The Lost Mage Page 9

“There you are! I missed yas both the past two nights,” Sean called out as they entered the pub.

  “We missed you, too, Sean,” Nora gave the bartender a kiss on the cheek.

  “So,” he asked in a quiet voice when Darakin was out of earshot, “how’s it been at your place?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” she laughed. “He nearly set me place afire and his cat broke some of my stuff, but I kind of like having the company around anyway.”

  At the sad expression on her face, Sean replied, “Aye, that you must, lassie, that you must.”

  An unshed tear glistened in her eye. She wiped it away and headed to the kitchen.

  Darakin spent the evening carrying heavy boxes of liquor and trays of glasses between the bar and the kitchen. He found himself compelled to watch Nora as she worked whenever he could. During one of these intervals, from behind the bar, he noticed a customer put his hand on her backside.

  Without hesitation, he began to move in that direction, only to have Sean block him with an arm.

  “Let her be, lad.”

  “But that man –”

  “Aye, I saw it, but Nora can handle herself. She’ll let us know if she needs help. If you mess up her tip from those blokes, you’ll not be hearing the end of it for some time to come. Trust me.”

  Nora turned toward the offending patron, “Ach, didn’t your hand just slip there, boyo?”

  “Sorry, sweetie. It’s got a mind of its own.”

  “And here I was thinking it was just the one of you did any thinking,” she said, pointing toward his crotch.

  The man’s companions all laughed and after a few seconds he did, too. Nora smiled at them and moved on.

  Sean elbowed Darakin. “See, I told you. You don’t need to get involved unless it gets ugly, and like I said, she’ll let us know if it comes to that.”

  The rest of the night passed peacefully and soon Darakin and Nora were walking home to her apartment in the early hours of the morning.

  Darakin looked at the quiet, deserted streets and frowned. “I don’t like that you walked home alone before all those nights before I got here. This doesn’t feel safe.”

  “When I’m alone, I usually take the subway, not that it’s much safer, but I also have my mace and a whistle in my bag should it come to that.”

  Darakin looked at her in surprise. “You carry a mace?”

  “Sure, any girl who travels alone at night should.”

  “Do you know how to use it?”

  “It’s not rocket science, Darakin.”

  “Rocket science?”

  “I mean, it doesn’t take a genius. Just point and spray. What’s so hard about that?”

  “Point and spray? Is that some sort of tactical move you’ve been taught?”

  “Huh? No. Point …” she held her hand up in front of her as if to point the device at the imaginary being in front of her, “and spray.” She made a squeezing motion with her index finger.

  Darakin burst out laughing. “I’m afraid you’ve been misled as to how to use a mace. It requires a bit more finesse than just pointing and doing that other thing, even if it is one that’s tiny enough to fit in your bag. And quite frankly, I don’t see how any weapon small enough to fit in your purse would do much damage.”

  “Clearly, you haven’t seen a handgun yet.”

  “Of course I have. We have pistols in my realm, but they’re much bigger than your bag. And the guns we saw in that magic box program were also far too large to fit in your purse. Do you have a small gun?”

  “Well, they exist, but I don’t have one.”

  “So let’s stick to talking about your mace.”

  “Okay fine. It doesn’t need to be a big container, Darakin. Just a small squirt is all I need.”

  “Squirt?” He’d had enough confusing conversations with Nora to realize that it was possible they were speaking about two different items. “May I see your mace?”

  She pulls the small canister from her purse. “See? It’s a small spray can. You spray it in someone’s eyes and the burning incapacitates them so you can get away.”

  Darakin laughed.

  “What’s so funny? You don’t think I’d be able to do it?”

  “Well, I am concerned that you wouldn’t be able to get it out of your bag fast enough, but I was laughing because I thought you meant mace, the weapon. You know, the club that you use to hit people with.”

  Nora laughed. “That makes sense then, your being concerned with its size.”

  “Yes. But as for this spray, what if you get attacked from behind?”

  “Well, to be honest, if I were alone, I’d have it in my pocket.”

  “I still don’t like it. I’m glad I’m here.”

  “Me, too.” She hooked her arm around his and they went home. Tired as they were, they still couldn’t keep away from each other once they reached the bedroom.

  Mrowley, very put out at being locked out of the bedroom once again, pawed at the door. Come on. I’ve been alone all night. Can’t I come in? I’ll just sit at the edge of the bed.

  “In a little while, cat.”

  Nora laughed as Darakin explained what Mrowley was on about. When they were done and Nora was in a light sleep, Darakin got up and let the cat in.

  ‘Bout time, Mrowley grumbled as he jumped to the bed and settled in between his two people.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next morning, Darakin awoke to find Mrowley curled up in the crook of Nora’s arm.

  The cat opened one eye to peek at Darakin and started purring. Morning.

  “Morning,” Darakin replied.

  “Mornin’,” Nora murmured without moving.

  “How about I go make us some coffee?” Darakin offered.

  “Mm, sounds heavenly.” Nora snuggled deeper into the blankets.

  Darakin made his way to the kitchen and stared at the coffee maker, trying to recall Nora’s instructions regarding the little machine.

  Back in the bedroom, Nora thought about how wonderful this day seemed already. There were no crashes, thumps or smoke alarms to awaken her, the purring of the cat was very soothing and Darakin was making her coffee.

  She smiled for a minute before jumping up, fully awake. Oh, sweet Jaysus! Darakin is trying to make coffee! That thought was followed by I can’t afford a new pot and he’ll probably electrocute himself.

  She leapt out of bed sending Mrowley flying and ran to the kitchen. There was Darakin, pot in hand pushing buttons on the automatic coffee maker in hopes that something would provide a clue as to how to get it started.

  “That’s okay,” she said, a little too quickly, “I’ll take care of it.”

  “I’m sorry, I couldn’t remember how.”

  “It’s all right, love, sometimes until you’ve done something yourself, it doesn’t sink in. So I’ll instruct you and you can make it.”

  Darakin followed Nora’s instructions and smiled when he pressed the brew button and the little machine sputtered to life.

  Once the cat was fed and the coffee was made, the two of them sat down to enjoy a cup. Nora regaled Darakin with tales of her youth again. She described the beautiful Irish countryside and her family’s small home. As she spoke, Darakin couldn’t help but admire her beauty.

  Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him. “If you don’t mind my asking, Nora, you seem to love your homeland so much that I can’t figure out why you left.”

  The twinkle left her eye and her smile was erased by the grim set of her lips. “There’s nothing left for me there.” She got up and cleared the dishes.

  Darakin wanted to ask but decided not to pry, instead getting up to help her with the dishes.

  After the dishes were done, Nora suggested that they take a walk. Darakin, unaccustomed to being cooped up inside for too long, readily agreed.

  “Do you think we should take Mrowley along?”

  “I don’t know,” she said with doubt in her voice. “It’s kind of dangerous out the
re for cats.”

  “But he’s been on the streets for a long time.”

  “Just because he didn’t have a home doesn’t mean it was good for him.”

  Mrowley was uncharacteristically quiet during this conversation.

  “He had a family but they moved and they didn’t take him with them.”

  “No!” She dropped her purse and went over to pick up Mrowley and give him a big hug. “You poor wee kitty. You lost your home and your family, too?”

  “What am I missing?” asked the confused mage. “He said there was no room for him and that he was happier this way.”

  “I’m thinking that no cat would ever admit to how much it hurts to be abandoned and to have nobody left to love or to love you,” she said as she rocked the cat back and forth.

  Darakin looked at the quiet cat. “Mrowley? Care to participate in the conversation?”

  Mrowley just blinked back at him, enjoying the loving embrace of a human who cared about him.

  “Well, this is the first time he hasn’t butted into our conversation.”

  Nora put the cat down on a soft throw blanket and pet him a few more times. She picked up her purse and led Darakin out of the apartment.

  Once they were out in the hall, she said, “Let the cat have his dignity. His family up and left him, not caring at all for his safety. If he wants to pretend that’s what he wanted before, that’s fine, but I want him kept safe now. He seems pretty happy being inside now.”

  Nora had no idea where this overprotective feeling toward the cat had come from but now that she had it, she was going to keep Mrowley safe.

  “You’re right. He does seem happy.”

  Darakin let Nora lead him down busy streets. He stared in amazement at all of the products you could buy from the shops they passed. Nora bought them each a hotdog from a street vendor and picked up a newspaper before finding an unoccupied bench in a local park.

  “Thish ish good, what’sh in it?”

  “Um, it’s um … a blend of some ground meats.” Nora thought of all the horrible stories she’d ever read or heard about the questionable contents of hotdogs and decided not to share them with the mage.

  “Oh, like the hamburger.”

  “Yeah, sure – like the hamburger.”

  Nora picked up the newspaper and started glancing at the stories. “Will you look at this? You’d think I picked up one of those silly rags instead of a real paper.”

  “What rags?”

  “Oh, there are newspapers here that print sensational stories that can’t possibly be true, you know like space aliens coming here or …” she let the sentence trail off as she looked at the strange man sitting next to her.

  “Or mages who come here from another realm of existence?” he smiled sadly at her.

  “Yeah, like that. I’m sorry, Darakin.” Trying to change the subject, she went back to the article. “But look at this. I mean really, someone attacked by a lizard man? Here in the middle of the city?”

  Darakin looked at the item Nora was pointing to in the newspaper.

  Charlie the Chipmunk Attacked by Lizard Man

  A man, who had just left a party after portraying beloved children’s icon Charlie the Chipmunk, was attacked while still wearing his costume by what he described as a lizard man.

  “He had scales and a lizard head,” said Joseph Johnson from his hospital bed. “I always park away from the party and walk to my car in costume so the kids don’t see me take it off. I was almost to my car when this thing grabbed me and started hitting me. He ripped my costume’s head off.”

  Shouts from a passing group of young men scared the assailant off and Johnson was transported to the hospital.

  Police have no leads and anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Tip hotline.

  Darakin put the paper down and stared at Nora in confusion. “Why would a grown man put on a chipmunk costume?”

  “Probably some kid’s birthday party or something.”

  “What?”

  “Hmm, I’m guessing that there are no mascots or anything where you come from.” She waited for Darakin to shake his head. “Well, see, here they use adults in costumes to entertain and educate children. There’s a television show called Charlie, the Chipmunk, and this guy makes money by pretending to be that Charlie at children’s parties. Does that make sense?”

  “I guess so,” although it was apparent from his expression that it didn’t.

  “What doesn’t make sense is the lizard man stuff.”

  “Why does the chipmunk man make sense but not the lizard man?” Darakin was confused.

  “Because they’re not saying that it was someone dressed up as a lizard man, but an actual lizard man. That’s just silly. There’s no such thing.”

  “There is in my realm.”

  “Of course there is. I should have known. There are lizard men there?”

  “Well, they’re not men. They’re demons who just bear a resemblance to what a man crossed with a lizard would look like. They have slimy scales and a reptilian head.”

  Nora put her head in her hands. Don’t laugh, she thought. He’s being serious.

  “So, are you trying to tell me that not only did you come here from your realm, but you think one of these lizard men, I mean demons did, too?”

  Darakin looked startled at her words. “Well, I do now. What if he did? What if those idiots that summoned me actually summoned a demon? After all, they did think that I was a demon.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What should I do?”

  Nora thought about this latest development. “Is it really your problem?”

  “Well, does anyone in this realm have any experience with a krekdapop? Oh, never mind.”

  “Never mind what? What was that word you said?”

  “It’s the word for those lizard-men demons in my language, but I realize it doesn’t mean anything to you. I wondered if anyone here knows anything about them.”

  “Well, since we don’t even have a word for them, I doubt anyone knows about them.”

  “Then isn’t it my responsibility to do something?”

  “I don’t see why. You didn’t bring him here. Is he dangerous? I mean, other than to people dressed in animal costumes?”

  “Nora, I’m sure it would have killed that man if those people hadn’t come along. It is a demon, after all.”

  “But why would he attack some guy dressed as Charlie the Chipmunk? That just seems … pardon the pun, kind of nuts.” She chuckled a little.

  “A long time ago, a krekdapop went on a rampage in a forest. He killed an old, sacred tree. The dryad that lived in the tree was so angry that, as she died, she put a curse on all the krekdapop so they would be forever terrified at the sight of the small, woodland creatures whose home he had destroyed.”

  “Like chipmunks?” Nora laughed again.

  “Yes. And squirrels and raccoons and the like. And it’s not funny, Nora.”

  “Oh, come on. It kind of is! I mean some tree fairy –”

  “Dryad.”

  “Right. Some dryad does a spell and now Larry, the lizard man, is here attacking Charlie, the Chipmunk? Sounds kind of funny to me.”

  “Well, it’s not. This is serious. It’s dangerous.”

  “But why did he beat up Charlie the Chipmunk if he’s scared of him? Wouldn’t he run away?”

  “Fear aggression doesn’t exist in your society? The dryad cast a hasty spell without considering the repercussions. Of course, she was dying so that explains it. But now these demons go around trying to kill all of these animals they’re so scared of.”

  “I just don’t see how you’re going to take care of this, Darakin. You can’t possibly protect all of the squirrels and chipmunks here. They’re everywhere!”

  Nora stared at Darakin for a minute. “Do you realize how crazy all of this sounds?” She looks at her audience of pigeons. “I am sitting here with, if he’s to be believed, a mage –”

  “
An elemental mage,” Darakin interjected.

  “Right, an elemental mage from another realm of existence who can talk to cats and is now preparing to do battle against a lizard man demon thing – also from his realm – that might be here looking to wipe out the squirrel and chipmunk populations?”