A Burning Passion~Book Two in TAB

Listing Chances

"So what were you two doing last night?" Luck asked, obviously hinting at something. Glaring, I motioned for him to shut up. I still couldn't hear from my right ear, but it was facing the wall, so it didn't really matter. I was trying to listen to the people around to pick up some clues as to what Alex was doing and where he was going.

"We were going over the one hint we got as to where my brother is and what's going on with him," Devon stated with an edge to his voice.

"That's all? You guys are no fun," Luck pouted. I tuned him out and focused on the conversation flowing around me.

"Did you see that man and his boy the other week?"

"What nerve the man had! Bringing that evil thing here."

"The boy must've been confused. He was so sweet."

"What do you think he is?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if that man was Satan himself and the boy some lost child who was sent to the depths of hell to serve him."

"Oh, Martha, you're always so dramatic! The boy is Fae, you didn't notice?"

"How could I? He has horns. I've never seen Fae with horns!"

"I heard he went through the Shadow Labrynth."

"A boy like him? My cousin died there, and she was in the best of health."

"Peter, your family is as sickly and weak as a smoke sprite."

"Where are those devilbearers now? I hope not terrorizing more inns. I was planning on continuing to go south."

"Well, the man said he would be continuing on south, trying to sell whatever it was he tried to get us to buy."

"Wasn't he selling charms?"

"Yeah, while the boy told stories to the little ones about amazing battles won and lost between dragons and the races of the fifth dimension."

"Didn't he also tell that story about the children who saved time."

"Do you actually believe that story?"

"Of course not, but it was quite inspiring."

"Quite."

"I really like the boy, he was so sweet."

"I think he'd be perfect for my granddaughter. He seems about her age."

"You haven't seen your granddaughter once, Martha. She ran away to the final dimension, remember? No one even knows if she's alive anymore."

After that, the middle aged and old people began a squabble about the life of Martha's granddaughter. I had gotten my information. Alex was going the way we were headed, or at least somewhat in the same direction. Just recently too. We could still catch up to him.

"Well, while you two were doing whatever, I went around and got one of the charms that the guy with your brother was selling here."

I snapped to attention, staring at Luck in anticipation as he pulls out the charm from an inner pocket in his vest, which I had no idea where he got it, because he wasn't wearing it the day before and he hadn't had any luggage.

The charm Luck set on the table was a translucent scarlet rock, irregular in shape and with faint traces of orange fire designs behind the first layer of whatever it was. The charm was large, something that could be used as a pendant on a necklace.

"It's humming," Devon murmured in awe. No matter how much I strained my left ear, I couldn't catch a humming noise. My hearing used to be amazing. Now I'm reduced to a half-deaf failure.