Chapter 14 Sage
Sage
Sage, after bespelling his gorgon regular’s newest set of hair ties so they muzzled their head of snakes, walked down the sidewalk to his car.
It was a sunny day, and the weather was just on the cusp of summer’s scorching heat.
The large planters the city put out everywhere for tourist season were overflowing with tulips, primroses, and daffodils, although they would soon be replanted with proper summer flowers.
Sage got into his car and pulled out his phone. He opened a chat, then thought better of it and called Peter. Explaining himself verbally seemed challenging enough.
“Sage. Did you make another cat run off? If so, I’m still not available to help you recapture them.”
“I asked you that one time when I was fourteen, and I’m not calling about that. I have an ethical question.” Sage drummed his fingers against the steering wheel in frustration.
“Oh, excellent. Ethical questions are my specialty.”
Sage gripped the steering wheel tightly.
He wanted to drive, but that seemed ill-advised while he was on the phone with Peter, so he stayed where he was.
Everyone else on the street looked like they didn’t have a care in the world, and Sage could feel that unburdened happiness stirring inside of himself as well, all because of one lone witch wolf.
“Hmm…”
“Well? What ethical issues does a witch like yourself run into? Or do you want me to suggest a few things?”
“It’s about Will.”
“Have you turned the pup into a toad?”
“No! Why would I do that?”
“Because you said you are having ethical problems, and I assumed they were about how to justify shapeshifting a shapeshifter into a shape the shifter doesn’t shift to.”
Sage rolled his eyes. “Peter, don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you need to eat someone.”
“I’m quite capable of managing my own blood drinking, thank you very much. How’s your beard?”
“I just forget to shave sometimes! Gods, Peter. I think I accidentally started a thing with Will, but I kind of like it and I really don’t want to stop having a thing with Will.”
“Oh. That is the ethical issue?”
“Yeah, that’s the ethical issue. I’m supposed to be teaching him, and also…I’m guessing you met those loups-garous he mentioned to me?”
“Briefly.”
Peter sounded like a glacier incarnate. Regardless, it was good to know those loups-garous had met their…Peter.
“You see why this is something I’m struggling with, then.”
“Actually, no. Among the more idiosyncratic habits of witches is that funny one where they foster out apprentices with the specific intent of merging families, so getting it on with an apprentice is actually a common witch thing. And if you want my opinion, it’s far less disturbing than the vampire stake-making to prove you’re a real witch.
Although it was nice how yours glowed in the dark. So easy to evade.”
“Can you stop dissing Glowstick, and also, the fostering out of future witch brides isn’t really done anymore because it’s backwards, and…
just plain yucky. Plus, as far as I know, the witch brides of the past knew they were supposed to be witch brides.
Which is not what this is. Godsdamn, I just don’t want to take advantage of Will. ”
“Well, if you aren’t taking any steps to adjust his temperament, you are certainly spoiling the pup.”
“Will’s temperament is fine, Peter.”
“He lacks the average pack member’s instinct to follow an alpha without getting overly contrary and downright disobedient.
Hmm. Also not a desirable character trait in a witch bride, if I remember correctly.
I once met one called Octavius, and he killed his teacher with his vampire stake.
Very much not the recommended use for it; a total break with tradition, you could say.
He changed his name, went into hiding, and established a Christmas tree farm. ”
“Peter, no one sends their children off to become witch brides anymore. Can you please just tell me if I’m being an exploitative asshole here? Fuck. I’m not sure Will always knows what’s best for him, you know? So I have to know, and that’s a really high level of knowing stuff.”
“Wolf shifters are excellent at trusting their wolf’s gut, especially around the full moon. It was the full moon yesterday, wasn’t it?”
Apparently, even a vampire was better at keeping track of the phases of the moon than Sage was. He released the steering wheel from his iron grip.
I didn’t know that thing about shifters and their wolves. Because I still haven’t gotten around to digging that damn book out and reading it. It’s high time I do.
“You’re saying if he wants to be close to me around this time, that’s a good indicator that he doesn’t feel mistreated?”
“It’s how being a werewolf works, yes. A witch of your skill ought to know these things, Sage.”
“Oh, fuck you. I’m not an ancient vampire who can’t admit he needs to drain a coed or something.” Sage cleared his throat. “Look, I think Will got really hurt, and I only know a little, but he’s not okay. He’s trying to be, but I don’t think he is.”
“Would you prefer him to be fine and more responsive to your needs? And for your information, I do not drain coeds. But I might head to the University Library and see whether I can run into any interesting humans there.”
Sage hoped Peter wasn’t infatuated with some college kid. He wasn’t sure how he would handle Peter liking a college student, but it really was beside the point.
“I want him just the way he is, Peter, I just don’t want him hurting. And I don’t want to hurt him.”
“Then I suggest you don’t, which is my advice as your friendly neighborhood ethics specialist. Now go find your cat, Sage.”
Sage pinched the bridge of his nose. “I did not lose a cat. And to be clear, Will isn’t some witch bride, and even if he decides he needs something else in the relationship department, I’ll teach him what I know in the magic department.”
“Yes, that seems ethically sound as well, although why you are telling me and not the pup is, frankly, befuddling. May I go and add special ethics to my résumé now?”
“Just go eat someone, Peter.” Sage ended the call. “Well that cleared up exactly nothing,” he said to his abused steering wheel, then he finally headed back to the house.
Since Peter had been exceedingly unhelpful, Sage decided he was going to let things move slowly. Will needed it, even if he didn’t seem to know it, and maybe Sage needed it too.
Will insisted on cooking unless Sage put his foot down, and he was getting so good with his menial spells that most of the cleaning around the house got done more and more precisely and thoroughly.
I did all of that too when Granny really started training me. Only I never enjoyed having to do all the chores. Will does. And when I’m not out working, he always tries to be where I am. It’s probably a shifter thing.
When Sage came home after his talk with Peter, he considered what he could do to show Will that he was getting better, that he’d soon be able to do more.
As soon as he opened the door and stepped inside, Will came up to him.
“Hi.”
The smile he gave Sage was tentative, but so very precious. Sage tossed his keys into a little bowl shaped like a strawberry.
“Hey. I’ve been thinking about how much you’re improving.”
Will came closer, and Sage saw him sniffle. Or is he…? No, he can’t be smelling me. Probably just some dust. I showered. I think I smell all right.
“Do you really think so?”
“Yup. Sure do. So what do you think about trying something new?”
Will rubbed his hands together and shuffled back two steps. “Okay. I can handle it.”
The smile he gave Sage this time was an uncertain one.
“Cool. Let’s head to the kitchen.”
Will took the lead, and Sage used the opportunity to sniff his own armpits. I’m fine. He definitely didn’t smell me then. Fuck, I’m getting paranoid now.
Will stopped by the sink and turned around, looking at Sage with wide, curious eyes.
“What do you want me to do?”
Sage squatted in front of one of the bottom cabinets and pulled it open. The bowl was at the very back. It was large and shallow, and not at all a kitchen utensil. He picked it up and put it on the table.
“Granny liked to go out to the pond and fill it there, but I think it scares the fish. Can you grab the watering can from the living room and fill this?”
Will nodded, and off he went to get the can. Sage, meanwhile, went through the kitchen cabinet that held sugar, salt, peppercorns, and vanilla extract. There was a big box of loose tea leaves in there. Sage had never drunk it.
It’s ancient. Lost all its flavor, probably. The last time I used this, Gran was still around.
Sage patted the box, and when he heard water splashing into the bowl he turned to watch Will finish pouring.
“More?”
Sage pulled up a chair. “Nah, looks good. Put the can down and sit.”
“Okay. Is that tea?”
“Really old tea.” Sage opened the box and sprinkled the dried leaves into the water. There was still a lot of tea left, but he wondered what he’d do once he ran out, what he’d do once the tea his gran had bought was gone.
“Are we going to make the water boil to make tea?”
Sage closed the box back up. “Better. You’ve heard about tea leaf reading, right? The human superstition about fortune telling?”
“I think so.”
“Right. What we’re going to do is called tea leaf casting.
Basically, it trains your brain to make up spells on the spot.
The aim is to make the tea leaves take a shape, but we’re going to keep the spell going between us, meaning you have to pick it up from where I stop so the leaves move smoothly. Got it?”
Will narrowed his eyes at the bowl. “I think so. I have to keep the verses going, make the rhymes.”
“Pretty much, yeah. And you have to build the spell around your intent, of course. Do you want to start? Or I can go first.”
Will nodded. “I’ll try. It’s like cleaning the mirrors. I can do that.”
Nice. I was never this eager to try this. “Go right ahead, then.”
Will leaned forward in his seat and looked at the tea leaves on the water’s surface. After a moment of concentration, he began:
“Bubble, leaves, and turn the water
In this bowl of glass.
Supple mane and large hindquarter,
Leaves, become an ass.”
In front of Sage’s eyes, the tea leaves shaped themselves into a donkey with a flowing mane. He had to suppress a giggle before starting his own spell.
“Ass and mane and hoof,
Lack gentleness of wing and flight.
Lack living in a tree’s tall roof;
I command you, leaves, become a kite.”
The leaves in the water turned into a winged kite suspended in flight. Will focused his magic on the bowl once more.
“Kite in the water, sprites of the air,
Shift the leaves in the bowl’s round.
Turn fast like a hunted hare,
And take the form of a hunting hound.”
The bird easily shifted into a long-legged hunting dog on the steady stream of magic. Sage picked up the spell.
“Hounds in the meadows, beasts in the sea,
Are different as the rose and thorn.
I summon thee from leaves of tea,
Birth from the bowl a unicorn.”
The horned horse appeared in the bowl, and when Will picked it up this time around, Sage could tell he was struggling.
“Unicorns have mighty horns…uhm. Fuck, you win.”
“Unicorns have mighty horns, really?”
Will shrugged. “You surprised me. I thought we were doing all real animals.”
“Who says unicorns aren’t real?” Sage dipped his index finger into the tea bowl and stirred the perfect tea leaf image of the unicorn until only a maelstrom of tea remained.
“You did really well. I think you have a knack for this.” Sage considered all the work Will had been putting in.
It was time to let him do more. “Hey, you want to tag along next time I have a job?”
Will straightened in his chair. “Are you sure?”
The excitement in Will’s eyes immediately made Sage feel bad.
The only times Will had really gone out had been to go shopping with Sage, and shopping trips happened far less regularly now, given that Will remembered what they actually needed, and they’d get it all done in one go.
Sage hadn’t run out of sugar once since Will had moved in with him, and that was novel.
“Sure I’m sure. Also, it’s not like you have to stay in the house all the time to begin with. You can go out.”
Will shrugged. “I like the house. But I’m looking forward to seeing you work.”
Honestly, so am I.