Serrated Love's Deceit

Chapter 1: Meet the Team

It is my first day at the job and I am a low level mage. Yet, I am trusted to "watch the herb shop" until the other advanced mages return. My hair is typically flat ironed and put into off-black space buns with two strands dangling in my face, but I was in the mood for two curly puff ponytails and two plaited strands dangling in my face these couple weeks. Hopefully, I don't get any complaints about it. The only order they left me with is ": Don't touch anything!" How am I supposed to watch something and not touch anything? My twenty-nine year old self says: touch nothing. ...but the catlike curiosity in me says: I wonder what will happen if I touch the contents in this glass showcase. My unevenly brown hand touches the glass and as I reach the clasp to open it I hear a deep voice say ": I wouldn't do that if I were you." My big, dark brown eyes widen and I look up.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice you come in. Have you found what you are looking for?"

"No, not really. Nothing in this shop suits my tastes. Well there is one...but I don't think you'll be interested in my wager."

I looked at the burgundy hooded figure quizzically. He was slender and tall. His hands were lean, long and tan brown. "Who are you and why are you sneaking around?" I ask. "Ugh! Now, you sound like that old woman over this place. Why do you both ask so many questions?" He asked.

"It's better to know."

"Is it? Or do you end up maddened with so much knowledge at your fingertips. My name is Baran by the way. What's your name?"

"My name is Ash."

"Interesting."

"Are you crazed by the knowledge you hold?"

"I wouldn't say so. I know how to throw away the bits I don't need. I can tell by the color of your blue robe that you're an average level mage. Let me guess. You recently graduated from mage college but didn't seek mastery. They typically throw mages like that in this shop for training in hopes they get inspired to become more."

"You sound as if you speak from experience."

"I've known some mages that worked here."

"Where are they now?"

"Dead... I wouldn't work here. The criteria to get in is at least a low level degree and I have none. I'm a self taught mage. I handle chaos."

"You wield chaos?"

"Well, that's another way to see it. I guess you can say that."

"What did you do with the mages that used to work here? I mean... You know... Uh. When they were alive?"

"Is that a loaded question? Are you daring me, Ash? Do you want me to take you on a date?"

He pulls his hood off his head to reveal brown eyes with thick off-black eyebrows and a low cut. He looks down at me and narrows his eyes. Before I registered his movements, he walks behind the glass shelf and closes the distance between us. I find myself staring up at him for some reason. What is this feeling I am experiencing? Is it excitement or foreboding? I do not know but I am going to find out.

"I don't do dates and I am too old for a boyfriend so..."

"Wow! Straight to the point. So, what do you want me to do? Propose? I would if that's what you want."

"You'll say anything to get me in your bed, right?"

He chuckles. "Is it working?"

"No." I laugh.

He slowly reaches toward my face. I turn away.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting this book on the shelf behind you. Tell the old lady I'm borrowing it."

"You can't do that." I reach for the big red textbook in his hand and he places it above his head.

"Hey, that's not fair you're using your height against me."

"In street battles, it doesn't matter how you won. It only matters that you won."

"What an honorable gentleman you are?"

"Well, I don't claim to be those things so I don't care if I live up to them or not."

I gasp. " Wow!"

"I like you. I hope I see you again, Ash." He darts out of the shop past the mages coming back from an hour lunch break. Sam and Tom ripped their hoods off their violet cloaks. "Did you just let Baran rob the shop?" They ask in unison.

"You told me not to touch anything. I would've had to touch the item to get it back. See?"

"Cute, pulling technicalities to move in your favor. I don't think Ms. Dean will be seeing your rule bending as cute though." Tom says.

Well, isn't this terrific I'm probably going to get fired on my first day at work. Can't get much pay for that but I'm not mad, it was boring anyway.

~30 Minutes Later~

Ms. Dean's heels can be heard clacking down the cement floor hallway before the herb shop.
I look down when she enters the shop. Sam and Tom continue tidying the shop and looking through item logs. She clears her throat. "Ash, I see you met the nuisance that haunts this shop. Don't worry you're not fired." She says. She rakes through her straight greying blonde bob-cut hair. "If I was annoying like that boy, where would I put a book that helps you track witches? Come on Ash help me brainstorm."

"Uh. He said he's just borrowing it. I think he's going to bring it back."

She shifted her weight on her other leg and started tapping her heel on the carpeted floor. She momentarily scrunched her grey eyebrows together and released and exasperated breath. Tom and Sam stopped moving and looked at me. "You think Baran gives us the stuff that he takes back?" They say in unison. "Boys get back to work. Ash I know you're new here but don't let Baran fool you. He doesn't return what he steals. He just hides it and we always have to go on a scavenger hunt to find it. Next time the nuisance returns call me immediately. I am going to tell him what's what one of these days. That little rascal. Ugh! I can't keep being reminded of him, right now. Go home Ash. I have to make some calls." Sam and Tom's faces slumped a bit. I guess they are going to be there all night.