Ishi, watched smirking and near to laughing as the cat eye he had duped ran up the hill on all fours.

The other one, the human that Ishi liked looking at despite the fact that she was much older than he, came running through the trees moments later, a bewildered look on her face. “What’s happening? Where is Dija?”

She glanced at him, her large eyes going from his feet across his body. Ishi pointed up the hill. “If you hurry, you might catch her.”

As the girl ran, he shrugged. She wasn’t as fast as Dija. Ishi felt a little bit guilty about tricking her—Mika, not Dija—he didn’t like the cat eye. Too fussy.

She noticed, he thought. The expensive blue tunic he had borrowed must have really looked good on him. Lawrence wouldn’t like that.

Smirking again, he slowly started to make his way up the hill after Mika, schooling his features appropriately. This situation was serious, but for some reason, Ishi was having fun.

It was too bad he hadn’t got to see the hurg, and he had been furious when Lawrence told him to stay behind to “be the distraction,” but the boy wanted more than anything to gain the mage’s respect.

And besides. Being left behind with nothing to do, he might get to talk to Mika. But she was very worried, so he wanted to help her.

It was for the best that he had tricked her—like Lawrence said.