Warlock Apprentice, Black Lake Novel 4

Chapter Seventeen

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The next morning all three of us were quick to snap and snarl, like an ogre. The meanin’ of the day clearly weighed as heavily on their shoulders as it did mine. Where would the three come from? How would they attack? Would they saunter in for a conversation before agreein’ to go to war?

Unlikely.

Which meant Selene would have little opportunity to pass on to them the dragon’s threat. So would arrows hail through the air without a warnin’? Would an arcane lightnin’ bolt strike out of the blue?

“Loosen your grip on your walking stick,” Selene whispered.

We didn’t stand in the middle of the clearin’ today. Morgan practiced his latest lesson at one edge of the tree line, and Selene would visit me every hour or so, on the other side of the clearin’.

I understood Morgan’s progress was more important, but I couldn’t help to be jealous of the time the two spent together, ignorin’ me. So I mostly concentrated on recitin’ my runes, and reviewin’ their life blood. I found myself pullin’ out the primer frequently.

“It comes from your mental connection with the ethereal. Has nothing to do with how tightly you grip the staff.”

I gave the ash limb a shake in frustration. All I ever managed was to hasten the tic in my spine, nothin’ else.

Selene sighed. “It’s—”

“All in the visualization,” I finished for him. Tired of that word. The wizard’s overly enamored with it. Enamored. He likes that word too. He likes a lot of words I’ve never heard before.

Selene’s face blanched, and he whirled around to face the southern exposure of the clearin’. He ran toward Morgan, who obviously also realized someone neared. He gripped Bacchus with both hands, his feet slightly wider than shoulder width, ready for battle.

Selene had drawn his sword, a motion I never saw. The two stood six feet apart, glarin’ toward the ravine and the path we had followed to get to the cabin four days ago.

Should I hide? Stand beside them? Sweat trickled down my sides. Slowly made my way to join them, hopin’ maybe, Selene would tell me to run and hide. But if today’s the day, so be it. I stopped a pace behind Morgan, ten feet to his right.

The moments passed.

Selene’s ring, the bold one he wore on his second finger, buzzed with enriched power from the ethereal, as did Bacchus.

I sucked in a breath. A shadow below swayed out of the trees. If this was one of Blake’s pals, he had changed out of his black cape, vest and trousers.

Morgan leaned Bacchus upright, and relaxed. Selene glanced at him, then also relaxed. It took another three-count for me to recognize the current visitor was no one to fear. The red dreadlocks were a definite give away.

Louisa.

Sweet, sweet Louisa. Found myself runnin’ to her. Never had a thought to do that. My body just lunged forward in excitement.

“Louisa! What are you doin’ here?”

Her face opened into a wide grin between those porcelain tusks. “Checkin’ to make sure the two of ya haven’t killed each other,” she called back.

I reached her and offered to take her backpack, but she whiffed her hand at me. I reached for her hand and grasped it, held it for a four-count. Had almost thrown my arms around her, I was so happy to see her. Ruth had greeted me that way. Louisa gave me an awkward look. Maybe my face turned hot, and I turned to walk with her up the hill.

“The busy talk down t’ the Inn is no two, unrelated bulls can stand each other for more than a day,” she said. “Thought if I found ya both dead, I might just take over Morgan’s cabin.”

“Ha,” I barked.

She gave me the same, sideways glance again, and I looked down at the ground, embarrassment for my unrestrained emotions spreadin’ across my chest.

“We’re gettin’ along,” I mumbled.

“Good day, hen,” Morgan called to her.

We came to a stop four steps from Morgan and the two ogres tottered from one foot and the other. It made me think again about Ruth runnin’ and huggin’ me. The two ogres clearly considered some kind of similar embrace. Maybe would have, if not for the audience. That shot an edge of sadness in my chest for some reason.

“How’s my favorite oaf doin’?” she asked.

“The boy stays sufficiently out of the way,” Morgan said.

“I was talkin’ about ya, but good to know the boy is still alive.”

Did Morgan blush? And why do they have to call me a boy. I’m sixteen for goodness sake.

“Ya’re lookin’ might fine,” he said. “Didn’t expect ya up here. What drew ya to wander up this way?”

“Gadewyn demanded I take a couple days off, before the final, end-of-the-season rush began.”

I closed one eye, tryin’ to remember who Gadewyn is. Not a human name. Nor ogre-ish. I didn’t think there were any dwarfs or other giant folk involved in managin’ the Inn. I decided upon the mate of the Inn’s proprietor, the elf.

I grinned inwardly, thinkin’ about how Mama would go through each of her children’s names when she was tryin’ to call one. So my own weakness with names comes honorably, as the expression goes.

“Demanded?” Morgan said.

“I must have a sneaky way about me I wasn’t aware.” Louisa grinned. “’Cause she thinks I work overly hard.”

Louisa pushed her hand at Selene. He took it, peerin’ up into her face sadly. “Ya’re the wizard, eh?” she said.

“Didn’t expect Taiz’lin would keep his yap closed,” Morgan mumbled.

“What a dragon knows, his rider knows, and what his rider knows—”

“The Hamlet knows,” Morgan finished the local sayin’ for her.

They both grinned. Louisa turned a stern face back to Selene. “I’m surprised Taiz’lin didn’t put ya down when he came up here.”

The man’s eyes opened wide.

“Ya shoulda heard the turmoil among the dragons. The emotion from the dam had them ready to draw blood. Iza woulda, if Lucas hadn’t been near.”

Selene shot a sideways glance at Morgan. “Iza?”

“Iza’loch, the young queen,” Morgan explained.

“For the most part them dragons stay out of our politics.” Louisa’s expression turned a tad sterner. “So the old stories must be true. Aye?” She flicked a look at Morgan.

He nodded. Louisa turned to me.

“How are yar stitches doin’?”

“Itchin’ like I’ve been in the bad clov—”

Selene interrupted me. “Miss Louisa, you shouldn’t be here. If the dragon spoke of the situation, you know Morgan and the boy are in danger, and it makes no sense to place one more—”

“What’s he talkin’ about!” Louisa said to Morgan.

My spine tingled while I waited for Morgan or Selene to answer her. So Taiz’lin hadn’t told the whole story.

“The dragon didn’t speak of my peers?” Selene asked.

“What peers?”

“Those achin’ to ensure there ain’t any more majicin’ in these hills,” I said.

I sensed Morgan’s glare, and I wasn’t about to look at Selene.

“Talk sense, lad.”

“Northern wizards.”

I lurched backward as Louisa snatched Selene by his vest and pulled him toward her, liftin’ him off the ground so they were eye-to-eye. I shot a glance at Morgan, who appeared rather amused. So I took a shallow breath and relaxed, that is, tried to. I turned back to the red-faced wizard.

“Does it look as though I knew my friends are in danger, human?” A familiar growl emanated from the ogre hen’s chest.

Sweet, sweet Louisa. She is after all an ogre.

I continued to swivel from Morgan, to Selene, to Louisa’s face. I tried to swallow but couldn’t. Neither could I appreciate Morgan’s humor. The ire risin’ in the wizard’s face, growin’ ever redder, was clear enough.

“Morgan? Care to call your hen off me?”

“I’m no one’s hen, human, and I’m still waitin’ for an explanation.”

Morgan seemed to attempt a serious demeanor. No. It wasn’t that. He wore more of a puppy look. Adoration? His eyes almost crossed.

“Morgan?” Selene whispered again.

“We bulls know not to get between a hen and that which riles her,” Morgan said softly, much more calmly than I imagined possible.

Morgan’s expression dawned on me like a boulder hurled against the side of my head. The ogre was moved to see Louisa showin’ such a protective nature. He was no doubt smitten with the hen, but had remained unconvinced until that moment the emotion flowed in both directions.

Still holdin’ the man aloft with one fist, Louisa drew him nearer so they were almost nose to snout. “I’m waitin’ for an explanation.”

“Which I will share the instant you set me down.”

She gave him a shake, his legs and arms swayin’.

I couldn’t help myself. I stumbled back a step and guffawed. Selene shot me an I’ll-kill-ya expression. It didn’t steal the humor of the moment, but I managed to more or less control myself.

Louisa drew Selene to her right so she could see Morgan, whose eyes broadened, as though he didn’t wish to get involved. I caught sight of Selene’s boots, danglin’ a foot off the ground, and couldn’t help the smile that returned.

“Auuufh,” Selene grunted, bouncin’ on the ground as Louisa dropped the man, though she still clutched him by the vest. He broke into laughter.

Louisa clearly didn’t appreciate his humor, but she let go of him, anyway.

“Thank you, Miss Louisa,” Selene said after he quieted his laughter.

I studied the man’s eyes, tryin’ to understand what he found so funny. Was it sincere? To hide his own anger? Did it promise a future, bad faith? But Selene realigned his clothin’ as though he often gets mauled by an ogre hen.

“I would normally suggest we step inside for coffee to discuss the situation,” Selene said lookin’ left and right, “but considering, let’s step into the shadows and talk.”

Louisa glanced at Morgan, who nodded. She stepped sideways, and Selene led the way into the forest. We walked fifty feet, until the gloom pooled around us. My back itched with the tic, from Morgan or Selene generatin’ the ward that made us disappear—I assumed. Whoever created the ward had been very subtle, no doubt for Louisa’s sake.

Morgan stepped far to the left, eyes focused in the woods. Selene stepped to the right, studyin’ the forest to our south.

“If ya’re in danger,” Louisa said, “why aren’t ya carryin’ that fancy bow Ike crafted for ya?”

Morgan’s temples twitched, and his brows lowered.

“Ya tellin’ me it didn’t occur to ya?”

“Not the most effective weapon against a trio of wizards anyway,” Selene said.

“Oh.” Louisa grumbled. “Bulls. Don’t sound as though I’m gonna like this story.”

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