“The food store.”
“Yes. The food store. You were buying food.”
“What kind of food?”
“Grapefruits.”
“Aha! I have never bought grapefruits in my life! I don’t even like grapefruit!”
“Curse your strangely specific palate!”
I turned back toward the Great White, feeling smug. “Yeah, dude. Listen. I’m not going to do whatever your weird little poem said. I’m just going to ask you to help me. That’s all I’m here for. So, mighty dragon, will you please assist me in protecting Verania from a douchebag villain?”
And the Great White said, “No.”
I… was at a loss for words. “Um. What?”
“I said no.”
“Why not?” I demanded.
“Are you willing to cut ties with the human world and follow me?”
I snorted as I tilted my head back to look at Kevin. “Is he being serious right now?”
“I think he’s being serious right now.”
I looked back at the Great White. “You want me to follow you. Into the Dark Woods. For up to a year. To become a full-fledged wizard. And in doing so, say goodbye to my friends and family.”
“Yes.”
“Not gonna happen, dude.”
“Then we’re done.” He began to turn away, the ground beneath us shaking with every lumbering step he took.
“Hey! Hey, now wait just a godsdamn minute!”
He didn’t stop.
“Kevin!”
“On it,” he said, spreading his wings. We lifted off the ground, and he moved quickly, flying up and over the Great White, then landing in front of him, blocking his path. Kevin kept his wings spread, as if he thought the bigger he looked, the more intimidating he’d be. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it wasn’t really working.
The Great White looked down at us, eyes narrowed.
“You can’t just leave!” I demanded of the rather large dragon who could have squashed us both. I wondered if this was what Randall meant when he said that sometimes I could be really stupid.
“Can’t I?” the Great White said, lips curling over enormous teeth. “I made my offer. It was declined. I see no reason for anything further to be said.”
“I can’t just leave with you. And for a year? Are you out of your mind? One, the desert dragon is only awake for a year. Two, what do you think Myrin would do to Verania while I’m gone? Three, I won’t leave my family behind. Especially not my cornerstone.”
“Cornerstones,” the Great White said with a derisive huff. “You put so much weight upon them, and for what? Assurance? Security? What exactly does a cornerstone do for you?”
“A cornerstone keeps a wizard from going Dark,” I recited dutifully, not sounding as sure as I’d hoped I would.
“Why should that be dependent upon a single person?” the Great White asked. “Should you not have the strength within yourself to keep from falling into darkness?”
“Morgan and Randall said—”