The rest of the evening passed in near silence as we gathered around the fire, waiting for the others to return.

  Maya dozed contently against Eleanor’s side, the woman keeping watch with sharp, alert eyes while one of her wings curled partially around the girl like a blanket. To my right, Time sat stiffly, tension radiating off him in waves.

  Night had long since fallen, stretching shadows over everything around us. I glanced in the direction the others had left, frowning. Was an interrogation supposed to take this long?

  They were assassins, so it made sense that they’d been trained to resist questioning, but still…

  The longer this dragged on, the tighter my nerves wound. Was something wrong? Had the assassins gotten loose and attacked again? Were we just sitting here while our friends needed help?

  Time sighed, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. He turned to face me, his tone dry. “I can practically hear you worrying. They are fine. The assassins are no match for them—especially with our two newest acquaintances.”

  Logically, I agreed. But logic had never done much to tame doubt.

  Still, worrying myself into a stroke wouldn’t do anyone any good. I rubbed the back of my head and cleared my throat. “I know, it’s just hard not to jump to the worst-case scenario, given how everything else has gone lately.”

  Time snorted. “You do have an impressive record of stumbling into the worst possible situations the second someone takes their eyes off you.” His lips twitched slightly. “Your friends should be fine, though. You are with us, after all.”

  I shot him a playful glare. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about me like I’m some kind of curse or disaster bait.” Under my breath, I muttered, “Usually, I wind up in trouble trying to help people. There’s no one to help here, so I’ll be fine.”

  He tipped his head in agreement, amusement flickering in his gaze. “Yes, unless you decide to go after them, get lost in the woods, and somehow stumble across disaster, all should be fine.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Don’t make me go and do just that to vex you, old man.”

  Eleanor shifted, a small smile curling her lips as she glanced between us. “You two are like siblings, always bickering and picking at each other. It’s refreshing to see.”

  Time and I exchanged a long look. Then I burst out laughing. “Can’t say I thought of it like that—though, to be fair, I’ve never had siblings, so maybe that’s why.”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  That, and the fact that he was literally the oldest living being on the planet. The idea of being considered his sibling, with that age gap in mind, was hysterical.

  I turned back to Eleanor, grinning. “Who’s the older sibling, then?”

  Time scoffed. “Me, clearly.”

  I waved him off. “I meant who feels like the older sibling.”

  Given his refusal to use contractions and his perpetual serious expression, it was probably still him—but teasing him was far more entertaining than sitting in tense silence.

  Eleanor studied us both before giving her answer. “Neither.”

  I blinked. “What do you mean, neither?”

  I’d been joking, but I was sure she’d pick Time.

  Even he seemed surprised, one eyebrow raising. “Yes, I find myself curious as well.”

  She shrugged, careful not to dislodge Maya. “You don’t feel like an older and younger sibling—you feel like twins. You two just look at each other sometimes and have entire conversations no one else is privy to.”

  I hadn’t considered how our occasional telepathic communication must seem to everyone else, but when she put it like that… yeah, I could see it.

  Still felt weird, though.

  “On top of that,” she continued, nodding at me, “your personality shifts depending on the situation. Sometimes you play peacekeeper between him and Dominicus; other times, you’re impish, trying to get a rise out of Thomas. That’s why—twins.”

  Time flicked a glance at me, humming thoughtfully. “I suppose that makes sense.” His lips quirked. “Though I admit, I am used to being considered the eldest in any group. Hearing otherwise is… odd.”

  I barely bit back a snort. Yeah, I bet it was. When you were literally Time itself, having someone in their twenties called your twin had to be surreal.

  Shaking off the absurdity of the whole conversation, I nudged him, grinning. “You just know Karma’s going to love hearing about this later.”

  He shook his head, but the small smile remained. “Indeed, she will.” A flicker of something—longing, maybe—slipped into his tone, but before he could say anything else, a rustle in the bushes shattered the quiet.

  Eleanor tensed, eyes snapping toward the noise. I gripped my staff, mana pulsing sharply. Pain immediately followed, a sharp reminder that today’s excitement had drained me more than I’d like—but I shoved the thought aside.

  If I had to burn through the rest of my reserves in a fight, so be it. I’d talk to Henry about learning to fight without mana once they got back. No point in being caught this vulnerable again.

  Time, on the other hand, didn’t so much as twitch. His gaze stayed level on the bushes, thick with bemusement. “Is there a reason you chose to startle your own companions, Dominicus?”

  What?

  I frowned, about to ask what he meant—only for the bushes to rustle again and Dominicus to step out.

  Relaxing my stance, I huffed. “What the hell, man? If you wanted to be locked in thorns again, you could’ve just asked—without the dramatics.”

  I swear, I was traveling with a bunch of theater kids…