Page 30 of The Mage on the Hill
“It shouldn’t have been like this,” Elias whispered, leaning in to wrap his arms around Darius. “Damn them. All of them for treating you like this.”
“How many dead, El?” Darius’s breath hitched. “While I… was away. How many?”
Elias stroked his back in slow circles. “Like I’d tell you if I knew. You’d take each and every death on yourself. Wasn’t your fault, Dar. They’re responsible for every euthanasia they’ve committed, not you. You tried to show them another way.”
It is my fault. All that time hidden away in my private fortress. I should have done something.“Scared for you. If they come.”
“I’m not a danger to them or anyone else. They know that. They kicked me out for being an aberration, but they never threatened me.” Elias sat back, hands on Darius’s shoulders. “I can take care of myself, old man, and I have friends up here. Park rangers. Trail guides.”
“Still have to go.”
“I get it. I think you’d be safe here for a few more days, but I’m not going to argue with you about it. When are you going?”
“Morning.”
Elias chuckled. “Itismorning. Go back to sleep, old man. I’ll get you up when the sun shows his shiny face.”
BREAKFAST LATERthat morning was more subdued, though Darius was pleased the news of moving on again didn’t affect Toby’s appetite. He tried to encourage, making sure the plates of bacon and extra toast were closer to Toby’s side of the table. Subtlety, apparently, wasn’t in his skillset as Toby side-eyed Darius and made certainhisplate was full too.
“You’re going to go to Zubayr, aren’t you?” Elias finally broke his brooding silence.
Was there resentment in the question? Disagreement?Darius stopped with his coffee mug halfway up. “Yes.”
“Going to at least warn him so he doesn’t try to shoot you?”
Darius nearly started on a sentence about Zubayr not liking guns when he realized that wasn’t the point. “No. Could be listening.”
“That’s a little paranoid, Dar. The guildmasters are mages, not the CIA.”
Toby glanced between them, wide-eyed. “Are there mages who could tap phone lines?”
“Sure, if they’re tech savvy enough.” Elias waved his fork in the air. “It’s not a thing, Dar. Just call him.”
Darius ignored him in favor of more coffee. It was possible, with the right Animus/Crystallogen mage it could be. Fiber optics were either glass or plastic—silica or petroleum. No, he’d never heard of phone tapping done magically, but he wouldn’t be so optimistic as to rule it out.
Repacked with clean clothes—Elias had been kind enough to put all the dirt-spattered things in the laundry—Darius hesitated near the door, certain he was forgetting something.
Elias, back in his carbon fiber blade legs, leaned against the kitchen island watching him. “You try and make it another fifteen years before you even call again, I’m gonna come find you.”
“El….” Darius crossed the floor in two strides and gathered Elias in for a crushing hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“Idiot.” Elias’s breath hitched. “I know. Stop making everything about you and go save Toby. You’re lucky he found you.”
It took a moment for Darius to parse out the last sentence, but the smile Elias held back made it clear. “Yes.”
The goodbyes were at least less frantic than they had been with Arden. The strata of guilt weren’t any less complicated. Yes, Elias appeared to be living a more stable, contented life than Arden with his bizarrely curated collections of everything, but they were both people who had needed him, and it hadn’t crossed his mind to check on them.
And Zubayr…. Dear gods, does he hate me? He’d be within his rights to.
Not even a mile into their drive, Toby spoke up. “Are you worried? You look worried.”
Of course I’m worried. About so much. About you and about all the friendships I’ve probably destroyed. About what happens when the guild catches me. About your survival. About how you might or might not feel.Darius managed an assenting grunt.
“You’re crinkling around your eye patch, and not a laughing crinkling since your forehead’s crinkling too. It’s not that I’mnotworried. I mean, I’d be stupid not to be. But you’re stuck on something specific and new. And maybe you should’ve called Zubayr.”
“Hmm.”
“That’s all I get? Really?”
