in and out of shops. It reminded me of Nana’s tiny Christmas village set, but minus the snow. Arik ducked into a bakery and approached the counter. The smells were so incredible my stomach rumbled.
He ordered biscuits, chocolate pastries, and two bottles of water. After he paid, we went through the kitchen, out the back door, and down a small alleyway. An awful sour smell came from the many overflowing trashcans. We came out of the alley and into a thick forest.
After trailing him through the dense trees for several minutes, I asked, “How much farther is it?”
“We’re here.” He stopped at a vine-covered wall about eight feet tall and climbed the vines to the top. “Come on. It’s no trouble at all.”
I scaled the wall, losing my footing halfway down on the other side. I landed hard on my ass, pain stabbing my tailbone. “Shit.” I sat there, stunned, until the pain subsided.
“You all right?” The concern on Arik’s face was cute. Who was I kidding? Every expression of his was hot.
“Yeah.” I stood and brushed off the dead grass, glancing around the area. It was a crumbling arena, overgrown with foliage. An earthen smell swirled in the wind. “What is this place?”
“It’s an amphitheater,” he said. “It was used for plays and other performances back in ancient times before it was destroyed.”
“This could be your secret garden instead of the libraries,” I said.
He stepped lightly across the overgrowth. “This isn’t my secret garden. Weeds and horrible memories haunt this place. After Asile’s first high wizard died, it became a site for executions. It’s the only place with enough room and privacy for us to practice in.”
A recent rainfall had kissed the leaves. Mud slurped at my feet as I went over to him.
After placing the bag on the ground, he faced me. “Hold up your palm.”
I raised it to him, and he placed his palm on top of mine. It took all my willpower not to shake under his touch. The warmth built between our hands.
“Do you feel the heat?” he asked.
Is he kidding? That’s all I feel when I’m next to him.
I nodded, my eyes not leaving his gaze. “It’s getting hotter.”
The wind brushed his hair across his forehead and flushed his cheeks. “It’s my battle globe. If I let it grow any more, it will burn you. When I was six, Oren taught me how to ignite my battle globe at will. Most Sentinels have to speak a charm. I practiced relentlessly until it became second nature to me. Just as walking or talking happens naturally. I believe you can learn this, too.” He removed his hand.
“I doubt it.” The wind cooled the heat of his touch from my palm.
He sighed, pulling out a small booklet from the inside pocket of his jacket. “Have some faith. You can create a light globe and your battle one. We’re not sure what this third one is or what it can do. You should be able to conjure it the same way.” He flipped to a dog-eared page. “A wizard found information in this log book about your mysterious globe. He discovered it while researching your family tree. Only one other possessed your globe. A boy who lived many centuries ago. It’s a universal globe. Unfortunately, he died before his thirteenth birthday from the plague, so there isn’t much information to glean from his experiences with it or what powers it possesses.”
“Apparently, it doesn’t protect against human diseases,” I said.
“I suppose it doesn’t.” Worry scrunched his face and it took him several seconds before he continued. “I can imagine this is scary for you, so at any time you want to stop, we will.”
“I can do this,” I said, not very convincingly.
His finger dragged across the page as he read the entry. “It says here that you must think of things that make you feel protected to ignite the globe.”
“Great. Just whatever makes me feel safe, huh?”
“Aye, give it a whirl.”
The globe proved elusive. A light one sprouted first, then the truth sphere appeared. I wasn’t sure how to separate them. Numerous things that gave me a sense of security came to mind. From alarm systems to people—Pop, Nana, and even Arik. But nothing worked.
Dark clouds rolled over our heads. A crack of lightning disturbed my train of thought. Rain sprinkled on us, dotting my palm with water, which made me wish I had my mother’s red umbrella. Pain tugged at my stomach, my insides were on fire. A