“Olive,” my father said after we stopped near the windows, “as you must know by now, the princess is the leader of the Gravidorum.”
“Yes, I gathered that when she announced it while causing the extinction of an entire race.”
He nodded slightly. “Then you must also realize that the with the goblins’ demise, the purpose of the Gravidorum is no more. The fight between the Caxon and the elves has ended, and my association with that faction has also ended.”
“I see. So what will you do now?”
He clasped his hands behind his back, his dark, braided hair glinting in the sunlight. He looked like his old self again. Actually, he looked better than his old self. “I will still maintain my position as head magistrate in Lauressa.”
“Sounds a little boring.”
He raised an eyebrow.
I sighed, wishing I could be free of the Wult fortress. I didn’t feel like having another tedious conversation with my father, so I decided to have an honest talk with him instead.
“Boring?” he asked.
“You don’t have any family. I assume that you’ve been too busy to make friends, and if by some miracle you have them, then you’ve never introduced them to me. You’ve only ever concerned yourself with work. But what have you got to show for it? When you go home at the end of the day, you have no one to share your life with—so yes. It sounds boring. And it sounds very lonely.”
Lonely. Right. Why was I lecturing him on loneliness when I would soon be returning home to my empty apartment? I pushed the thought aside. Besides, I had Han.
“I suppose you are right,” my father said.
I stared at him, feeling perplexed. He’d agreed with me? “I am?”
“Yes. I did not always intend to live my life in such a way, but when your mother left, I felt as if I had no one else. I felt as if I could never love anyone the same way I loved her. And I suppose I have fulfilled my own prophecy, for I never have sought after the affections of another.”
I felt the memory charm in my pocket—the charm he’d made so he could be with her. It didn’t feel right for me to have it now. Perhaps I’d struck out on love, but it didn’t mean that he had to do the same.
Reaching in my pocket, I pulled out the charm and gave it to him.
“Here,” I said. “Mom misses you. You should probably pay her a visit.”
He looked at me with questioning eyes.
“She’s lonely, too,” I said, sighing. “She lives by herself. I don’t visit often enough. And now that she remembers you, it might be hard to avoid her.”
He chuckled softly. “Yes. Kasandra was always quite stubborn. Much like her daughter. But when I gave you the charm, I intended for you to make good use of it. Is this no longer the case?”
I knew what he referred to, and I couldn’t meet his eyes, afraid that he might see the tears in my own, so I just shook my head. “Yes. It’s no longer the case.”
“Oh,” he said quietly. “I see. But perhaps if you waited for him—”
“No,” I said curtly. “I am not the sort of person to chase after someone once they’ve made their intentions clear.”
He nodded. “Then I suppose you are more like me than I realized. Olive,” he said gently, “do not give up too quickly. Love is not easy to find, and once you have it, you must never let it go.”
I almost lost it right there. How could you love someone if they didn’t love you in return? I swiped at my cheeks with the back of my hand.
“Good-bye, Father,” I said. “I will return to Earth soon. I have clients who need help, and my cat is probably feral by now.” My words came out in a mumbled mess, and I wasn’t sure he understood half of it.
“I understand. Perhaps I will see you there.” He put the chain around his neck and tucked the charm under his robes.
Staring out over the mountains, with the noonday sun passing its zenith, I decided it was time for me to make my exit. I found the nearest door and wandered the halls until I found the way out.
The air was crisp with a hint of spring in the wind. I made my way to an open field where the vibrant grass swayed in the breeze, the blades brushing against one another in a quiet hiss that echoed the fairies’ wings as they darted in and out, chasing one another.
Overhead, the sky was a brilliant blue with only a few cottony clouds high in the atmosphere. In my pocket, I ran my fingers over the carved scales of my dragon statuette. I’d called Fan’twar a little while ago, and soon I saw his familiar silhouette.
As he descended, my heavy heart lifted.
Fan’twar landed with a whoosh that made the ground rumble. Outstretching his wings, his leathery skin caught the sunlight. In the sun’s warmth, his scales dazzled a lustrous gold.
He was whole again.
“What took you?” I asked, teasing, hoping that humor made a good mask for my pain.
He growled and then shook his head, and his spikes made a clattering sound as they wobbled back and forth. “You are still tenacious, I see, even after dealing with my island brothers.”
“Hmmph.” I grabbed a spike and climbed onto his back, his scales cool and smooth under my fingertips. “You could have warned me they were cannibals.”
“They are dragons,” he answered. “They eat whatever is most convenient.”
“Well, I hope to never meet up with them again if I can help it. Do you have any idea how frightening it is to be one’s dinner?”
“I have never been in such a position myself, although it seems you have fared well. You have learned much about the ways of magic. Soon, your powers will grow even stronger, young one.”
“Fan’twar,” I said before he took off. “I’ve been meaning to ask you for
