Page 11 of Xarius (Shunned Mages #1)

Niam

This had to stop.

Jerry was fussing every time I touched my heart.

This annoying feeling of being pulled, like an invisible string was tugging at me.

Had the locket done something to bind us together?

Had he known? I didn’t even get his name!

It had been two days and I knew he was long gone.

Hell, I’d stormed out of his van and stayed inside with a worried, but relieved Jerry, until I was certain he had left.

And now? Now I was fucking furious. He’d talked to me like I was a horrible person, just because I wanted to enjoy life for once.

It wasn’t my fault he’d spent his time waiting for this legendary fairytale story to come true.

Had I believed him? Yes. But that didn’t change the fact that I finally had friends who cared about me.

I wasn’t ready to give that up. Not even for a man who was my supposed soulmatch.

No matter how gorgeous he was. If only this incessant tugging would stop!

“I really think you should see a doctor,” Jerry said, looking at where my hand was rubbing against my chest. He’d said the same thing yesterday.

I’d already assured him I’d been looked over and everything was fine.

I just needed rest and then my body would heal itself.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, giving him a smile.

I liked that he worried. It felt nice having people care.

This right here was why I couldn’t just leave.

I might be selfish in the handsome stranger’s eyes, but for once I wanted to be selfish.

I wanted to enjoy being alive. For once, I chose me .

“Fine, I won’t bring it up again, but I don’t want you working the next few days, alright?

Ma’s sick so I need to drop by with some medicine for her.

I’m closing while I’m gone with a sign that I’ll be back in two hours.

You rest in your van.” It was the first real order he’d given me, and the first time he truly felt like my boss.

“Betty’s sick?” I asked, concerned. “Is it bad?” We had healers that dealt with sick people back home, so I had no idea how to react.

“Just a cold, but she needs to stay in bed and is out of medicine.” I nodded. Betty’s husband had died last year. I hadn’t asked how he’d died. That seemed like something they should tell me themselves when or if they wanted to. But that also meant that Betty was left alone while she was sick.

“Anything I can do?” I offered, walking outside the station with him as he locked up.

“Just rest. My wife is making some soup and we’ll both stay the night there.”

That helped calm me further, knowing Betty wouldn’t be alone.

“I’ll do that,” I assured him, then waved as he drove off.

I went to my van and began reading the only book he hadn’t taken.

I should’ve realized the easing in my chest meant he was getting closer, but I’d been too into my book to notice.

When the knocks began, I thought it was Jerry who had returned, but no, those blue eyes mixed with that sinful smile wasn’t Jerry .

I sighed. “What do you want?” I felt both pleased that he hadn’t left, but also pissed.

“I’m here to make a deal with you,” he replied, his eyes gleaming in the sunlight.

“A deal?”

“Yes. You want to live your life in this van, working here, and I respect that. So, I only ask for one year of your time. One year and then you can return.”

Was he for real? “You want me to go with you for a year, and then what?”

“Then you can do as you please, but hopefully by then we’ve managed to help at least some mages get their magic.” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“You think I’m just a selfish prick, right?”

He shrugged. “Had I pictured finding my soulmatch and we would be on common ground? Yes. Had I pictured you would share the same need to help others as me, yes. But I also realize that I can’t change who you are, and since it has to be you, then I’ll need to compromise. ”

“Why is it so important to you to get your magic? Aren’t you angry at it? Aren’t you feeling so done with it, and our world, that you want it as far away from you as possible?!” I was getting fired up, finally letting my suppressed feelings out.

“No,” he replied calmly. “My magic has never been the issue. The issue is that the council of mages saw us as a threat and decided to dump us down here, hoping we wouldn’t find each other so they could continue to rule.”

“What?”

He gave me a weird look. “Once we get our magic, we will be the most powerful mages alive, you and I.”

“ How? ” I breathed. It was too much to hope for. I would be powerful. I wouldn’t be the weird and weak one anymore.

“According to the legends, those born without magic get to be in the council of mages, having animals to help them out, too. But it’s been so long that it is seen as just a legend.

But my mother assured me that was the reason we got shunned.

The council of mages don’t want to give up their positions. ”

That changed everything. I hadn’t cared about payback, but knowing I would be stronger than them? I needed to see my father’s face as I stood as leader of our people. I could almost feel the revenge and it tasted so sweet on my tongue.

“Okay,” I said, ready to get started. “So how do we do this soulmatch thing?” I asked, getting outside and feeling ready for battle.

“What?” he asked, almost breathless.

“You know, how do we get our magic?”

“Oh, we have to do a ritual,” he replied, frowning.

I sighed. “You have no idea how to do the ritual, do you?”

He gave me a sheepish smile.

Fantastic.