I don’t want to lose another person. I just broke you in … I mean, I just got used to you and your smells.

“Like I said, we’ll do just fine.” Nora crossed her arms. She was desperate to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. She didn’t want him to see her cry.

“Nora, may I point something out? We don’t even know if they can send me back. They said they couldn’t before. It’s just that they’re continuing to open portals and I thought maybe I could try to use one to travel back as they opened it.”

“And if that works? You’ll just be gone. Just like that. Forever?”

Forever?

“I’m afraid so.”

“Aye, well I’ve lost those I love before and I survived. I can do it again.” A single tear slipped down her cheek.

Me too
, the cat said mournfully.

At the sight of that teardrop, Darakin felt his heart break. He rushed to her side and embraced her. “I’m so, so sorry, Nora. I know about what happened to your family.”

“Ach, that Sean has a big mouth.”

“Actually, Mrowley figured out that something had happened. I only asked Sean about it after Mrowley told me.”

“Really? He is one perceptive kitty.” She reached over and gave the cat’s head a rub.

Mrowley closed his eyes and lifted his head, looking proud.

Though he still wanted to return home, he couldn’t bear the hurt expression on her face. Against his better judgment, he heard himself say, “Nora, never mind what I said. I’ll stay. I love you and I want to be with you. My realm wouldn’t feel like home without you anyway.”

And me, right?

“Right.” Darakin reached over and gave the cat a pet.

Nora angrily wiped the tear away. “Really? I don’t want you to stay because of a silly tear. That’s not a basis for a relationship.”

“No, but love is. And I do love you.”

“And I love you. Are you sure? I don’t want you to stay if you have any doubts.”

He looked at her hopeful expression. “I’m sure,” he lied.

They turned to one another and kissed. Though he was consumed with desire for her, he was content to hold her in a long embrace. He felt her relax against him.
I think I can stay here, after all,
he thought.
 As long as I’m with her.

After what seemed to Mrowley like hours, but was in fact just a few minutes, they separated and got ready for work.

“If you’re really going to stay, we should think about using Sean’s connection to get you some papers. We’d have to save a bit of money because I know they’re expensive, but it’d be worth it.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.”

The couple dressed and headed off to work.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The next morning, Darakin awakened to find the bed empty. Alarmed, he jumped out of bed and went in search of Nora and Mrowley. He found them coming out of the bathroom. Nora saw him and smiled. She wiped her hand across her mouth and gave him a kiss.

“I’m minty fresh,” she said.

“Indeed.”

I like mint. I mean, I prefer catmint but this mint makes her mouth smell better than it did before.

“Before what?” Darakin asked the cat.

Before she put the mint in after she had the hairball …

“My goodness that cat is talkative this morning.” Nora bent to pet the cat.

“He says you had a hairball?”

Nora laughed nervously. “What? That’s ridiculous. Oh, I know! I swallowed the wrong way and I coughed a bit, that must be what he means.”

But I was just trying to tell you that –

“Now, Mrowley. Humans don’t have hairballs. You’re being rude. Let it be.”

Mrowley stormed off in a huff.

“Anyway, I like this dental hygiene thing. It beats using a stick.”

“Is that what you did at home? Just one more reason not to go there,” she laughed as she went to the kitchen.

Darakin was a bit hurt by her insults about his home realm. It may not be the technological wonderland that this realm was, but it was his home and he felt a little protective of it. Rather than argue with her, he said nothing. He had a scrying spell to cast and a demon to hunt.

Nora made breakfast while Darakin gathered his spell supplies.

“Eat before you do your spell.” Nora guided Darakin to the table and put a plate of waffles in front of him.

He stared at the waffles, confused by the little square indentations in them. “What are these?”

“Waffles.” She reached over him and slathered butter on them. “Now put some syrup on and try them.”

“What are these little indentations for?”

“To hold the syrup and butter.”

Darakin cut a piece of the waffle off and popped it in his mouth. “Mm.” Remembering Nora’s admonitions to not speak while chewing, he swallowed before saying, “That’s good.”

“Mm hmm. Breakfast has always been one of my favorite meals.”

“I think it’s my favorite, too. Except for the sundae we had that time at the restaurant. That was really good.”

She laughed. “Yes, but desserts are really fattening and no good for you, so you have to eat them in moderation.”

When breakfast was finished, Darakin took his supplies to the living room. Nora followed with a pad and pencil so he could draw whatever he saw. He repeated the steps he had done the last time, casting a circle, lighting the incense and holding it near the water’s surface. Once satisfied, he put some of the slime into the water. It swirled around for a few minutes before coming to rest in a pattern.

Darakin copied the pattern he saw in the water onto the pad Nora had brought over. When he was done, he dismissed the circle and sat back to stare at his drawing.

“This look familiar to you?” he asked, holding it up for Nora to see.

“Sure, it looks like a cave.”

“That’s what I thought, too. Do you know where it is?”

She laughed. “That particular cave? Are you kidding? I don’t even think there are any caves in the city limits. There are some hills north of the city; maybe it’s there. But there would be hundreds of caves there.”

“That’s not good. We need to find
this
cave.”

“What’s that in front of it?” Nora asked, pointing to a spot on the drawing.

“I just drew what I saw, but it looks like some kind of a box on a pole to me.”

“Hmm, maybe it’s a sign.”

“Of what?”

“I don’t know. Why would a cave have a sign in front of it?”

“You’re asking me? Your society calls boxes bags and rides through the ground on mechanical dragons. How would I know why you’d put a sign in front of a cave?”

“Touché.”

“What?”

“Tou … oh, it’s another word from a different language, like shtick, remember? Touché means well played, sort of, like that was a good point you made.”