Sage
Thebangingwouldn’tfuckingstop, and it was the middle of the fucking night.Sage groaned at the noise a few times before he realized it was the front door, and some woodsman was trying to break it down with an axe.Or maybe it was that axe-dude from that old-timey Christmas movie,The Shiningor something.
“Waawww,” Sage said.
The banging continued.
Sage, desperate, rolled over his pillows and off his futon.He liked the futon, especially on days like this, when gravity proved a real health hazard.He made it down the attic stairs and to the first floor.
“’S fucking sunrise,” he said to the hallway and the shadow darkening his door when he opened it.It was Peter.Peter was not the kind of shadow you wanted to wake to.
“Well, at least you’re wearing pants this time, Sage,” the vampire said.
“Oh, fuck off.”Sage was tempted to shut the door in Peter’s face, but his instincts were telling him that would be a bad idea.
“This is William.William, this is the witch who will teach you, Sage.He owns several shirts and normally manages to wear them.He also knows how shaving works, though perhaps this is a failing experiment into the area of hair growth tonics.”
“Again, fuck off, Peter.”
Sage ran a hand over his chin before he could stop himself, then blinked at the new apprentice, who was…well.Cute was the word.Sepia skin, curly black hair, and golden eyes.Sage blinked again.His magical senses tingled.
“You fucking with me?That’s a werewolf.Can’t teach magic to werewolves.”
The werewolf shuffled sideways to hide behind Peter.
“He’s a witch wolf,” Peter said.
“Huh.Rare.Super rare.”
“Just like you, Sage.”
“Fuck off, please?”
Peter ignored the polite request entirely.
“I realize this is possibly too much to ask, but William needs to be taught manners.And how to follow simple instructions.Such as, open the door when someone knocks and don’t make them wait for ten minutes.Wear a shirt while opening the door.Ask people inside and offer them a seat.You know,manners.”
“It is the middle of the night, and as I said, would you be so kind as to please fuck off?”
Peter rolled his eyes.“William will need some clothes, and everything else one needs.”Peter stepped aside, motioning William into the house.
Sage opened his door just a bit wider.“So long as he doesn’t need itin the middle of the fucking night,that’s fine.”
Despite having been pulled from the sweetest dream about succeeding in the magical accessory business, Sage wondered where the witch wolf had come from.It was probably a typical Peter thing playing out—finding a stray and murdering the bigger stray who was hunting him.Or maybe Peter had kept the witch wolf hidden since he was a kid, and now it was finally safe to teach him magic.Makes me wonder why he’s asking me to teach him though.
“How’s the cat, by the way?”Peter was gleeful and let his teeth show, the jerk.
Sage crossed his arms.“She ran away.”
Will carefully made his way into the house, eyes glued to the floor, curling his shoulders in to make himself as small as possible.
“Maybe you’re more of a wolf person, Sage.Good luck finding your shirt.”
With that, Sage closed the door in Peter’s face, but he really only dared once Peter had already turned to walk away.Meaning he closed the door on Peter’s back, technically.But still, it felt so satisfying.
“Well, hi.I’m Sage, and I will be your instructor in the magical and mysterious arts of arcane magics.Can I ask you something?”
Will glanced up at Sage and nodded.
