After Noli decides the fire has gone on long enough, I activate a second spell circle to tamper the flames down, then we scatter the embers and use dirt to put out the rest. In the end, I guess he got a burial after all.

It’s getting late by the time we head back. The predator reminds me of this as we walk, but there’s not much I can do about the time. You’ll just have to be patient, I tell it.

Patience is something it does understand now. It just really doesn’t like it.

I’ve got my signing glass carrying the lightest book of the bunch, while Noli carries two more and I lug along the rest. It looks like we’re headed to the library. I can’t imagine what someone might think if they happened upon us wandering through the woods like this. We must make for a strange sight.

Chatting is significantly reduced, given our preoccupied hands, but we pause just before nightfall for Noli to rest and eat. We’re still a couple hours out from Peakshadow, but we can’t camp out here; not with nightbanes about.

And the predator, soon enough.

Noli shifts some of the books into her bag, now that it has less food in it, freeing up her hands to talk. I likewise free up my signing hands, shifting its book to my arms. It’s heavy, but I use a bit of void to lock up my joints; reimagining my hands and arms as one solid object lets me levitate their glass more easily, which indirectly lets me carry more weight.

“We’re going to need to move faster, if you can manage,” I tell her as we start off once more.

“Because of your shadow friend?” Noli asks.

I wince. “That is a terrible way to refer to it.”

“Well it’s not my fault you haven’t named it yet.” Noli brightens. “We should brainstorm!”

I recall what Zyneth said before about not shooting down Noli’s desire to name it. I sort of understand what he was talking about now. Leaving the cabin behind feels like a step forward. Maybe this is a step Noli needs, too.

“Okay, but nothing cute,” I sign. “It is still an amoral, murderous, greedy, evil, shadow monster.”

She raises an amused eyebrow. “Evil?”

“Okay, amoral.”

“You already said that.”

“Well, it’s true.”

She chuckles. “It seems to be cooperating with you lately.”

“That’s just because of the agreement we made,” I sign.

“Are you sure it’s only that?” she asks. “I’ve only pieces of the full picture. But it seems it’s had plenty of opportunities to behave immorally these last several weeks, and I’ve yet to witness such an act take place. Not to mention, from what I gather, you’re letting it loose in the woods each night, and it’s yet to harm anyone. That’s significantly different from the actions we witnessed it take before.”

I shake my head. “It’s not the same.”

“How?” she asks.

I’m silent for a minute. It’s uncomfortable to talk about this with Zyneth as well, and I’m still not entirely sure why. “I’m not letting it loose in the forest,” I tell her. “I’m out there with it. Physically, but mentally, too. We… share a mind during those outings. So I’m able to direct it a bit. That’s why it hasn’t hurt anyone.”

Noli’s brow creases in faint concern. “Mind control?”

“No. Yes. I’m not sure,” I admit, my discomfort growing. “Before, it was one sided. I couldn’t fight it. Now, at least, there’s some equal share of both of us in control. I can talk it out of things and divert its mind, if I need to.” The reverse is also true, but I can’t bring myself to say it.

“Does it speak?” Noli wonders. “Mentally.”

I attempt to shrug, but the books get in the way. “Not with language. It’s more… conceptual. And there’s a lot of concepts it still doesn’t understand. But we can communicate, more or less.”

“I see.” Noli chews on her bottom lip, then seems to nod to herself. “I want to meet it.”

I freeze, and one of my books tumbles to the ground. “What?”

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Noli picks it back up and sets it on my stack. “Well, we’re certainly not going to get to Peakshadow before nightfall. So instead of you running off into the woods to leave me alone, I’d like to talk to it.”

“I’m not going to leave you alone out here,” I sign firmly. “The predator will just have to wait.”

“Can you guarantee that?” she asks. Before I can answer, she adds, “If you can’t, wouldn’t it be better if we had a chance to acquaint ourselves first?”

I shake my head. “No. Absolutely not. You do not want to see the predator.”

“Yes, I do,” Noli insists.

“Okay, then. I don’t want you to see the predator.”

“Why not?” she demands. “You said it’s not a threat to me.” She pauses. “Anymore.”

“There’s just nothing good that could come of this,” I sign, frustrated. The predator, metaphorical ears perked, is very interested in this conversation. Will I let it out early?

No, I mentally snap, shoving it away just for it to come drifting back. This isn’t about you.

The predator thinks it is.

“Nothing bad could come of it, either,” Noli counters.

“You don’t know that,” I sign shortly. My anxiety is mounting, and it’s getting harder to come up with a good argument while trying to juggle two simultaneous conversations. “It’s—It’s creepy looking!”

The predator starts pacing. It thinks it understands. The elf wants us to merge. Good! Why not? It presses closer, and in a panic, I press back.

Noli’s eyebrows lift in amusement at that suggestion. “You think after everything we went through before, I’ll be bothered by a bit of shade and glass?”

“I don’t want you to be scared of it.”

“I won’t be—”

“I don’t want you to be scared of me!”

Noli’s hands falter. Her look of amusement fades.

I have to turn my head away. I can’t look at her. “I don’t want you to see me like that.”

A hand touches my arm, gently pulling me to a stop. Reluctantly, I look back.

Noli takes the books out of my arms and sets them on the path, one by one. Then she pulls me into a hug. My soul aches as I lean into it.

The predator pauses its prowling, confused by my emotional distress. It can’t find the source of my anxiety. Where is the enemy?

Noli lets me go. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressured you.”

“No, I’m sorry.” I’m not even sure what I’m talking about. Letting her down?

“Don’t be.” She smiles. “I was just caught up in the moment. It felt so good to finally be able to move on from Trenevalt. I’d been thinking about him all this time. Wondering if there was something we could have done—something we could still do. Building that pyre together brought me peace. I guess I was just thinking, why not knock this one out, too? Face your fears.” She laughs lightly. “I know it’s not that simple.”

“It’s not,” I agree, struggling to articulate my feelings. “It’s just that… you wouldn’t only be facing the predator, you’d also be facing me.”

Noli watches my hands thoughtfully. Then starts to pick the books up once more, and I help her.

“Are you worried I’ll see you differently?” she asks when we’re done.

I hesitate. “Maybe. And the last time you saw me like that, I—the predator—did try to kill you. I can’t believe you won’t be bothered by it at all.”

“I probably will be,” she admits. “At least a little. But that’s why I’d rather meet it again on my own terms. The unknown loses a bit of its fright when you get to know it. And Kanin, no matter what, it won’t change how I see you. I promise.”

There’s a pit in my soul, cold and heavy. I know this fear is irrational. The predator has assured me Noli isn’t at risk—and because our minds are tied so close, I know it’s the truth. But intentionally letting her see me like that is a difficult step to take. Even with Zyneth it’s hard. There’s just so much shame tied to the things I’ve done—what the predator’s made me do—while in that state.

Noli pats my arm. “Let’s get going, then. You’re right that we need to move faster and make it to Peakshadow before it grows too late.”

“Then, about meeting the predator…”

Noli wrinkles her nose. “We really do need a better name for it. But I don’t need to meet it tonight. It will happen when you’re ready.”

“Thank you.” I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like her. “I’ll let you know when I am.”

We walk for a time in comfortable silence. Dark is falling over the forest, and I cast a Glow spell to light our way. The predator and I spend a few minutes bargaining before it finally relents, agreeing to wait until we’re back in town, with the tradeoff that it gets a few more hours around dawn. I expect Noli will be sleeping in tomorrow anyway, given today’s excitement.

“Dusk,” Noli abruptly signs.

“What?”

“As a name.” She grins. “Or Nightfall.

“I said nothing cute!”

“Those aren’t cute,” Noli objects. “They’re macabre.”

Edgy, more like. “Surely, you see how that’s worse,” I sign.

Noli laughs.

#

It takes another two days to get back to Harrowood. Rezira sweeps Noli up in a dramatic hug and kiss, spinning her in a circle as Noli giggles and cries out in glee. Zyneth and I greet a little more timidly, simply taking each other’s hand.

“How was the trip?” he asks as we settle back into the familiar routine of visiting a new tavern to discuss our days over a hot meal and cold drink.

“It was good,” I say honestly, resting against his shoulder. “I’m glad I got that closure. That I could do… something for him.” Across the table, Rezira and Noli are having a similar conversation.

“I’m glad as well,” Zyneth says. “I know this has been weighing on you. It’s good to see you and Noli take something good from it.”

“Literally, too,” I add. “I took some of his books and tools back with us, so they don’t just sit out there and rot. Some arcana books for myself that might help me with homunculus related spells. And maybe something that will help me learn more about what happened to the human souls and where I can find them. I also got something for you—a clockwork artificing book, if it’s any use.”

A corner of his mouth pulls into a smile. “How thoughtful.”

It suddenly strikes me that there’s probably no artificing book I could get him that he didn’t already have access to, what with being a prince.

“We also saw Attiru,” I say. I’m going to say more, but I stop myself.

“Oh?” There’s no flicker of worry or understanding in his gaze. “How are they doing?”

I want to ask him. The curiosity is eating me up. But then I think of Attiru, asking me to offer him grace, and Noli, giving me space to make my own decisions about the predator.

“Good,” I say, twining my fingers with Zyneth’s. He’ll tell me when he’s ready. “They’re good.”