Page 25 of Xarius (Shunned Mages #1)

Niam

We left the campsite at the break of dawn.

The storm was still roaring, making the roads leading out of the campsite muddy, but we needed to get out of there.

There were fifteen cars when we woke up, and even if it seemed paranoid of us, we simply didn’t feel safe with so many people around our van.

We were in search of a restaurant, or any place really, that offered breakfast.

“According to the map, there aren’t any restaurants in the area,” I said, pouting. I really wanted waffles, or pancakes, I wasn’t picky, either would do. But with the rain coming down in waves and empty roads ahead, it seemed like it wasn’t in my near future. Sadly.

“Maybe we should camp in the forest and wait for the rain to stop?” Xari suggested.

I sighed and slumped back in my seat. “Yeah, it seems like the best option right now. It just sucks. Silver is out there, and maybe in danger because of what we’ve started.

” I hated thinking about him being ambushed without having done anything wrong.

I couldn’t help comparing myself to him.

Had he been lonely before being shunned, too?

Had his start here been awful? Was he happy now?

“Check the weather app.” I did as he asked and saw the storm should clear in four hours’ time.

I told him and placed the phone back between us.

“Then let’s park for three hours before hitting the road again.

” I nodded and we drove until an opening came to our right, just a small space for parking, but it was better than nothing.

I would use the time wisely, by reading.

“That was amazing,” I sighed, slumping back in the seat. We’d stayed in the van during the storm, just reading and snuggling up together, and as soon as the three hours were up, we’d driven an hour to the nearest town.

“I completely agree,” Xari said, starting the van. We’d just eaten a late lunch at a pizza place, stuffing our faces with the amazing cheese coated dough. Now, we were determined to close the last miles between us and Silver.

We drove in silence, both of us tired of being on the road and trying to stay awake even if we both desperately wanted an after food nap. I knew I could doze off, but it still didn’t feel right leaving Xari alone.

“Can I see the locket?” he asked. I took it out and showed him the glow. “I think we’re only hours away now.” He sounded so elated, so relieved. I was, too, feeling the need to protect another shunned mage.

“There’s a lake coming up in an hours’ time,” he said, pointing to the GPS screen. “Want us to camp there for the night? ”

“Yeah, I think Snowflake would love to catch some fish.” I longed to have a sweet moment with our familiars. Little did I know, it would turn bloody.

We left the van and called our familiars out, this time allowing them to be seen. I’d forgotten just how big Leon was.

“Lake’s this way!” Xari called, walking ahead while I walked next to Snowflake, pleased to see him again.

The lake was beautiful. Surrounded by trees, it looked like a fairy tale, with ripples in the water from the wind and birds swimming around in it.

Snowflake was gone in a flash, chasing said birds and ruining the calm vibe the place held before.

Xari stripped off his clothes and suddenly I felt the peace and beauty of the place again. I stripped, too, and together we jumped into the water, giggling like we were doing something naughty .

We stayed in the water for over an hour practicing our magic. I made waves and Xari created some boards out of wood so we could surf, helping me with the waves by adding his wind magic. I’d never laughed so hard in my life. I’d also never surfed on a lake before, or ever actually.

It wasn’t until we heard a feral hiss from Snowflake that we knew something bad was happening.

The water around us started to rise, moving over us like it intended on drowning us.

I quickly got control of it and had it push us to the shore.

Six mages stood before us, battling our familiars and throwing magic our way.

I grabbed Xari’s hand, shouting, “fire wind!” He seemed to understand what I meant, and together we created a circle of fire that with his wind flew around the mages, forcing them together and away from our familiars.

I used my pain on them, but I’d missed one, someone who’d stayed behind on purpose. That mistake cost me. Suddenly, something heavy hit me in the head out of nowhere, and everything went black.