I crossed my arms, scowling. “Maybe if you actually went into town during your four hundred years of sulking, we wouldn’t have this problem!”
Anger flashed across his eyes. “I was notsulking,Halo. I was - ”
Both of us stopped when one of the younger omegas shuffled up to us with a shy smile. “I’m sorry. Mr. Pax, did you say your friend’s name was Halo?”
We both tensed.
Shit,I thought.Was that a mistake? Should I be hiding my name?
Kass didn’t speak. He was leaving it up to me.
I held in my groan. What kind of trouble was my infamy going to get me into this time?
“Um… Yes, it is,” I said.
The omega smiled wider. “My name is Halo, too! Isn’t that funny?”
I blinked. “Really?”
“Yup.”
James sighed from his seat across the fire. “It’s notthatfunny, Halo. Your name is pretty common.”
“I know,” the omega fox Halo said. “I just think it’s neat that we ran into someone in Cinderhollow with the same name. It’s like the legend!”
A chill ran down my spine, freezing me to my core. I heard the barely perceptible suck of air as Kass gasped quietly beside me.
They can’t be talking about anyone else,I thought.It has to be me.
“You’re right,” Luce agreed with a kind smile. “And Halo the legend was from Cinderhollow, too, wasn’t he? The Golden Dragon?”
“Yes!” Halo the fox said.
I needed to sit down. I limped back to the log and collapsed on it, letting the fire’s warmth seep into my bones. Kass urgently sat next to me.
“You know about the legend?” Kass asked them, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. The foxes wouldn’t be able to pick up on it, but I knew Kass better than them - I could tell he was anxious.
“Of course. Everybody knows about the Golden Dragon,” Luce said. “It’s the one thing we knew about Cinderhollow, even before all the rumors about what a wonderful place it was.”
I felt like I was going to go insane if someone didn’t explain to me what the hell was going on soon. I had half a mind to leave this conversation and just run into town to see the truth with my own eyes already.
“I’ve heard many takes on the legend,” Kass said with a faked curious smile. “Which is the one you’re familiar with?”
Manipulative low-down rat,I thought with a hint of affection.
“Well, the one I know is that Halo Fire-Eater was a powerful omega mage, who bravely created the Cinderhollow barrier to keep outside threats from hurting the tribe he loved so dearly,” Luce explained.
“That’s the one I was named after,” fox Halo said excitedly.
“So, it’s agoodstory?” I asked with a hint of caution.
“Of course.” Luce smiled. “I’ve even heard versions where Halo was actually a god living among us.”
I had a good internal laugh about that one, but I kept it to myself.
“I’ve never heard one where he was a bad person,” Luce continued. “I think it would be strange, don’t you think? All he wanted to do was protect people.”
I couldn’t help the spread of the slow, smug grin across my face - and I certainly didn’t miss the way Kass tried not to frown.
