“Technically, that area’s empty since it’s closed off, so no one’s at risk of being harmed anymore,” Angelo said. “The panther shifter’s locked up for another offense, and there have been no reports of disturbances lately. But it’s worth checking out. I suppose you are volunteering for the task?”
“Yes.”
“I volunteer, too,” Anne said, ignoring Nico gawking at her. “Two watchers are better than one.”
“Three,” someone piped in from the door. Charlie’s head popped in. “May I? I’m off duty this week to study, but I can study anywhere. I can help secure or defend if there’s trouble, and I can just hang out if there’s no trouble.”
The unwavering support warmed and exasperated, but there was nothing Nico could do unless he got them in a long, pointless argument. So, he didn’t, using the remaining time to plan, slide into the tent with Anne, and sleep for a few hours with her in his arms. When they woke up, they got ready and left the territory as subtly as possible, not wanting to alert anyone. Close to North Bear, they were joined by a fourth member, who waved in their general direction.
“How does she do that without even seeing?” Nico asked. “Do you have a tracker or something that you guys just end up meeting each other this smoothly?”
“Or something,” Charlie said. “Hey, Daria. Are you headed for our territory?”
“I was bored,” was the younger woman’s response, cloudy eyes serene. “And it’s magic.”
“What’s magic?”
“Charlie and me meeting smoothly whenever we need to. But only for unexpected places. I memorized the steps and directions it takes to get from my home to Charlie’s home.”
The onslaught of information left him dazed. “I thought you didn’t have magic.”
“I thought I didn’t, either, but I’m gaining some abilities.” As if to prove her point, Daria disappeared in the blink of an eye, then reappeared without missing a beat. “I can’t seem to gain powers that can kill others, though.”
She seemed genuinely disappointed that Nico didn’t know how to respond. Luckily, Charlie was there to fall in step with the Fae until the two were far ahead and absorbed in something else. Anne fell in step with him.
“Her point’s valid, though,” she mused. “Having the ability to kill someone helps in the world we navigate in. It doesn’t mean she’s going to use it freely.”
The firmness of her conviction had him smiling before he smirked. “Talkative, aren’t we?”
She smiled back, detecting his teasing. “I gained speech, and it’s not painful anymore. It’s one thing I can abuse.”
“And she can hear everything,” he pointed out.
“Not everything. I feel like it’s selective hearing.”
Daria didn’t turn, lost in conversation with Charlie. The four of them went silent when they reached North Bear, but the fog was gone and the heavy feeling didn’t come. When the cottage was cleared, they dispersed to survey the area, then gathered.
“One to two nights,” Nico declared. “We observe from afar. Do not engage until someone is being actively harmed. We find answers, assess the threat level, and get out together.”
The three nodded and found their spots. All four of them ended up perched on trees hidden by branches, watching the sun rise and take over the rain. There wasn’t much activity after, and the heaviness didn’t return as the hours ticked by. When Charlie and Daria went to the cottage, Anne jumped to his branch and got comfortable.
“Nap?”
“I don’t take daytime naps,” she said. “Do you reckon it will come back?”
“I don’t know. I don’t even know what it was. We might just be wasting our time here.”
“It’s better to check,” she quipped, using Angelo’s words. “Besides, this is a nice change of pace.”
“But…” he added, sensing the dilemma.
“I miss Rosalia,” she blurted out. “She was the first to welcome me into your clan. She’s my first friend in years.”
It emphasized her aloneness all over again. His chest tightened, but he let go of the emotion when she swung her legs, more relaxed than she had been in days. If she could talk about it without feeling that dark burden anymore, so could he.
“Am I not your friend?” he asked lightly.
“You are,” was her prompt response before she studied his expression. Nico pushed from his seat and plopped himself right beside her, their hips inches away.