Clover folded her arms, scowling. “The more I hear about Dawncrest, the more I despise it. And to think that was the first city of Nexus. What a disgrace.”

I shrugged, not bothering to argue. “There’s a reason it never became a tourist attraction like Latica or Highgate. The town’s attitude is well known, and few want to travel to a place where they’ll be scorned. The only reason they tolerated my siblings and me was because we’re human. I don’t like it, but minds like that don’t change easily. The mayor has been trying to fix things, but it's…slow going.”

Scrubbing a hand over my face, I sighed. “Every rule he puts in place to prevent unjust actions against beastfolk, elves, dragonkin or other races is met with immediate resistance. Honestly, I’ve been thinking about moving my siblings away for years, but we never had the money.”

Clover’s lips pressed into a thin line, and she rolled her shoulders. “Well, after we finish this, we’ll just have to fix that. Clearing dungeons of monsters yields excellent rewards, and slaying beasts for their hides and resources also pays well. We’ll get Starkfell the herb it needs, and then we’ll see about getting your siblings out of that pit.”

The fierce protectiveness in her tone gripped my heart tight. “You’d do that?”

We hadn’t discussed what would happen after we got the herb. Until now, I hadn’t dared to think about it. Her willingness to stay with me, to help bring my siblings somewhere safer, was touching. But there was a problem she didn’t know about yet.

My heritage. My mission. The dragon needed slaying, and the king did too.

Would she follow me, if I asked?

Doubts clawed at me, but Clover brushed them aside by cupping my cheek, her expression both fond and exasperated. “Darling, when I took an interest in you, I did so knowing you have a large family to care for. From what you’ve said about your struggles to feed them and the town’s hostility, I understood this might be necessary. Those sweetlings won’t suffer in that hole any longer than they have to, not if you and I can help it.”

She was making it extremely hard not to kiss her.

A lump rose in my throat, and I leaned into her hand with a small smile. “Thank you. I’m not used to anyone else worrying about them, but it’s… nice.”

Nice didn’t feel like a strong enough word, but Clover seemed to understand. She returned my smile, letting her hand fall.

“It’s not something you need to thank me for.” Then her frown returned as she looked toward Starkfell. “But first, we need to leave. There’s still another herb to find–and now, that tavern owner to investigate.” Her earlier lethal tone crept back into her voice, and I squeezed her hand.

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“Do we have time for both? I despise the thought of leaving those women to suffer, but if the sick can’t hold on long…”

Clover exhaled heavily and nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that. We won’t have the luxury of time to deal with the tavern first. When we get to Starkfell, I’ll ask some of the refugees I know to keep an eye out. There are also two people who might help us: a berserker and a Chosen of Inspiration. Clearing the dungeon will be easier with their help.”

Azurith inclined his head. “That gives your sources time to gather information while you heal the sick. Smart.” He glanced at me. “But be warned: they won’t like you. Your cleric has earned their trust, but you haven’t. Prepare for suspicion–or hostility.”

Clover stiffened, crossing her arms “I’ll make it clear he’s nothing like the others they’ve dealt with. If anyone tries anything, they’ll answer to me.”

Azurith smiled faintly. “You are certainly formidable. I pity anyone who attempts to cross you.” Amusement laced his words before he straightened, his tone growing serious. “I’ll take my leave, then. Perhaps I’ll see you in Starkfell–or perhaps not. May your travels be safe and your steps silent.”

With that, he turned and strode off, his movements swift and graceful.

Once he was gone, I moved toward the unconscious bandits. “Let’s tie these guys up and get going. I don’t want to waste any time, especially since we don’t know if we’ll have help clearing that dungeon or not.”

Clover nodded, pulling rope from her pack as she fell in step beside me. “The berserker might stay behind to hunt for resources. It’s not his usual preference–he likes more challenging prey–but the town needs supplies.”

Under her breath, she added. “And if something is going on with the tavern owner, he’ll crush the man’s skull into the dirt before the fool could say ‘oops’.”

Sounds like I’d get along famously with him.

I hummed, already considering the distance left to Starkfell. “If we hustle, we should be there by tomorrow. But we’ll need to leave immediately after this.”

A yawn crept up on me, and I covered it with a wince. I’d nearly forgotten about my Exhausted status.

Clover caught the movement and sighed. “You’re going to be an absolute menace to make rest, aren’t you?”

I shrugged but didn’t deny it. “If there are people nearby who need help? Without a doubt.”

Her sigh deepened. “I thought as much. You probably won’t rest once we reach Starkfell either, so we’re setting up camp after this.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but her glare shut me down. “No. You still have the Exhausted status, and while it’s admirable how determined you are to help others, I won’t let you grind yourself into the ground. We’ll rest tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll help Starkfell.”

The urge to leave–to not waste a single minute–burned in me, but I knew a losing battle when I saw one. I gave in with a nod. “Alright. But I don’t know how well I’ll sleep,”

Gregory and Sara’s fates were still fresh and new, like an open wound. My thoughts fought to drift to them now that things were winding down. If that continued, sleep would be tricky.

She smiled and shot me a playful wink, banishing the dark thoughts threatening to take hold. “If earlier is any indication, you’ll sleep just fine once we’re sharing a bedroll. Which works for me, as I was planning on continuing that anyway. Now hush and focus on the task at hand. Cuddling comes later.”

I chuckled softly, dreading and looking forward to the night ahead in equal measure.