Page 25 of The Mage on the Hill
Elias sniffed and swiped at his eyes. “Pillows are in the closet by the door. Yell if you need anything, but I’d better let you both get some rest. Maybe tomorrow he can tell me why he came here.” He held up a hand when Toby made a sound of protest. “Specifically why. Maybe he wanted to see me, but Darius does things for reasons. Did he tell you?”
“Not much except we’re visiting magical confluence sites?”
“I can see that as part of it. We’re pretty much on top of one.” Elias arm-walked toward the hallway that probably led to his bedroom, his voice growing more muffled as he went. “Bathroom’s the first door on the right here. Good night.”
Toby took the time to clean up the beer bottles, bring the cooler in, and make certain any perishables went in the fridge while he thought about Elias. He wondered if there had been more than just a student/teacher relationship. Was there resentment underneath the sorrow—a feeling of abandonment? Hard to say. Was Darius out of his mind to trust people he hadn’t seen for fifteen years? Had it really been the hospice brochures that led the guild to Duncannon?
Horrible thought, Toby. You’re a horrible person.
Finally out of puttering things to do, he took off his sneakers and borrowed cardigan and climbed under the blankets with Darius, glad for his furnace heat since the cabin had gotten chilly. The futon was about queen-size, plenty of room, and still Toby found himself crowded near the edge after a few minutes as Darius rooted toward him.
He finally gave up and let the big guy snuggle, since Toby was sure he wasn’t awake and aware. Some part of his tired brain wondered if a consent issue lurked in there somewhere, but he stopped caring when Darius wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close, Toby’s back to his chest. Maybe it was wrong to accept affection that wasn’t given consciously. Maybe he didn’t deserve to feel this safe and secure. As his eyes drifted shut and he laced his fingers with the ones resting against his chest, he realized he didn’t really care.
Chapter Eight
THE NEXTmorning was crisp with the rising sun promising a jacketless afternoon. Whatever demons Elias had been wrestling with appeared to have abandoned him in the night, and he’d risen just after sunrise to make a huge batch of pancakes. Toby had assumed he’d put on one of his pairs of prosthetics to work in the kitchen, but that’s what he got for assuming. For working in the kitchen, Elias had a counter-high rolling stool on which he sat and zipped from counter to stove, from cabinet to cabinet. Locking wheels and a ladder back helped him reach the seat without his prosthetics.
Offers to help got Toby shooed out of the kitchen, though he was permitted to set the table, carefully, with instructions as running commentary. Darius managed to time stumbling out of the bathroom, showered and mostly dressed, perfectly to breakfast being set on the table, and Toby was proud of himself for suppressing every smartass remark begging to leap out.
Elias waited until Darius had managed to force down a second pancake before he pounced. “So, teach. What’s the real reason you’re here? Magical confluence, great. Makes sense. But why here?”
It took so long for Darius to answer, Toby was sure he wouldn’t. He sat there wondering if the tension stacking up would grow higher than the pancakes, and whether one could pour syrup on tension, until Darius murmured, “Good to see you too.”
“Don’t be like that, Valstad.” Elias sighed. “It is good to see you. Alive. Mostly all right. Doing shit the guild told you not to do again. I’m glad you let me know you’re still around. But I know you. Don’t forget that. You have ulterior motives for picking out a pair of socks.”
Darius stared pointedly at his bare feet.
“Don’t get smart. You know what I mean.”
The same feeling of dread crawled over Toby as when his parents fought, and he caught himself trying to be as small and quiet as he could.
“For Toby,” Darius finally admitted. “Not losing another.”
Elias softened his tone considerably. “I hear you. It must’ve been awful. Honest to gods, I didn’t think you’d take another student. But still, whyhere? Can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”
“You’re unique.” Darius gulped at his coffee, finally looking up from the tabletop when he set the mug down. “There’s a chance. Maybe.” The gesture and shrug included Toby.
“You think Toby might be like me and that’s why he hasn’t channeled.”
“Possibly.” A growl crept into Darius’s voice. “How many lost? Like you?”
Elias turned half away to stare out the window. “No way to know. Slaughter of the innocents. I’m happy to help, but I don’t see how I can.”
“Walk with Toby. Show him.”
“Is he bleeding?”
“He’s right here.” Toby waved at both of them. “And we don’t use theBword.”
Darius snort-snickered. “Leaking. Yes. It’s escalating.”
“And you think watching what I do might help.” Elias finished his coffee and arm-walked over to the wall where his prosthetics stood in a neat line. He chose a pair with sneakers already laced on the feet.
“If he’s like you.” Darius pulled clean socks from his bag. “Yes.”
Elias used a strap on the wall to pull himself up, considered his collection of things by the wall, and selected a walking stick. “Fair. Toby, you don’t look like an outdoor person to me.”
“What gave it away?”
