“Maybe he won’t want to be tied to the Crossroads. He doesn’t like being tied down.”
Except to his tree. And for many years, the Halls of the Wizards. And his sister. And to me, all those years ago.
I had time to eat breakfast, do the dishes, and plant myself at the little table on the corner of the back porch with extra coffee, food, and water.
Card finally pulled the truck up into the garage and came walking over.
He looked tired, his hair a mess like he’d run an eggbeater through it. But he wasn’t moving like he hurt any more. His stride was smooth, his shoulders were no longer stiff, and the smile he gave me was apologetic, but also filled with relief.
I could see the green in his eyes, feel thegreenthat rolled off of him, the feeling from him that wasgratefulandhappyandhome.
He had been to see his tree, and doing so had given him rest and comfort.
Gods, he was gorgeous.
“How long since you were last with your tree?” I asked.
He shrugged and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “I hid the coin, but only stayed long enough for that. Before then? Several years.”
My eyebrows raised. Most dryads wouldn’t go several months without needing to get back to their tree.
“I would have been ho—here earlier,” he said, “but I had to...I had to stay there for a couple hours. I couldn’t make my feet move.” He shook his head. “I sort of lost myself in the green a bit.”
“Looks like you’re better for it.”
He nodded. “And late for it.”
“We’ve got a few hours. Come on up. Let’s talk.”
His hand touched the porch rail, and the whole Crossroads vibrated with a happy hum.
He grinned and dropped down in the chair across from me.
“Coffee,” I said, waving my cup toward the carafe. “Bagel with egg and cheese.” I nodded at the plate with the kitchen towel over it. “It’s probably cold by now.”
“It’s perfect. I haven’t eaten since...yesterday, I think.”
He poured coffee and took a drink, then set to the bagel, eating half of it in quick short bites washed down with sips of hot coffee.
“Did you get the coins?”
He nodded and reached into his pocket. He placed two coins on the table.
Both were big and heavy. One was the cold silver fire of starlight. Impressed into it was the image of a scroll. That would be Lachesis’ coin.
The other was deep, warm gold, glowing is if made of late summer sunlight. A pair of shears were imprinted in the center of it. Atropos’ coin.
I didn’t have to ask him if these were real. I could feel the power radiating off them.
“You still have the other one?” he asked.
I nodded and touched my pocket. “I’m going to hold on to it until we take them all to Fate.
“Afraid I’ll run off?”
I just tipped my head and sipped from my water glass.
He grunted and went back to finishing his bagel. “Okay, what’s next? What do you want to talk about?” He dusted his fingers with the towel, then crumpled it, and set it beside his plate.
