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The first night, she slept inside it alone, as if he understood she was unnerved about being in a vulnerable state after what happened. The second night, he placed only his tail in. The third, he made her sit in it with him long before it was time to sleep, and started to teach her Nathair speak.

It appeared he wanted to spend the evening in it again.

I’ve kind of noticed that he seems rather content to do... nothing.Other than taking her to the beach, he didn’t move around much. He often just sat there watching her.

He’s laid-back and aloof.It’s like nothing bothers him.Although she knew that wasn’t true.I kind of find his ability to do that really cool.She wished she could be like that; her ability to fake it wasn’t very good.

Linh approached when he shoved the bottom of the torch into the wall so it would stick out and give her light. Like she knew hewould, he carefully lifted her into the nest before slipping inside it himself.

Seated upright with his back against the wall, he rested his arms inside. His tail was bundled to the left, as if he wanted to give her as much room as possible while forcing her to sit on a loop of it. She thought from where a human would have had knees, he was free and straight all the way up to his head.

He continued her lessons on Nathair speak, and she tried to remember each sign he taught her to the best of her ability. It would take time. To learn a whole new language in a short span was impossible. She hoped he understood that if she made mistakes in the future, it wasn’t done out of disinterest.

They were not at the point in which they could have complex conversations.

“It feels weird having to learn how to sign all over again when I already know how,” Linh said with a small smile, repeating his version of day and night. “I never considered people from different places or cultures would have different ways of doing it. Some of them seem to be universal, so I may be able to remember them better.”

Nathair paused to listen. He always listened, so Linh continued speaking, wanting some rest from her full day oflearning.

She leaned her back against his waist and crossed her legs to make herself comfortable. “My dad is the mayor of my village. My mum works as a herbologist, apothecary, and doctor for our village. They are a perfect team; both want to support our people in different ways that matter.”

A small smile lifted into her features as she thought of them, all the while trying to ignore the cold ache that swirled around her heart.

“My dad made me learn from a young age. He said it was important that I be able to communicate with everyone freely.As his daughter, I had to be respectful towards everyone.” She paused, and with a low voice, added, “I ended up having to sign for him after the leader of the bandits came and broke both his hands for trying to fight back. He couldn’t move his fingers for weeks.”

She glanced at Nathair from the corner of her eye and lowered her head when she took in the blue of his orbs. Was it pity they conveyed? Sadness for her? Who knew, but looking upon them only twisted her heart.

She didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

“I miss my parents a lot,” she admitted, looking up at the torch so she could stare at its flames. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make the conversation sad.”

The growl that thundered from him immediately had the tiny hairs all over her body standing on end. Goosebumps prickled over her flesh for the most titillating reason, and she clenched her thighs together.

Linh turned and folded her arms on his flat torso. To distract him, she poked next to his navel.

“You have a belly button. Does that mean you were born?” she asked to distract him and, more importantly, herself.

He made a fist and dipped it forward and back like one would nod, stating yes.

“So you have parents. Are they nice?” She gave him a smile, only for it to die when he shrugged. “How long ago were you born?”

He touched his elbow with two fingers and then made them leap to his wrist. She winced, since he hadn’t taught her this yet. He did it again, and again, meaning he wanted her to figure it out.

“Jump?”

He shook his fist side to side to state no.

“Is it close to that?”

He nodded his fist, and she watched him do it again.

“Over?”

He nodded his fist, then put up three fingers and made two zeroes.

She slapped his stomach when she pushed up on straightened arms. “Are you saying you’re over three hundred years old?”

He chuckled as he nodded his head this time.