Page 63 of Apple Boy

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

BECOMING

I was stunned to see this man—this mage appear before us from a cloud of mist.

“Ho there, Magelings”, he said in a pleasant tone, his accent was of the Gentries and his voice resonant and masterful; matching his noble countenance.

Adam straightened and clutched for a fistful of my cloak to pull me on. The mage held up his hands in surrender.

“Worry not; you have nothing to fear from me.” He possessed the bearing of a man who knew his art inside out. He was talented, confident, and fearless just like the mages in the stories of old. I could feel his power prickle at my skin, and I wished I was able to control the magic as he did. Who was this man? Who spoke to us with such familiarity? Was he sent by the Great Council or the scarier prospect, was he an agent sent by the Twin Kings? My gut feeling told me the mage meant us no harm, but Adam did not agree.

“We need to leave. Let us pass”, he snarled, his Pasturelands accent rough and demanding. It was clear from my partner’s tone that he was terrified of the man, and not as enamored to meet a real mage as I was. Hearing Adam’s voice tremble with fear pulled me from my wayward thoughts about this mages identity. Adam was afraid for us, and I guessed I should be too. I reminded myself that my uncle awaited us at the depository and if we did not arrive, he would pull the city apart to find me.

“I don’t think you understand what you are yet, do you, boy?” The mage directed those words at Adam. Adam unhanded my cloak and placed his hands defiantly on his hips, his brows knitted in confusion.

“Understand what?” He spat and glared at the man. I looked between Adam and the mage. Their staring contest was unnerving me.

“What the blazes is going on here?” I interjected.

The mage pulled his eyes off Adam and began to walk in a slow circle around us. The action reminded me of a prowling cat, and with a shudder, I wondered if we were prey and he was here to steal my precious Star-fall.

In the low light of the alley I had not yet seen his face, and as he passed by me his power caressed me like icy fingers, and his features seemed to blur. In another cat-like gesture, he moved in and rubbed himself on Adam as he passed him and then let out a mewl of what sounded like frustration. Adam stood his ground a look of determination on his face.

The man stopped in front of me, and I saw he was a head taller than I was. I looked up, and his features came into focus. I gazed upon the handsome, chiseled features of a nobleman not a span of years older than Adam or I, and yet the way he spoke led me to believe he had countless summers on us. The stranger wore dark wavy hair to his shoulders, and his radiant eyes were green shot with fine shafts of blue. They reminded me of a stormy sea, and held an inner illumination, a fire that gripped me with fascination. His thin mouth hitched to a playful grin.

“Ahh, Winter Aeling”, The mage purred my name as if it invoked the taste of the finest wine on his lips. “You wasted no time in claiming your tether. It is vexing, but in the circumstances, wise, I suppose, for all would seek his favor.”

I had no idea what he was going on about!

“How do you know my name? And what do you mean, my tether?” I demanded in my haughtiest tone. The mage witheringly shook his head and placed his hands on his narrow hips. He took a few steps closer.

“Still so ignorant!” He sighed. “I can’t say I’m surprised. This is exactly why I must talk, and you both must listen before you get yourselves imprisoned or worse, killed.” He scolded.

“Is that right?” I said sarcastically. I matched his stance, my hands on my hips as I stood my ground. I did not appreciate being called ignorant.

“There is such sorcery in your blood, Winter Aeling, I can smell it, and your tether—” The mage said, gesturing toward Adam, “He is a beauty, is he not? Do you see how he radiates and shimmers with all of that magic he absorbed from the tower?”

“What?” I turned in confusion to look Adam over. I squinted, yet I saw just the handsome, kind farm boy who, in the blink of an eye stole my heart. I did not see him radiate or shimmer in the way the mage described. It was preposterous! I was sure then that this man was pulling my leg, and I was foolish for believing him, even for a moment.

“Speak your piece and let us pass. We have somewhere we need to be”, I sneered. I did not know what game this mage was playing, but I would not be made a fool of any longer. The man gave us both a measured steely glare and then said, “I have waited so long for new blood in this city. But, I did not expect a pup so reckless.” He admonished. “You, Winter Aeling have been running around Serein like a boy who has just discovered his cock and wants to show everyone what it does!”

The outrageous accusation left me speechless. How dare he! Who the hell did this mage think he was to speak to me like that?

“You have a Star-fall,” He said.

“It’s my inheritance, you cannot have it.” I bristled, a dart of terror cramping my gut.

“Fear not. I could not take it from you even if I wanted it. But you need to understand, boy. You cannot use either Star-fall or tether magic in this of all cities and think that no one else will notice. That stunt you both pulled at the Half-Mast last eve stilled the whole damn city. I noticed, and therefore, others noticed.” He warned.

I felt Adam stiffen beside me. “Oh”. This mage knew what we had done, and fear crawled over my skin like a thousand tiny spiders.

“Use of magic may be outlawed in the Empire, but there are those who still practice in secret, and any use of magic puts lives at risk.”

I winced. Admittedly, we had not thought of that.

“The power burns in you and your mate in a way I have not seen in my lifetime.” He reached out a hand as if he wanted to caress my face, but snatched it away before we touched.

“Gods! You made a ghost-light of Star-fall atop the tower and broke the spell!” The mage muttered, sounding impressed. He shook his head and let out a near hysterical laugh then just stared at me. Moments of silence passed, and I could feel Adam’s anxiety pushing at me to make a run for it. However, I still did not have answers to my questions. We sorely needed to be educated on what was happening to us, and it seemed that this mage was in the know.