‘Good,’ he said. ‘You’re safest here. Especially now that you don’t have the Arx protecting you.’
She laughed softly, and then paused for a moment. ‘Do you think I did the right thing? By breaking the Arx, I mean?’
‘Debatable.’
She groaned. ‘I had a feeling you’d say that.’ She inhaled the pine scented air around them, savouring it to store in her memory. ‘I think I did,’ she answered her own question.
‘Then you probably did.’
Colt gave her one final kiss, and in an unspoken understanding they rose to their feet and began towards the gardens. The castle towered ahead of them, its turrets soaring towards the azure sky.
They walked in silence—there was nothing more that needed to be said. Amos was gone. And, true to Demetrius’s word, Wendolyn’s strength had gradually returned.
After that night, Demetrius had vanished. There’d been no word of whether or not he had returned to the Lighthouse—or if a school of enchantment even existed anymore within its ramshackle structure. Kizzy had left shortly after, and now only Wendolyn, the Hunters and a few Arcana remained at the castle.
In the courtyard, Cassandra, Madeline, and Dino were waiting at the station wagon for Mia and Colt to arrive. As the pair crossed through the hedge archway, Mia noticed that Madeline was sniffling into a tissue.
‘See? Even Aunt Maddie’s sad to say goodbye to you,’ Mia joked.
Colt snorted.
As they closed in on the courtyard, Mia’s fingers slid from Colt’s and she gave him a parting look. ‘Bye,’ she said softly. ‘I’ll see you soon.’
‘I have no doubt,’ Colt said with a wink. He kissed her lovingly on the lips, then headed towards the forest. She was certain that he’d be watching her long after he was gone from her view.
As Mia approached her family, she began to glean the real source of Madeline’s anguish. ‘Is it me?’ Madeline was asking Dino tearfully.
‘No,’ Dino assured her. ‘This has nothing to do with you, Aunt Maddie. I swear.’
Mia frowned. ‘What are you guys talking about?’
Dino glanced at their mother and aunt, as if waiting for their approval before he spoke. The two women permitted him with a nod.
He turned to Mia. ‘I have to tell you something,’ he began. He took her elbow and steered her to a quiet spot in the courtyard. ‘I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and...’
‘What?’ Mia urged.
They came to a stop beside a tall stone pillar.
‘Dino, what is it?’ she asked.
‘I’m staying,’ he blurted out at last.
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 jaw dropped. ‘Dino! You can’t!’
‘Why not?’ he argued. ‘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,’ Mia suggested, swallowing the lump in her throat. ‘If you’re staying, then I’m staying.’
‘You can’t,’ he laughed. ‘You’ve got school, remember?’
Mia threw up her hands in exasperation. ‘I don’t care about school!’
‘Listen,’ he began. ‘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.’
He turned his face away. When he looked back, his coffee-coloured eyes were glassy. ‘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 checked.
‘More than okay,’ she whispered. ‘I hope you find yourself, Dino.’
‘Thanks, Mia,’ he whispered back. ‘I think I just did.’
The Witches of Glass Castle: Uprising (The Witches of the Glass Castle Series Book 2) Page 23