Black Mage Cursed (Tournament of Mages Book 3) by Cleave Bourbon (big ebook reader .txt) 📕

“I know you would.” He paused, “I really like you, Thessa, and I would like to see more of you if that is at all possible. I should be back the day after tomorrow sometime in the evening. Perhaps we could have a meal together again the day after I return?”

Thessa met eyes with Sarren, who was still under the bed and softened. She wanted to tell him she could not see him anymore, that she was also planning to leave Emlestra, but Sarren’s gaze made her rethink her decision.

There is a way for you to check on the blood feeders from here. What would it hurt to stay around here for a few more days? You have never had someone to care for you like this man obviously does.

“I would like that, Gaelyn. I had planned to leave soon as well, but I suppose I could stay around for a few more days.”

Gaelyn stood and took her hands in his, “That’s wonderful. I was so afraid you would not be here when I returned.”

“Why would you be afraid of that?” She asked.

“Because, you are staying in an inn and you are not from around here. I thought if I disappeared you might think I had not cared for you and left as well.”

“I will stay until you return. I promise.”

“That’s good news.” He went for the door, “you promise?”

She giggled awkwardly, “I do.”

He grinned and left the room. She heard a cheerful bit of whistling as he made his way down the corridor to the stairs.

You have made him very happy.

Thessa was worried, “Yes, but why wasn’t I strong enough to tell him I am leaving?” She furloughed her brow at Sarren, “And why are you trying so hard to convince me to stay here when last night you were ready to help me find the blood feeders?”

When I saw how much he liked you, I remembered you can keep tabs on the blood feeders with your mage powers. I will show you. Also, even if Sir Danton creates ten more of the creatures while you wait here, they will be just as easy to kill as the first ten.

Thessa nodded, “Yes, you’re right. The odds of all the fiends being together all at once are slim. I can still round them up, regardless.” She became thoughtful and changed her tone, “Just out of curiosity, how do I sense them?”

We wait until dark so we have the shadows to hide us and I will teach you.

“Do you think there might be one in Emlestra?”

Possibly, we will find out tonight. If there is one out there, it will not be active until dark, anyway.

The rest of the day moved along without incident. Both Thessa and Sarren had a nice meal of fish for lunch and beef for supper. Thessa took advantage of the inn’s steam room and bathhouse. She had never seen a steamroll before. It was a large wooden structure next to the baths with a bunch of fire heated stones in the center occasionally doused with water to create the steam. She didn’t really she the use for it but she tied it, anyway. The Bath was soothing.

When night fall finally came, Thessa and Sarren ventured out into the streets of Emlestra.

The way you sense the abominations is to clear your mind and search with your feelings for something living but not alive.

“What? That makes no sense.”

You know it does. You were one and your mother bought you back to the living.

“Right, I remember the feeling. She searched out into the city. She had a difficult time at first, but then suddenly she zeroed in on something, “There is one in the city!”

Good, now use your magic to see the trail of the thing. You should concentrate on it and the path will be revealed.

She concentrated and then opened her eyes. A trail of faint light floated just above the ground. “I see it!”

Follow it!

Thessa followed the trail until she came up on a young man keeping to the shadows. She followed the trail of the vampire with her abilities into a darkened street, through an alleyway and into the Main Street of Emlestra. The streets were mostly deserted at this time of night. She wondered if Gaelyn’s ship had come in safely and she thought she might go down the docks later and check to see if it’s moored there after she dispatched this blood feeder, of course. Realizing she was distracted, she concentrated on the fiend again and finally saw it again as it was lurking in the shadows near another one of the alleyways. She moved stealthily toward the alley when she spotted movement ahead in the street. Several men in sailor’s clothing carrying long sacks over their shoulders were disbursing in different directions. They had come from the docks. Thessa froze as the fiend was eyeing them from his place in the dark. She had to warn them. She took one step into the light and to her horror saw Gaelyn trudging up the street. She tried to move back into the shadows before he saw her, but it was too late. He called out to her.

“Thessa? Is that you?”

Thessa stepped out of the darkness, all the while keeping a wary eye on the blood feeder perched in the alleyway. “It’s me.”

“You came to see me home?”

He seemed so genuinely happy to see her she couldn’t say no. “Yes, but I wasn’t sure which way you would be coming into town, or where for that matter. Why don’t you stay there and I will come to you? Don’t you move.” She kept her tone calm and steady. His happy demeanor cut Thessa to the core. He began to move toward her again.

“No, stay there, Gaelyn. I will come to you!” He either didn’t hear her or he didn’t listen. Thessa watched as Gaelyn made his way to her, oblivious to the danger. The torch-lit streets were too dark and afforded many shadows all