Page 33 of Wanderer

Riley shrugged. “I wasn’t ready to hear it. Are you sure you can’t break this curse?”

This time, the goddess shook her head. “I cannot. This has to be broken by a warlock. Perhaps another magic user would work. However, I cannot interfere in this matter. My magic is needed for the town.”

My mate nodded. “Figured, but just thought I’d ask.” He turned to me. “Why are we here?”

I led him to the stone and placed our joined hands onto its smooth surface. “Can you feel the power here?” He nodded. “This is one of four cornerstones that protect the town. If you look up, you might see the shimmer of the dome over us. It covers the entire area of the town and only lets in residents and those who really need to be here.”

His head shot up. He squinted into the sky and grinned. “I see it! I remember the day I got here. It shimmered then too.”

“Yeah, and it let you through because you were supposed to be here, Riley.”

“The wards are instrumental in protecting the town,” Hestia added. “Without them, we would have fallen to those who want to exploit what and who we are.” Riley and the mayor shared a significant look. “Gareth—like Tatsuya and so many others—helps me strengthen the wards regularly. Though we are a haven town, we do have enemies. We should always be prepared for an attack.”

“Are we safe here?” Riley’s anxiety was clear on his face.

“In all my years here, we have never been breached,” Hestia said with pride. “Now, stand back and watch your mate work his magic.”

Sixteen

Riley

Watching Gareth perform magic was incredible. He held so much power! At the same time, a knot grew in my chest over how much he had. Gareth was vital to Greyhaven. He had a home, something I could never have unless I broke this curse. Watching him reminded me that once my time in Greyhaven was up, I’d be alone again. There was no way I could take him from the town. They needed him. Okay, I needed him too, but their claim on him was stronger. I couldn’t ask them to put my happiness above their safety.

It only took a minute for Gareth, Hestia, and Tatsuya to fortify their ward stone. I watched Hestia sway when she pulled her hand back. “I’m fine,” she reassured me. “My magic will replenish during the festival.”

Gareth and Tatsuya weren’t nearly as affected. I wondered if it was a sign of how much magic they held, or if they had kept something back just in case. The talk of attacks was worrying, though selfishly I was more focused on my mate’s safety rather than the town’s.

My stomach rumbled, reminding me that we never actually ordered breakfast.

“Gar, you’re neglecting your mate,” Tatsuya chided almost playfully. It was hard to tell with the stoic man. “Can’t you hear his stomach?”

“Not all of us have dragon hearing, Suya,” Gareth shot back. He took my hand in his. “I need coffee. Are you a coffee drinker, or do you like leaf water?” His eyes danced with mischief.

“Will you reject me if I like tea? Is coffee the other partner here?”

He laughed. “For you, I’d learn to live with the smell.”

“Luckily, you won’t have to. I like my coffee as black as my soul.”

It was Tatsuya’s turn to chuckle. “A black soul. Sure thing, Kitty.” He turned and headed back down toward the town, letting me and Gareth have a private moment.

Gareth’s hand tightened on mine. “I think he likes you.”

“No I don’t!” Tatsuya called from a distance.

“Dragon hearing is pretty good!”

We returned to the same booth as before and finally ordered some food. In our absence, the town had continued with the preparations for the festival, though there was still plenty to do.

My mind kept returning to what Tatsuya and the mayor had said about my curse. Only a warlock. The idea of one using magic on me, even if they were trying to help, sat like a weight on my chest. I ate breakfast quietly, as Tatsuya kept up a flow of conversation with Gareth over what was needed for the parade.

I guess I had always known that only a warlock could end a warlock’s curse. It was only logical, really. I hated it, though. Hated Boyce, my stepfather, more than ever. I felt trapped and alone, even with Gareth by my side.

If Gareth couldn’t break the curse, what was I going to do? There was no way I’d allow him to go up against Boyce. The older warlock had power, connections, and experience. Gareth was no match for him. He was far too gentle for a battle with the much older warlock. Not that I’d let him leave Greyhaven vulnerable. He had to have connections, right? Maybe we could find some other, more sympathetic warlocks to help me instead.

For the rest of the day, I followed Gareth around as he helped out all over the place, using his magic and knowledge to make the parade a success for the people of Greyhaven. I did what I could to make things easier. Usually, that was just doing the heavy lifting. Shifter strength came in handy.

Just being with Gareth was enough to make me happy, as strange as that was considering our start. We could afford to give one day to spending time with friends and getting to know each other better.