Outlaw Mage by K.S. Villoso

Author:K.S. Villoso [Villoso, K. S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: K.S. Villoso

Chapter 23

The Monster and The Unseeing Mage

My first morning at Eheldeth, I sat alone at breakfast.

Well, that part isn’t entirely true. Berinda did sit at the same table, though she was more interested in chatting with the girls behind us. They were talking in-depth about a young mage from the city of Bardes, who had the fortune of being both a prestigious graduate of Eheldeth and a famous actor for some popular play. The Courting of Enis, I think it was called. They spent less time talking about the play than his gorgeous eyelashes and elegant jaw.

Felan sat alone, too, at the table right next to mine. After our introduction yesterday—though you hardly could’ve called it that—he refused to meet my eyes. He was stabbing his food listlessly, looking like the process of swallowing eggs and nibbling toast was a chore. In a moment of courage, I got up from my seat and approached him.

“Not hungry?” I asked.

He glanced at me, staring with his ridiculously bushy, black eyebrows. I had a moment of regret. Why did he look so appalled I was talking to him?

I noticed, too late, that the entire dining hall had fallen silent.

“The new girl’s making friends,” someone called.

I hesitated, before drawing myself up to look at the crowd. “Is…is that a problem?” I asked.

“You don’t make friends with Felan,” another chimed in. “He’s too rich and snobby for the rest of us.”

There was a murmur of agreement. I glanced at Felan, who wasn’t even looking at anything, though it almost looked like the pile of eggs on his tray suddenly held a dazzling secret he didn’t want to share with anyone. “Just go away,” he grumbled. “Don’t bring attention on me because you feel bad. Gorenten brat.” He said the last part like he was pretending to whisper it, only it was loud enough for everyone in that room to hear. The message was clear enough. Even the pariah, Felan, was rejecting me.

Anger stirred in my chest, followed by a flush of shame. I remembered walking back to my table in silence, to Berinda and her friends who seemed just as embarrassed for my sake. They seemed to sit a little farther from me afterwards. They said nothing mean, but after they finished eating, they didn’t stick around to wait for me either. I walked back to fetch my books alone, a scene that would replay itself a thousand times over in the next few years. When I glanced back, I saw Felan walking a few paces away, his head low, just as alone as I was.

Now here I was, following him into that massive dining room, towards a table that looked like it could seat kings. Felan had arranged three plates. “It’s a pity Rosha couldn’t join us,” he said.

“She’s got an errand to run,” I said as I took a seat, all the while thinking I wish you would stop saying that name. It made me feel strange, hearing it on his tongue. Not the least of which was that he never really said it that way back in school.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.