Junk Mage by Elliot Cooper

Author:Elliot Cooper [Cooper, Elliot]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-07-03T16:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

The sun had sunk dangerously low in the sky by the time we made it back to the tree line near the junkyard. I worked to repair the jetbike while Hunter retrieved his meager belongings from his former home. He could run like the wind, but the jetbike was still faster. Luckily, the fuel tank had been left intact.

Hunter returned with a small bag of books while I put the finishing touches on the jetbike. I’d used the extra junk to make a canopy over the top of the bike, attaching to it so I wouldn’t have to drag it and worry about losing it in the darkening forest.

“Ta da! What’dya think?” I gestured with a flourish at my magical handiwork.

“No more narls attaching themselves to your head. Or mine.” He grinned, then took off the goggles he’d moved to his forehead, and handed them back to me. “You’d better drive. I don’t know how, and this is a bad time to learn.”

I smiled at him, searching his face. There was relief there, but still hurt. I hoped he wasn’t upset with his decision. He reached out with one hand and traced his fingers over the tender scabs on my cheek.

“I’ll get some rakish scars out of this adventure,” I said with a slight wince. But the touch was gentle, welcome.

“Something to tell your students. Teach them just how useful their skills will be out among the stars, in any situation.” He took a half step closer.

I felt the tension skyrocket, and the old familiar pull to close the frustrating gap between myself and the subject of my attraction. But this time it was different. It wasn’t just about my sex drive. I didn’t want to chance ruining things—our friendship or anything else—before they’d begun. Hunter had his own scars, deep ones I wanted to be mindful of. He shouldn’t be a one-time fling or friend with sexy benefits. The realization twisted the tightness in my chest uncomfortably.

Hunter leaned in slow. He tilted his head to avoid bumping noses and pressed his lips to mine in the softest kiss I’d ever received. I kissed right back, lips twitching with excitement and restraint. I matched his tenderness instead of jumping onto him like a starving leech.

Chittering and gnashing sounds erupted in the trees nearby. We jerked apart and looked up. Narls swung from branch to branch, chasing a narl even smaller than Junior. The poor little thing had pale spots on its belly and fear in its huge eyes.

“We should go. Before they notice us,” Hunter mumbled.

“Do you think Junior’ll be—”

Junior clambered up behind the bigger narls and launched itself at one’s back. Claws rent furred skin and wild, blood-curdling shrieks filled the air. All other forest sounds died, and I couldn’t look away as Junior bit into the other narl’s neck and slurped out its vertebrae. The other bully narls yelped and whooped, fleeing through the treetops. Junior lifted its head and squeaked a few times toward the smaller narl.

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