Magic

Chapter 7 - The Story of a Sorcerer

The pulsating ache and vibrating buzz in my head wake me from my nap. I don't feel better or rested. In fact, I feel worse. Along with my throbbing head, my body is sore and my stomach is turning. I want to get up, but the thought of moving make me nauseous. I start to open my eyes, but the pounding worsens. I need more time, so I lay still waiting for the pain to subside.

I can tell Marcus is no longer sitting with me, in fact, I'm not sitting at all. Judging by my position, and the plush surface, I'm on a bed, curled in the fetal position. After all that's happened, I don't particularly like being alone. I wish Marcus was laying next to me.

The faint sound of a door opening breaks through the ringing in my ears. I can hear foot steps tiptoeing across the wood floor and the soft screech of someone sitting on the leather couch. Mumbled greetings make me aware of someone else in the room. I instantly know one of those mumbles is Marcus.

"How is she?" a voice asks softly.

There is silence for a long minute. I can feel a pair of eyes staring at me. "Still sleeping," Marcus answers. The sound of his voice is calming, even though it's soaked with worry. "She should be awake by now. Alex, why isn't she awake?"

"A lot of powerful Magic was used on her." Alex says calmly. "Combine that with the information overload and it's no surprise she's still asleep. She'll wake soon enough."

"You're right. I know you're right." His reply isn't convincing.

Alex notices as well. "Ok, spill it little brother. What's really going on in that head of yours?"

I can feel his eyes on me again as he hesitates to answer. "What if she leaves me? What if this world is just too much for her?"

"You worry too much," Alex chuckles and I agree. There's a pause before Alex lets out a sigh, "She loves you. She fell asleep in your arms. If she wasn't ok with our world, I think she would've all ready run away, screaming."

"Like Lucas." They both share a laugh at Lucas' expense then Marcus goes back to serious. "I love her more than I thought possible. She's my whole world. Losing her would be like losing a part of me. That beauty laying in my bed is my future. I'll be crushed if she walks away."

"Just a little dramatic, don't you think?" Alex teases.

There's shuffling, like Marcus has started pacing. "You know what I was like before my last ascension, before her. I was in a very dark place, feared by a lot of people, including my own family." I don't need to see Alex to know there's a look of guilt on his face. "That ascension changed me and it happened because of her. I don't want to go back to that dark place, Alex."

"Ok," Alex says slowly. There's silence as Alex tries to find the right words. "Say she does leave, and I'm not saying she will, but if she does, who's to say you won't move on like a normal person?"

"Her name is tattooed across my heart, Alex." Whoa, what? That's a rather intimate detail he forgot to share. "I've been permanently, Magically branded. I won't be able to look at it without thinking of her. I can't move on from that."

I listen as Marcus plops himself back down, then the two of them sit in silence. It's killing me not being able to comfort him, or even speak to him right now. Even with the silence I can tell there's more on his mind. After a few minutes, Marcus breaks his silence.

"It has to mean something, right? The tattoo, I mean" There's a hint of sadness that tears at my heart a little. "It wouldn't have appeared if we weren't meant to be together, right?"

"I'm sure it does," Alex assures. This time I feel Alex staring at me. "Does she know yet?"

Marcus sighs. "Not yet. We didn't get that far before Nathan showed up, then sleep took over. When she wakes, we'll talk. And then I'm sure she'll freak out, tell me we're over and never speak to me again. She'll probably move back to New York."