Mia blinked at him in confusion. ‘Wait, what? You’re staying here? At the castle?’
Dino smiled and nodded his head.
‘For . . . for how long?’ she asked.
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Forever, maybe.’
Mia’s lips parted in disbelief. ‘Dino, you can’t!’
‘Why not?’ he said with a shrug. ‘I’ve already got all the credits I need to finish school, and I’ll be eighteen in a couple of weeks. Blue’s staying, too, and so are Isaac and Roland.’
‘Dino . . .’ Mia began, but her voice failed her.
‘I’ve got a purpose here,’ he elaborated gently. ‘I don’t know exactly what it is yet, but I’m going to figure it out.’
‘But . . . what about me?’ was all Mia could manage.
Dino smiled sadly. ‘I’ll still be here for you. Besides, now that you don’t have the Arx to worry about, I don’t think you need me as much anymore.’
‘I still need you,’ she whispered, fighting back the catch in her voice. ‘You won’t be in the house anymore.’
‘I know,’ he smirked. ‘I’ll be in a castle.’
‘I’ll stay too. If you’re staying, then I’m staying.’
‘You can’t,’ he laughed. ‘You’ve got school.’
Mia threw up her hands. ‘I don’t care about school!’
‘Finish school, and then . . .’ He shrugged. ‘Then it’s up to you.’
Tears started to prickle Mia’s eyes. ‘But we’ve never been apart before.’
‘I’ll miss you,’ he said. ‘I just . . . I have to do this. I have to find myself, and I’m pretty sure I’m here. I need to . . . I don’t know, help people or something. I can be better than what I was. I can make a difference.’
Without a word, Mia hugged him. He smelled familiar to her. It was that familiar scent that only Dino had. In that moment, she was transported back to another time, another place. Her sixteen years with Dino passed before her in a blur, from scraped knees to late-night confidences. She found herself lost in this moment, cherishing the memory they were creating right then.
‘So this is okay?’ he asked.
‘More than okay. I hope you find yourself, Dino.’
‘Thanks, Mia,’ he said. ‘I think I just did.’
The Witches of the Dark Power Page 23