Magic's Mark

Chapter 7

Taylor continued, "Seeing as you are so worried about your safety. How do you think that all the back stabbing warlocks at court will react when you suddenly have a human in tow. A Vortex no less?"

I could almost see the cogs in Lucas head moving as he was thinking.

He spoke out loud but it was unclear if he was directing his words at anyone in particular, "If they find out that I am linked to a Vortex..."

Taylor finished his thought, "they will use Cara against you."

"I don't know what the two of you think," my eyes sent them both sharp glances of warning to stay silent. "But I have a job, I have rent and bills to pay. I'm not just going to drop everything because of all of this," I waved between the two of them.

"Fine, you can stay where you are," Taylor admitted. I frowned at the fact that he thought he has some sort of jurisdiction over my life, but I decided to let the comment slide.

"I can take care of myself," I continued.

"Plus I will keep her safe," Taylor added.

Lucas frowned for a minute, "I suppose a Grimstaw warrior is acceptable."

I could feel Taylor's instinct to argue back, "Don't." I pulled at his sleeve.

He stayed silent, eyes locked on Lucas.

"You two can continue your staring match," I sighed. "But I am going home now."

I started walking down the alleyway and a moment later I could hear Taylor hurrying after me.

"I will be in touch," Lucas words echoed ominously down the alleyway but I did not turn back.

I continued walking, turning back out onto the small residential street and continued down to the corner of the high street before Taylor had caught up with me. He was pushing his bike next to him, meeting a lot of irritated frowns from the pedestrians who had to navigate around it.

"Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly.

"No," I stared at him angrily. I knew none of this was his fault, but I couldn't help to feel anger towards him. My life had been perfectly normal until he had shown up.

He looked back at me, for a moment his eyes held a hurt expression before he stared to one side, navigating his bike past a couple of pedestrians.

My anger simmered down and I suddenly felt a bit guilty for being so harsh towards him. I took a deep breath and shot him a small smile, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Grimstaw."

He gave me a weak smile in return, "I will. Let's just get back to the flat first."

I closed the door behind us and hear the small click noise as it the lock slide into place. I felt myself lean back against it, studying Taylor. For a split second, it felt like he might actually hold all of the answers to all of the crazy, magical nonsense that had been going on in the last few days but before I could question him, he shocked me with a question of is own.

"Why did you tell me you had met Lucas?" his eyes bored down on me.

Instantly, I felt disarmed, "I'm sorry." I felt my lower lib tremble, "I just forgot."

His facial expression softened instantly and he quickly closed the distance between us, enveloping me in a hug, sighing into my neck, "I forget sometimes how new all of this is to you."

I allowed him to hold me for a moment, before stepping out of his embrace. This time it was my eyes who pierced him, "What do you mean?"

I stared him down for a moment, as I did so something flipped in my stomach as the realisation of how little I really knew about him hit me.