The Reluctant Mage: Book 1 of the Demon of Beringale Series by Kathryn Divine

Author:Kathryn Divine [Divine, Kathryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-05-07T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty Three

Karle woke up the next morning feeling numb. The moment he opened his eyes and saw the white ceiling above, the clean window and the stupid flower at it, he knew it was no dream what happened, it was real, and that realization hit him like a blow in the chest. He sat up in bed and looked down on himself; there was a thick wrapping of white bandages around his chest. Red cuts and bruises were visible here and there on his arms and legs. His lips felt swollen and hard. He lay back on the bed, drew his knees up and faced the wall. Karle might have been there for four to five hours, but it was well past midday when he heard the door creak open behind him. “You awake?” Karle closed his eyes instead. “I know you’re awake,” Shedek pressed. “I’ve made some potion to help your healing.”

“I don’t want to heal.”

“That demon is still out there, running about with your father’s face.”

“It doesn’t matter, no one knew him anyways. He only mattered to me.” There was a sigh behind him. “Listen, I know you’re hurting right now.”

“Have you ever lost someone?”

“I’m sixty, I’ve lost more people than you’ve known.”

“That there is the problem,” said Karle, pushing himself into a sitting position. “I didn’t know so many people. I only knew one person, and that one person was all I cared for in the world and that one person is now dead all because of this stupid magic! I wish there was no such thing as magic.”

“The last man who wished the same died at the hands of this demon. But I have no doubt he would have been saved if he didn’t try so hard to fight the reality that stares us in the face.” Karle sniffled. “And what’s that?”

“That there is magic,” said Shedek, “And the presence of magic is evidence there are enemies that can only be dealt with by magic. We cannot drop our weapons before the war is over.”

“I don’t want no part in this war! I don’t!”

“And yet, here you are, locked in the center of that battle, nursing your first wound and loss,” said Shedek. “That demon will come again.”

“Cobalt will come again?” asked Karle. He didn’t know whether to be scared of the monster that killed his father without batting an eyelid or be angry. It took away his dreams of a happily ever after and didn’t even leave a corpse to bury behind. “Yes, so long as his master asks him to, he will come again,” said Shedek, setting the steaming bowl on the table. “It’s bone broth, you should take it for quicker healing.”

“Why me? Why not you? I mean, you’re so good with your magic, isn’t it easier to just come for you?” Shedek stared blankly at Karle for a while and finally spoke. “You’re a little selfish here, but I’ll put that down to your grief. Nonetheless, as I have told you before, your kind of magic is very special, and I don’t know what he needs it for.

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