Chương 55: 055

Seeing the bare shelves in Silas's office eased some of the knot in my chest. I shifted the satchel of salvaged books at my hip and let a grin slip free. Whatever secrets he'd hoarded, they were mine now. Time offered me a tired, knowing smile before lowering himself onto one of the plush couches.

"We should use this moment to rest," he said.

"There is no telling what awaits us on the road." I hummed in agreement and reached up to stroke my foxy companion. He blinked sleepily from the edge of my hood.

"Looks like someone beat you to that idea." The fox leaned into my touch, eyes half-lidded, then shook himself, fur fluffing in a brief storm of embers and shadow. With an easy, fluid leap, he landed on the desk, stretched long, and loosed a jaw-cracking yawn. I couldn't help smiling.

"Since you're staying in Latica, will you drop him off with Nature?" Time shrugged.

"I do not mind. Though she will wish to speak with you, for saving him."

"Saving is a bit generous," I muttered.

"All I did was mess with the bag he was trapped in." The fox snapped his head toward me, eyes narrowing in sharp offense.

"What?" I lifted a brow. Time chuckled as he sank deeper into the couch.

"He is displeased with your attempt to evade his creator's gratitude. I suggest surrendering. Her creatures are as stubborn as she is." The fox huffed in emphatic agreement. I raised my hands in mock defeat.

"Alright, alright. I'll meet your mom. No need to keep glaring." Satisfied, the fox sat back with an air of smug triumph. I rolled my eyes and scratched behind his ears.

"Still, I need to come up with a name for you. Calling you 'the fox' feels wrong. I wouldn't appreciate being called 'the mortal,' after all." He tipped his head, granting permission.

"What about Cedar?" I asked.

"Since your mom is literally Mother Nature." He considered it, then shook his head.

"No? Okay. How about Orion? It's a cluster of stars where I'm from, and you kind of look like the night sky." Before the fox could respond, Time cut in.

"Be cautious when naming creatures. Names carry power beyond your understanding. Once chosen, they cannot be undone." Well. That killed that.

"What if it's just a nickname?" I tried.

"It feels demeaning to keep calling him 'fox.'" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Time shook his head.

"Nicknames are still names, Nikolas." The fox yipped sharply, snapping our attention back to him. Time frowned, clearly understanding the sound.

"I understand that you dislike being called 'fox' or 'beast,' but you are too young to fully grasp-." The fox cut him off with a rapid string of yips, animal-speak for la-la-la, I'm not listening, if I had to guess. Time sighed and looked away.

"Fine. Doom yourself, then." The fox puffed out his chest proudly. I bit back a laugh.

"You weren't kidding about him being tenacious. What about Volpe? It's Italian for 'fox,' but it sounds nicer. Would that get around the whole naming problem?" Time considered it, then nodded.

"Yes. That should suffice." I turned back to the fox.

"Volpe?" He huffed and lifted his nose in disdain.

"Hey, I get it, you want Orion. But let's let your mom handle your real name, yeah? It's not going anywhere while we travel. Wouldn't you want her to choose it?" The fox studied me for a long moment before deflating with a low, put-upon grumble. Time nodded, a faint smile tugging at his mouth.

"Volpe agrees." The fox immediately swung to glare at him.

"On the condition," Time added smoothly, "that no one else claims his true name in the meantime." The newly christened Volpe nodded once.

"Fair enough." I scratched behind his ears.

"If I pick up any other animal friends, I'll make sure they don't steal your name." From the couch, Time muttered, "All this fuss over a name." Volpe shot him a withering look, then threw his head back dramatically before hopping off the desk and trotting away.

"Truly a child," Time said, rolling his eyes. Leaning against the desk, I watched as Volpe's curiosity quickly overwhelmed his irritation. He sniffed along the shelves, circling the room, inspecting every corner with meticulous interest. Keeping half an eye on him, I replied, "You did say he's mentally a toddler." As if on cue, Volpe pawed at a nearby tapestry. His claws snagged in the fabric. His ears snapped upright as he twisted, only tangling himself further. Wide, pleading eyes locked onto mine.

I sighed and crossed the room.

"You're going to be a handful, aren't you?"

"I have often thought the same about you, Nikolas," Time said mildly. Without looking back, I flipped him off and focused on freeing Volpe. He'd managed an impressively thorough mess, but after a moment's careful work, his claws came loose. He immediately darted behind me, glaring at the offending tapestry like it had personally betrayed him.

"Try not to get your claws stuck-." The tapestry shimmered mid-word and melted into the wall. I froze.

"Time," I said slowly, "either I'm losing my mind…or that tapestry just vanished." He was at my side in an instant, suspicion sharpening his features as he pressed a hand to the wall. It slid through without resistance.

"No," he said.

"You are sane. Or as close as you ever come." Rude.

"It appears," he continued, "that the king left us more than one surprise." Letting the jab slide, I pushed my finger into the wall. It passed through like fog.

"Well," I said, meeting Time's gaze, "there's no better time than the present to find out what the bastard was hiding." We probably wouldn't be lucky enough to find another journal. But then again, stranger things had happened today.