Blue Mage: Apprentice Omnibus: A Fantasy Romance Adventure (Books 1 - 3) (Blue Mage Series)

by Eden Redd

  Bright light spilled in the main window. A bed of white took up the middle of the room. Red hair shifted and an eye looked to Trystan. The mage smiled ear to ear as he stepped in and closed the door behind him. Nia turned away from the mage and looked to the window, her face a mask of indifference.

  Trystan stepped forward and spotted a small table with an empty vase on it. The mage moved over and put the flowers in the vase and teased them a little with his fingers so they were a bit showier. The mage glanced over as Nia attempted to hide her face by looking away from him.

  “How are you feeling?” Trystan asked while trying to be upbeat.

  “You don’t have to visit me. I’m sure there is a lot going on.” Nia said in a low voice.

  “The city is starting to rebuild. The college is closed until some semblance of the city is in working order. I’m just glad they finally let me in to see you.” Trystan took a nearby seat, pulled it over and sat by her bed.

  Nia’s head tilted forward a little. “How’s everyone?”

  “Good. A few bumps and bruises but no worse for wear. Vanessa has been helping the Lord Mayor with construction, talking to the undead under the city to help build and repair the city during the night. Gwen has reopened her Ink Shop. Professor Hart has been busy helping with the reconstruction. There is talk that it may take a year to rebuild Stukarr to its former glory. I think they will do it sooner.”

  Nia’s hands clenched. “Bella?”

  Trystan’s head lowered a little. “Gone. When the mana streams were cut, the slimes escaped. Magistrates couldn’t find any sign of them.”

  Nia turned to Trystan. The mage gazed at his beautiful friend. A star shaped scare spread out with Nia’s eye in the middle of it. The healers told him that her shield spell weakened the blast as her eyelid and skin took the last of its energy. A white eye stared at Trystan but nothing registered. The healers informed him that the damage was too extensive. She will never see through that eye again.

  “Let me see your arm.” Nia said with hard edge.

  Trystan pulled up his robe sleeve, exposing melted and scarred flesh. It was still pink and Nia winced when she stared at it.

  “It looks worse than it feels. My left arm won’t win any beauty contests.” Trystan smiled as he looked at Nia’s eye.

  The red head looked away and gave an angry huff. “Stop looking at me. I know my eye won’t get any better.”

  “Maybe we can get you one of those cool eye patches. I hear eye patches are hot these days.” Trystan said with a wide smile.

  Nia turned and glared with one eye. “Stop it! This isn’t funny. None of this is funny.” The last word came out in a quiver.

  Trystan leaned forward and took Nia’s hand into his. “I just want to lift your spirits. We have overcome so much. Do you really think a scar is going to make me love you any less?”

  Nia looked down at the white sheets. “You are starting to sound like someone I know.” Nia gave the barest hint of a smile.

  “I had a good teacher.” Trystan kissed the back of her hand and continued to hold onto it.

  “It really doesn’t bother you?” Nia said with an insecure frown.

  “Not one bit. If anything it shows more of the real you. I always knew there was a heart of a pirate under that beautiful chest.”

  Nia rolled her eyes. “The pirate jokes aren’t going to stop will they?”

  Trystan squeezed her hand. “Are you kidding? Once we get you a cool eye patch, there will be more pirate jokes.”

  Nia leaned back into the bed and stared at Trystan’s smiling face. “Seriously, I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Trystan looked to his red headed angel. “I’m over the moon that you’re okay. If the worst to come out of this is just a few scars, then I think we all came out on top.”

  “I love you.” Nia said with a warm glow in her cheeks.

  “I love you.” Trystan said as his heart quickened.

  “What are you doing after visiting me?” Nia asked.

  “I was thinking of…..” Trystan stopped talking, blood draining from his face.

  “Trystan?” Nia sat up.

  Trystan tried to talk but the words were trapped in his throat. Standing up, he moved to the side, trying to grab anything for support. Pain stabbed over the mage’s heart and he found it difficult to breathe. Nia pulled the blanket off of her as Trystan struggled. The mage managed to lean against a wall and his throat opened. The mage gasped for air but the pain grew louder and louder.

  “Stay back!” Trystan managed as the skin over his heart glowed white hot. The mage felt his life drain away into his chest. Clutching at his robe, he ripped the collar open and exposed his chest. The black oval steamed and glowed as if it was ready to explode into fire.

  Nia’s legs were over the side and she was on her feet. Trystan fell to his knees as something pulled more and more life from him. A stream of mist burst from the oval spot. Trystan grunted as the pain eased and billowing mist rolled off of him. The black oval disappeared with the last bit of mist.

  Trystan and Nia watched as the column of mist took a vaguely humanoid form. Features began to rise and take shape. A second later, the mist dissipated. Both mages stared, awe struck at the being standing in the middle of the room.

  Black horns emerged from short, straight, black hair. Black leather wings flexed and folded behind it. Scales ran from elbows to clawed fingers, with more scales running from knees to clawed toes. The body was short but womanly with firm perky breasts that defied gravity and a hairless slit between her legs. Trystan stared at the face as horror clawed into his wounded heart. The creature looked down at Trystan and gave a wicked smile. The thing had a face and body exactly that of Freya. The other parts looked like they belonged to a dragon. Facial expressions moved like Freya as a pointed tail whipped behind her.

  “Hello Father.” The dragon version of Freya let out a long giggle.

  Trystan heaved as he stared, mind lost and heart breaking. Seeing that creature with Freya’s face and body sent him into a panic. The dragon girl looked down at Trystan and folded her scaly arms.

  “What’s the matter? Not happy to see your daughter?” The dragon girl grinned.

  ~Fin~

  Freya’s Path of Shadows

  The pleasant evening was shattered by the sound of breaking glass. Three women laughed and cackled on a bench as the sun set against mountains to the west. The dock lights began to glow and shine from broken bottle shards littering the wooden dock before the three ladies. Calm ocean waves lapped against the dock in the perfect evening air.

  Freya continued with her giggling fit as she reached into her bag and pulled out another bottle of ale. A dark skinned girl with blonde hair reached out and snatched it from her, pulled the top and began guzzling down the amber liquid. Another pale woman with white hair giggled and nearly fell off the bench. Freya brushed away a short lock of black hair from her rosy face. As soon the as dark skinned girl pulled her lips from the end of the bottle, Freya reached up and snatched it back.

  “Don’t drink it all, Duvva! It’s expensive.” Freya commanded with a drunken smile.

  Duvva grinned and pawed at Freya for another drink. “I know your family is well off but how can you afford Prince Ale?”

  Freya pulled the bottle from her mouth and wiped her mouth with her forearm. “Who says I paid for it?”

  Duvva’s eyes widened. “You took it?”

  The white haired albino reached for the bottle but Freya pulled it away and took another swig.

  “Share!” The albino whined.

  “Wait your turn Paula.” Freya teased as she held the bottle just out of reach.

  Paula clumsily tried again and again to take hold of the bottle. Freya laughed at her as she kept it from her. Just as the girl was about to cry, Freya shoved it into her chest so hard that it sent the white skinned woman tumbling off the bench and onto her back. Paula’s laugher rang out and hushed the moment she took a swig.

  �
�How did you take the bottle from Jameson? The man has eyes like a hawk.” Duvva pressed.

  Freya grinned as she tried to focus. “Well, I didn’t exactly take it. He may have eyes like a hawk but still has needs like any man.”

  Duvva let out a cackle. “You slut! What did you do? Details?”

  Freya turned and reached down. Snatching the bottle from Paula, the dark haired woman continued. “It was simple. Flash him a little ass and cleavage and he was under my spell.”

  “Did he invade your cave?”

  Freya sneered. “No way. I blew him behind the counter. For an older man he had a big cock. Tasted good going down. When he was finished, I got up and took the bottle off the top shelf. He spent his time buttoning his pants and didn’t say anything. I walked out and here we are.”

  Duvva looked to Freya like she was the most magical being in the universe. “You are so brave. I only give blow jobs if they take me out for an expensive dinner.”

  Freya sat with her legs open and bottle tucked between her thighs. “And you call me slut.”

  Duvva giggled. “It’s not being a slut if you reward them for their hard work.”

  Freya picked up the bottle and took a swig. “You should start a charity. Blowjobs for the hardworking man!”

  “The men would line up out the door. I may have to hire Paula just to handle the demand.” Duvva leered.

  The albino was already on her feet and sitting down on the bench. “It better pay well. I don’t give out blowjobs like you two harlots.”

  “No but you give up that white pussy of yours if a man even smiles in your direction.” Duvva teased.

  Paula steadied herself. “I just offer hugs and they put their cocks in me.”

  All three women laughed louder as the final rays of sunlight disappeared below the horizon. When their giggle fits were over, Freya shoved the bottle into Duvva’s waiting hands and stood up on shaky legs.

  “Well bitches, I have to go home. Mom texted me that she wanted to talk and I’m already an hour late.” Freya managed to say with slightly slurred words.

  The two women waved at Freya and soon began fighting over the bottle of ale. Freya drunkenly walked off toward the cobbled streets and made her way home. A crow cawed in the distance.

  The black haired woman didn’t even fix her black skirt as it began to ride up. Her womanhood peeked out but she continued on as if everything was perfectly normal. After a few twists and turns, Freya was at her front door to the family home and reached for the door handle as it moved in front of her. After an attempt or three, she finally took hold, twisted the handle and stumbled inside.

  Freya giggled as her hand reached out for the wall to steady herself. Clawing her way inside, she walked passed the living room and entered the lit kitchen. Freya leaned at the kitchen doorway, eyes on her mother sitting at the kitchen table with a half full bottle of whiskey. Freya’s eyes lowered and she noticed a back pack of holding at her mother’s feet. The woman took a swig from the bottle and set it down again, crow’s feet wrinkling the outside corners of her eyes. A look of sad disappointment tugged at the mouth, causing it to curve in dismay.

  Freya stepped closer and took the bottle of whiskey off the table. A few gulps later, she hacked and slammed it down on the kitchen table. The bottle did not break and her mother did not flinch. Freya pulled out a chair and sat down, eyes as unsteady as her movements.

  Mother sighed. “You are a grown woman now.”

  Freya looked to her mother and then back to the back pack at her feet.

  Mother continued. “I want to talk about a few things.”

  Freya huffed. “Why? It’s obvious you’re leaving. What more could you say? You’re a terrible mother and I couldn’t be happier.”

  “Then we have that in common. You’re a terrible daughter.” Mother said with a blank stare.

  Freya gave a bored expression as she sat back in the chair. “Spare me. You should have just left. I don’t need you or Rickard. Leave some coin and I’ll be just fine.”

  Mother stared hard at her daughter. “Rickard doesn’t know I’m leaving. You can tell him when he gets home tomorrow.”

  Freya’s eyes widened and her brow formed a hard V. “Now I have to do your dirty work too? He has done nothing but take care of you for years and you’re just going to leave him without saying anything? You are really a fucked up person.”

  Freya’s mother’s hand tightened into a fist. “We have grown apart and I want nothing more to do with him. Do this one last thing for me.”

  Freya grabbed the whiskey bottle and took another gulp from it, a drop spilling down her chin. “I hate you.” Freya spat.

  Freya’s mother smirked as she looked to her drunken daughter. “Your grandfather always thought you were too much like me. That bastard kept telling me you would turn evil. I never told him that I believed him.”

  The kitchen was silent for a long moment before mother continued. “I thought I’d tell you about your father before I leave.”

  “Just leave the coin and go. I don’t need to know that you got knocked up from one of the hundreds of men you slept with. They teach the protection spell in high school just so you don’t get pregnant.”

  Freya’s mother’s eyes shifted to the table. “Your grandfather was a very controlling man. He claimed what was his and only his. Before any man could have me, grandfather was sure I belonged to him first.”

  Freya eyed her mother, disbelief touching her heart and fading away to an ocean of depraved indifference.

  Mother continued. “You never knew him for too long. I killed him before he claimed you too.”

  Freya turned her head away. “Grandfather kept it in the family. Is that why you were so angry with me all my life? I remind you of what he did?”

  Freya’s mother stood up while a hand slipped into a pocket. Freya turned an eye to see her mother take out a small stack of coins and place them on the table.

  “Your inheritance.”

  Freya said and did nothing.

  “Never let anyone control you. You’re a Kilborn and remain that way.” And with that, she picked up her back pack and walked away, forever.

  Freya sat at the table, eyes staring at nothing. The young woman let out an annoyed sigh, stood up and picked up the small stack of coin. Placing it in her purse, she walked off to her room. Shedding her clothes and hugging her elven doll, the young woman slipped into bed and slept the most restful sleep she ever had in her life.

  The next day, Freya woke with the morning light. New energy flowed as the woman made her way to the kitchen and began cooking morning breakfast. The bottle of whiskey was still on the table. Freya took hold and drank as she scrambled eggs and cooked up bacon. She had her whole life ahead of her and she was ready to take it on.

  After a satisfying meal, the woman freshened up and planned out her day. She had a number of applications to mage colleges sitting on her desk. In the quiet morning she walked over and went over each one in turn. She looked at the paperwork for the major colleges including the Elemental and Druid ones. With little interest, she tossed them aside. There were a number of smaller mage colleges she could attend but felt they would not satisfy her thirst for knowledge. When she picked up the papers to the Shadow College, her interest was piqued. Reading about what they had to offer whispered new meaning to her otherwise blank future.

  Freya weighed her options but instead pushed the papers away. She still wanted to enjoy her freedom for a little while longer. Shelving the paperwork, the young woman went back to the whiskey bottle and drank her morning away.

  Morning turned to afternoon and Freya thought about what her mother said. Annoying emotions sloshed about in her drunken mind. Thinking back to the colleges, she remembered that she needed a familiar before she could attend. With an empty afternoon upon her, the young woman dressed and walked out the front door to a beautiful day.

  The cobbled streets held a haze as Freya walked. When she reached the ink shop, she clumsily p
ushed her way through the front door. A bell chimed as she stepped in. From a beaded curtain, a voluptuous woman in a witch hat stepped through and greeted Freya with a smile. The young woman instantly hated her when she saw the witch’s hour glass figure and tight leather pants and top.

  “Good afternoon. How can I help you?” The witch smiled.

  “I need a familiar.” Freya said with a bit of sarcasm in her tone.

  The ink witch moved to the shelf behind the counter and pulled down a big leather bound book. Opening it on the counter, delicate hands turned page after page of painted familiars with their abilities and histories.

  “Do you have anything in mind? Is there something that speaks to you on a deeper level? All familiars will be with you as you learn the arcane arts. They will contain your mana for spells, incantations and rituals.” The ink witch smiled.

  Freya looked at each page with half closed eyes. “I know what familiars are. Don’t speak to me like I’m some idiot off the street.”

  The ink witch kept her pleasant smile as she stood straighter and waited patiently. Freya turned pages, eyeing each familiar in turn. Nothing stood out and the alcohol only made her frustrated instead of relaxed. When Freya stopped turning pages and clenched her hands, the ink witch took hold of a number of pages and turned them toward the middle of the book.

  “Your aura speaks to me of wanting to know some of the darker aspects of the world. Have you applied to the Shadow College?”

  Freya said nothing as she looked down at the page before her. A dark elf stared back with red eyes and white hair. His body was thin but muscular with violet black skin. Freya couldn’t keep her eyes off the image before her.

  The ink witch noticed and smiled. “Dark elves are graceful and powerful. They are one of the few familiars that can cast spells. They are incredibly loyal and take direction well.”

  Freya gazed at the dark elf picture and made up her mind. “I will take him.”

  “Excellent choice. If you can take a seat, I….” The witch was cut off.

  “I want another one.” Freya demanded.

  “One should only ink one familiar at a time. The strain can be harmful to the body.” The witch said while trying to sound diplomatic.