Tess’s features changed from anger to coy seductiveness. She lowered her head slightly and batted her eyes at me in an overtly sexual manner. “I know you’re my Boss, Rafe. Haven’t I pleased you? Haven’t I done everything you’ve asked of me?”
“Yeah, right. Don’t be trying to sway me with your feminine wiles. You stink of wyvern piss.” I said it coldly, but after nearly six months together, she knew me far better than anyone else in my entire life.
“If you’ll hold Bruno for a minute, I’ll fix that.”
“Bruno? You’ve already come up with a name for it?” I asked in surprise.
“Doesn’t he seem like a Bruno to you?”
The wyvern growled and shook its small head.
“Ow! Would you stop that before I make you?” Tess asked it.
It stopped shaking its head, but it didn’t release her finger.
“I thought your spell would stop anything from damaging these leathers,” Tess said.
I looked closer and saw blood seeping along the edges of the beast’s mouth.
I shrugged. “Some creature’s natural magic can defeat some spells. Remember what the dragon did to my pants?”
“He’s hardly a dragon,” Tess said as the wyvern growled again. Tess winced. “You know, I think he understands us.”
“Why would he understand English?” I asked.
“How should I know? You’re the mentor; I’m just the lowly, female, apprentice, still trying to learn my way in your masculine world.” She batted her eyes again.
“Oh, brother.”
“Are you going to hold him or not? I’d really like to get this urine off me.”
“What makes you think I won’t open a portal and toss him through it?” I asked.
“Because you don’t like to piss me off,” Tess said.
She had me there. Having a female apprentice rather than the usual male had its ups and downs. I did find myself increasingly willing to accommodate her requests, be they for a particular instruction in the ways of Wanderers or for something a little more carnal. Walt seriously didn’t know how nice he had had it.
“Okay, hand it over,” I said.
She held it toward me. The damn thing rolled its eyes in my direction and growled. I got a couple of fingers behind its neck and tried not to squeeze too tight. Tess released her hold on its neck, but it still had its teeth sunk into her finger.
Taking her free hand, she stroked the top of its head. Its gaze switched back to her. “Come on now, Bruno, let go of my finger. Rafe won’t hurt you.”
The damn little thing looked at me again and growled.
“Tell him you won’t hurt him, Rafe.”
“I’m not making any promises. If it bites me like that I’ll snap its neck,” I threatened while meeting the wyvern’s stare.
It growled again.
Tess poked me in the stomach. “Rafe, be nice.”
Reluctantly, I said, “All right. I won’t hurt it.”
“See, Rafe was just playing with you, Bruno. He’s a nice man,” Tess said stroking the beast’s head again.
The damn thing opened its mouth and licked Tess’s blood from its lips.
“Thank you. I knew you understood me,” Tess said.
She triggered her healing tat and the blood stopped flowing.
The wyvern licked her finger again, removing the rest of her blood from the leather.
While Tess used a technique I’d taught her a couple months back to remove chemicals and scents from her body, I turned the wyvern and held it at arm’s length so it couldn’t repeat its misbehavior on me.
It took Tess a minute to freeze the urine and whatever else had attached itself to her. A breeze arose as she summoned the wind to remove the particles.
The breeze moved her hair around her face, making her, if possible, even more attractive. I felt a stupid smile creeping across my face.
She killed the breeze and fished a protein bar from a jacket pocket. Tearing the paper back, she broke off a piece and held it out toward the wyvern.
The little beast grasped at the food with the claws on the first joint of its wings. Because of my grip on its neck, it couldn’t quite reach the morsel with its teeth. I shifted my grip to behind its wings and the wyvern snapped the bite into its mouth, chewed rapidly, and swallowed.
“So, you had to have a pet.” The voice surprised us.
All four of us turned to the newcomer.
“Hello, Verðandi. This is a pleasant surprise,” Tess said.
“Yes, Verðandi, this is a surprise. What brings you to us? More trouble?” I asked.
“Rafe,” Tess said in a manner that told me she was surprised by the tone in my own voice.
“I’m afraid that I’ve given Rafe every reason to believe I don’t see him unless there’s trouble.” Verðandi said. “I sometimes wished that things could be different, but my actions are not always my own. I have obligations just like you two.”
“We understand, Verðandi. What can we do to help?” Tess asked.
I started to say something, but bit my tongue and kept quiet. Verðandi didn’t have to explain herself to me. Not that she ever did, but I served her and was willing to let her have her mysteries.
“Another Wanderer has been chosen. You need to get to him,” Verðandi said.
“What?” I exclaimed.
“Another? I thought Wanderers only had one apprentice at a time,” Tess said.
She wasn’t wrong, but I could understand Verðandi wanting to get replacements for all of those whom Rowle had killed.
“That’s normally true; Therese, but these are difficult times. We don’t have the luxury of doing things the usual way.”
Tess looked from Verðandi to me. I could see the confusion in every line of her face. She’d thought she’d be my only apprentice for the next twenty years or so. Now, after not even six
