As he moved closer and put an arm around Corissa and Nevin, Lucan said, “If you desire any refreshment, just ring for a servant. Nevin, you may have lodging here in the castle as long as you want, if that suits your plans. It is a small reward for all you have done.” Facing Corissa, he added, “My dear, we have talked enough for today. Get some rest and we will resume after court petitions tomorrow.” He leaned over and kissed Corissa lightly on the cheek and left the room.
The silence was instantly awkward between the two of them, both still standing. Corissa immediately tried to ease the tension by saying, “Would you like something to eat or drink, Nevin? Fruit, perhaps? Or something sweet?”
“No, that’s okay, Corissa. Um…It is nice to see you again. Lucan is a nice guy…Oh! I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I know he is a king and all that. He seems a lot more relaxed, and grateful, about all we went through. That was quite an adventure, wasn’t it.”
“Yes, and yes,” Corissa answered. She took a breath and suggested they both sit down. “Nevin, we need to talk about something.
“OK. Shoot.”
“Let us be blunt with each other, Nevin. I know we have an uncertain attraction between us. Well, maybe it is not so uncertain. What I mean to say is, I would like you to stay in Antrim and for us to be friends. If you seek more than friendship from me, I cannot feel that way in return without much thinking and time. I need time to do my duty for Lucan and Antrim. I need to resolve my anger and sadness over my husband’s death. But—I have learned from our adventure that I should move on with my life, not stay fixed on events past. We have a started a new age here and I want to see where that takes me and you. Do you understand?”
“Sure. I guess so. I get it. If you have something going with the King, I don’t want to interfere.”
“Oh, Nevin!” said Corissa, exasperated. “Is there such a thing as a stupid sage! Lucan is my liege, not a lover. He is happily married and I do not serve him in that way. Go, now. Before I forswear what I have told you.”
Corissa pointed at the door and Nevin demurely waved goodbye, adding, “Yeah, I’d better go. I need to check in with Anson, anyway. See you, probably…” Nevin quickly backed out, but his relief at ending the awkward moment was accented by the crash of crockery against the door.
* * *
The mage and sage sat at the table in the hut outside Huxley where they made their deliverance from Hempstead. Anson spoke, “Here we are, though this little “library” is far more modest than the one you left behind. Can you really give that up and all the other wonders to stay here?”
“Yes.” Nevin did not see any need to embellish his decision.
“That is good news,” Anson responded with a smile. “I have been thinking about a place for you. You can reside in this hut and we can ask the locals to add another building beside it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you were a professor once, and that is a kind of teacher as I recall. We have a need for a teacher such as you, Nevin. Let us build an Academy of the Alliance right here. We can train others to care for the sick and serve the towns and villages in Antrim using the art of magery and your sciences.”
“I don’t know, Anson. Seems a little far-fetched, doesn’t it?”
“Can you see any better way to study the relationship between spellwork and science?”
Nevin stared a moment at this question, then laughed hard. “The Academy for the Alliance, it is!”
End of Book 2
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