A Storm in the Making

Chapter 39--Our Little Secret

“A mouse. Really?” I tried to keep the disgust out of my voice, but failed miserably. To picture Julius morphed into a creature I loathed. It was creepy.

Julius chuckled. He read my mind so easily. “Yes. Really. It is quite difficult, too--to shape-shift into something with so much less body mass than my own.”

I couldn’t imagine Julius as a mouse—especially after seeing him as a larger than life-sized lion.

Julius sat down on the bed beside me. He pulled me against his chest and just held me for a time. “The others have left. The Hermits will want you soon,” He said sadly. “They cannot know that I am here.”

“You mean they don’t know you’re here already?” I was incredulous. “Don’t you know they were in my mind, guarding me, when you shouted your warning?”

I could hear Julius’ silent laughter rumbling in his chest next to my ear. “I know.”

“But they didn’t know you were there?”

“Wait a minute. What about when they read your mind when we were in your father’s study the day we were tested?”

Julius laid his chin on top of my head and inhaled as if he were trying to memorize its scent. “Didn’t you realize my dear sweet Storm that it is not my mind, but yours, they were reading?”

I lifted my head and looked at his face to see if he was kidding.

“I would hardly have made it to a 6th level wizard without some form of shielding. Just because I haven’t chosen to be tested, doesn’t me I haven’t gained a significant amount of skill in that area. Wizards have many hidden skills.”

“But wouldn’t they feel something from you?” I was having trouble processing all this intrigue. I suddenly felt like I was in a bad spy movie or something.

“Yes. They would feel, as you put it, that I have more power than I am accounting for. Most wizards do though—especially in the higher levels, but it could be anything.”

“Like Nigel, for instance," I said before I thought, wishing I could take it back.

“Yes. He has a lot more power than he is letting anyone know about. If I didn’t know for a fact he had been on this planet less than a week, I would think he is a Knight of the Black Rose—which I would rather not get into right now,” Julius said when he saw the questions in my eyes. “We do not have time for lengthy explanations.”

I held my tongue, but he would be explaining that to me at a later date. Instead I focused on the subject at hand. Julius’ apparent mental invisibility to the Hermits; something I couldn’t comprehend.

“So they didn’t feel you at all, then.”

“No. And that is what scares me about you being here, although for the present, I am glad that they cannot feel me, as you call it.”

“Why does it scare you?”

“Let’s not waste any more of our precious moments together on conjecture.”

“No,” I agreed. “Let’s not,” I murmured into his chest, though I was so confused inside, I was wishing just the opposite. I really needed space, and time to think right now, not pressure from Julius pushing me into a relationship I wasn’t ready for.

A timid knock came from the other side of my door felt like a godsend.

Julius pulled me closer if that was possible.

“Just a moment,” I called.

I started to stand up, but Julius pulled me back to him. His lips pressed against mine, and I felt a sudden repugnance for him.