Knight of a Trillion Stars by Dara Joy

with stalactite and stalagmite formations. A few stray wayfarers were resting and eating.
    Lorgin led his group off to a far corner behind some large columns, away from the other travelers. Yaniff slowly lowered himself onto a rock while Deana gratefully sank to the floor at his feet. She rested her back against the side of the rock the old man had perched on. Lorgin leaned against a pillar, and motioned to Yaniff, who used his staff to produce some of the supplies Lorgin had purchased.
    Surprisingly, the old mystic proceeded to cut up a bunch of odd-looking vegetables with a little knife, threw them into a caldron-like pot, and added some liquid from a pouch. Deana couldn’t help grinning at the incongruity of it.
    “Something amuses you, child?” Yaniff asked her, his gaze never leaving the pot.
    Deana was almost getting used to this man’s uncanny ability to know her moods—even when he had his back to her, as he did now.
    “I was just wondering why you don’t wave your magic wand and produce the soup already made.”
    Yaniff chuckled. “Never tastes the same that way.”
    “I think I know what you mean. It would be like using a microwave to bake bread.”
    Lorgin sauntered over to them. “With all this talk we will be here till the morrow before we eat.” He waved his arm across the caldron and a fire sprang up under it. Deana’s eyes widened.
    “Do not look so surprised, Adeeann. Did I not tell you I had power over fire?” He walked off to a curtained area, presumably to use the facilities. Deana made a face at his retreating back.
    Rejar, who had been watching her, sauntered over and curled up next to her, placing his head on her lap. She absentmindedly stroked his fur, her thoughts still on Lorgin.
    “Sometimes he is so obnoxiously arrogant!” she fumed.
    Rejar purred his agreement.
    “If only he weren’t so devastatingly gorgeous.” Rejarpicked up his head and stared at her. “Well, he is, so don’t look at me like I’ve just lost my mind.”
    The cat blinked.
    “I’ve never met anyone like him before.” She gazed down at the cat. “I’ll tell you a secret,” she whispered.
    Rejar stopped purring and, as if intent on her words, leaned closer to her.
    “He is the sexiest man I have ever seen. When he looks at me in a certain way…I absolutely melt.”
    Rejar widened his eyes.
    Deana didn’t think a cat could look amused, but this one certainly did. “So, you think it’s funny, do you?”
    Rejar put his head back on her lap and started purring again.
    “See if I scratch behind your left ear again,” Deana grumbled as she petted his head.
    While the soup was cooking, Yaniff sat next to them, his gaze falling on Rejar. “You do enjoy stirring up your own soup, eh, Rejar?” The cat swished his tail without changing his comfortable position. Yaniff chuckled. “Best be off before he comes back, if you know what is good for you, scamp.”
    Rejar begrudgingly picked himself up and moved off to lie in front of the fire.
    Deana knit her brow. “What’s with Lorgin and his cat?”
    Yaniff seemed amused by her question, but declined to explain, choosing instead to question Deana about her world.
    Deana had a few questions of her own. “Yaniff, when you made the items Lorgin purchased disappear, I noticed that many of the people near us seemed in awe of your ability. I was under the impression that magic was a rather common occurrence here. Why did they seem so fascinated, yet fearful?”
    Yaniff reached up and stroked Bojo as he thoughtfullyreplied, “Magic is a common occurrence here, Adeeann, but the ability to perform it is not. Very few have such ability in our worlds, as the training is long, the discipline required strict. The supplicant must also be born with a latent ability to ‘sing’ to the forces which comprise our existence. And of course, some have more innate talent than others.”
    Yaniff gazed thoughtfully at Rejar. “Then, there are some that have great abilities, but