"That's good. Thank you for letting me assist."
Fuck, he really was a good guy, wasn't he? Thanking me when I should've been the one thanking him.
"No, thank you for helping. And I—I'm sorry. For holding the past against you."
Nolan's whole face seemed to soften somehow, and he clasped my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "You have nothing to apologize for, Zephyr. I wish I'd tried harder to find you. I wish I hadn't given up. You have every right to feel the way you do about me. I don't expect you to forgive me."
Of course he would say that, because he was just as good as I'd thought him to be when I'd approached him all those years ago. Wait, had he said...
"You looked for me? How long?"
Nolan blinked, then nodded. "I did. I searched for you for... a decade, I think. I stayed in the area, and I tried to find you. I didn't have much luck. I think I found the man you were running from, though. Or at least where he lived. Lord Fredrick?"
I flinched. It had been so long since I'd heard that name spoken by someone else.
"I'm assuming what happened to him was your doing," he said, voice low, and I nodded as the fingers of my left hand curled almost without my permission. The metal arm was connected to my magic, and I had to think about every movement I wanted to make with it, but sometimes, it reacted to my emotions just like my right hand did.
"I hid here," I said with a laugh. "Well, not here technically. But I created a small pocket dimension. It was more like a large closet than anything, but no one could find me there. I snuck out to grab some food, but mostly I stayed there."
Nolan seemed to realize why he hadn't found me, and I wondered how things would've gone if I hadn't hidden. What would my life be like if Nolan had found me? If he'd taken me in?
Would the Sanctuary even exist?
"I'm sorry, Zephyr. For everything that happened to you, and the part I played in it."
I shook my head, pushing away the what-ifs that had started popping up in my mind. There was no use wondering about them. This was my life now, and it was a good one.
"No more apologies," I murmured, meeting Nolan's fierce green gaze. Even in his human form, I could see traces of the fire dragon peeking through his eyes. "Let's leave the past in the past and try to focus on the present, okay? I know it's rich coming from me after the way I've treated you so far, but I'm tired of holding on to that anger. It's pointless, and we have much better things to focus on."
Nolan smiled, and I turned to the cabinet, waving my hand to hide the spell once more before closing the doors. From the outside, it just looked like a simple, dark wood cabinet, but it hid the very heart of this place.
"Place your palm on the other door," I directed, and Nolan did as I'd asked. Using our combined magic, I weaved a new locking spell over the doors so Nolan could open it too. "I don't think it will happen, but in case something goes wrong and I'm not around, you'll be able to access the core. To reveal the spell, you just have to wave your palm over it and think 'reveal.'"
"Understood."
"Zephyr! Can I come in?" Keoni's voice made me jump, and I turned to the door as he knocked from the other side. How had I not heard him arrive?
"Should I let him in?" Nolan asked as I simply stood there, and I nodded. "I'll see you later, then."
He went to the door, opened it, and murmured something to Keoni before squeezing past him and leaving.
"I saw the lights. Does that mean it's fixed?" Keoni asked as he came closer, and I nodded.
"We'll have to wait a few days and see if everything stays stable, but I feel confident. The spells have never looked stronger."
Keoni beamed up at me, then threw his arms around me. I froze in surprise, and it took me a few seconds to remember I should return his hug. I wound my arms around him, holding him close, and he sighed against my chest. Despite being a centaur, Keoni had always been small, and he fit perfectly in my arms.
"I'm so glad! If the next few days go well, can we bring Khush and Dustin home?"
"Of course." I knew they wanted their child to be born here, and it had been one of the reasons I'd finally gotten over myself. I just hoped I hadn't been too late.
"Okay," Keoni said as he stepped back and glanced up at me. He searched my face, his lips pursed, then nodded to himself. "You need a nap."
"I'm fine," I protested, only for him to snort as he pushed the door to my bedroom open with one hand, and pulled me in after him with the other.
"Get in. Take a nap," he said, waving toward my unmade bed.
"I'm fine, Keoni," I repeated to no avail.
