I gasped. “An omega created the Cinderhollowbarrier?”
“Indeed.” Lorenzo seemed pleased that I was excited to learn about this. “And he was pregnant when he created it,aswell.”
I asked cautiously, “What happened to him?” Then, even more carefully, “Didhedie?”
“Oh, no,” Lorenzo said. “He’s alive, otherwise the barrier wouldn’t still be up. But nobody knows where he is. He’s a bit of a mystery. Some people in Cinderhollow even refer to him as one of the gods, although he livedamongus.”
Taking in all this information, I tried to narrow down my plan. Meanwhile, we were approaching the barrier. Lorenzo flared his wings, slowing down as he banked towards the strip of rock where I’d first met him. We landed a few feet in front of the barrier, which shimmered thickly in before us. I watched the glittering surface in awe. In some areas it was completely transparent, looking like it wasn’t even there at all. Curiously, I put my hand through it from the inside. It was a strange but not unpleasant sensation, almost like putting my hand through runningwater.
“What would happen,” I asked, turning to Lorenzo, “if you hadn’t granted me entrance? Would the barrier like, electrocute me orsomething?”
Lorenzo smiled patiently. “Something like that, yes. Fire-Eater was skilled in both clear and fire magic, as his name would suggest. Outsiders would be fiercely burned if they touched thebarrier.”
I shuddered, glad I was on the inside of it - and immune to it. But I wasn’t skilled at fire magic. The only elemental magic I knew was earth magic, and I didn’t know what that entailed what it came to creating a barrier. Maybe rocks would fall on people’s heads if they tried tocrossit.
“Are you still set on your plan?” Lorenzoasked.
I nodded firmly. “Yes. I can’t go back now. Stoneheart pack needsmyhelp.”
Lorenzo’s expression turned serious. He clasped his claws together. “Gabriel, I know it’s not my place to interfere in your relationship, but Dante is my brother,” Lorenzo said. “He’s hot headed, and frankly quite rash. I can only assume he said some things he didn’t mean in the heat of themoment.”
I frowned, thinking about everything Dante said during our fight. The worst part was that I couldn’t even deny some of them. He wasn’t completelywrong.
Lorenzo took my pause as invitation to continue. “I cannot stop you from making your own choices. That’s the core ideal of our tribe - to be free to choose. But in your interest, in my brother’s interest, and in my own interest as your baby’s uncle… I will not let you go therealone.”
My eyes widened as I realized what he was saying. “You’re going to comewithme?”
“Yes.” He stretched his wings wide. “You’re part of my family now, Gabriel. Even if you’re angry with Dante, I won’t let you run into danger by yourself. I’ll be by your side theentiretime.”
“Lorenzo…Thankyou.”
Did even Lorenzo think what I was doing was dangerous? I paused. Even though I had magic - and now a dragon on my side - was I being reckless? The adrenaline high from earlier had worn off, and now I was stuck truly thinking about mydecisions.
I suddenly turned to Lorenzo. “Did you know, in Stoneheart pack, there’s no such thing as fatedmates?”
His tail curled around his claws. “I did notknowthat.”
I didn’t know why I was telling him this. I began pacing around and couldn’t stop talking. Maybe I wasnervous.
“It’s considered a lie. Or a myth, or legend, maybe. Either way, it’snotreal.”
Lorenzo said calmly, “Halo Fire-Eater is a legend, and he’s verymuchreal.”
I stopped pacing and stared at the rocky ground beneath my feet. “Dante said we were fated mates. Isthattrue?”
Lorenzo shook his head. “I can’t answer that for you. You have to look inside yourself for thoseanswers.”
I was getting desperate now, and I didn’t know why. My hands trembled. “Do you have afatedmate?”
“I don’t have any mate at the moment,”hesaid.
My skin itched and my palms felt clammy. I wiped them onmyself.
I knew I had to go now, or I neverwould.
“Let’s do it,” I said toLorenzo.
He nodded slowly. “Asyouwish.”
Lorenzo offered his hand once again, and gently picked me up. Then he flared his wings, took off into the air, and flew past the barrier towards Stoneheart pack - leaving Cinderhollow tribe and Dantebehind.
