“If Alethia hadn’t mustered the strength to contact Tabitha, I doubt we would have ever found them.”
“And now? Does Keir have a plan to retrieve their remains?” Brownies couldn’t transport others. As far as I knew, that left Fairy and possibly Aurelia. Neither option was terribly palatable.
Hikaru’s body stiffened and his clawed fingertips traced seemingly meaningless patterns across my thigh. Words barely audible, Hikaru said, “I got them out.”
Few things truly surprised me. Hikaru managed to do so on a seemingly daily basis. “How?”
Instead of turning away, Hikaru twisted his head until his face was buried against my shoulder. “It takes a lot of energy andI can only do one at a time, but I’m able to transport others the same way I transport myself. It’s very draining, and I had to rest after the first three. Keir told me to take longer but I…I needed to get them out of there. That’s why I was gone for so long.”
It was a wonder Hikaru had only been gone two days. “And now? Do you still need rest?” Using magic was draining. With the exception of djinn, I’d yet to meet a species that didn’t require rest and renewal after magical manipulation. Erasmus’s necromancer powers drained his blood glucose to dangerous levels and required constant supplementation if he needed to use his abilities for extended amounts of time. Franklin’s pockets were constantly stuffed with candy.
“I’m tired, Niki.” Those words tugged at my heart. There were so many different forms of exhaustion and I could only guess how comprehensive that word was for Hikaru.
“Then rest. You are safe here.”
Hikaru inhaled deeply, the ensuing exhale seemed to expel some of the demons weighing him down. “Do you mind if I shift?”
“No.” My answer was automatic despite not knowing what form that would take.
“Thanks. It’s the form that takes the least amount of energy.” Hikaru extended his neck and pressed his lips against my cheek. His fingers traced along my opposite cheek, gently sliding down my chin and resting on my neck. “I really wanted to get back here. It’s what kept me going. I know you’ll keep me safe.”
Between one breath and the next, my lap became filled with a sleeping fox. Seven tails wrapped around its small body, nose tucked into their fury warmth. Crimson eased into startling orange, each tail tipped in the deepest ebony. Hikaru’s fox form stole my breath. His weight was slight, his body far too fragile to contain the spirit within.
I didn’t need another to protect. Taking care of my son demanded a lot of my energy. Gaia must have had other ideas. I knew, down to the core of my soul, that I’d defend the diminutive ball of fluff curled up within my lap. Hikaru could take care of himself. He’d proven that when he’d slipped through Huxley’s grasp. But there were many ways to protect another. Keeping them physically safe was but a single possibility.
My fingers slipped through Hikaru’s soft fur. My blackened fingertips looked stark against the shimmering crimson and orange fluff. A satisfied rumbling emanated from Hikaru’s chest, easing some of the growing tension within my own.
Sitting along that cliff edge with Hikaru safely settled within my lap, all things felt possible. The world held endless promise. There was no foe that could not be conquered. It was a dangerously heady feeling, more addicting than any drug.
Twelve
Hikaru
Warmth. Sweet, precious, warmth.That was the first of many pleasant feelings I registered as my mind woke. The knowledge I was still in my fox form arrived quickly on its heels. Stretching, more than a few joints popped before I settled into the soft pillow below.
Soothing scents infiltrated my sensitive nose. They were the smells I associated with Niki, only magnified. I wasn’t certain if that was because I was in my fox form or that I was lying in Niki’s work room. Cracking open an eye, my vision was immediately filled with Niki. Bent over, he was scribbling something. Magic followed along those written tracts. Niki’s dark eyes were filled with concentration. I doubted he’d even realized I was awake.
Settling in, I found myself positioned on a rather comfortable pillow on Niki’s workbench. He’d settled me in my own little corner. Niki could have deposited me on the floor. I wouldn’t have minded and that would have been understandable. Instead, he’d placed me on the table, well within his sightline.
I considered shifting but didn’t. My fox form was comfortable. What I’d said earlier was also true. This form consumed the least amount of energy and, after transportingeleven victims out of that hollowed out space deep within solid rock, I needed the rest. Keir had wanted me to stay another night, to recharge. He’d even offered his own rooms when I’d balked at going back to my own.
I’d refused. All I’d wanted to do was get back to Niki. It was an aching need that wouldn’t allow me to contemplate another choice. Lying as I was now, I absolutely had no regrets. The journey back to his home had pushed me to the edges of my limits. Dissipating and reforming hadn’t been painful since I was little more than a kit. Journeying to Niki’s home had been agonizing and totally worth it.
“What are you working on?” I lazily asked, my head resting on my paws. Niki’s head shot up, his dark eyes wide at first but narrowing in curiosity.
“Did you just speak? In your fox form?”
Beyond a grin, my mouth didn’t move. “I did.”
Niki blinked. “Telepathy?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I just think what I want to say and project it outward.” That’s the best I could describe it. It wasn’t learned behavior. It simply…was. Niki’s grunt seemed to be the only answer I’d get. I waited for more, but when nothing seemed forthcoming, I asked, again, “What are you working on?”
Niki’s fingers twirled in the air. I could see the threads of magic weave together. I wasn’t entirely certain of their purpose.
“Something for Franklin’sdelicateskin. He’s a human ginger.”
I had no idea what that meant and cocked my head to the side, ears twitching. Niki interpreted my confusion well enough. “Many ginger haired humans cannot be in the sun long without risking sunburn. The sun can be damaging to humans. Just like everything else, their skin is fragile and prone to disease.”
