The Lost Mage Read online

  “It can keep ‘til tomorrow. I don’t know how long it will take anyway.”

  “In that case,” she turned to face him and began walking backwards toward the bathroom pulling him along by the shirt, “what we should do is take a nice, hot shower. Together.”

  Darakin allowed himself to be pulled into the bathroom, closing the door behind them with his foot.

  Out in the living room, Mrowley lifted his head at the slam of the door. Wha… he started to ask, but his eyes had shut again before his head was back down on the cushion. He didn’t even notice when the pair ran past him on their way to the bedroom.

  ***

  Nora ran her fingers over Darakin’s strong chest, basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Aye. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Just making sure.”

  She rested her head down next to his. “I’m fine, love. Except that I have to go back down to the laundry room and get our clothes.”

  “Now?”

  “Aye. If you leave anything down there too long, you may not find it there when you return.”

  “People will steal your laundry?”

  “Perhaps. Some just hide it because they’re mad that the machine is taken. You never know. Besides, it’ll be time to go to work soon anyway.”

  “Okay,” Darakin said, admiring her movements as she slid out of bed and dressed.

  Nora returned with Darakin’s dry jeans, and with some reluctance, he tugged them on.

  “I really don’t understand why your society insists on wearing such binding clothing.”

  Nora smiled at the cut of his figure in the denim jeans and thought to herself that she knew why, but she said nothing.

  As the pair stepped out of her building to walk to work, they were relieved to find that the torrential downpour had lightened to a gentle drizzle. They walked to the bar hand in hand.

  Once inside, Nora headed off to grab an apron and Darakin sidled up next to Sean. “Can I ask you something, Sean?”

  “Sure, lad. What’s on your mind?”

  “Well, Mrow … I mean, I noticed that Nora seems to have some sort of deep sadness. Do you know what that’s about?”

  Sean looked around to make sure Nora wasn’t close by and said in a low voice, “Well, it’s not really my place to share what she’s kept hidden.”

  “Please, Sean, I feel like she doesn’t think I understand her – which I kind of don’t, but I want to.”

  “Okay, but you didn’t hear it from me.”

  “Hear what?”

  “What I’m about to tell you.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  “Just a few years ago, when Nora was still living in the auld country, there was a terrible accident. Her father and all six of her brothers and sisters were killed.”

  Darakin gasped. “And she escaped harm? What kind of accident?”

  “Well, she was a young woman and thought herself too old to be going on family outings. She fought with her father and stayed home. That’s why she was spared when the bus hit her family’s car.”

  Darakin shivered at the thought of one of those monster mechanical beasts he kept riding uptown with Nora hitting one of the smaller beasts.

  Sean continued, “Anyway, she decided she was too sad to stay there.”

  “What about her mother?”

  Sean shook his head. “Her mother died in childbirth with the youngest of her siblings. There was nobody there for her. She didn’t even wait to get a legal visa. That’s why she’s here illegally, although I hope she’ll apply for a green card one day.”

  “Green card?”

  “A permit that allows immigrants to live and work here while they apply for citizenship.”

  “Ah.”

  “You might consider it, too, Darakin. It would make your life a whole lot easier.”

  Darakin wasn’t sure that trying to maneuver the bureaucracy of this society would make his life easier at all, but he said nothing.

  Nora came over, tying the apron around her waist as she walked. “What are you two on about, then?”

  “Nothing, lass. Just telling Darakin here that he might consider getting a green card.”

  Nora choked a bit at Sean’s words.

  “Are you all right, Nora?” Sean asked in concern.

  “Aye, it’s just that he doesn’t have any proper ID from his homeland. I don’t know that he’d be able to fill out the application.”

  Sean glanced around to make sure nobody was within earshot. “No Id? Well, if you ever decide to fix that situation, I may know someone who can help. It is a bit dear, though.”

  “What does a deer have to do with anything?” Darakin was thoroughly confused.

  “He means expensive, Darakin. Thank you, Sean, We’ll think on it.”

  “All right then, lass.” Sean and Nora went on to discuss the drink specials for the evening.

  Darakin spent the evening watching Nora as she waited tables and moved gracefully around the bar. Now that he looked at her, he saw that Mrowley was right. The smile on her face never quite reached her eyes and when she turned away, the smile disappeared as quickly as it had come. H couldn’t believe he needed a cat to make him see that and swore to be more attentive to her needs from that moment on.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The next morning, Darakin awakened early to start his scrying spell. He went to the living room with the supplies he’d bought from Ravenwynd.

  What’re you doing? A sleepy Mrowley had followed him out of the bedroom. I’ll eat now, if you want.

  “I was going to start a spell.” Darakin looked at the cat and knew that he’d never have any peace if he didn’t fill Mrowley’s bowl first, so he went to the kitchen and opened a can. Mrowley jumped up to the counter and head-butted his hand.

  “Mrowley? You’re not supposed to jump on the counters, remember?”

  Huh? Oh, okay. You only have to ask. Mrowley leapt to the floor as Darakin put the food bowl down.

  “I have asked. A number of times.”

  The cat ignored him as he ate the food.

  Darakin retrieved the black scrying bowl he’d bought and filled it with water. He placed it on the floor in the center of a circle marked by a candle at each direction.

  With the bowl in place, he went back to the kitchen to get a book of matches from the drawer where Nora kept them. He returned to the living room to find Mrowley dipping his paw in the bowl in small, frantic spurts.

  “Mrowley!” he yelled, louder than he’d intended. He lowered his voice to a loud whisper. “What are you doing?”

  Light bugs.

  “What?”

  Dude, you have light bugs in your water.

  “What in the hells is a light bug?”

  Wait, just watch, you’ll see. The cat stared intently at the bowl for a few seconds before stabbing at the water with his paw again. Did you see it?

  “See what?”

  The light bug. Look, there’s another one.

  Darakin was struggling to see what the cat was talking about when it occurred to him that Mrowley was attacking the reflected light in the water.

  “Silly cat. That’s not a bug. It’s a reflection.”

  No, no, it’s a bug. Look, they’re fast. Much faster than flies.

  “No, kitty. Look, see when I cover the stream of light from the window,” Darakin put his hand in between the light and the water, “no reflection.” He took his hand away. “And now – reflections!”

  It’s back! Mrowley dunked his paw in the water again.

  Darakin laughed. “How is it that you understand about the average speed of a housefly, but the idea of a reflection stumps you?”

  Dude, I think I know a light bug when I see one.

  Darakin shook his head. “Well, that may be, but I need you to not stick your paw in this. I’m going to put some of the lizard-demon’s residue in –”

  Mm. Lizard. Mrowley’s mouth moved in an
involuntary chewing motion at the thought of lizard meat.

  “No. Not lizard. Demon. I’m going to put his residue in here and try to read it for clues about its location. If your fur or anything is in here, it will interfere with my reading.” He picked the bowl up and took it to the sink to dump the water and start over. Mrowley raced into the kitchen with him and jumped up to watch the water going down the drain for signs of the light bug.

  “Mrowley!”

  What?

  “I thought you were going to stay off the counters.”

  Huh?

  “I don’t want you on the counters.”

  Okay, dude. You only have to ask.

  “I did!” Darakin heard a chuckle from the entryway and turned to see Nora standing there.

  “Are you still arguing with that cat about keeping off the counters, then?”

  “Well, I keep asking and he acts like it’s the first time he’s hearing it every time.”

  “Aye, well I’m convinced that ADD is part of all cats’ genetics.”

  “You mentioned that before. What is ADD?”

  “Attention Deficit Disorder. It means they have trouble paying attention and processing what you’re saying.”

  “Trouble obeying is more like it.”

  “What cat has ever obeyed when it didn’t suit their needs?” She walked in behind him and rubbed his shoulders. “Come now, you’ve admitted you’ve never lived with a cat before. You’ll have to trust me on this – obey is not part of their vocabulary.”

  “You sound like him now.”

  “That’s because it’s true.”

  “Well, I’m trying to do my scrying spell and he keeps attacking the reflections in the water, saying they’re ‘light bugs’.”

  Nora laughed. “Do you want me to put him in the bedroom?”

  Dude. Let me watch. Please?

  “He says he wants to watch.” He looked at the pleading cat. “Fine. But no more light bugs, okay?”

  Sure, sure. You take care of them.

  Darakin rolled his eyes and headed back to the living room with his fresh bowl of water. Nora followed.

  “Did I wake you?” Darakin asked as he carefully sat on the floor with the water.

  “Aye. I kept hearing you yell ‘Mrowley’.”

  “Sorry,” he gave Mrowley a dirty look. The cat blinked innocently back at him.

  “It’s okay. I’m kind of curious to see your spell. What’s going to happen?”

  “Well, I’ll cast a circle around this area – you’ll need to choose to be in or out of it because you can’t break it once cast, then I’ll burn the incenses and imbue the water with their essence to purify it. Then I’ll put some of the demon residue in the water. If the spell works correctly, the residue will form a shape that will help discern the demon’s location.”

  “You think maybe you should make a sketch of what you see? I mean, you’re not exactly familiar with the locations around here.”

  “Good idea! Do you one of those magic pens you use?”

  “Magic pens?”

  “One of those pens that writes without being dipped in an inkwell.”

  Nora laughed. “Sure. But I think maybe a pencil would be better for this.” She went to the kitchen and returned with a pencil and some paper.

  Darakin held up the pencil and stared at it.

  “It’s sort of like charcoal that doesn’t get your fingers all messy,” Nora tried to explain.

  “Why would you give me the number two? Why would we not use a number one?”

  Nora looked at the number two in the black circle on the pencil. “Oh, that just means, well, actually I’m not sure what it means. Something to do with the thickness of the lead it uses to write with I think. It doesn’t matter. It’s better for making a sketch than a pen would be.”

  “Thank you. I’ll start now.”

  “Okay. This should be interesting.”

  “I’m sorry, Nora, but I only know the magic incantations in the languages of my realm, so that’s what I’ll have to use to cast the circle and do the spell.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “So, are you staying inside the circle or out of it?”

  “I’d like to be inside, if that’s okay. What’s the purpose of the circle?”

  “Any time you’re doing a spell, it’s a good idea to use a circle to contain the forces you summon.”

  “Oh.”

  Darakin had Nora light each of the candles and then patted the spot next to him, indicating that she should sit there. Then he stood and held up his dagger; the only of his weapons that he’d actually been wearing when he was summoned to this realm. He faced each of the directions, chanting some invocations in a very strange sounding language. Once he was done, he sat in front of the bowl and did another incantation before lighting the incense. He held the burning incense next to the bowl at the water level and gently blew the smoke over the water.

  Once he was satisfied with his preparations, he took the jar with the lizard slime in it. He fished some of it out using the piece of the branch that he’d collected it with. The residue dropped into the bowl and swirled around for a few minutes before settling down.

  Darakin bent over to look at the design formed by the slime. His brow furrowed in puzzlement, but with a shake of his head, he began sketching what he saw in the scrying bowl. When he was done, he dismissed the circle and blew out the candles.

  Nora picked up the sketch in her hand and stared at it, her restrained laughter causing a slight smile to form on her lips. “Um, Darakin?”

  “Yes?”

  “What is this?”

  “I don’t know, Nora. I only sketched what the bowl showed me. I don’t know what it means.”

  She put the sketch down and stood to give him a hug. “I’m sorry the spell didn’t work.”

  He pulled back from her. “What are you talking about? It worked. There’s the image that formed.”

  “But it’s useless! It doesn’t show a location at all!”

  “So, that image means nothing to you?”

  Nora stared again at the sketch he’d done. It showed a cartoon fork dancing with a spoon. “Well, sure, if it was hiding in Saturday morning cartoons, maybe. I mean, it looks kind of familiar, but I think it might be from an animated movie or something.”

  “I was hoping it would mean something to you,” Darakin said with disappointment.

  “I’m sorry. Is it possible it was in one of those previews we saw when we went to the movie a few days ago? Maybe that’s why it looks familiar?”

  “I don’t recall seeing an image like this before.” He dropped the paper and watched it float to the floor, as did Mrowley, whose head bobbed from side to side as he tried to follow the motion of the floating paper. When it landed on the floor, he pounced and then sat back to watch it for further signs of movement.

  Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmmity hmm.

  “What’s he doing?” Nora asked in surprise. “It almost sounds like he’s singing!”

  “Actually, he’s humming.”

  “Wait, cats can hum?”

  “Apparently. Mrowley, what are you doing?”

  Mrowley began singing. The Galaxy Café and Saloon …

  “Now, he’s singing.”

  “Cats can hum and sing? What’s he singing?”

  Darakin attempted to repeat the cat’s song. “The Galaxy Café and Saloon …”

  Nora, suddenly recognizing the jingle, continued the song, “where your fork and spoon will send you over the moon.”

  Food and drink so good, it’s out of this world, Mrowley finished the commercial’s tagline.

  “Oh my God, I can’t believe I missed it! I’m so sorry to have doubted you, Darakin. The Galaxy Café and Saloon – it’s this silly, chain, space-travel themed restaurant and bar that runs ads that show a fork and spoon dancing over the moon. Where the hell did the cat learn that?”

  Oh, it’s always on the magic box during the day.

  “He says he s
ees it on the magic box during the day.”