Free Mage of Shadows by Chanel Austen Page B

thing Raj worked out was his digestive tract.
    Although not really overweight, Raj was decidedly pudgy. He was the kind of person who had that kind of cheerful disposition that could either inspire you to feel better about yourself or just end up irking you. Maybe it was just because I was one of those people who didn't think it was possible that a person could- or should- be joking all the time.
    Raj would cheerfully disagree, and then probably insult your mother. But there was a good chance that you would end up laughing right along with him.
    The Indian boy swallowed and held up his plate, "Hungry? There's a lot more where this came from, my parents just dropped another week of food off." Unlike David and I, Raj lived near enough that at least one of his parents came to visit once a week to inspect the apartment and stock him up on food. I had met the pair only once before, but they seemed like nice enough people. It was easy to see where Raj derived his usually affable personality from. They were also kind enough to usually pack extra, no doubt in anticipation that Raj's roommates would be sharing in his weekly windfall.
    I shook my head to his offer however, citing the food I had already eaten from McDonalds as reason. As I collapsed into the cushioned couch, I regretted the decision. Raj's food smelled and looked a hell of a lot better than that burger, and it wouldn't have had the cost of breaking my last twenty, either. I had the desperate need to become a bit more careful with how I spent my cash, or…
    "I need to get a job." I grumbled, staring at the mindless reality TV show Raj had on. Has there really been anything more unrealistic than reality TV? Next to me, Raj seemed more interested in his food than whatever was happening on the stupid show, which centered around the life of a strange and eclectic group of characters competing for a cash prize that didn't seem worth the effort.
    "You know," Raj scratched at his short black beard thoughtfully, "If you need a job, I'm sure me or David could hook you up at the library."
    It was an interesting proposition, one David had offered before, but it didn't really appeal to me. Stocking books wasn't how I wanted to spend my days, especially since David and Raj's boss, the head librarian, seemed like a total nut. I had no idea what crawled up his ass but he seemed to live in a perpetually bad mood and took it out on everyone in the library from the patrons to the workers.
    I told Raj as much, and he just laughed, "He's not so bad. You have to deal with those kinds of people all the time in life, you can't do anything about them, dude."
    Well, I thought, I could toss him with my mind into one of his precociously stocked bookshelves if he started mouthing off to me…
    Even as I imagined a world where I could and should be able to get away with that kind of fantasy, I realized that that was the exact reason why I had trouble finding a job, when I had no problem a few days ago decking gangsters and stealing from them. I felt like I was too good for normal work. It was probably the reason I didn't think it would be so bad to become a doctor. Those two letters in front of your name, the title, it was a station of authority and respect. Deep down, I desired that kind of Normal position, because it signified that even without magic I was important- special.
    Better.
    That… was slightly disturbing.
    Magic didn't make you better- just different. Reggie always said that, and his opinion I had always respected and admired.
    But maybe deep down his words never really sunk in. I shouldn't have turned Raj down so quickly. It wasn't as if there were many jobs a student with no car could get on campus, especially a freshman student. It was either work someplace like the library or wait tables at one of the restaurants that dotted the campus. Neither really sounded very appealing, but a steady cash flow did.
    I glanced at Raj, whose dark eyes had refocused on his plate, glancing up at