The mage from nowhere, p.38
The Mage From Nowhere, page 38
“You say that, but why should I believe it?”
“My father was killed by his brother! It was up to the rest of my family to stop the dark mage from getting away with it! What we went through…” Arthur shook his head as he seemed to be holding back tears. “You cannot claim I stood idly by. Not if you expect us to remain civil.”
Reuben let his shoulders relax. “That is really true?”
“Yes.”
“I thought your uncle was the one who spoke with Basael,” Reuben said.
“That is my other uncle.” Arthur paused. “My remaining uncle.”
“I apologize, then.” Reuben offered his hand.
Arthur shook it.
Tarak put his arms around both of their shoulders. “Gentlemen, I believe we have made progress. Now how about an ale?”
“Yes, I might have another,” Reuben said.
“I will as well,” Arthur replied.
“And who will buy one for their good friend Tarak?” Tarak asked.
“I see no reason why Tarak shouldn’t buy his own ale,” Arthur replied.
“Because he has no coin,” Tarak admitted.
Reuben asked, “You still have not been paid by my father?”
Tarak took his arms back from around their shoulders. “Eh, um. Yes, I have been paid, but I spent it all.”
“I hope you paid back my father before that,” Reuben said. “He’s spoken about you quite unfavorably.”
“I plan to pay him back…someday.”
“Tarak, he will hate you the longer this goes on. Trust me in that you do not want my father to hate you.”
“It is a little late to change that.”
Reuben stared at him in an imploring way.
Tarak put up his palms. “Fine, I will pay him back as soon as I have the coin. But for now, while we are here, I could really use an ale or three.”
Arthur said, “I will buy you one.”
“That will do for now.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Callie was still surprised she had convinced her father to let her out. This was the first time she’d stepped into a tavern without her father or guards with her, and it was certainly the first time she’d had drinks anywhere but within the safety of the dining hall in the castle.
It was easy for her to control herself. At least it had been in the past. Now she found it more difficult. She had nearly finished her second ale and was really enjoying the company of Eden and Aliana, until Eden started complaining about Tienna.
“She’s ugly, isn’t she?”
“Eden,” Callie reproached as gently as she could. She was the princess, but it felt uncomfortable to scold anyone, especially Eden, who was three years older. Callie was used to being the youngest of the bunch, but the way everyone had welcomed her friendship in the last couple of years had made it easy to forget.
“But she is,” Eden continued. She kept glancing over at Michael and Tienna, who spoke with grins on their faces, and Eden seemed more and more bothered by it the longer it went on. She had calmed down for a while when Charlie had joined them, but now she seemed perturbed again.
“If we really are going to speak about this,” Aliana said, “then we might as well address that Michael is not the most handsome boy.”
Eden clicked her tongue. “He has a very attractive body.”
“So does Tienna,” Aliana said. “So maybe they are a good match.”
“Her body is more attractive than mine?” Eden asked. The question did not sound rhetorical, but Callie couldn’t be sure. She was glad Aliana seemed to be handling this, though Aliana then looked at Callie as if for help.
“I’m serious,” Eden said. “I want to know. She is not what anyone would call thin.”
Aliana, visibly annoyed now, said, “She is chesty and you are assy, and I mean that in multiple ways. You’ve got an ass, and you can be an ass.”
Callie held in a giggle.
Eden huffed in annoyance. “Michael has always appreciated my body. I did not think he was interested in tits so much as to ignore everything else about someone.”
Maybe you should have appreciated him like he appreciated you, Callie thought but dared not say, though she could almost feel Aliana thinking the same thing as they shared a glance. Eden had been kind to Callie. Even if the two of them were not as close as Callie was with Aliana, Callie still considered Eden a good friend.
Callie was also not as brave as Aliana. Or was it confrontational? No, it was brave.
“I would not say she is ugly,” Callie uttered softly as she found some courage. “I think it’s unfair for you to call Tienna or anyone else ugly when you are naturally pretty. It would be like Tarak calling the rest of us weak.”
Eden frowned. “I’m being mean, aren’t I?”
Aliana nodded.
Eden sighed slowly. “That Arthur is handsome and flirtatious. I don’t even know how it happened. We were talking and getting closer, and the next thing we were kissing. Of course Michael saw us right after it began.”
Callie didn’t know what to say, and it didn’t appear that Aliana did either. This was Eden’s fault, but she knew that already.
Aliana put her hand on Eden’s arm. “I’m sorry.”
Eden nodded. “I miss him, even if you think he’s ugly.”
Aliana took off her hand. “I did not say that!”
Eden showed a half smile. “I know. I’m kidding.”
Tarak approached their table. “Good evening, beauties,” he said with a bow. “A fine evening it is. Can I interest the three of you in a wager?”
“You can,” Callie replied, glad for the change of mood.
“I bet you all three ales that I can put out a single candle on one of the candelabra without disrupting any of the other candles, and I will do so sitting right next to you, Callie.”
He sat down next to her. “What say you?” he asked them.
“You will buy us each an ale if you lose?” Aliana asked.
“Yes, and you will each buy me one if I succeed.”
“I know this must be a trick,” Eden said, “but I am curious. I will take the wager.”
“Yeah, let’s see it,” Aliana agreed.
“Princess?” he asked.
“I agree.”
Tarak lifted his hand and flicked his wrist. A candle went out near the ceiling. Then he flicked his wrist the other way, and the candlelight returned.
“What the hell!” Eden’s mouth widened but her voice was restrained. “Do that again.”
Tarak performed the trick once more, and Callie soon realized what he was doing.
“Hey, you’re not putting out the candle. You’re making an illusion, altering the light in some way. The candle remains lit the whole time.”
Tarak tilted his head slightly. “Did I say I would put out the candle?”
“You did!” Aliana and Eden agreed.
“Arse,” he grumbled to no one. “I may have misspoken. Will the three of you still buy a poor man an ale?”
“Resorting to groveling, I see,” Aliana said.
“Is it working?”
“Surprisingly, yes.” Aliana took her coin purse out of her pocket.
“Hold on,” Eden said. “I will give you a whole silver, Tarak, if you answer a question for me.”
“What is the question?”
“How far have you gone with Illia?”
“Yes, I will answer that. I met her after a short ride into Curdith Forest. That is the farthest we have gone.” He held out his hand for the silver.
Eden seemed confused. Callie put her hand on Tarak’s arm. “Forgive him,” she said. “He thinks you are asking literally.”
“Oh.” Eden laughed.
Tarak retracted his hand. “The question did seem particularly easy. Am I to assume you are asking about our sexual endeavors?”
“Precisely,” Eden said.
“In that case, you can keep the silver for now. Instead, I have a proposal. A challenge, if you will. Six ales. Eden, you may have the honor of lending me your fine silver of which I will purchase said ales, and you may earn that silver back when I am paid next week.”
“Why would I take that offer?”
“Because you could have a free ale for you and your friends if you win, paid by me, and the challenge is extraordinarily one-sided.” Tarak put out his hand again. “Trust me. It will be fun.”
“All right,” she muttered and handed over the silver. “This better be as one-sided as you claim.”
“It is.” He gestured with the coin, giving it one firm shake in Eden’s direction. “Very good. I am to return shortly with six ales.” He hurried off.
Callie told the other two girls, “I’m confused.”
“So are we,” Aliana said.
“Not about this challenge,” Callie specified. “About Tarak. I have never met someone as flirtatious as him, and now…nothing. Was it all pretend?”
“What do you mean pretend?” Aliana asked.
“He convinced me that he was attracted to me. Was it an act in order to win me over? Otherwise, I do not understand his sudden shift.” She noticed their sly looks at each other, so she put up her hands and continued. “I am not interested. I am only curious. No one has been flirtatious with me like that before. I would like to understand it.”
Aliana muttered almost too quietly to hear, “If you saw the way he’s looked at you as you walked by, you wouldn’t even need to ask.”
Eden chuckled and nodded.
Callie observed Tarak speaking with a serving girl. He seemed to say something to make her laugh.
“Look at me how?” Callie asked. “And does he still look?”
“You’re asking a lot of questions for someone who is not interested,” Eden commented.
“I am not. Help me understand, please.”
“I don’t know if he still looks,” Aliana answered. “If he does, I haven’t noticed it. Regarding the way he looks at you, imagine you are carrying six ales as you pass by him.”
Callie took that to mean that his attraction probably was genuine. He did tell me he was no longer going to pursue me after almost being thrown out of the castle.
“I am still surprised he could stop suddenly if he was really as attracted to me as he made it seem,” she said. “But it sounds like the two of you are saying that’s possible.”
Eden said, “You are so clearly interested!”
“I am not. I am only curious, and engaged!”
Aliana muttered, “To someone so much older.”
Callie found herself suppressing anger but was distracted as she watched Eden separate the empty mugs on their table and count them.
“What are you doing?” Callie asked.
“Seeing how much you’ve had so I can decide if my question is going to get me kicked out of the castle.”
“I have had two,” Callie answered.
“Is that a lot for you? We don’t usually have these golden opportunities, princess,” Eden said.
Now that she mentioned it, Callie did notice that she was feeling a bit freer of speech. She certainly wouldn’t have mentioned anything about Tarak otherwise.
“It might be,” she said. They were large mugs. “Ask your question.”
“Have you been with a boy?” Eden asked.
“Trevor has kissed me.”
“Any others?” Eden asked.
“No. Why?”
Eden continued, “And how was the kiss?”
“There have been multiple occasions.” She glanced at Aliana, but the ranger leaned back a bit and looked away with a hand up.
Eden asked again, “And how are the kisses?”
“Fine,” Callie said.
The two other girls looked at each other.
“What?” Callie asked. She stared at her closer friend.
Aliana appeared worried as she shared one more glance with Eden before letting out her breath and speaking to Callie softly. “Fine doesn’t imply a lot of passion.”
“The passion will come later,” Callie answered confidently.
The other girls busied themselves with their ales. Callie waited, and eventually Eden muttered something.
“It’s none of my business, it seems.”
“I am making it your business,” Callie assured. “Speak your mind.”
But neither of them would look at her again.
“Please,” she said. “I have no one to talk to about these things. I know my duties, my obligations. I know what to expect. I have been taught all of that. What I don’t know is what these engagements usually feel like for someone in my position. I have been trying to figure that out. Maybe with some advice, I might. Please, Ali. Speak your mind.”
“I can only speak from experience and tell you that if there is no passion right now, it will not get better. Only worse.”
“She’s right,” Eden said. “Is any of this going to get back to your father?”
“No, I promise.”
“Then I think you should at least delay the engagement and have some fun, or you’re always going to be wondering.”
Callie looked to Aliana, who stared at Eden with wide eyes. Eden rolled hers in response. “Oh Ali, don’t pretend we haven’t spoken about this already. I know you agree with me.”
Aliana gasped. She looked at Callie. “I’m sorry.”
“You two have been talking about this?” Callie questioned. It was hard to believe.
Aliana nodded hesitantly.
“Why haven’t you said anything to me?” Callie asked.
“I thought you knew,” Aliana responded. “I figured you chose to sacrifice your happiness for the sake of uniting your families. Now I see you are not completely aware, and I’m glad Eden has brought this up. You should know that you are going to be miserable—I really thought you knew?”
Callie thought for a moment they might be right, but then she remembered that their lives were completely different from hers. She held in her anger, though she did make a fist under the table.
“I am not like the two of you! It is not like I have a line of boys all eager to ‘have fun with.’ No one has shown interest in me, besides Tarak, which is probably why I have been so confused by him. Trevor is the only one who has shown some reciprocation. I know it’s because of my family, but I’m confident I can change that over time.”
“Callie, you sweet girl.” Aliana put her hand on top of Callie’s. “No one has shown much interest in you because they all have more sense than to flirt with a princess. Tarak seems to live without sense.”
“He’s also a lot younger than the rest of us,” Eden added, “like you are, Callie. Things might have been different if you looked like you do now two years ago. You are sixteen, right?”
“I am.”
“You are still young,” Eden said. “It’s easy to forget that Tarak is only one year older than you because of how gigantic he is, but then he opens his mouth and I am reminded.” She changed her tone to almost sing the next line. “Have some fun, princess. God below, we know you deserve it.”
“You know,” Aliana said, “Tarak might not be such a bad pick if fun is what you’re looking for. It’s not like he could tell anyone, or he would be tossed out of the castle.”
“Didn’t you strongly dislike Tarak until recently?” Callie asked. “You even told me to report his advances to my father.”
Aliana shrugged. “That was a while ago. I changed my mind, or he changed. It doesn’t matter which. I have had the same opinion about your engagement to Trevor, though, and that’s that you are going to have no passion in your life and very little excitement.”
“You can’t be sure of that.”
“I have been with enough boys to know when one looks at me as no more than a tool to be used. That is how Trevor looks at you.”
Callie couldn’t decide between anger or sadness, though the tears forming in her eyes seemed to indicate the latter.
“I’m so sorry,” Aliana said. “I really thought you knew.”
Eden nodded. “I did, too.”
Callie forced herself to toughen up as she noticed Tarak approaching with six ales on a tray.
Aliana said, “Don’t worry about Illia, by the way. I hear she will be leaving soon.”
Callie shushed her as Tarak arrived.
“Very well, my dames. All very well.” He set the tray down and took off the ales. He put one in front of Aliana, Eden, and then Callie. “One for you, and for you, and for you, princess.” He paused as he looked at her eyes. He took on a mean expression as he glanced at Eden and Aliana. “Which one of you crass witches hurt her?”
“No one,” Callie said as she felt her cheeks turn red. “You still have not explained this challenge.”
“Very well,” he repeated. He took off the other three mugs of ale with one large hand through their handles and sat with them on the edge of the bench next to Callie, except there was not enough room. “Make space. Make space.” He scooted her down with his hips, though she moved on her own the last little bit.
She smiled and realized she was already in a better mood.
“Simple challenge,” Tarak explained. “We drink at the same time. It is a race. The three of you need to finish your one ale before I finish my three. Then I will pay you, Eden, for all six of them when I have the coin. If I finish my three first, the rest of you can decide how to pay Eden back, if she would like. Is everyone ready?”
Callie gasped and gripped her mug. She had never tried to drink anything as fast as possible. She couldn’t imagine she would be very good at it.
“Begin!” Tarak said and gulped the ale like it was water and he was dying of thirst.
“Holy—”
“Callie!” Ali yelled.
“Sorry!” She started chugging her ale but had to stop after a few gulps as the pain overwhelmed her. “This is horrible!”
“Drink!” Ali yelled again, beer dribbling down her chin as she put the mug to her lips and leaned back.
Tarak was already working on his second mug.
Callie gulped down, the pain nearly unbearable. She didn’t understand how everyone was so fast. Even Eden, who was of the same stature, seemed to have no trouble at all as she gulped without hesitation.
