Hidden Magic

Chapter Nineteen

"No!" Rebecca slides in front of me, blocking Ezekiel's path towards me. "I don't know what you did to her, and I don't care, she doesn't want to see you, so you need to go away." I hadn't gotten the chance to know Rebecca very much apart from today, but I was beginning to see how much of a friend she was, the fact that she so easily and determinedly, tried to keep someone away from me that I didn't want to speak to, was a valuable trait in a friend.

"It's okay, Rebecca. He didn't do anything to me, I'm just embarrassed." She glances back at me hesitantly as if unsure if she should believe me. "It's fine, I'll speak to him. You guys go get a table, I'll meet up with you in a bit." Rebecca still looks hesitant to leave me alone with him, but Ariel takes control of the situation, by grabbing Rebecca's arm and slowly moving her away to an empty table in the tavern, conveniently located in a place where they can watch my every move with Ezekiel.

I was grateful in a way, that they trusted me enough to take me at my word, but they didn't trust leaving him alone with me. They weren't spying on me by watching us, merely watching to make sure he didn't do anything unsavory. "Did I injure you in the duel? You were doing so well, I don't know how the shadow caught you so off guard, you should have been able to repel it easily, I apologize if I injured you, that wasn't my intention. I just got so carried away with the challenge, the challenge you presented me, a first year, almost beating me, it was refreshing." I give him a small hesitant smile, feeling like it probably looked more awkward and strained than I intended it to be, I probably made him think he gravely offended me, instead of the embarrassment I felt towards losing, from my own element as well.

"I'm fine, you didn't hurt me. Your move just caught me by surprise is all, I just wasn't expecting shadow to be used against me. Truly I am fine, just embarrassed to have fumbled and fell to the ground like that." He looks at me with skepticism but nods his acquiesce.

"Alright, I'm not sure that is the full truth, but if that is all that you're comfortable telling me, I accept that answer. As long as I didn't hurt you, I can accept that as your answer." He dips his head gallantly to me, surprising me completely, considering the fact that even though he realizes I must not be telling him the full truth, he accepts that that is all I am willing to tell him.

"Hey, Zeke! Did you find the girl you were shouting at, or did you harass another poor stranger?" Ezekiel's cheeks tint pink with a blush as two men who I believe must be his friends with the way they were talking to him, come sauntering over, looking more than a little drunk.

"Yes, Ryker, this is the girl I've been trying to speak to. Karinna this is Ryker Syr and Thane Dark." Ryker was large, both in muscle mass and height, with brown hair, tan skin, and dark orange eyes, that I thought looked kind, but might just be the alcohol softening them. Thane on the other hand was even skinnier than Ezekiel, but he wasn't weak by any means, I could see the defined muscles of his arms revealed by his short sleeve shirt, he was just as athletic as Ezekiel, though he was pale, with ice blue eyes and long white hair secured in a low ponytail.

"We're his friends, we're lucky you showed up or else he might have had us drinking the whole weekend away with him in order to cheer him up." Ezekiel elbows Ryker to no avail because all it does is make him give Ezekiel a disgruntled look before looking back to me with a happy drunk expression, I wasn't sure if he would remember any of this conversation later on.

"You're really beautiful, I can see why Ezekiel has been talking about you for days." I choked on a laugh as Thane stares at me with wide eyes, and Ezekiel just groans, slumping his head down in defeat against trying to restrain his drunk friends.

"Thank you, you're very beautiful yourself, Thane." He nods his head in agreement, but then pauses to gag, I take a hesitant step back, as the rapid head movement must have triggered his nausea from all the drinking.