Wren’s hands shook and he clenched them into fists. “Yes.”
“All your instructions are written on the family board already, and we’ll call you if anything happens,” Fix said.
“Don’t let Black do it unsupervised. He means well, but sometimes he’s not gentle enough, and his fascination with the curses—”
“We know, Wren.” Fix cut him off softly. “Midas usually takes the lead. He knows what he’s doing.”
That comforted Wren a little as he looked around the room at every face that needed him, questioning everything. “And—”
“Wren,” Fix said. Wren’s mouth snapped closed. “Just go. Everything will be here just the same as you left it. I promise.”
But maybe I won’t be,Wren thought.
He had never not tried though. Not once in his life.
He picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, lifting his chin bravely.
“Um…maybe shoes?” Liam suggested gently.
Wren looked down at his feet and wiggled his dirt- and grass-stained toes.
“Not a requirement for Wren, honey,” Fix joked. “But it would be a good idea. It’s a long-ish drive and car pedals aren’t exactly soft.”
Wren conceded the point, getting on his hands and knees to search under his bed. Most of his shoes were being used as chew toys or houses for fluffy friends. He petted a pair of hamsters curled up in his left boot before finding one half of a pair of sneakers and another half of a pair in another make.
Shrugging, he crawled back out with them and shoved them on before jumping back to his feet. When he looked up, it was to find an affectionate and amused smile aimed at him. He blinked in surprise, not really sure what had elicited such responses.
“We’ll walk you out,” Fix said, leading the way down the stairs, arm in arm with Liam.
Wren began to follow before pausing, doubling back, snatching the hoodie from the drawer, and pulling it over his head.
When he rejoined them, they didn’t say anything much. They probably didn’t know what it meant.
“The hood’s cute,” Liam commented.
Wren only hummed, fighting the urge to bury his nose in the collar. The scent had long since faded, replaced by the must of age, but Wren had never been able to bring himself to wash it.
He could imagine it was just the same this way.
Wren let Sable climb up into the SUV and Blu fly to his house before climbing in after them into the driver’s seat, shoving his backpack into the back. Fix held the door for him, watching with eagle eyes as he got settled.
“I know this is something you need to do, but…be careful? We can’t protect you way over there,” Fix said, mouth downturned with worry. “Not everyone will understand or even try to accept… And we don’t know the PUMA force over there or their Nexus representatives—”
Wren laid a hand on his arm to stop his words. “I just need to know. And I have information about the case.”
Fix drew in a breath, squeezing Liam closer to him with his other arm before he nodded. “Call when you get there.”
Wren nodded back and then the door was shutting, leaving him with his decision.
He started the car, knowing he couldn’t have made any other. This person who ran away and hid to lick his wounds wasn’t someone he recognized.
Rolling down the drive not knowing what was ahead of him, he was confident that the soft den behind him would remain.
As the distance passed, he chewed his lips and fingers until they were sore. He ignored the turning for the sanctuary after taking one look at Sable’s stubborn gaze, feeling guiltily happy to have both him and Blu with him.
Not that Blu would be anywhere else. He was like another limb independent of his body. A piece of his heart flying free.
If he could have picked up all his darlings and taken them he would have.
