Seeing the empty shelves in Silas’s office helped chase away some of my unease. I adjusted the satchel of books at my side and grinned. Time offered me a tired but understanding smile before settling onto one of the plush couches nearby.
“We should take this opportunity to rest. There is no telling what awaits us on the road.”
I hummed in agreement, reaching up to stroke my foxy companion as it blinked drowsily from my hood. “Looks like this one was way ahead of you.”
The fox leaned into my touch for a moment before shaking itself, fur fluffing up briefly. With a graceful leap, it landed on the desk, stretched, and let out a jaw-cracking yawn.
I smiled at the sight. “Since you’re staying in Latica, will you drop him off with Nature?”
Time shrugged. “I do not mind, though she will wish to speak with you for saving him.”
“Saving is a bit of a stretch,” I muttered. “All I did was mess around with the bag he was trapped in.”
The fox turned to glare at me, its eyes narrowing in clear displeasure.
“What?” I raised a brow.
Time chuckled as he sank deeper into the couch. “He is displeased with your attempt to dodge his creator’s thanks. I would advise giving in. Her creatures are every bit as tenacious as she is.”
The fox huffed in agreement, and I raised my hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. I’ll meet your mom, no need to keep glaring.”
Satisfied, the fox sat back with an air of smug victory. I rolled my eyes and scratched behind his ears. “You know, I need to come up with a name for you. Calling you ‘the fox’ feels wrong. I wouldn’t like it if someone called me ‘the mortal,’ after all.”
He tipped his head, as if granting permission.
“What about Cedar?” I suggested. “Since your mom is Mother Nature herself?”
He considered the name for a moment before shaking his head.
“No good? Alright, how about Orion? It’s a cluster of stars where I come from, and you definitely look like the night sky.”
Before the fox could respond, Time interjected. “Be cautious naming creatures. Names carry power beyond your understanding, and once chosen, they cannot be undone.”
Well, that killed my idea.
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“What if it’s just a nickname?” I offered. “It feels a little demeaning to keep calling him ‘fox’.”
Time shook his head. “Nicknames are still names, Nikolas.”
The fox yipped sharply, drawing our attention. Time frowned, apparently understanding the sound. “I understand that you dislike being called ‘fox’ or ‘beast’, but you are too young to fully grasp–”
The fox let out a series of rapid yips–animal-speak for ‘la-la-la, I’m not listening.’ if I had to guess.
Time sighed and looked away. “Fine, doom yourself, then.”
The fox puffed its chest out proudly, and I had to bite back a laugh. “You weren’t kidding about him being tenacious. Maybe Volpe would work? It’s Italian for ‘fox’, but it sounds nice. Would that bypass the whole naming issue?”
Time considered it, then nodded. “Yes, that should suffice.”
I turned back to the fox. “What about Volpe?”
It huffed, sticking its nose in the air.
“Look, I get that you want Orion, but why don’t we wait and let your mom name you? It’s not like it’ll go anywhere while we’re traveling. Besides, wouldn’t you want her to give you your name?”
The fox stared at me for a long moment before deflating with a grumble.
Time nodded, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Volpe agrees.” The fox swung to glare at him. “On the condition that no one else claims his actual name in the meantime.” The newly dubbed Volpe nodded.
“Fair enough.” I scratched him behind the ears. “If I pick up any other animal friends, I’ll make sure they don’t steal your name.”
Time muttered under his breath from the couch, “All this fuss over a name.”
Volpe glared at him, then threw his head back dramatically, hopping off the desk and trotting away.
“Truly a child,” Time said, rolling his eyes.
Leaning against the desk, I watched as Volpe’s curiosity quickly won out over his irritation. He sniffed the shelves, making his way around the room and carefully inspecting every inch. Keeping one eye on him in case he got into trouble, I replied, “Well, you did say he’s mentally a child.”
As if to prove that point, Volpe pawed at a tapestry, his claws catching in the fabric. His ears snapped upright in alarm as he twisted, tangling himself further. Wide, pleading eyes locked on me, begging for help.
I sighed as I walked over. “You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?”
Time’s voice drifted from behind me. “I have thought the same about you, Nikolas.”
Without turning, I flipped him off over my shoulder and focused on freeing Volpe. He’d tangled himself impressively, but with careful work, I freed his claws. The moment he was loose, he darted behind me, glaring at the offending tapestry.
“Try not to get your claws stuck–”
Before I could finish, the tapestry shimmered and disappeared, melding into the wall behind it. I froze mid-sentence.
“Time? Am I losing my mind, or did that tapestry just vanish?”
Time was at my side in an instant, suspicion etched into his features as he pressed his hand to the wall. It slid through effortlessly.
“No, you are sane…or your approximation of it,” he muttered. “It seems the king had more surprises for us.”
I reached out, pushing a finger against the wall. It slipped through like mist.
“Well,” I said, meeting Time’s gaze, “there’s no better time than the present to figure out what the bastard was hiding.”
We probably wouldn’t be lucky enough to find another journal, but who knew? Maybe luck was on our side today.