Galen stared at the door to his shop and willed no one to enter. Business had been booming since they moved to Stolital, which wasn’t surprising since the city was over three times the size of Sunmesto. Customers flooded his shop from opening to closing, and he wondered if he would ever catch a break.

The clock ticked away above his head much too slow for his liking. His and Severin’s daily lunch break was fifteen minutes away, and he would not let a customer derail the meeting. Now that Galen was ten minutes away instead of a day, Severin was able to fit more time for him in his schedule. Some days the suffocating air and grimy city underbelly made Galen wonder if it was worth it, but then he would see the smile on Severin’s face and know that it was.

Nessa was restocking the incense while humming to herself. Noticing where his gaze landed, Nessa asked, "Already thinking about Severin, huh?"

"Shut up."

Nessa laughed at his response and turned away from her work. She grinned at Galen and said, "Don't be embarrassed. I find your enthusiasm charming."

"Charming."

Her grin widened, "I'm happy for you."

Galen gave her his own grin. However, there was one issue that loomed over Galen's head: Severin's view of Nessa. The magician made a discernible effort to treat her better, but Galen could tell his opinion hadn’t changed. He didn’t know how to convince Severin to blame him. It was his fault they fell out of contact. That they parted in the ugly way they did. Yet no matter what he did, he couldn’t get through to the man.

A sigh escaped him. There was always something to ruin his mood these days. For the first time in his thousands of years, he felt old. He was in the same thirty-something body he has had for most of his life, but he was so tired.

"Galen?" Nessa asked, "What would you do if Severin left?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like if he moved from Stolital to somewhere else."

"I don't know. Why do you ask?" That was a good question. Would Galen follow Severin around from now on? Would he stay by Severin's side for the rest of the magician's life?

"Because I heard rumors that he was a candidate to become the royal magician."

"You heard that? From who?"

"Atiyama."

Atiyama was a boy Nessa had become friends with. She met the mysterious youth about a month into their life in the city. He helped her out with a pickpocket, and the two had been inseparable ever since. Atiyama was knowledgeable about most things that concerned the city, and Galen elected to stay ignorant as to how he came across the information. If Atiyama said that Severin was a candidate, then Galen was sure that he was.

"That doesn't mean he will become it," Galen said.

"No, but there is a chance. Maybe you should ask him about it today."

"Maybe I will," Galen challenged.

Nessa snickered at his tone. At that moment, the door opened, and Severin entered the store. Severin paused, expecting to hear the chime of the bell and was caught off guard when he didn’t. He had been to the shop countless times already but continued to be surprised by the lack of a bell. Galen missed the bell as well. Perhaps he should get another one.

Severin smiled at Galen and said, "Hey, Galen. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let me grab a coat." Galen walked upstairs to get the needed item.

The smile slipped from Severin's face, and he glanced at Nessa, uttering a short, "Hello, Nessa."

"Severin," Nessa replied.

The silence between them became awkward as neither knew what to do with the other. Nessa shoved the last incense stick in place before walking to stand in front of Severin. The magician avoided her eyes, pretending he didn’t notice her.

She asked, "Why do you dislike me?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to understand. Galen is your favorite person in the world, but you don't respect the people he cares about. I know he doesn't like it, and you don't like upsetting him, but you continue to drive a wedge between the two of you. Why? How is hating me worth that?"

Severin's eyes narrowed as he listened to Nessa. He smirked, "If it came down to you and me, he would always choose me."

Nessa threw her hands up in frustration. While she had the urge to shout at the ridiculous man, she didn’t want Galen to hear their conversation. She said, "That's not the point I'm trying to make. Why do you hate me? Answer the question."

"I hate you because you’re the reason Galen left me."

“What are you talking about?”

Severin leaned against the counter, “You’re the reason Galen left Sunmesto. Thuraya came to him and told him that he had to help her raise you. If you hadn’t existed, we would’ve never been separated.”

His words were a lance to her heart. All this time was wasted trying to get him to like her when her very existence was the source of his hatred. “I didn’t ask him to come.”

He snorted, "You didn’t have to."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "He dropped everything to find you after his job was done. Even though he became my father. Even though he and Thuraya were all I’d ever known. He chose to throw that away and come to you. And you can’t pretend to like me? Can you not understand that you have him now, and you’ll have him until the end of your pathetic, mortal life?"

Severin stood up from where he rested. His feet spread, widening his posture to allow him to loom over Nessa. Hooded and dark, his eyes were cold when he responded, “The fact that you live is proof of my tolerance, asteris. I would hold your tongue.”

Nessa curled her hands, her nails digging into the skin of her palm. She whisper-shouted at him, still trying to keep her voice from being heard by Galen, "You are not worth his time. You are not worth his love!"

Severin shook his head, “I lived too much of my life having my worth decided by those around me. But no longer. Galen is all I have in this world as well, and I will not allow you to take him away from me for a second longer. Every second that I look at you is a reminder of how powerless I was to stop him. You will not rob me of my power again.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Nessa laughed again; the derisive sound reverberated around the room. "I have no power to make Galen do anything. He chose to leave you because he wanted to, and there is nothing you could’ve done to stop to stop it. You could not stop him now if he decided to never see you again, and you know it."

"You're wrong." But the tremble of his lip and the quiver in his voice betrayed him.

“Stolen magic will never make you anything more than a lonely little boy that Galen had pity on." A wicked smirk stretched her lips. She leaned in close to Severin and whispered, "I pity you too,”

Severin snapped, his hands wrapping around Nessa's neck. He pushed her back until he could slam her against the wall. Nessa struggled against his grip but couldn’t break it. Severin's skin broke where her nails clawed him. “I don’t need your pity. I don’t need anyone’s.”

Nessa's lips tinged blue. Closing her eyes, she pulled forth her magic and purple swirled around her left hand. Severin was so concentrated on her face he didn’t notice. She chilled her hand to below freezing and grabbed at one of the hands wrapped around her throat. Severin yelled when the bitter cold touched him, letting go of her. He looked down at his hands and found Nessa's handprint burned into his skin.

Nessa coughed and clutched at her throat, massaging the bruised flesh. The two of them stared at each other, having reached an impasse. A thumping noise reached them. Galen was coming down the stairs. Severin covered his mark with his sleeve, and Nessa pulled her collar up higher.

Severin said, "If you tell him, I won't hesitate to kill you. I won't give a damn about what Galen wants.”

"Fuck you."

"I'm glad we're in agreement."

Galen bounded down the stairs. He looked worried when he asked, "I heard a shout. Are you guys okay?"

"Yes," Severin answered.

"Are you sure?"

Nessa and Severin nodded. Severin said, "I'm sorry, Galen, but we can't have lunch today. I just remembered that I have a meeting soon."

"Oh, alright," Galen replied.

"I'll take my leave." Without another word, he rushed out the door.

Galen turned to Nessa for an explanation about Severin's strange behavior. He asked, "Did something happen?"

"No," Nessa muttered, stomping up the stairs.

Galen frowned and followed her, calling, "What's wrong?"

Nessa stopped in front of her room's door and said, "Nothing's wrong."

Galen huffed, "Obviously there is. You and Severin are acting weird."

"What took you so long? I thought you were grabbing a coat."

"I was, but I couldn't find the one I was looking for. Then I had to use the bathroom."

"Hmm," Nessa replied.

He walked a little closer to her. "Seriously, are you okay?"

She said, "Asteris are lonely creatures. There is no forever, remember. You're the one who told me that."

Galen was taken aback by the bitterness in her voice. What was going on? He replied, "I know. Why bring it up now?"

Nessa was facing away from him, looking at the door to her room. "I thought you needed to hear it."

"How could I forget?"

Nessa sighed, "I'm not dumb, Galen. I know how Severin feels about me. I try to ignore it, but it's hard."

He ran a frazzled hand through his hair, "I know and I'm sorry, but he told me he would do better. Haven't you noticed that he's trying?"

Nessa said nothing. The bruises Severin left around her throat throbbed.

Galen continued, "I don't see how what I said and Severin are connected. Have I been spending too much time with him?"

"I don't like Severin."

"What?" he asked, confused. "Did he do something to you?"

She barreled past his questions. "Hearing about him from you for all those years skewed my own perception of him, but I think you have past Severin confused with the one standing in front of you today."

"Nessa, I don't understand."

"I don't know whether Severin only shows who he truly is to you or if he pretends to be someone he's not to please you. I hope you find out which one it is before it's too late."

Before he could ask what she meant, the door to her room slammed shut. He knocked on the door, but she didn’t answer. Sighing in defeat, he went back downstairs to resume work. However, he spent the rest of the day analyzing Nessa and Severin's abnormal behavior. He knew something had happened, and he needed to find out what it was.

It was half past closing when Nessa finally left her room. She breezed past him without acknowledging him and went to change her shoes. Galen asked, “Where are you going?”

She said, not looking up from fastening the straps on the heels, "Atiyama and I are heading to a new bakery."

"You and Atiyama have been spending a lot of time together recently."

"Is that a problem?"

"No."

"I'll be back before bedtime. I’ll help with the ledger tomorrow."

He had no decent reason to make her stay and talk to him, and it wasn’t worth it to start a new argument. "Okay, have fun."

Nessa waved goodbye and walked out the store, bumping into Severin who stood right outside the door. Nessa began to apologize, but stopped once she realized who it was. She averted her eyes and brushed past him without a word. Severin smirked to himself, pleased that she feared him.

Galen smiled at the man. "Hey, Severin. I’m glad you could make it for dinner."

"I felt bad about skipping lunch. And work was forgiving today."

Galen gave him a thumbs up and turned back to mashing the gingko. He needed to make a salve for a young man who had breathing troubles. When he was close to finishing, the door opened, and a woman walked in. Galen called out, “We’re closed.”

But the woman continued into the shop as if he hadn’t spoken. She looked around before bringing a package back to the till, a tincture for the common cold. Galen repeated, "We’re closed."

"How much is this?" she asked, ignoring him once more.

Galen quirked a brow, "I’m not selling it because we’re closed."

The woman crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Do you know who I am?"

"Should I?"

She sneered, "I am the wife of Governor Oguilar."

"I don't see how this connects to how I’m closed."

"It means that if I’m asking to buy something, you sell it to me. Whether you’re open or not."

Galen shook his head, "I’m not selling you anything."

"You won't be saying that when I tell my husband what you said to me. He'll ruin you."

"If you are the governor's wife, then you can afford to wait. Especially if it’s just for a cold."

Mrs. Oguilar's face went red, and she hissed, "Why can’t you just sell it to me?"

"Because I’m closed, and I do not make exceptions for anyone regardless of their status.” Especially to those as unpleasant as you, he wanted to add. However, he knew that she would not take such a comment kindly.

"No?” She grabbed the packet and threw it at him, “What's in this tincture anyway? It's probably poison. I'll be doing the city a favor by having my husband close this store!"

"Mrs. Oguilar, Galen is not selling poison," Severin said, emerging from the back room.

"High Magician Roscoe," Mrs. Oguilar squeaked. The red in her face to an ash white with startling speed. Galen wondered if she might truly need the tincture after all.

Severin’s smile was thin and humorless, "I'm sure your husband won't be happy when I tell him you're bothering innocent citizens again."

"I'm not," she started, but Severin gave her a stern look and she deflated. "You’re closed?"

Galen said, "Yes, like I said. Multiple times."

“Well, then I must be on my way. Sorry to bother you.” She gave Galen a tense smile before walking to the door. Severin's voice stopped her.

"Mrs. Oguilar, can you give your husband a message?"

"Yes, of course." Her hands clutched the doorknob.

"Tell him that High Magician Roscoe was displeased with his wife's behavior today. If he wants my continued support, then this problem will be addressed. I know he's had financial troubles, and I wouldn't want them to get worse."

Severin's frigid tone sent shivers down Galen's spine. Sweat dripped down the back of Mrs. Oguilar's neck, and her hands trembled. She spoke barely above a whisper, "I will inform him of what you said."

Severin smiled, "Thank you. Have a good day."

"Good day," she said, rushing out of Galen's apothecary.

"Severin!" Galen scolded.

The magician turned to Galen with a confused expression on his face. "What?"

"You can't threaten my customers."

Severin rolled his eyes, "Mrs. Oguilar does this to all the shops. If I didn't stop her, she would continue to wreak havoc."

"While she was unpleasant, you can discourage her without threats."

Severin sighed, "This is what was most effective."

He pointed a stern finger at Severin. "Don't you remember what I said to you when you first became my apprentice?"

"No, Galen. That was seven years ago."

Galen cleared his throat and said, "No apprentice of mine treats any customer poorly. The sentiment still stands."

Severin laughed, "I'm not your apprentice anymore."

"Maybe not, but you still have much to learn."

"What could you teach me?"

"Some manners apparently," he said.

Severin smirked at Galen and adjusted his waistcoat. "I don't have to respect anyone lower than me. What's the point of having power if I never use it?"

Galen scoffed, "That wasn't using your power. You were just being rude."

Severin shrugged and asked, "Agree to disagree?"

"Fine."