The Lost Mage Page 17
“No, we went on a stakeout. Nobody had any steak.”
Oh. Well, could I get some food? I haven’t eaten in days.
With an exasperated sigh, Darakin pulled a can of cat food from the cabinet. “You ate a few hours ago. Why do you always exaggerate?”
Exaggerate? Hey, I don’t know how to tell time. I only know how long things feel and it feels like I haven’t eaten in days. My belly is rumbling.
“Fine, here.” Darakin put the food down on the kitchen floor. Mrowley sauntered out to eat it after a long, leisurely stretch as he got off the couch.
“Nora and I are going to sleep.”
Just leave the door open. I’ll be there in a minute.
Darakin just shook his head and collapsed on the bed next to Nora, both of them still fully clothed.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Darakin awoke after a few hours and stared at the ceiling. He had hoped that things would seem clearer to him after some sleep, but he was feeling as overwhelmed as he had last night.
Nora stirred beside him and he put her arm around her. She snuggled closer to him.
“What time is it?” she asked, as she opened her eyes to look at the clock. “Oh, sweet Jaysus, we’ll be late if we don’t get moving. How did we sleep so long?”
She jumped out of bed and started dressing. She stopped and turned toward Darakin who was once again staring at the ceiling. “What’s with you, love? We need to get ready for work.”
“I don’t know how I’m going to beat this thing. How can I enslave the elements? It took an army of mages to do it in my realm.”
“Not to mention that you’d probably destroy the planet here if you did manage to do it.”
“Huh?”
“Well, sweetie, we don’t have any mage schools here. I don’t think you’d be able to help the entire planet when they needed rain or wind. We’d starve to death when the crops died.”
Darakin gasped. “You’re right! I didn’t even think of that. Now I have no means of killing it.”
“Well, maybe not. Let’s think about this. Electricity is lightning, right?”
“If you say so. We don’t have this electricity you speak of in my realm.”
“Ah, but you do, it’s just that nobody there has figured it out yet. So trust me, electricity is like lightning. And we have managed to harness electricity so we can use it. We even generate our own. Every time you turn on a light or an appliance, that’s electricity doing it. But you don’t want to touch any electrical lines because you might get a shock … or worse.”
“How is this going to help me kill the krekdapop?”
“Have you ever heard of a stun gun?” At his blank stare, she continued, “No, of course you haven’t. No electricity in your realm. Well, we have a weapon called a stun gun. It uses electricity to disable people.”
“Do you have such a device?”
“No, but I can buy one. They’re legal for sale.”
Darakin sat up. “Well, that gives me hope. Maybe we can beat him after all. Let’s get one of these stun guns.”
“I’ll get it tomorrow. There’s a shop that sells self-defense items a few blocks over. It’s where I got my mace, I mean the pepper spray.”
“Okay.” Darakin, feeling much better than when he’d first awakened, got out of bed and dressed.
Mrowley sat up, blinking his eyes against the bright sunlight streaming in through the window. What’s going on? We just went to bed?
“No, we’ve been asleep for hours. Nora and I need to go to work.”
Oh, well can I have some food? I haven’t eaten in days.
“I … you … do you really not remember the conversations we have about this stuff? I fed you a few hours ago. It hasn’t been days. And of course I’ll give you some food before we leave. Don’t I always?”
I don’t know. Do you? Why are you asking me what you do? That seems kind of silly.
Darakin turned to Nora. “Once again, he says he hasn’t eaten in days.”
“Really? Days? Again?”
“He claims he can’t actually tell time and that it feels to his belly like he hasn’t eaten in that long.”
“It’s possible he’s telling the truth. Who knows how time feels to a cat? I mean one human year equals what? Something like a couple of years to a cat.”
“Really? How do you know that?”
“It’s what the vets tell us.”
“Vets?”
“Short for veterinarian.”
At the word veterinarian, Mrowley crouched down and hissed. No! I’m not going to the torturer. Don’t let her take me there, Darakin. Pleeeeeease!
“Torturer? What are you talking about, cat?”
The veterinarian. It’s another word for torturer. They do unspeakable things to animals. I’ve heard they even stick things … Mrowley gulped, in places where nothing should go. And they cut off some tomcat’s … Mrowley stopped, too distressed to continue.
“What is wrong with him?” Nora said, concerned at the cat’s sudden skittish, terrified movements.
“He says these veterinarians are torturers of animals?”
“No, they’re not, they’re pet doctors.”
“Ah, that explains it. Mrowley is afraid of the healer.”
Nora looked at Mrowley. “We’re not taking you to the vet. And even if we were, it would only be to make you well if you were sick. But don’t worry.”
Mrowley calmed down a bit.
“Have a quick bite to eat with me before we go. I’ll make sandwiches.” She took Darakin’s hand and headed into the kitchen.
“Anyway,” Nora continued as she made their lunch, “the vet … those people tell us that cats age much faster than we do. So one of our years seems a lot longer to them.”
“I see.”
Darakin and Nora ate sandwiches, put food down for Mrowley and headed out to the bar. As they walked along the street, she took hold of his hand.
“I have a confession,” she said.
“About what?”
“About you.”
Darakin’s heart started pounding. Was she going to say she loved him? He thought he was falling in love with her, but he still thought about going home. Was it fair to get involved with her? You silly sot, you’re already involved with her, he thought. He was so involved in his reverie that he forgot that she wanted to say something.
“Hello? Are you even interested?” Nora became annoyed at his inattentiveness.
“Oh, yes, I’m sorry. What could you possibly have to confess?”
“Well, I’m not sure that I really believed you until last night when I actually saw the demon.”
Darakin let out a sigh of relief. “Is that all?”
“Is that all? I’ve been lying and pretending to sort of believe you all this time. I feel terrible.”
“It’s okay. Sometimes you need to see something with your own eyes to know that it’s true.”
“‘Seeing is believing’ is what we say here.”
“It’s a good saying.”
“So, you’re not mad?”
He stopped walking and turned to face her. “I know how bizarre all of this seems to you. How could I be mad?” He pulled her close and gave her a hug.
Nora got carried away by the moment and murmured into his chest, “I love you.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she was filled with horror.
Darakin’s heart stopped for a minute. This was exactly what he was afraid of. He didn’t know how to respond, so he said nothing, but she felt him stiffen as he held her.
“I mean … I … I love that I finally believe you. And that we … we’re going to work together to kill this demon.”
“Oh. Me too.” But the damage was done. The two separated awkwardly and started walking again, neither taking the other’s hand.
That night at work, the time passed at a snail’s pace. They each kept looking at the clock, both looking forward to going home and at the same time, dreading walking home together.
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.