Page 35

KLEOS

I healed the owl’s wing, though I had to get the healer to break it first under a sedating potion. It had started to set at the wrong angle. My purview was growing and mending; I couldn’t do much to tissues already out of place.

The healer did her part and looked at Lucian’s file when it was my turn.

“You’re the largest animal rescue and sanctuary in the underside. We’re dealing with a dark ritual issue, and I wondered if you’ve had any encounters with marks like these in the past.”

She made a face, the picture of distaste.

“This takes me back years—decades, really. But yes, there was a wave of that sort of thing. A few strays ended up right here for cremation. Dogs, rabbits, and the like. Why, you weren’t even alive then, young man.

” Her eyebrows knitted together. “This isn’t starting up again, is it? ”

I expected Lucian to remain vague. I would have. To my shock, he told her, “Not on animals, Mrs. Francis. The marks were found on humans. I assumed the perpetrator would have had practice before jumping to a more complex life-form.”

She clicked her tongue. “Appalling, the extent some people go to for a bit of power. Well, I’ll sleep better in the knowledge that our founders watch over us.”

She made a gesture I wasn’t familiar with, one that seemed to profess respect and deference: both of her palms flat against her shoulders, she lowered her head. Lucian responded with a slight bow. The whole exchange felt like a formality—yet another thing that escaped me here.

We had our answer, but as promised, I helped with the hound, next. They had to yet again immobilize him, and I healed the bruised tailbone within seconds.

Mrs. Francis was showing us the way out when another healer rushed forward, hesitating when she spotted us, visibly intimidated.

“Well? What is it, Maud?” the elderly woman snapped impatiently.

Maud cleared her throat. “It’s the fox, ma’am. He seems well enough, but he’s mighty agitated now that he’s awake. He isn’t letting anyone close, and he wants out, we think.”

Of course, she looked at me quizzically.

This wasn’t normal behavior for a wounded animal coming back after a long period under a spell, especially with considerable blood loss—he should have been too exhausted for much movement—and the one irregular thing that happened to him was me.

Yet another reason why I didn’t like to play god: I got the blame when anything went wrong.

I’d opened my mouth to say I had no clue what was going on when the animal in question dashed out of the room and raced down the corridor, his three caregivers running after him.

They had very little chance to catch up, given his speed and agility.

I would never have guessed the animal had been on the brink of death an hour ago, the way he moved.

And he was charging right at us.

Lucian stepped in front of me, his arm pushing me behind him in a smooth, protective move that came so easily he didn’t even seem to think it through; but the fox was no threat. As soon as he was within reach, he slowed down and pushed his head right into Lucian’s leg.

Oh.

Well, I certainly related.

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.”

“ You saved 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.

I ate everything. So did the fox. We had similar tastes in men and food apparently.

Phobos was more than happy to trot alongside Lucian, and when he felt like it, he leapt into his arms—and Lucian caught him like they’d done it every day for years.

Lucian indulged us both, buying anything the fox or I sniffed with interest, until I was so full I couldn’t have fit a single morsel more.

The street food merchants in the city square were geniuses.

Meat softer than butter, crisped and covered in the most delicious sauces, were sold on skewers, in buns fresh out of the oven or wraps.

Apples covered in spices, bananas positively slathered in dark chocolate were baked and offered on top of pancakes, with fresh strawberries that weren’t supposed to be this tasty in December.

And then there were the things I couldn’t recognize, the mysterious blue-tinted meats, the strange, diaphanous sour candies that glowed in the eerie light of the square.

I ate it all, and regretted it on our way back.

“I would be the size of a house if I lived here,” I groaned.

“Hardly. You don’t eat like an army if you’re used to everything.”

I doubted him. It was all that good. “How do you think Zazel will take to Phobos?”

“He’ll attempt murder,” Lucian replied lightly. “But Phobos can take care of himself.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. But I was also worried for nothing. We’d only just entered the house when Zazel lazily strode in, stretching his long legs. Phobos rolled to his back, and the demon cat consented to come sniff him. Then they were hopping off—probably to find nonexistent mice.

“He’s right at home, isn’t he?”

Lucian smirked. “Mrs. Francis was right, I think. Phobos took to me. He’ll insert himself in my life just fine. Zazel can’t stand me, and he managed.”

I wanted to argue Zazel must have seen something to like, given that he followed him and remained in his home, but frankly, my short acquaintance with the cat suggested what he liked was this place, compared to wherever he had come from. Lucian, he was thoroughly indifferent to.

“Do you need a nap, or should we get back to work?”

I could have done with a nap. But I had an attacker to find.

And then we were back at the entrance of the enchanted library. I noticed a word engraved on top of the arched door that I hadn’t seen the first day: θ?κη.

“Theke,” Lucian read for me. “Technically, the manor’s actual library is the one downstairs, so this is Theke. If you’re lost, you can call it out loud; one of the runes might come help you if they feel like it.”

Because his house’s runes had feelings .

There were ten books on the table again. I took one and returned to my seat, disturbingly comfortable here.

I had mostly been joking when I said I didn’t want to leave a day ago. Now, I was fairly certain I meant it.

But I had a job to do, and it wasn’t wise to let him see just how insane I was by begging to move in. He might kick me out before we figure out who was trying to curse me—and how to stop it.