“Here, open your phone,” I said, and Damian, still smiling, did as asked. I sent my information to him and then, without thinking, leaned down and kissed him again. I blushed when I realized I’d initiated a kiss this time and ran off before I did or said anything else embarrassing.
I ran back to the office, hoping my bosses wouldn’t notice I was late. If I were lucky, Cary was taking his lunch break too; otherwise, there would be an interrogation there as well. I crossed the street and accidentally ran into a man at least the same height and build as Damian.
The man went to grab my arms as if to stop me from falling, but he gripped me so tight it hurt. “What… Stop!” I said and pulled back, almost falling into the traffic behind me. “What the hell?” I asked, about to lay into the man who’d all but attacked me.
No one was there. I rubbed my arms where he’d gripped me and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. No one was looking my way, so I rushed toward the office. If my arms didn’t hurt, I’d say it’d been all my imagination.
The other part of my body that still tingled was my lips, where I’d kissed Damian only a few minutes before. I decided to ignore the weird attack and focus on the feel of those lips instead. I honestly couldn’t wait until I got another chance to kiss him.
Chapter nine
Damian
Iwatched Owen scurryout of the deli and couldn’t help the happy chuckle that escaped. The guy was so cute. I thought of what Molly had said the night before. Was he my type? I didn’t know, really. I liked men who were shorter than me, thank goodness, because I hit six-four when I was still in high school. I was hardly ever not the tallest person around.
Besides, I don’t think I’d ever gone out with someone like Owen. I pushed the thought aside. I wasn’t one to focus on types. If I liked someone, I just went with it. I was very much like my dad in that way. When I’d come out to him all those years ago, he just shrugged. “If you like something, you like something. Makes no difference what I think.”
I was hurt at the time, thinking he was belittling my sexuality. Of course, now I realize he was telling me he loved me no matter what and that it was my business who I liked.
I glanced down at the manilla envelope in front of me. I hadn’t opened it in the office, mainly because thegrumpy-looking lawyer had told me I wasn’t supposed to. I hadn’t thought to open it in front of Owen, but now, I wish I had.
I tore the seal and pulled out a strange parchment-type piece of paper. ‘Touch the quill to the top of the page’were the only words on the paper.
I looked inside the envelope and found a feather with a writing nib on the end like the one witches or wizards used in fantasy movies. I searched for ink, but finding none, I shrugged. “Might as well try it out,” I said, not believing I’d be able to write with it.
The second I touched the quill to the paper, though, it began writing on its own. I jumped back, startled, and tried to stop it before I made a spectacle of myself. Several people glanced my way and gave me a strange look. Then I realized they were reacting at me and not at the quill.
When I calmed down, no one was actually staring at the strange feather quill writing away on the parchment. “So fucking weird,” I whispered so no one could hear.
I tried to read the words, but with no luck. They didn’t seem to be written in a language I recognized. I mean, it wasn’t even an alphabet. It looked more like scratches and dashes. Almost like the ancient languages we studied in grade school. One of my teachers had been a massive fan of the Rick Riordan books, so he’d shown us ancient Greek writing, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and writing from the Middle East.
I watched with fascination as the quill wrote and wrote. Still, no one looked my way, so I sipped my soda and waited for the thing to stop.
Finally, after a very long time, it did, and the quill just fell over like it died or something. I reached with my right hand and picked up the paper to decipher the writing. Finally, I just gave up and slipped the quill back into the envelope. I picked the paper up in both hands to slip it into the envelope too, when my ring began to glow, and the words on the parchment began to transform.
Since ancient times, one individual, each generation, has been called to represent the legacy of the wizard. You have been called to fill this role. The quill and parchment are your lifeline, and you can use them to call upon the wizard who came before you. That wizard will help guide you through this lifetime.
My name was Elias Ericson, and I was born at the end of the First Great War. Upon my calling, I was forced to survive with nothing but the quill and parchment to guide me. No wizard may use their gifts to enhance their own prosperity. That’s the first and most important law to understand.
If you try to use your gifts for personal gain, you will lose your power and put the entire universe at risk.
Fighting the dark forces who will inevitably come for you is difficult when your basic needs aren’t met. Therefore, as yourpredecessor, I have striven to ensure you are better prepared to function in your new calling.
By now, you will have received the assets I have gifted to you. Before I begin to train you, understand that you will have plenty of money to function without having to work outside your calling. If my instincts are correct, that will be important as the dark will fall upon you harder than ever during my time.
There is transportation in the garage for you to use as well as the home. You should not need material things during your lifetime of service.
Besides struggling with financial concerns, I suffered great loneliness during my service as the Legacy Wizard. I do not wish that upon you. I have also planted the seeds of companionship for you. However, no one, not even a wizard as powerful as we, has the power to force someone to love another.
You will have to earn that love on your own, but hopefully, if my manipulations have been well placed, you will stumble upon a suitable mate to help you walk the often dangerous and treacherous journey ahead.
Legacy wizardry is primarily instinctual. You will learn to listen to and follow those instincts with your entire focus if you hope to survive. I will train you as much as possible, but ultimately, your inner thoughts will help you the most.
I will leave you with one final thought, the home I have given you is indeed special. I purchased it because it wasalready filled with the souls of those who had passed and wished to remain in service. You have nothing to fear from these individuals. Although, you should be warned their bark is often worse than their bite.
If they accept you, they will serve you as loyally as they have me.
Your style will inevitably differ from mine, and the home is enchanted to meet your needs. Of course, I couldn’t do it myself, but since I have enchanted the house for you, my successor, I’ve taken the luxury of ensuring that your needs will be met.
