“You already know why you can’t do that.” Iannis folded his arms across his broad chest, tucking his long-fingered hands into his voluminous sleeves. He looked every inch the mage, dressed in a set of flowing blue and gold robes, his dark cherry wood hair pulled back from his handsome face into a low tail. I, on the other hand, looked more like a scrapper underneath the magical armor I wore, dressed in a pair of leather pants, lace-up boots, and a short-sleeved striped shirt, my mass of curly black hair flying all about as I moved. The Chief Mage had tried to get me into a set of robes once, but he’d failed miserably, so instead he kept giving me disapproving looks whenever I showed up for my training sessions – a vain attempt to shame me into wearing apprentice robes.
Just because I was half-mage didn’t mean that I was going to start dressing like one, even if I was Iannis’s apprentice. One could argue that since he was the Chief Mage and the governor of Canalo I had to make him look good in exchange for the honor of being his apprentice. But I didn’t ask for any of this, and if I’d had my way I would still be out on the streets hunting down bounties and masquerading as a full-blooded shifter with no one the wiser. Not to mention those ugly dun-colored apprentice robes were so not my style. No way was I putting them on.
Getting out of spellcasting would be harder though, and I knew it. There were two ways to use the magical energy inside of me – one was by directing it with my thoughts, and the other was to use Loranian, the ancient language of magic used in spellcasting. I preferred the first method as it was faster and more intuitive, but I could last much longer in a duel using incantations than just blasting out energy with my mind. Like it or not, I had to learn how to do this if I was going to master my magic.
“Again,” Iannis commanded, then immediately blasted me with another ball of ice magic.
This time I stood my ground, ignoring my shifter instincts, which were screaming at me to get the fuck out of there. As a species, jaguar shifters are fierce warriors, but we don’t do magical duels. But as I was continuously reminded, I was also half mage, and I needed to start acting like one.
Mimicking the Chief Mage, I held up my hand and spoke the Loranian incantation he’d taught me, focusing my attention on the icy ball of energy hurtling toward me. The crystalline ball evaporated into a puff of steam, but I didn’t have time to celebrate – as soon as it was gone Iannis hurtled another one at me.
“You know,” I shouted at him after I’d dissipated the second missile, “if you lightened my workload at the Mages Guild I would have more time to practice my Loranian!” Feeling spiteful, I hurled another fireball in his direction.
“A likely story.” Iannis gave me a skeptical look as he snatched the fireball right out of the air, breaking his rule of using only elemental-type spells – we’d agreed to that for the duration of the duel since Iannis knew far more spells than me, in an attempt to keep things fair. The fiery ball floated just above his palm before he spoke a Word that snuffed it out.
Show off.
“You and I both know that if I went looking for you, I would find you at the Enforcer’s Guild begging Captain Galling for a docket.”
“I don’t beg,” I snapped, affronted at the insinuation. “And so what if I do go to the Enforcer’s Guild? I need to use my Enforcer’s license too. How am I supposed to afford my rent like this?”
The Chief Mage blasted me with another ball of icy energy. Incensed, I thrust my hand out and shot out another fireball. The two blasts collided in mid-air, then exploded, shaking the walls. Ice crystals rained down everywhere, clattering against the floorboards, and I stuck my tongue out at the Chief Mage as he scowled at me.
“It is no concern of mine if you can’t afford that apartment,” he said sternly. “You have a perfectly good room at the Palace available that you refuse to use, and access to the kitchens for food. You are more than welcome to move back in, but I am not reducing your hours at the Mages Guild. Every apprentice is required to put in time in order to earn their training.”
“I’m not moving back in.” This wasn’t the first time Iannis had broached the subject, but I was determined not to budge. As much as I refused to admit it out loud, I was attracted to the Chief Mage, and the more time I spent with him the more these feelings seemed to grow. Since romantic and carnal relationships between masters and apprentices were taboo, I knew nothing could come of it. Besides, I hated the sense of isolation that came from living in the Palace, cut off from the rest of the city. Living outside on my own was the best thing for both of us, even if he didn’t see it that way. “Just because I’m your apprentice doesn’t mean I have to be dependent on you.”
Iannis opened his mouth to answer, but he paused at a knock on the door.
“Who is it?” he called. I pressed my lips together, already knowing the answer. I’d recognize that delicate knock and flowery jasmine scent anywhere – I’d heard and smelled them enough times over the last month to make me sick.