Damien packed his spare tunic and pulled the drawstrings on his rucksack tight. Somehow he’d imagined he would have more than one night in his own bed before he went on another mission. He yawned and debated a nap, but dawn waited only a couple hours off and then he’d have to get going again. It wasn’t worth the fuzzy head he’d end up with. Times like this he wished he could wash the exhaustion away with soul force the way Jen did. Maybe he could order a cup of double-strength tea.

He looked around his room and sighed. It could be anyone’s room. It looked the same as it had the day Dale first brought him here. Nothing decorated the wall, no knickknacks sat on his desk or nightstand. This wasn’t home, it was just a place to sleep. Not that he got to do much of that either.

A knock on the door brought him out of his morose musings. He glanced at the door and it swung open. Jen stood outside, a tray of food in her hands. She’d traded her usual slashed, blue and silver uniform for a tunic and pants in mottled browns and greens. It looked similar to what Leah wore.

“Breakfast?” Jen asked.

Damien conjured a table and chairs. He sat and Jen joined him, setting a plate in front of him. His mouth watered when he smelled the eggs and roasted potatoes. She poured them each a mug of tea.

He shut the door and smiled. “And you said you didn’t know what to get me for my name day.”

She returned the smile and they ate in silence for a few minutes. When they’d cleaned their plates and only the tea remained Jen asked, “How are you holding up?”

“I could have used another couple days to rest, but I’m fine. You?”

“I imagined a day or two of peace and quiet with my brother when Karrie said she was throwing you a party. Investigating an earthquake caused by a group I’d never heard of didn't cross my mind.”

Damien sipped his tea, the caffeine already washing away some of his fatigue. “Well, it’s not the sort of thing that comes up often.”

She raised her cup in salute. “I’ll drink to that.”

“Karrie still wants me to marry her. She even asked to meet Lizzy and said she was willing to share me. Can you imagine?”

“No. How did you leave it?”

“Twisting in the wind. We were supposed to talk more after the party, but the earthquake saved me. Heaven’s mercy! I don’t know what to do. Lizzy says Karrie’s afraid the noble boys will take advantage of her and try to take over. She seems to trust me, probably because I don’t care about being in charge of anything. If it was just a matter of helping her I wouldn’t mind, but there are expectations I don’t want to deal with.”

“Expectations?”

“Yeah, family expectations, you know…heirs. Not to mention I’d have to spend my time sitting in the castle listening to nobles or merchants or whoever bitch about their problems. I couldn’t do that and stay sane.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to chase down rogue druids with you and try not to think about it.”

Jen shook her head. “The problem will still be here when you get back.”

“True, but every day I delay increases the chances Karrie will find someone that will actually be a good match for her. Of course it would help if she was actually looking for someone else.”

Damien sensed the soul force approaching a moment before the golden energy slid under his door and across the room to his nightstand. Letters formed. Throne room. Now.

Damien sighed. “It appears I’m wanted in the throne room.”

Jen gathered up their plates and her tray. “Go on. I’ll take care of this.”

“Thanks.”

He opened the door and found Salem waiting with a honey roll. She started and stepped back. “I thought you might be hungry.”

“Jen brought me breakfast, but I always have room for a roll. Thank you.” He accepted the snack and took a bite. “I’m headed for the throne room. Walk with me?”

“Okay.”

The living quarters were mostly cleaned up. They passed the errand boy Damien had talked to earlier picking up pieces of a broken lamp. He waved at Damien before returning to his chore. Damien found Salem smiling at him.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just you seem to make friends so easily. I’ve never had any before I met you.”

“No surprise considering where you came from. I trust you’re doing better here?”

“Oh, yes. I’ve been helping John tend to the injured. They’re all so happy to see a sorcerer coming to help. People really do look at us differently here.”

“Told you. Just wait, in a year or two you’ll have so many friends you won’t know what to do with them all.”

They reached the throne room and the archmage waved him over.

“Be careful,” Salem said.

“It may not be something dangerous.”

“If she wants you to do it I’m sure it’s dangerous.”

What could he say to that? He waved goodbye and went to join the archmage at the map table. “Master?”

“Imogen and Alden are in trouble and you’re the only sorcerer I can spare. I hate to send you out this close to your departure, but I’m out of options.”

“Of course. Where are they and what’s the problem?”

“They’re trapped in a slaughterhouse on Steak Street by some sort of demonic animals.”

“Like the wolves? It seems unlikely it’s a coincidence.”

“Agreed. Another reason I’m sending you is in the hopes that you’ll recognize the demonic energy. If it is the same I need to know.”

“Understood. I’ll be back soon.”

Damien marched out of the throne room and into the courtyard where he leapt into the sky. This was what he was meant to do. Fly out, find something evil, and kill it.

He flew high above the city and soon spotted the golden dome surrounding a stone building near the wall. That had to be Alden’s barrier.

He shot like an arrow straight at the target. When he reached the building a gap opened in the dome and he slipped through. He concentrated. There were five weak demonic energy sources surrounding Alden and Imogen. It felt the same as the wolves, but he wasn’t certain.

The trapped sorcerers were in the center of the building so he went to the western edge and blasted a hole in the roof. Capering like deranged imps in a children’s story, five twisted raccoons ran around a golden bubble. Every so often one of them paused and squirted something from its tail at the shield where it would smoke and eventually slide off onto the floor to pit the stone.

One of the creatures must have sensed him. It broke off and ran towards Damien. He tried to blast the ugly thing, but it dodged.

He frowned and a hand appeared. His construct grasped the creature and squeezed so hard its head popped off. Golden bubbles surrounded the remaining four monsters.

They tried to dissolve the traps with their acid, but he poured more soul force into the bubbles. A moment later he shrank them to a quarter of their starting size. The raccoons were reduced to puddles of black ooze.

Damien gathered the carcasses, including a sixth one he spotted near a dead cow, and incinerated them. Alden and Imogen descended to the floor, and the sphere and the barrier outside the building vanished.

“Excellent timing, Damien,” Alden said. The two men shook hands. “I don’t know how much longer we could have held out.”

Imogen walked a little ways away, ignoring him completely. Damien shook his head. “What happened?”

“We were tracking down a lead on the urn and Imogen sensed the monsters. We investigated and were overwhelmed.” Alden smiled. “You made it seem so easy.”

“I was expecting trouble. If they’d surprised me I’m sure it would have gone differently.”

“No it wouldn’t.” Imogen stared at him, arms crossed. “We do not require your pity.”

“And lucky for me I don’t require your gratitude.” Damien nodded to Alden. “Be careful.”

Damien flew up and out the hole he’d blasted in the roof. He had an hour or so before he had to leave. What more trouble could he get into?