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Maybe he can open up his own shop one day.

“Where are you headed off to?” Robby asked. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed. He wore a simple white T-shirt and worn, light denim jeans. A pair of slightly scuffed black Ray-Ban sunglasses hung on his collar. Sunlight played with the golden highlights in his dark blond hair.

He looked like a fucking movie star, and I was sure if I told him that, he’d just deny it and call me blind.

Claire took off her ocean blue robe, the hem enchanted to appear like lapping waves, and neatly folded it. She lifted a hand and swished some invisible thread of red mana, the robe lifting in the air—still perfectly folded—and gliding into an open cubby behind the counter. “I think I picked up on a lead. About how to stop the dragon fall.”

“You did? Really?” I asked, surprised as Robby must have felt, judging by his slack jaw. I’d been working nonstop these last few weeks, trying to dig up old connections and new avenues we could explore. But, just as before, I kept coming up with nothing but rumors and flat-out false information. No one knew how to stop this, and if they did, they were keeping quiet about it.

And time was running out. Warrick grew sicker by the day. He could no longer leave his room, not having an ounce of energy to even stand. I was beginning to shift out of information gathering, now focusing more on preparing for what was ahead. If we needed to infiltrate the Obsidian District to take out the Matriarch, then we would need to be ready for that.

“I didn’t want to say anything yet because it could turn out to be nothing, but… I’m hopeful,” Claire said.

“Do you need one of us to go with you to track the lead down? Any of my siblings?”

Claire threw me an acidic glance. The sunlight played with the assortment of gems and pearls in her long locs, making her literally shine, just like the row of diamond studs she wore up her left ear.

When the hell had I become surrounded by beautiful cover models? “Why do you dragons always think I can’t handle things myself?” she asked, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

I immediately started to backtrack. “Whoa, no, that’s not what I meant. I just wanted to make sure you’re supported, that’s all.”

“I know.” Claire put a hand on my elbow. I had seen her handle her fair share of trouble before. The time we got into a bar fight with three leopard shifters and two knife-carrying humans being one of them. She took half of them out and barely even broke a sweat. “I’ll be fine. And I’ll try to have some news for you by tonight.”

I looked to Robby and recognized an optimistic glint in those expressive honey brown eyes of his. I knew exactly what he must be thinking: this could be a way to avert the prophecy. If Claire could stop the dragon fall, then we wouldn’t have to go after the Matriarch, nor would we have to consider the ramifications of what would happen if the Matriarch died and the curse stayed.

It was a thought I could barely consider. Killing any human went against the very root of a dragon’s existence, and killing Robby? No. There had to be another way. Claire needed to come back with good news tonight, for all of our sakes.

We walked out onto the street, Claire locking up the Magic Box with another swish of her hand. This time, the red and blue threads were visible, swirling around the lock. Red—the physical threads of mana—was likely being used to attach the blue threads—utilized for perception and illusions—to the entrance of her store, it’s simple white door and windows barred shut, as if the pale blue brick walls stretched over them, the word “Closed” scrawled in gold across the space where the entrance normally was.

“I’ll be in touch.” She gave me a hug, the vanilla-and-lavender lotion she’d always used since high school filling my nose. She embraced Robby just as tightly as she did me before she started down the street, clicking her keys to the car parked just a couple of spots down.

“Thanks for picking me up,” Robby said. “I hate how you have to chaperone me.”

“I don’t.” It lets me spend more time with you.

I didn’t say that part out loud.

“Well, guess we should be headed back to the castle, then.”

“Do you have pressing matters to attend to?” I cocked my head, taking a moment to drink him up. His jeans fit him perfectly, but I couldn’t help but imagine how good they’d look off him. He had his sunglasses on, shielding his eyes and giving him a James Dean sense of mystique that made me thirsty for more. I couldn’t stop thinking about getting him naked, not since that night in my bedroom, and today certainly wasn’t helping.