“I never asked you to confront her.”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
He took a sip of his drink, then carefully replaced his glass on the table. “I want you to steal from her.”
“Steal?”
“Yes.”
“You do realize I have no experience in thievery whatsoever.”
“I do not expect you to do it alone. In fact, I have employed one of Faythander’s most successful thieves to assist you.”
“You’ve got to be joking.”
“Indeed I am not joking. He waits for you now in the Wult outpost near Dragon Spine Mountain.”
Someone please shoot me now.
“So, who is this thief?”
“His name is Maveryck, and he has been waiting in the Wult village for several days. I believe he was monitoring some riots that he thought to take advantage of. I’m not sure of the details, but he has been planning something else there at the inn. You should have no trouble finding him.”
“That’s if I choose to do this. You’ve never worked with thieves before. Why now?”
“Because I would much rather steal from the dragon than confront her directly. After our quest to Dragon Spine’s peak, I can imagine that dealing with her again would be impossible. You must have faith in your abilities, for you are now in a position to do much good with the powers you have honed.”
My powers. I still hadn’t told him what Theht had done to me while she’d held me captive in the cave. She’d intruded on my mind, altered me, but I still wasn’t sure of the extent of the damage. It didn’t matter though. She’d shown me a vision of me destroying the world, and although I had trouble accepting it, I knew deep inside that it was true. I was the Deathbringer, and it was only a matter of time before my magic became so volatile I could no longer control it.
“Olive,” Fan’twar said, “we were all surprised when you so suddenly left Faythander to return to Earth Kingdom. It seemed abrupt, to say the least, and it not only confused me but also troubled the Wult king most acutely.”
I glanced at my hands, not sure how to answer.
“I do not wish to pry into what happened to you in the cave with Theht, or what other pains you may have experienced throughout your life. You were abandoned by both of your birth parents, which has resulted in some emotional trauma.”
“Emotional trauma? If you’re suggesting that’s why I left, then you’re wrong. I left Faythander because I had things that needed attention here on Earth.”
“Is that the only reason?”
I gave him a sharp look. “Yes.”
He eyed me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am.”
I hoped he heard the warning in my voice. This was a subject I would not discuss.
“Very well. As I said, I do not wish to pry.”
I took a deep breath. Being angry with Fan’twar would solve none of my problems. Besides, he was making a big deal out of nothing. I fully intended to return to Faythander, although I had wanted to take care of a few more things before I went back. Life never cooperated. If he was suggesting I had issues, then he was wrong. Absolutely wrong.
We left the restaurant and returned to my apartment. The wind picked up, making the November day turn chilly. Fan’twar made a few comments on the weather as we crossed the parking lot back to my building. Just as on Faythander, his golden eyes shone brightly in the sunlight.
“Have I offended you?” Fan’twar asked. “I’ve never mastered the art of human interactions, I’m afraid.”
“No. I’m not offended. Disappointed, maybe. Balancing my lives on Earth and Faythander hasn’t been easy. Sometimes I feel like two different people.”
“Yes, the feeling is quite understandable.”
A breeze blew past, whipping the dark reddish strands of my hair against my cheeks. My short-cropped hair accentuated my elven ears instead of hiding them, which drew stares at times, but I’d learned to embrace my differences. Yet, being from two worlds didn’t always go as smoothly as I would have liked.
When we made it up to my door, I turned to my stepfather.
“Fan’twar,” I asked, “do you believe I will destroy the world?”
He paused before answering, his golden eyes focused on me. “I am more afraid that you will sacrifice your life to save it. Do not worry over these things. Life has a way of working itself out, and all the time you spend worrying about the future would be better spent in enjoying the present.”
I sighed, trying to agree with him. “I’m not sure how much I’ll have to enjoy while I’m stealing from a dragon’s hoard with the possibility of being eaten alive looming over my head.”
“You’ve got a good point. I do not envy you in this quest, but it is something that must be done. I would not ask it of you if I did not have the utmost faith in your abilities. Take care, young one, and do not confront the silverwitch directly, or else I fear the consequences will be dire.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And…” a hint of a smile crossed his face, “do try to have fun. You may find there is still sport to be had in Faythander, if one knows where to find it.”
I eyed him. Sport was a dangerous word for a dragon to use.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing in particular.” He smiled and stepped away. “I must leave you now and return through my own portal back to Faythander. I have much to attend to.”
He abruptly turned on his heel and descended the stairs, leaving me alone on the landing. I watched him exit the staircase and start across the parking lot, his shock of white hair contrasting with the asphalt. He’d never been good with good-byes—typical dragon behavior. It should have bothered me, I guess, but since I’d lived half my life with him, I’d become used to it.
However, I was curious
