The Grand Mage Heir (Darwurth Academy Book 1)

Chapter 2: The Chase

Racing from the tavern, I climb the hill behind it to get to Jeff and Martha's barn, also known as my now former living space. I rip the barn doors open in a hurry, forgetting myself, and break off the door handle. Shit. I have another thing to pay Jeff back for. Except, I won't be able to pay him back. With shuddering breaths, I squeeze my eyes shut at the onslaught of emotions at my situation. Grief. Shame. Regret. Rage.

I gently close the barn door as I go in. Then with fat stomps, I head for my ladder, muttering sorry to the animals I just awoke along the way. I pick my way carefully up the ladder as I tend to fall at least twice a week, and it'd be just my luck to fall today. Looking at my space fills me with a bittersweet feeling. It only has a twin mattress, a cardboard box with a tiny old school tv on it, and a little bookcase with a lamp on top. It may be small, but it's my home. Now, I have to pack it up and leave it.

Scooping all my clothes, some blankets, water bottles, and snack bars into a large duffle bag is accomplished in mere minutes. All my belongings can fit in a duffle bag. It's sad really, but in this case, it may save my life. Before I make to leave, I go to my little bookcase and pick up the necklace that Jeff made me with a twine and a small locket. The locket holds a picture of Jeff, Martha, and I at the town fair a few years ago in it. I hated the itchiness of the twine on the necklace so I never wore it. It seems so silly to me now. Putting the necklace on, I start toward my ladder.

Suddenly, the barn door practically explodes inward, scaring honks and squeals from the animals below and a scream from me. Thankfully, I'm really good at being scared. During my screaming, I managed to heave my twin mattress on my shoulders and throw it off the loft. I see it slam straight into giant number one's face. Or maybe giant number two's? I don't know at this point.

Looking around, I spot my window to the side, remembering a pile of hay behind the barn underneath it. I decide my best course of action is to propel myself out the loft window, and so I do. I flail as gracefully as one can when hurtling two stories down toward a pile of hay while their duffle bag flaps in the wind beside them.

Landing hard and sputtering out hay, I groan in pain and make myself roll off the scratchy pile. The stables are just up ahead. If I can just reach them, I can grab Jeff's horse and go. Without looking behind me, I grab my duffle and hightail it to the stables, the bag hitting my back at every step. I vault over the stable door, feeling like an action hero for a second until my foot catches, and I tumble head over heels into the stables. With a bruised body and ego, I push myself to stand and scan the stalls. I see Jeff's horse in the last stall and breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Jeff Junior, I need you to be fast and furious. Put all that horsey rage you usually have into fuel and leg strength. You with me buddy?" I say to the horse as I approach, petting his beautiful black mane and cooing to him. He snorts and gives me a blank look.

"C'mon Jeff Junior, why the long face?" I swear he rolls his eyes even though I don't know if horses can roll their eyes. I hear shouts in the distance which spur me into action. Grabbing the riding saddle on a bench outside the stall, I go in and strap Jeff Junior up. I admire the beauty of Jeff's horse and feel bad that I'll be taking him. He's a tall Andalusian horse with a sleek coat like liquid obsidian and a rich black mane. I've helped take care of him since I came to live with Jeff and Martha. Sometimes Jeff Junior is a mouthful to say, so I shorten it to Junior. Lucky for me, he's smart enough to know that counts as his full name too. Unlucky for me, he chooses to ignore me sometimes.

A booming voice erupts from the entrance to the stables. "I just want to talk to you."

Quickly launching into action, I unlock the stall and hop on Junior. I guide him out and prepare to gallop as I shout out my response, "Well I don't!"