Chương 56: 056

Time straightened and nodded.

"I will go through first. Remain here a moment." I didn't argue, watching as he stepped into the wall and vanished. Silence stretched, just long enough to tighten my shoulders, before his voice drifted back.

"It is safe," he said.

"And you will want to see this." I exchanged a look with Volpe, then followed, the fox padding close at my heels. Despite watching Time pass through, part of me still braced for impact. Instead, a ghostly chill slid over my skin as the office dissolved around us. When the sensation faded and my vision cleared, my jaw dropped. Plants blanketed every surface. Vines crawled along the walls, thorns curled like hooked fingers, and leaves bloomed in a riot of impossible colors.

Stone workbenches lined the room, one supporting a squat cauldron beneath a mounted shelf packed with books and jars. Time gestured around us, amusement softening his features.

"It appears there is one more room for you to clear out." I turned slowly, taking it all in.

"He had an entire damn potion room hidden in his office…" Drawn closer, I drifted toward a nearby flower, its swollen red bulb pulsing faintly, as if breathing. When I leaned within a few inches, it snapped forward, teeth clamping onto my sleeve.

"Shit-!" I yanked back, shaking free and retreating a step.

"Are these safe to put in the satchel," I asked warily, "or are they going to shred it from the inside?" Time nodded.

"Just as the inkwells will not stain the books, these plants cannot damage other items within the bag. Take everything. I recognize only half of these specimens, but those I do are exceedingly rare. Their leaves, petals, and sap are vital to potions…and poisons. We cannot risk them falling into the wrong hands." I eyed the snapping flower and edged away.

"Alright. But how do I pack them without losing a finger? I'm rather attached to my hands." Time crossed to a wall lined with unfamiliar tools and plucked down a pair of shimmering leather gloves, delicate swirl patterns stamped into the wrists. He offered them to me.

"These should suffice." I slipped them on and startled as they tightened, shrinking to fit perfectly. Flexing my fingers, I hummed, impressed by the supple, almost buttery texture.

"Fascinating." Carefully, I reached for the snapping flower again. Its petals closed around my gloved fingers, but I felt nothing. Pinching its "mouth" shut, I opened the satchel with my free hand and guided the plant inside. Once it was secured, I exhaled and surveyed the rest of the room.

"This is going to be a long night." Time inclined his head.

"I will gather the books, vials, cauldrons, and other jarred ingredients." He moved to a cupboard crammed with neatly labeled bottles. The shelves stretched impossibly deep, another quiet insult to reality that I chose not to question. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Turning back to the remaining plants, I snorted.

"Of course. You get the stuff that doesn't bite." Time's lips twitched.

"As you pointed out, I am unaccustomed to this form. It is only logical that you handle the more dangerous tasks." Well. That certainly bit me in the ass. I rolled my eyes.

"Should've kept my mouth shut." Grabbing another snapping plant, I remembered something else and groaned.

"Damn it. We forgot about the armory, and I already promised Henry I'd stay in the office." Time glanced up from the seemingly endless potions.

"What interest do you have in the armory? You've already claimed the king's library and, soon, his apothecary."

"Hey, you approved the first and basically ordered me to clear the second," I shot back.

"Don't make me sound like a thieving bastard." Time chuckled.

"Be at ease, Nikolas. I ask out of idle curiosity." I muttered under my breath, then sighed.

"Most of the vault was junk, heavy plate and frontliner weapons. But there was a staff. It cuts the cost of healing spells in half, and it can wipe out undead in a wave of light." Time froze. His expression sharpened as he turned fully toward me.

"Nikolas. What was the name of that staff?" Thinking back, I answered, "Dawn's Light. Why?" He abandoned the potions and faced me, frown set and unyielding.

"We must retrieve it before we leave."

"Okay…" I said slowly.

"I planned to. But what makes it so special that you know it by name?" Neither he nor Karma struck me as the staff-wielding type. Time returned to the shelves, but his movements had slowed.

"That staff belongs to the spirit of Life. It is a relic granted to her first chosen. I do not know how the king acquired it, but it cannot remain here." Understanding clicked, followed swiftly by disappointment.

"So much for half-priced healing spells." Unfortunate, but fair. If it was hers, I'd see it returned. Time waved aside my sulk.

"When we return it, she may offer a boon. You could request a similar artifact, politely." I shot him a glare.

"I've always been polite to Karma. Why would Life be any different?" He gave me a pointed look.

"Our first meeting involved you summoning me while cursing my name in the same breath." Heat crept up my neck.

"Okay, but in my defense, I thought Karma filled you in and you were avoiding me." Time shook his head with a weary sigh.

"I do not shirk my duties, even those I unknowingly inherit from my wife. Regardless, Life is among the oldest spirits, nearly my equal in age. Treat her with respect."

"I wasn't planning to be an ass," I muttered, then hesitated.

"But if she's that old…does that make her your sister?" It would explain why he sounded so protective of a woman who could probably squash me flat. He tilted his hand in a vague, noncommittal gesture.

"As close to siblings as spirits come. We are not born as mortals are. We are formed from the elements we embody. I am Time. The eldest spirits were shaped by the gods, before they passed." Curiosity gnawed at me.

"So how many 'siblings' do you have? And if the gods didn't make the younger spirits…what did?" Time's gaze drifted, distant and pained.

"That is knowledge I will not share. In the wrong hands, it would invite disaster. Know only this: I have few siblings, and I will see them treated with respect." His mouth twisted.

"Most of them, at least. Should we encounter my pest of a brother, feel free to be as disrespectful as you wish." Sibling rivalry. Even among gods. I swallowed the comment on my tongue and turned back to the plants. Time's secrets could wait. I had snapping flora to pack… And an armory to raid afterward.