The Mage Paradox [BOOK THREE]

Chapter 9: Deadly Thorns

"Oh, you are back I see," Gusion said.

Octo said nothing but continued to eye all of them.

"So..." Angela started, breaking the tension. "Since we were telling our stories to Harley," she gave a tiny cough. "You, so why you share with us your story?"

Octo scowled. "No."

Angela raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter further.

"You just got back?" Grock asked, changing the subject.

Octo shifted his purple eyes to the giant lizard and his scowl vanished. 

"Yes."

"And what were you doing?" Grock asked.

"The usual." Octo shrugged.

"Mind telling?"

"No," Octo pushed open the door of their room and disappeared from view. Harley took it as his cue to be excused.

He followed his other self along the corridors, Octo who noticed, didn't mind, and just continued to walk. Harley recognized where they were going; to his other self's room.

Octo opened the door and left it open for Harley to enter.

The mage shut the door with a click and turned to Octo. He stared back blankly.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Harley shifted his gaze to the wardrobe which he knew was full of knives. And it seemed as if his other self just read his mind because he said: "You wanna see inside the wardrobe?"

Harley shook his head. "No."

"It's just knives."

"I know."

"Then why hesitate?"

"I-I'm not hesitating-"

Harley looked at his other self who narrowed his eyes. But his answer was still no.

Octo chortled, arms folded. "I'm not gonna kill you, you know. Because you're me."

"Well, that's not the reason why I don't want to see the knives."

"Don't insult my intelligence."

"I'm only insulting my intelligence if I lie to myself."

Octo stifled a snort with difficultly.

"Whatever, now sleep."

Harley blinked twice, baffled. "Sleep?"

"Yes, it's night, now sleep." Octo pushed Harley to his bed.

Harley knocked his shin on the edge of the bed, and h got up, howling in pain. Octo laughed seeing Harley hop on the spot in pain. After a few moments, Octo jabbed his staff and Harley's feet left the ground and he landed on the bed.

"Where are you gonna sleep?"

Octo responded by waving his wand and another bed appeared. at the other end of the room. He hopped onto his bed and with a lazy flick of his wrist, he removed his armor, which landed with a poof beside the bed.

Harley's eyes still watered as his shin burned with pain until he realized he should just heal himself and be done with it.

He lay on Octo's bed for a few minutes with his eyes closed. He couldn't sleep. Not when troubling thoughts went about in his mind.

He thoughts about his friends, his mother whom he never met, his father whom he never saw these days, and his own sister. Harley always had a knack for trying to get himself killed, or into deep trouble.