6
The Down Low
Raedrick knocked once, then pushed open the door to Melanie's Mystical Crafts and stepped inside. Julian followed on his heels, a sense of urgency competing with profound reluctance for dominance in his head. How Melanie would react to Loran's presence was hard to say, but in her place Julian would probably be packing to leave town fairly quickly. The Magestirium did not deal kindly with outsiders who practiced their craft, and Melanie, as a woman, was an outsider by definition.
Julian was not sure what irked him more: the stupidity of that policy or the thought of Melanie leaving.
They had become good friends over the last several months. Well, friends anyway. Or maybe trusted acquaintances and colleagues. Or something. Regardless, it would be hard to see Melanie go, ev
