Page 8 of The Dragon's Warlock

“So, you think the mountain is magically going to move for you?” She wasn’t sure she’d made the right decision asking the old warlock to help her. Maybe he hadn’t recovered from what Kael had done to him.

After a few seconds of staring at the mountain, Gideon went forward. In seconds, they would run into the rocks.

“Stop!” she screamed.

“It’s just an illusion. They opened up the cave so I could get in.”

“How do you know it was opened for us?”

“I reached out to Kirin. He made sure Kia opened it.”

“You can telepathically talk to Kirin?” She laughed.

“Yes. We worked out a spell so we could talk when needed, partially for my benefit because I was worried I might change. He checks my moods every so often. The spell will dissipate in a few more weeks, unless I redo it. It also only works if we’re close.” He sighed.

“I didn’t mean to laugh. Honestly, I thought you were joking. There are so many things in this world I don’t understand.”

“You will learn in time, but Kirin and his family are protective of Alida. Her powers are beyond what anyone knows. She can read your mind, so if there’s something you don’t want out in the open, don’t think about it.”

As if keeping my mind clear is something I know how to do. “I don’t want to be rude, but do you think they might have food?” she asked shyly. “I’m always hungry, and I was nervous to see you, so I skipped breakfast and lunch. Now I feel like I might pass out.”

“You need to keep your dragon fed.”

“Easy for you to say. My grocery bill has gone up threefold, and my savings are running low. And didn’t you hear the part where I said I was nervous?”

“Kia will have food.” Gideon pressed his foot to the gas and went straight through the wall of rocks.

She closed her eyes and braced for impact. It never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Gideon had parked in front of a rustic cabin. With the high-tech mountain, she’d expected something more sophisticated.

“Not everything is as it seems,” Gideon said as he climbed out of the sports car. He rounded the side and opened her door.

Before she got out, she asked him, “Are you sure they aren’t going to kill me?”

“I’ll protect you.”

She was stunned by his words. It was the first time he’d acted like he genuinely cared about not letting her die. Earlier, he’d protected her when they fought, but now she could almost feel his emotions.

“Let’s do this,” she said.

As she stepped out of the car, Kirin stood at the top of the stairs with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. She stumbled, but Gideon kept his hand on her back, moving her forward toward the unknown.

“How come you didn’t tell me earlier there might be more labs still?” Kirin asked.

“Really?” Gideon arched a brow. “I asked you three times if you were sure. You said there was no doubt you found them all. But Diem doesn’t think you did.”

“How do I know this isn’t a trap where she is going to try to take Nyx or Talia?”

“I told you he hated me,” Diem said.

Gideon ignored her and pushed her forward another step until they were directly in front of Kirin. Her dragon whined in her head. Kirin set off a wave of dominance, and her dragon wanted to bow down to him. Her human side didn’t understand what was happening.

She ground her teeth. “I need your help, but if you don’t stop whatever it is you’re doing, I’m leaving and finding my sister another way.”

“She needs us, Dad.” A young girl magically appeared on the front steps.

“I told you to stay inside, Alida.”

Gideon knelt down next to the young girl so he was the same height as her. “It’s so good to see you, Alida.”

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