Chương 89: 089

The walk back to camp passed in comfortable silence, Dura's hand warm and steady in mine. Contentment washed through me in slow waves, smoothing away the last lingering edges of unease from the past hour. When we stepped into the clearing, I took in the scene at a glance. Dominicus sat at the far edge of camp, carefully rewrapping his wounds. A wide, deliberate stretch of empty space separated him from the rest of us.

One antenna twitched toward our approach, but otherwise he kept working, his mouth drawn tight in a grimace that spoke more of discomfort than hostility. Closer to the fire, Henry knelt beside the flames, adjusting a few branches. Maya slept curled against his side, tucked so tightly into him she was almost hidden behind his arm. Henry glanced up when we entered. He lifted a hand in greeting before returning his attention to the fire.

"We all agreed to use today for rest," he said quietly, careful not to wake the child.

"For your sake and Dominicus's. Tomorrow we move again." I hummed in acknowledgment.

"Sounds like a plan." I probably could've forced myself to keep going, but the thought of not having to was a relief. My gaze drifted to the last two figures across the fire. Volpe lay curled in a small ball of fur, his tails wrapped around himself like a blanket. One twitched occasionally in sleep. Beside him, Time leaned comfortably against a tree. The bag rested by his side, a book already open across his lap. As we approached, he looked up.

His gaze immediately dropped to our joined hands, and a slow, knowing smile tugged at his mouth.

"It would seem," he said mildly, "that you two returned sooner rather than later. I was uncertain that would be the case, after what I witnessed." Heat crept up the back of my neck. Still, I didn't pull my hand from Dura's.

"Should've known you'd tease me," I grumbled, shaking off the brief sulk before continuing.

"Try to keep it to a minimum or I'll turn right back around. Dura already tried to convince me we should camp somewhere else tonight." I shrugged casually.

"I could still be persuaded." Out of the corner of my eye, Dura perked up immediately. She looked at Time with open hope. Time simply chuckled and shook his head. The hope drained out of her expression just as quickly.

"That will not be necessary," he said.

"We have much work ahead of us, and while I would certainly enjoy continuing to prod you, I value the assistance with this mess far more." To emphasize his point, he lifted the sack of books and nudged it aside, clearing a pointedly obvious space beside him. I didn't bother arguing. Letting go of Dura's hand, I dropped down next to him. A faint jitter of nerves stirred in my chest. The soulmark on my shoulder prickled beneath the bandages, a subtle itch I was trying very hard not to acknowledge.

He didn't know about it, and as long as I didn't start acting strangely around him, he wouldn't. He would, however, notice if I suddenly started being weird. I repeated that thought like a mantra as I grabbed the nearest book from the pile. Before opening it, I glanced back at Dura apologetically.

"Sorry if you were hoping for a nap after we got back," I said.

"Looks like I've still got a lot of work ahead of me tonight." She waved the apology away and dropped down beside me, already reaching for the sack. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"All good," she said easily.

"You're still looking for those tomes, right? I'll help." Time handed the bag over without hesitation, offering her a small nod of gratitude.

"The sooner we locate them, the better." And so the evening passed quietly. The three of us sifted through the books one by one, the fire crackling softly while the rest of camp, except Henry, slept around us. It was nearly nightfall when I finally found one. The cover gleamed a brilliant blue, the diamond sigil embossed on the front catching the firelight as though it were faintly glowing. The moment I picked it up, a subtle chill seeped into my palm. Excitement surged through me.

I shoved the book toward Time with a grin.

"Found one!" He set aside the volume he'd been reading and accepted it, flipping carefully through the pages. After a long moment, he nodded.

"Indeed," he said.

"Good work. That is one tome accounted for." His gaze drifted toward the sack beside us, expression turning thoughtful.

"One of potentially many," he added, "but I believe we should stop for the night. We will need proper rest before continuing on the road." Dura stretched beside me, humming in agreement as she rolled her shoulders.

"Sleep sounds like a plan." She glanced my way.

"You joining, Nik?" A flicker of nerves sparked in my chest. I pushed it down and nodded.

"Right behind you." I could practically feel Time's amused stare drilling into the back of my head as Dura laid out her bedroll. She settled onto it with easy familiarity before patting the space beside her. A faint buzz of excitement clung to her like a cloak, infectious enough that it started bleeding into me as I shuffled over. The bedroll was wider than I'd expected. Even after I settled beside her, there was still a comfortable amount of space between us.

Not enough for me to roll around freely, but plenty for us to lie side by side without bumping elbows. Catching my surprise, Dura grinned.

"I tend to flail around if I'm not wrapped around someone while I sleep," she explained.

"So I made my bedroll with that in mind." Her grin sharpened.

"Hope you don't mind sleeping with an octopus." I shrugged and rolled onto my side so I could face her.

"If the worst thing I deal with this week is cuddling," I said, "I think I'll survive." To prove the point, I scooted a little closer and stretched. My back cracked loudly, drawing a relieved sigh out of me. A moment passed. Then another. When Dura didn't immediately latch onto me, I cracked one eye open and hummed.

"For someone who described herself as an octopus, you're surprisingly restrained." She blinked, caught off guard for a second before letting out a short laugh.

"I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with me being that cuddly while we're awake." I snorted and closed the remaining distance, draping an arm loosely over her ribs.

"My tongue was in your mouth earlier," I pointed out.

"I'm not exactly going to run screaming from a cuddle." Her smile turned blinding.

"Well, in that case…" In the blink of an eye she moved. Her face buried into the crook of my neck, one arm sliding around my back while the other tucked beneath my side, pulling me firmly into her embrace. A low, pleased hum vibrated from her into me. Amusement flickered in response.

"At least you're easy to please."

"Usually people say the opposite," she muttered into my neck.

"But I'll happily take the compliment." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh no," I deadpanned.

"You want to hug me. How will I ever survive?" This time she didn't laugh. Her grip tightened slightly, and the easy enthusiasm in her posture dimmed.

"It's… not that," she said quietly.

"My control slips sometimes when things get heated. I can hurt my partner if I'm not careful." She hesitated.

"There've been accidents. Bruises. Soreness." Her voice dipped lower.

"My partners didn't… appreciate it." A thread of self-consciousness crept into her tone. I immediately hated it.

"Sounds like I've got a list of people to deal with too," I mused lightly. My fingers slid into her hair, working slowly through her scalp in a gentle massage.

"But I can collect names later. For now, just know I don't care. I'm not going to break from a few bruises." I shrugged slightly.

"And if it's more than a few, then clearly I need to work on my stats. I'll add it to my training plan. No big deal." The tension in her body vanished like air escaping a punctured balloon. Her hold loosened back into the easy hug it had been before.

"We can talk about that more tomorrow," she murmured.

"But… it's nice to hear." She pressed further into my neck with a sigh.

"Good night, Nik." I was already halfway asleep when I pressed a lazy kiss to the top of her head.

"Night, Dura." Tomorrow sounded like it was going to be eventful. I'd need the rest for whatever the world decided to throw at me next…