choice to become something you despised.” I paused for a moment as I stood by a chair. “You had every reason to hate us.”
His lips formed two thin lines; he didn’t appreciate the question.
“It was my choice to become a Mage and I knew what I was bargaining for. I know where you’re going with this, woman, and you can rest easy. A Mage murdered the one person who mattered to me, but I feel differently about it now. I can’t blame an entire race for the actions of one man. I have no regrets.”
I stared at a painting on the wall.
“Are you really upset about this?” he asked.
“It’s not the same.” I shook my head and wrapped a lock of hair around my finger. “I never wanted you to give up your life, or to make that choice. You had to give up photography, your home, and—”
“And nothing. If you’re worried about my career then you need to get your priorities in check. I did that to find meaning in my life when I had none. You’re forgetting that it was a choice, and not forced on me like…”
Like me, he meant to say. I never had the choice.
He dropped his eyes. “I have peace of mind knowing you never have to see that motherfu—”
“Okay,” I said, raising a hand. “Let’s not talk about him. I refuse to let that man haunt the rest of my life, and I don’t want to make his name part of table conversation, if you don’t mind.”
It wasn’t just how Samil treated me, but I felt robbed of the experience others had with their Creator and first spark. Watching Novis change Adam was a beautiful moment, and part of me would always be envious of that bond.
“If you knew it could have been offered, why were you so willing?”
Adam lowered his eyes without an answer.
I left the table and entered the main room with its majestic warmth and solace. Although we were underground, the ceiling was high, and gave the illusion of a larger house than it was. Justus enjoyed his fire, but I hadn’t lit one since he left. The wall on the left contained a deep bookshelf, and a brown rug spread on the floor before the hearth. It was my favorite room. The leather complained as I sank into the chair.
“Your Ghuardian lives in the Stone Age.”
“Tell me about it,” I chuckled, turning on my side. “Do you know how long I had to beg to have power installed in the bathroom? Justus likes his peace and quiet; you can’t imagine how irritated he gets when I start running the hair dryer.”
“Is it too late to find another Ghuardian?”
I wondered if he was joking. “I would never do that. Justus won’t change overnight, but I trust him with my life. He’s more lenient than he used to be. It’s not as if I can’t go out, but I’d rather not because of all the women licking him up like ambrosia. At least he gives me time alone with Simon.”
Adam took a seat on the floor beside my chair and cracked a knuckle.
“Are you and Simon an item?” His throat cleared.
“Can you light a candle? I’m about to fall asleep in this chair.”
Adam stretched over on his right arm and lit one of the candles by the fireplace. I lifted the wallet from his back pocket before he could stop me.
The Mageri provided us with new identities to use in human establishments, so I was dying to know what Adam’s alias was. Those who monitored law enforcement databases would spread the word to the proper Breed authorities if you were in trouble, and they made sure our names were uncommon. I curled it against my chest when he tried to take it, although I was tempted to snap him with my light. Simon and I often played around, sparking one another with tiny increments of energy—like static, only stronger. I was wary of starting that with Adam. He had never tasted my light as a Mage, and I had to be careful about throwing my power around.
“I want to see your new ID, Adam.”
“You didn’t answer my question about Simon.”
I squinted in the candlelight. “Your name is Lucan Riddle?” Of course, I had no room
His lips formed two thin lines; he didn’t appreciate the question.
“It was my choice to become a Mage and I knew what I was bargaining for. I know where you’re going with this, woman, and you can rest easy. A Mage murdered the one person who mattered to me, but I feel differently about it now. I can’t blame an entire race for the actions of one man. I have no regrets.”
I stared at a painting on the wall.
“Are you really upset about this?” he asked.
“It’s not the same.” I shook my head and wrapped a lock of hair around my finger. “I never wanted you to give up your life, or to make that choice. You had to give up photography, your home, and—”
“And nothing. If you’re worried about my career then you need to get your priorities in check. I did that to find meaning in my life when I had none. You’re forgetting that it was a choice, and not forced on me like…”
Like me, he meant to say. I never had the choice.
He dropped his eyes. “I have peace of mind knowing you never have to see that motherfu—”
“Okay,” I said, raising a hand. “Let’s not talk about him. I refuse to let that man haunt the rest of my life, and I don’t want to make his name part of table conversation, if you don’t mind.”
It wasn’t just how Samil treated me, but I felt robbed of the experience others had with their Creator and first spark. Watching Novis change Adam was a beautiful moment, and part of me would always be envious of that bond.
“If you knew it could have been offered, why were you so willing?”
Adam lowered his eyes without an answer.
I left the table and entered the main room with its majestic warmth and solace. Although we were underground, the ceiling was high, and gave the illusion of a larger house than it was. Justus enjoyed his fire, but I hadn’t lit one since he left. The wall on the left contained a deep bookshelf, and a brown rug spread on the floor before the hearth. It was my favorite room. The leather complained as I sank into the chair.
“Your Ghuardian lives in the Stone Age.”
“Tell me about it,” I chuckled, turning on my side. “Do you know how long I had to beg to have power installed in the bathroom? Justus likes his peace and quiet; you can’t imagine how irritated he gets when I start running the hair dryer.”
“Is it too late to find another Ghuardian?”
I wondered if he was joking. “I would never do that. Justus won’t change overnight, but I trust him with my life. He’s more lenient than he used to be. It’s not as if I can’t go out, but I’d rather not because of all the women licking him up like ambrosia. At least he gives me time alone with Simon.”
Adam took a seat on the floor beside my chair and cracked a knuckle.
“Are you and Simon an item?” His throat cleared.
“Can you light a candle? I’m about to fall asleep in this chair.”
Adam stretched over on his right arm and lit one of the candles by the fireplace. I lifted the wallet from his back pocket before he could stop me.
The Mageri provided us with new identities to use in human establishments, so I was dying to know what Adam’s alias was. Those who monitored law enforcement databases would spread the word to the proper Breed authorities if you were in trouble, and they made sure our names were uncommon. I curled it against my chest when he tried to take it, although I was tempted to snap him with my light. Simon and I often played around, sparking one another with tiny increments of energy—like static, only stronger. I was wary of starting that with Adam. He had never tasted my light as a Mage, and I had to be careful about throwing my power around.
“I want to see your new ID, Adam.”
“You didn’t answer my question about Simon.”
I squinted in the candlelight. “Your name is Lucan Riddle?” Of course, I had no room
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