That night, Tavin paced back and forth through an alleyway in town in frustration. He still didn’t want to go back home; somehow, he felt like everything would slip by him if he did, and he’d never leave Varenwald.

He cursed himself. He had been tired and frustrated, yes, but he could have at least been nicer. And he was too embarrassed to go back and see if Valina still wanted to go out walking. And though she had helped him mold the flame into new shapes, he hated that he ...