Read Online Sorcerer's Luck by Katharine Kerr - Free Book Online Page B

don’t, no treat.”
    â€œWow. It sounds so simple.”
    â€œIt won’t be. This could take a couple of years, getting him clean. But I gotta try. I
mean, he like served our country, didn’t he? And there’s something . . .” She
paused for a long moment.
    â€œSomething what?” I said.
    â€œYou’ll only laugh at me.”
    â€œI won’t. Promise.”
    â€œDon’t tell Cynthia, but I think he’s got psychic vibes.”
    As promised, I didn’t laugh. I did sigh.
    â€œSee?” Brittany said. “I told you wouldn’t believe me. But okay. Besides that, he’s totally cute.”
    â€œCute and dangerous. Brittany, please be careful, okay?”
    â€œI will. I’ve never been bitten yet, y’know, not even by the pit bulls.”
    After I hung up, it occurred to me that I’d spoken the truth: I really didn’t need the
money back, thanks to my job with Tor. Having a friend step in to help with Roman
eased my mind as well. I mentioned that to Cynthia.
    â€œGood,” she said. “By the way, you don’t look as tired today as you usually do.”
    â€œThanks. I’ve been thinking about school. I’ll only take nine units in the fall so I can
work more without running myself down. I don’t absolutely have to graduate in
four years. I could take an extra quarter.”
    â€œThat’s more loan debt, though, isn’t it? I mean, I think you’re right to cut back.
It’s just that everything costs so much these days.”
    â€œYeah, and the landlord just raised the rent on me.”
    â€œFor that hole? God, he’s got his nerve! You know, if you ever have to move, you can come
stay with me and Jim for a couple of days while you find somewhere else.”
    â€œThanks. I really appreciate the offer. With luck though I’ll have the new place before I
have to get out of that one. It really is a hole. You’re right.”
    When I returned to my apartment, the lingering smell of chlorine and mildew brought
back memories of Tor’s flat and the Burne-Jones bedroom. I sat down on my one
chair and tried to reason with myself. The pros: nice place, good money, not
pay rent means quit burger job, start paying off credit cards. The cons:
sorcery, bjarki, more sorcery, illusionist who might attack again. I wasn’t
sure which category Tor himself fell in, pro or con. It depended, I supposed,
on whether he was in bear form or just himself. From the restrained way he’d
shaken my hand at the end of our encounters, it looked like he was willing to
keep our relationship on a business footing.
    â€œTor,” I said aloud. “Torvald Thorlaksson.”
    I waited for half an hour, but he never called. I decided to stop kidding myself and
called him.
    â€œGood to hear from you.” He sounded so pleased that I could imagine his smile, dimple
and all.
    â€œIs the offer of that full-time job still open?” I said.
    â€œSure. You could take it anytime.”
    â€œHow about before my August rent’s due? That’s on Friday.”
    â€œHow about today? I can help you pack.”
    â€œI don’t have enough stuff to need help. I’ll see you in a little while.”
    As soon as I got off the phone with Tor, I called my landlord to tell him he could have
his slum hole back. The stuff I owned fit into one suitcase and two cardboard
cartons. Most of my art supplies lived in a locker at school. I drove over to
Tor’s place and parked in front of the house. In the early afternoon light I
could see the hillside behind it more clearly. At first glance it looked like a
forest, but I could pick out a roof here and a redwood deck there. The pieces
added up to two more houses with heavy plantings around them.
    Tor came out and helped me carry everything upstairs. I stowed the suitcase and cartons
in my new bedroom, then rejoined him in the kitchen. He gave me keys and also
set