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Seeming confused at first, and looking at Mrs. Francis for guidance, Lucian moved slowly, bringing his hand to the fox’s head. He pushed into the touch, demanding a harder scratch, like Zazel might have—with me, in any case.

“Ah. He must have realized you pulled him out of danger, Mr. Regis,” the healer said with a kind smile. She chuckled, turning to me. “Typical. You do all the work, and a man gets the credit.”

I shrugged. “It’s fair. I stole his cat.”

Lucian lowered himself to a crouch and gathered the fox into one arm. “You’re not supposed to move that much, boy. And your healers were planning to give you some rehab, you know.”

“He obviously has full control of his motor function. I feel confident about releasing him into your care, if you’d like to take him home.”

Lucian blinked. “I can?”

She shrugged. “Night foxes are rare, and endangered. We do our best to keep their population thriving, and wild if they prefer it. But when a sorcerer and an animal form a bond, there’s not much else to be said.”

Lucian seemed at a loss for words, eyes fixed on the large canine curled up in his arm.

“Is there anything we should know about his diet? Habits? Would Lucian need to bring him back for checkups?”

I’d never had a pet, but Gideon used to, so I was vaguely aware of the necessities.

“Oh, foxes are more or less the same as dogs. Not as easy to housetrain, but a bonded beast can always understand his sorcerer. As for his care, he seems completely healed, thanks to you. I’d say, see a normal healer convenient to you from time to time.”

“Anything we need to sign?” I kept going, Lucian still beyond speech.

I felt like I was intruding on a deeply personal moment when I looked. The fox’s golden eyes communicated with Lucian, and he didn’t pay anyone else any mind.

The healer laughed. “We’ll handle the paperwork, my friends. I know who Lucian is, and where that lucky boy is going. And bless you again for all your help today. I will leave my thanks at Apollo’s temple for bringing you to us. Clearly, it was ordained.”

Her certainty was strange to me. She wouldn’t have spent over a decade thinking some random old guy saved her. She would have been certain it was a god from the start.

As we headed back out onto the large avenue, I decided I ought to adopt a way of thinking like the unders, founders and nobles, who believed in the gods and behaved like they were actively interacting with us. The facts were starting to align with their beliefs.

Lucian sat in front of me and I got to observe him to my heart’s content, as all his attention was fixed on the fox. We’d reached the circle at the intersection of all twelve gates when he finally looked up.

“He’s not afraid of me at all. How odd.”

I grinned at him. “You saved him.”

“Yousaved him,” he countered.

“I healed him, but he might not have survived without you. He was almost dead when we got into the room.” I tilted my head. “You seem to like him.”

Lucian’s lips curved up. “I defy anyone to dislike him.”

Oh, he was adorable. And I meant the enamored man, not the animal. Though the fox certainly was too cute for words. “What will you call him?”

“His name is Phobos,” he told me, making it sound like he’d heard it, rather than chosen it.

“Did he tell you that?”

“I don’t know? In a way. This is confusing.”

Adorable.

We’d almost reached the gate of Kings again when Phobos shifted, standing on all fours, ears pricking up, and his little black nose sniffing the air.

“Dan, will you pause for a moment?” Lucian called, and the carriage slowed down. Lucian stood and offered his hand. “It seems Phobos decided it’s lunch time. Might as well grab something to eat, so we can head right back to work once we get home.”

Home. By that, he meant his manor, which absolutely wasn’t my home. But for a few more hours, I could pretend it was.