Chapter 6
Six
Zephyr
A bark made me glance up from the book I was reading, and I grinned as I spotted the big black dog racing toward me. The streak of white between her brows and on the tip of her tail, the little white patches on her feet that looked like socks, were a familiar sight.
"Rei!" I exclaimed as I dropped the book on the bench beside me and leaned forward just as she crashed into me.
I wrapped my arms around her neck, holding her tight as she panted in my ear.
I could sense Lord Fredrick watching her from a distance, but I ignored him, focusing intently on my familiar.
"Are you okay?" I asked, like I did every time.
Ever since I'd found her, Lord Fredrick had used her as another means to control me.
Sometimes, I thought it would be better if I'd never found her.
But she was the only spot of light in my otherwise dark world, so I was grateful for what little time he allowed us to spend together.
When we were apart, just knowing that she was close was enough to get me through my studies.
Zephy, she cheered in my mind, her voice delighted.
Lord Fredrick had told me only the familiars of sorcerers could use actual words to communicate with their sorcerers, and it was another thing I was grateful for.
Rei was the only person I could talk to here, and I didn't know what I would do without her.
I'm okay! I'm happy now that I'm with you!
"Me too," I murmured, ruffling her shaggy fur. "Come on. You wanna play fetch?"
Yes, please!
I threw balls of magic for her to fetch, and she did so with joy, like she did most things. I grinned the whole time, thinking of nothing but the happiness she brought me.
When Lord Fredrick came to take her away again, my heart ached like it did every time. I watched him grab her by the collar, wishing I could tell him to be gentle, wishing I was strong enough to grab her and take her away from here.
One day, I decided. One day, I'll find a way for us to escape. I will.
Rei's unhappy whine filled the evening air, and it rang in my ear, mixing with the whines from that day. She hadn't cried out, even at the end. She'd just whined, more worried for me than she was for herself. I'd never deserved her.
I came awake slowly, my eyes adjusting to the dark as I reached up to wipe my tears only to realize I'd tried to use my left hand. Cursing under my breath, I roughly wiped my face with my right hand, letting the stump of my left one fall back to the mattress.
I hadn't dreamed about Rei in a long time. It must've been triggered by my conversation with Keoni earlier today. Or was it yesterday?
Like he'd said when we parted ways, he'd arrived to fetch me for dinner a few hours later, and I'd eaten with everyone for the first time in a long while. I hadn't realized how much I missed the gentle companionship and the chatter of the many conversations floating through the room.
I hadn't talked much myself, but I'd enjoyed listening to their chats, enjoyed knowing they were still happy to be here. Despite their assurances the day Keoni scolded me in that very room, a part of me had been worried they were planning to leave, but my fears had been unfounded.
Keoni had stood by me for the whole meal, sneaking seconds onto my plate when I glanced away like I wouldn't notice. He seemed intent on feeding me, so I'd quietly eaten as much of it as I could manage.
It was strange, having someone take care of me like that. The only person who'd ever taken care of me, other than Rei—my parents must have, but I barely remembered them—was Touya, and that was solely in a professional capacity.
Having someone make sure I was eating enough was a novelty, and I liked it.
Keoni was so much younger than me. I'd been the one to bring him here. I should be the one taking care of him. And yet it was the opposite, and I couldn't care less.
My eyes drifted shut as my thoughts circled around Keoni. He was my mate, but he seemed perfectly content to stay in the role of a friend until I had the capacity to deepen our relationship.
It wasn't like I didn't want to, but I knew I couldn't, not right now. Not until the Sanctuary was fixed.
It was time to ask Nolan for help, despite my misgivings. He'd proven himself to be a good guy, and I trusted that Fate had sent him here for a reason.
Yes, it would be strange to share the Sanctuary, but it was a small compromise to make to keep from losing it. The benefits far outweighed the drawbacks, and I needed to stop dragging my feet.
Tomorrow. I'd do it tomorrow, before I lost my nerve.
Keoni
I hummed as my eyes flicked from star to star.
I was alone, my cart and my horse-half leaning against the tree beside me, on either side.
It wasn't easy to lay on my back as a centaur, but this was how I liked looking at the stars best. I could see more of the sky like this, and get a fuller picture.
My star-reading skills still weren't up to snuff, but I was getting there. I'd read all the books on the topic in our library five times over, including the ones Zephyr had tracked down for me after I expressed an interest in the topic.
Hmm, Zephyr... was there anything about him in the stars?
I scanned the sky, leaping from star to star as a picture formed. Zephyr was going to make a big decision.
Sometimes, the stars were very specific, like when they told me Zephyr and I were 'joined by Fate.' Other times, they were like this. Make a decision? What kind? A good one? A bad one? Something that would affect me?
The stars held no clarifying answers, as I'd expected, and I sighed. So much for telling the future.
I couldn't be bothered to strap myself to the cart just to walk to my cabin, so I fell onto my side and folded my arm under my head like a pillow as I closed my eyes.
The weather in the Forest was usually pretty mild, and I fell asleep quickly, my mind still mulling over what decision Zephyr could possibly make.
I sneezed as something tickled my nose, and opened my eyes as I rubbed at it. I caught sight of the fluffy end of a tail sliding out of my view, and grabbed it before it could get away.
"Hey!" Silas protested as he stepped out of his hiding spot behind the tree, not that it could've hid his eight-foot-tall troll form.
"You were the one trying to tickle me with it," I grumbled as I gave his tail a sharp tug before letting it go. He pulled it away quickly, then picked me up and placed my back into my cart like I weighed nothing.
"I can do it myself," I grumbled, though I wasn't really annoyed. I just wasn't a morning person. I could be cheerful all day long, but not first thing in the morning.
"I know you can, but I'm hungry and impatient. Come on, or I'll carry you." I knew better than to doubt his threat—Silas was always serious about food—and I followed him to the Dining Room without protest.
I was surprised to see Zephyr there. Maybe someone else had hauled him here? Touya maybe?
"Good morning!" I greeted as I sidled up to Zephyr's side, suddenly feeling much more cheerful than I had minutes ago.
"Good morning, Keoni. Did you sleep well?" he asked with a smile, his plate already half-full.
"No chatting in the line. Move along, people," Jacinta said as they eyed us, and I gave them a sheepish smile before quickly piling my plate with food and adding some more to Zephyr's plate. Then I dragged us to my usual spot, and it was only once he was seated that I answered his question.
"I slept well, thanks. You?"
"Well enough," he said with a small smile, and I pursed my lips. That wouldn't do. Those bags under his eyes proved he needed sleep. Was there anything I could do to help with that?
Silas pulled Zephyr into a conversation about strawberries as I mulled over it, and I smiled as I watched them talk. I loved watching Zephyr interact with the others. I wondered if he saw how much they all looked up to him, how much they loved him.
While I'd never used the term myself, most of the Sanctuary residents—even the humans who'd joined recently—called him the headmaster. He didn't understand why, and he didn't know why they used that particular title.
The title had been settled on before I came to the Sanctuary, but I knew the story.
Apparently, it'd been a serious discussion, with contenders ranging from Master to Professor to Godfather.
They hadn't been joking, either. They'd felt like calling Zephyr by his name didn't quite express the way they felt about him, and neither did Mr. Morrigan.
After a lengthy discussion, they settled on 'Headmaster' because they saw Zephyr as a leader, as someone who watched out for them and had their best interests in his heart.
It was a thoughtful, love-filled title, but sometimes I got the feeling Zephyr didn't realize that. He didn't know just how much these people, our family, loved him. Maybe I should tell him the origin...
After we'd finished our breakfasts, something even stranger than Zephyr coming here of his own accord happened. He approached Nolan, and the two of them started talking in low voices.
All the conversations happening around me kept me from hearing them, but after a minute, Nolan said something to Zamir, his mate, before leaving with Zephyr, who shot me a smile as he disappeared out the door.
Zamir reached me before I reached him, his brown eyes wide. "Nolan said he was going to help the headmaster. Do you think it's finally happening?"
My eyes widened as well, and I turned to the door as if I had the ability to see through it. "Wow, that's... a big decision," I mumbled, suddenly remembering what I'd seen last night. Was this what the stars had been hinting at?
"What?" Zamir asked, puzzled, and I quickly told him about my reading.
"This could be it," he agreed, nodding like a bobble-head. "If it works out, would the Sanctuary be fixed?"
"I think so."
"Khush and Dustin could come back," he said with a smile, and I hummed.
"Don't tell them yet. Let's see what happens first."
If something went wrong, Zephyr would feel worse if Khush and Dustin's hopes had been raised. It was better to wait and see the results before telling those two.
"I agree. Anyway, I gotta go feed the fur children. You okay?"
"Go, I'll be fine," I assured him, and once he left, I decided to go wash some dishes to distract myself.
It wasn't our turn yet, but Jacinta seemed to realize I needed something to do. Instead of the dishes, they gave me a bunch of veggies to chop for lunch, and I got to work, focusing on the task at hand and not on what Nolan and Zephyr were up to.
Two hours later, everything glowed red, then blue, then went back to normal. I couldn't be sure, but it felt like they'd done it.
They'd fixed the Sanctuary.