Диана Дуэйн - A Wizard Of Mars

“It was all I ever meant to do,” she said. “I lost my way, but you two helped me find it again.”

Aurilelde and Khretef each raised a hand in farewell and turned away, heading for the Tower, with Khretef’s scorpion-pet scrambling after them. “So there goes the first real wizard of Mars,” Nita said. “But who knows, maybe not the last…”

“Huh?” Kit was startled out of his silence. “Stop listening to me think.”

“I wasn’t!” Nita said. “It’s just kind of funny. For a while there I thought you were going to ask Irina for the position.”

Kit shook his head and grinned, gazing out over the city. “Naah,” he said. “I’ve got a planet. These guys needed a spare. I’m glad it was here for them.”

Nita nodded. “I forgot to ask them what happened to Rorsik.”

Kit shrugged. “He was all about fear. Either he’s gotten himself past that, or he’s found himself some other patch of eternity to be scared in.”

Nita nodded. “Meanwhile,” Kit said, “something I forgot to ask you.”

“What?”

“Just what was it you called me back there?”

She shook her head. “Back there where?”

“You remember. Back at Argyre Planitia, when you were telling Aurilelde you didn’t have to keep yours in a cage.”

Nita stared at him, bewildered— then realized what he was talking about, and took a very deep breath.

“My boyfriend?” she said. And then Nita felt like cursing at herself for the way her voice squeaked with stress on the second word, turning it into a question.

Kit just looked at her. “Took you long enough,” he said. He grinned at her and vanished.

Nita’s eyes went wide: then narrowed with annoyance— and relieved delight.

“I’m gonna get you for that!” she said, and went after him.

By the same author

In the Young Wizards Series

So You Want to Be a Wizard • Deep Wizardry

High Wizardry • A Wizard Abroad

The Wizard’s Dilemma • A Wizard Alone

Wizard’s Holiday • Wizards at War

A Wizard of Mars

The Middle Kingdoms Series (for adult readers)

The Door into Fire • The Door into Shadow

The Door into Sunset

Other standalone adult fantasy:

Raetian Tales: A Wind from the South

Stealing The Elf-King’s Roses

In the Star Trek (TM) universe:

The Wounded Sky • My Enemy, My Ally

Spock’s World • Doctor’s Orders

Dark Mirror • Intellivore

The “Rihannsu Quartet”

The Romulan Way • Swordhunt

Honor Blade

(omnibus edtion: Star Trek: The Bloodwing Voyages)

The Empty Chair

Collected short fiction:

Uptown Local and Other Interventions

Midnight Snack and Other Fairy Tales

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and others not listed here,

please visit

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DianeDuane.com

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