The Consumption of Magic (Tales From Verania 3)

“Why didn’t you go with him?”

I frowned. “With who?”

“The Great White.”

I… didn’t expect that. “Should I have?”

“I don’t know, Sam. I’m asking you. Why didn’t you go? If you knew that you could have gotten him on your side, why didn’t you go?”

“I thought it was obvious.”

“Why don’t you explain it anyway.”

“You did hear the part where he said I had to cut everyone off, right? Leave you all behind? You caught the righteous indignation I tried so hard to portray? If not, I can certainly reenact it for you right now.”

“I did, but you never said why.”

I scowled at him. “Because I can’t do that! I can’t just leave. Gary and Tiggy would fall apart without me. Kevin would probably end up burning down the City. Justin wouldn’t have anyone to braid his hair or talk about boys with. My parents wouldn’t have their son. The King wouldn’t have his favorite apprentice to the King’s Wizard. And then—and then there’s you.”

“What about me?”

I pushed myself off the door and stalked toward him. “You. You’d be the worst of all! You would be a mess without me. Who would tell you that you were posing like a douchebag everywhere you want? Who would make sure that you didn’t fucking curse in front of ten orphans who were looking at you with wide eyes like you had just crushed all their dreams because you were their fucking hero and you couldn’t watch your godsdamn fucking language—”

“I feel like you don’t understand what irony means,” he said, spreading his legs a little so I could step between them. His hands went to my hips.

“I literally know what it means. Like, literally.”

He snorted as he looked up at me. “You’re an idiot.”

I shrugged. “It’s been said by men far greater than you and me. And by lesser men. And now that I think about it, men who are also equal to us. Wow. That’s a stunning revelation to have this late in the game. Am I offended? I think I might be offended.”

“You could have gone with—”

“No. I couldn’t have. I won’t leave you all. And I will never leave you.”

He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against my stomach. “Are you sure it’s going to be enough? What we have?”

“One knight, two zany sidekicks, three wizards, and four dragons? Nah, we’re totally screwed.”

He shoved me away.

I laughed at him. “I’m kidding. Gods, it was just a joke.”

“It wasn’t funny.”

“We’ll be fine,” I said, cupping his face in my hands. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “I promise.”

“Are you sure you don’t want what he offered? Sam, he was going to make you a wizard. It’s what you’ve spent the last decade working toward.”

“Eh. I can do it without him. But I don’t think I can do it without you.”

He sighed. “Mothercracker. That was good.”

“You still mad at me?”

“Not as much as I feel like I should be. How do you do that?”

“I could totally suck on your cock right now if it would make you feel any better about it. Let you fuck my face.”