Helpless (Blue Fire Saga) by Scott Prussing Read Free Book Online

said. “I don’t know how you do it.”
    “It has its benefits, but it has its share of drawbacks, too. Do you how hard it is to find a public phone nowadays? It’s a good thing I do not need one very often.”
    “Knowing what you’ve just told me, I’m even more amazed you were able to find me.”
    “Public libraries are a godsend,” Dominic said. “Some still have pay phones, and most have public computers with internet service.” He grinned. “I’m getting better on the computer, but I usually still have to ask someone your age to assist me.”
    Leesa thought for a moment. She had so many questions—which to ask first?
    “How did you get to Connecticut from San Diego? I know you can’t fly without proper ID…or have you found a way around that?”
    “Sadly, no. I use a combination of trains and buses. That’s something I want to talk to you about. I need a favor.”
    Leesa was surprised. This was the first time Dominic had asked anything from her. She wondered what kind of favor a wizard could need.
    “Sure, if I can. What is it?
    “I need you to buy me a car.”
    Leesa was certain her surprise showed on her face. She wasn’t sure what she had expected, but it definitely wasn’t this.
    “Ummm… I’m not sure if you know it, but cars are pretty expensive.”
    Dominic laughed. “No, no. I didn’t mean I wanted you to pay for one, just to buy one for me. I have plenty of money, but I don’t know how to go about buying one without any identification.”
    “Oh.” Leesa realized he was right. Any car dealer would need to see a driver’s license, at least. “This may sound stupid,” she asked, “but do you know how to drive?”
    Dominic nodded. “Yes, I do. It’s a skill I have picked up over the years. I do not get to use it often, but I think now is a good time to do it again.”
    “Why now?”
    “Because I do not feel comfortable remaining so close to you for extended periods. As we continue your training, there will be times I do not need to be here while you practice, sometimes for days at a time. When that happens, I would like to be able to get far away as I can. Having a car will make it much easier for me to come and go.”
    Dominic was right about that, Leesa knew. Still, she didn’t like the idea of him leaving her to practice alone. She supposed he knew best, though.
    “We can look online,” she said. “That’s probably the easiest thing. How long will it take you to get the money?”
    For a moment, Dominic looked puzzled. “How long? Unless cars are much more expensive than I imagine, I have it now. If I need more, I just have to find a pawn shop or a jewelry store.”
    Now it was Leesa’s turn to be puzzled. She wondered how much money Dominic carried around with him and why he would need a pawnshop or jewelry store. He wasn’t wearing any jewelry that she could see. She looked down at the ring on her finger—she hadn’t been able to see that either. For all she knew, Dominic might have one on every finger. And maybe gold chains around his neck.
    “Uh, how much money do you have on you right now?” she asked.
    Dominic shrugged. “Ten or twelve thousand of your dollars, I think. Plus some gold and jewels.”
    Leesa’s eyes widened in surprise. “Ten or twelve thousand dollars? You carry ten or twelve thousand dollars in cash around with you?”
    “Plus gold and jewels,” Dominic reminded her. “Where else am I going to keep it?”
    “I hadn’t really thought about that. I guess I thought you might a have safety deposit box somewhere, or something like that.” She studied the wizard closely. His clothes didn’t show any bulges where he could have so much money and jewels stashed away. She wondered if he might have a money belt under his shirt, but his slender form sure didn’t look like it.
    Dominic stood up and extracted an old brown leather wallet from his back pocket. No, not really a wallet, Leesa thought. It was a little too big to be called a wallet,