“So wha kind of metal should I be using on tah boys weapons?” Devin asked Marcy.

  “I leave it up to your best judgment. I will settle whatever bill you have ter.” Marcy said.

  “Giv’n that you didn’t mention one type or the other makes me think he has some magic. Would I be right ‘bout that?”

  “Go ahead and test him,” She shrugged. “I can feel some, but I can’t tell how much he has. Bear in mind it isn’t even unlocked for him yet. My daughter is going to attempt it as soon as I can teach her how.”

  The news about me having magic was a bit surprising. “Wait, I will be able to use magic?”

  “Yes, as long as tah ss here don break your core dat is.” Devin said gruffly to me before turning back to Marcy. “You really think it’s smart to have an untrained person do this?”

  “I think it’s the only choice I am going to give her. She will either succeed or cripple him. It is all up to her and no one else.” I looked at Victoria as her mom spoke. The fear was evident on her face.

  Quickly putting the weapons on the table, I grabbed both of her hands and squeezed them. Whispering, “I trust you,” as her eyes lifted to meet mine.

  She released my hands, throwing them around my neck and pulling us together. Her kiss nding on the side of my neck. Not really knowing what to do, I wrapped my arms around her waist. Holding her up as she did whatever she wanted.

  “She really is like you, ain’t she.” Came Devin from behind me.

  “You have no idea.” She replied before she lowered her voice, and they stepped away. My focus stayed on the girl sucking at my neck.

  “You're going to leave a hell of a hicky if you keep doing that,” I said in a low voice to her.

  With a soft pop, she released the kiss. Tilting her head back just enough to look me in the eyes. “What makes you think I don’t want to? Maybe I want to mark you as mine for all to see.”

  “Are you sure? Because you can still change this.” Or at least I hoped so. I didn’t want her to be stuck with me. Even if I was fairly sure that I had feelings for her. Feelings I hadn’t noticed until they were forced to the forefront of my mind. Hell, I would even defend her against my parents. Even if my parents threatened to go all out on me, I would not back down.

  “Yes, I am sure. I have been sure since before high school, you idiot.” She said as one of her thumbs rubbed the back of my neck, sending shivers down my back.

  The timing had me curious about something. “Is that why you started to feed me food and demanded I do the same?”

  Her face went beet red as she said, “Maybe. Now stop with offering to help me break the bond. It isn’t going to happen. Ever. You are mine forever.” Before I could protest, her arms pulled hard on my neck. Lifting her up as much as pulling me down until her lips met mine.

  At first, the kiss was tentative. Just small pecks as she felt for my reaction. I was the one to pull her closer, strengthening the kiss until our lips were smashed together. Her tongue fighting against mine as the world around us faded to nothing. At that moment, the world did not exist. It was only her and I as we both released the emotions we had been bottling up. Emotions that had been simmering beneath the surface for so long I had forgotten they were there until this moment.

  A soft cough behind me startled us both out of the moment. Breaking the kiss, I turned my head to look at the person. Her mom was standing there with a small grin on her face. Devin standing next to her, trying to look everywhere but at the two of us.

  Quickly letting Victoria go, we turned to face them. “I need tah get some measurements before you can go. The weapons should be done in a fortnight.” Devin gestured for us to follow him to a small room off at the side of the structure.

  Victoria wove her fingers through mine as we walked. Holding us close until finally letting me go as we entered the small room. Various devices and things covered the walls and tables.

  Devin gestured to a small board covered in lines and glyphs that sat on the table nearest us. “This is a device tah measure how much mana your body can store as well as how much you can use at any given time.” He spoke a bit slower, his enunciation improving even through his accent. “Pce both your hands on the indicated sections.”

  Walking forward, I pced my hands where there were small, inked hands drawn on the board. He gently moved each finger until they met one or more of the lines. As soon as he let go of the st one, the entire board lit up in a green-blue light. The light faded to a dull blue color after a second.

  I watched a small stream of green flow down the lines from my hand. The blue being completely repced as it passed. When the green stopped, it had reached the fourth symbol on one side. “Decent amount of mana for a human, and, as you said, no ability tah use it yet. Now, hold on tah this for a sec.”

  Devin tossed a gss-looking orb, the size of my head, at me. I caught it in both hands. The room was bathed in a series of colors. “Why did you toss this at me? What if I dropped it?”

  He ignored me as he said, “Some ability with water and earth, moderate with wind, no real affinity for fire. Ooh, he has some light affinity as well. You're goin’ tah have tah watch dat Marcy.”

  “Agreed.” Was her simple reply before gesturing for me to put the ball onto the table. Carefully pcing it in the center, the light all disappeared as I let it go. Devin didn’t seem to notice or care as he handed me a piece of metal the size of a handle.

  “Squeeze this a little bit fo’ me.” Taking the metal, I found that it was soft and pliable. Squeezing it left an impression of my grip. Carefully taking it, he pced it to the side before handing me a series of other metals and asking me what I felt from each. While some felt like normal metal, others gave me the impression of impending doom. One, however, gave me the feeling of peace and serenity.

  Both he and Marcy scoffed when I told them that. It was Marcy who said anything to me about it though. “Figures you would find that metal suitable.”

  “Don’ yah worry, Marcy. I won’t be usin dat accursed metal. Just figured I should test it.” With all the measuring done, he shooed us away. “Come get them in a fortnight.”

  As we walked out of the area, I turned to Victoria and asked, “How long is a fortnight anyway?”

  Both she and Marcy burst out ughing. Only finally answering me as they tried to catch their breaths against a nearby wall. “Two weeks. Did you not learn anything from history or English css? Shakespeare’s pys are littered with the word.”