ExceptDante.
No more thinking about him. I shook my head, focusing on hereandnow.
“Where is Dante?” Lorenzo asked. “It’s rare to see the two of youapart.”
I flinched. “Dante isn’t here. We… had anargument.”
Lorenzo hummed. “It happens to every couple, even those who arefated.”
There was that phrase again. I shivered, feeling like ants were crawling upmyskin.
“What can I do for you?” he asked, curling his tail around his front clawsneatly.
“I have a favor to ask,” I began. I checked over my shoulder to make sure Dante wasn’t secretly watching. He wasn’t there. As far as he knew, I was still in the bedroom sulking. I left as quietly as possible, and I didn’t hear him leave the nursery after I stormed off. Guilt gnawed at me, but I ignored it. I had to do this, even if I was temporarily leaving Dante on asournote.
“Yes?” Lorenzoasked.
“Please take me back to Stoneheart pack,”Isaid.
Shock crossed his face. “Takeyouback?”
“Yes.” I tried not to think about how similar his expression looked to Dante right now. “There’s something I have to dothere.”
“I see,” Lorenzo said calmly. “Shall we fly and speak at thesametime?”
So he wasn’t outright refusing. That wasgood. “Sure.”
He offered a hand and I climbed into his grip. When I was safely sitting down, he took off and headed towards the barrier with aleisurelypace.
“So, tell me the reason for this sudden action,”Lorenzosaid.
“My old pack is under constant threat by raiders. I want to help them by creating a barrier, like the one here in Cinderhollow,” I explained. I braced myself, waiting for Lorenzo’s shocked remark, but itnevercame.
“I see,” he said simply. “I’ve heard you were training in magic. Have you mastered clearmagic,then?”
“No,” I admitted. “But Icanmake abarrier.”
“That’s good. Not many newcomers to magic candothat.”
Lorenzo’s praise warmed me. Then I remembered that Ryu said he was skilled in clearmagic.
“That day that I arrived… You were using clear magic at the barrier, right?” Iasked.
“Yes.”
I suddenly felt embarrassed asking, but Lorenzo didn’t seem judgmentalatall.
“Do you… always have to stay there? While casting the barrier, I mean?” Iasked.
He turned his head slightly in my direction and smiled patiently. “If the original caster was strong enough, then no. Guards are only posted when we know outsiders are coming in, so we can grant them safe entry intoCinderhollow.”
“Are you the originalcaster?”
To my surprise, he laughed out loud. “Gods,no.”
I blushed inembarrassment. “Oh.”
“The barrier’s original caster was a powerful mage named Halo Fire-Eater,” Lorenzo explained, then shot me a knowing glance. “An omegadragon.”
