Still posting from Book Two of The Other Mages trilogy this month, mostly because I’m too lazy to pick something different. (This is also why the same CD stays in my car’s player for months on end.)
Character introduction:
Trebor is an Empath.
D’Laron is his best friend and a Healer.
(They are both university professors as well as Mages.)
Katheri is a student at the university and has Mage potential.
Xooshemi is going to get a name change. She’s a member of the Mage Guild (an archivist), and was D’Laron’s Saja.
A few vocabulary words for now and for future reference.
Qestora is a female apprentice
Qestoro is a male apprentice
Qestori is the plural and can refer to males, females, or both.
Mentors/trainers are:
Saj (singular, male or female)
Sajo (male)
Saja (female)
Sajen (plural, male or female)
“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Some of your friends are full of shit.”
D’Laron’s mouth quirked in a half smile. “Probably true, but not this one, although he would probably agree with you.”
Trebor looked up, his dark blue eyes haunted, his face drawn. “I’m all right, D’Laron. Really.”
D’Laron shook his head. “No you aren’t. Talk to me.”
“I – I can’t.”
D’Laron frowned. The two of them had never kept secrets from each other, except briefly, and even then it had been Trebor trying to protect him. “Trebor…”
He shook his head. “No, Del. I can’t. Not about this.”
“What is it, Treb? Woman troubles?”
D’Laron was teasing and Trebor flashed him a pained smile. “Not precisely.”
D’Laron sobered immediately, following a hunch based on what they had discussed earlier. “It’s Xooshemi, isn’t it?”
Trebor didn’t answer, just looked away.
“It is.” Trebor nodded and D’Laron could feel his misery. “Talk to me.”
“I can’t, Del. It’s bad enough that I’m thinking what I am – I really can’t bring it out into the light of day.”
“Trebor, tell me. We may be thinking the same things but we won’t know if we don’t talk.”
Trebor looked up and D’Laron felt the gentle and familiar touch of Trebor’s Talent and realized that it had been missing from his general background sensations – in his concern and preoccupation with Katheri he hadn’t noticed. He took a deep breath and relaxed, letting his shields down, letting Trebor in.
Slowly, his friend nodded and pulled back, but D’Laron felt his presence linger as a familiar part of his aura again.
“I’ve missed that,” D’Laron said softly. “I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing, but it was you.”
Novel Notes 
Out of frustration comes relief, in a strange, roundabout way.
I like the way they connected. Great scene.
Very much enjoying this story and I love the tone of the discussion between these two close friends. Terrific snippet!
Excellent snippet – the intimacy of friendship is precious.
Aw, that’s so intimate and beautiful! (heart)