Time pulled me away from the edge, his gaze fixed warily on the shadows below. When we were a safe distance away, he sighed.

  How does one human find so much trouble without even trying?

  His thoughts echoed in my mind, and I shrugged. I’ve asked myself that too many times to count. I’ve always had a knack for stumbling into the worst situations, and apparently, age hasn’t changed that.

  Memories of the basement flickered through my mind again, and I forced them aside. Time’s expression tightened.

  With any luck, we can change that… starting now.

  I bit back a snort at the wry tone in his thoughts and turned my attention to our companions. Henry cradled Maya close, watching Eleanor with wary eyes. Dominicus had his wings wrapped around himself again, rubbing at one with a grimace.

  Henry inclined his head in greeting but kept his distance. “It appears you’ve found a new friend in your brief detour…”

  Eleanor landed beside us with a soft thud, her sword once again secured in its scabbard. She didn’t so much as blink at his suspicious tone, instead offering a smile and a wave.

  “It seems introductions are in order again. I’m Eleanor, chosen of Light. My Lady instructed me to aid your friends and travel with you until I receive further orders.” She dipped into a half-bow. “I hope we’ll get along well.”

  Time gestured toward the shadows below. “What of those?”

  Eleanor’s smile dimmed into a grimace. “My Lady said they’re beyond even her light to purify. Given they were created from a spirit’s grief, it’s not surprising. She’s conferring with other spirits, and once she makes a decision, I’ll likely return to deal with the mess.”

  Dominicus raised an eyebrow as he stood to face her. “She would send one paladin against something like that?” Concern sharpened his tone, but Eleanor waved him off with an easy smile.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve been training since I could walk. I’ll be fine.”

  Dominicus didn’t look convinced, but he let it go without an argument. Instead, his attention shifted to Time, the earlier conversation lingering between them, thickening the air with tension. Time returned his stare, raising an eyebrow.

  Why is he staring at me? Time’s voice echoed in my mind.

  Because your sister let it slip that you asked her to intervene instead of our ‘patron.’ He’s starting to piece together that our powers are more time-oriented than karmic.

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  Time’s expression didn’t change, but his mental voice turned exasperated. All this… because of one sleep-deprived slip on my part.

  He’s sharp. He would’ve figured it out eventually. I soothed. Light told him to wait until he’s earned our trust, and that seemed to be enough for now.

  Pulling away from Time, I stepped between them and leveled a look at Dominicus

  “Can we not do this right now? My everything is sore, I have thorns in places they really shouldn’t be, and I just want to get on the road.”

  Henry, sensing the tension, tilted his head. “What are you all talking about?”

  Dominicus answered before I could. “Our companions are keeping secrets. The spirit of Light insists that when we’ve proven trustworthy, we’ll be allowed to know what exactly they are. Until then, we must be content not knowing.”

  Henry grimaced but quickly shrugged off his reluctance. “Such is the way of the spirits.” He turned to me with a small but genuine smile. “You saved my daughter and countless others by killing Silas. You’ve done nothing to make me question your intentions, so until that changes, I’ll continue seeing you as an ally.”

  His smile faded when he faced Time. “I… honestly don’t know what to think of you.”

  Time shrugged, unbothered. “That is a common sentiment, and I take no offense.”

  Dominicus grunted, drawing my attention back to him. “I agree with Henry. Though I despise secrets, I’ll be patient until you’re ready to share the truth.” He glanced toward the road. “For now, we should keep moving. We’ve wasted enough time, and we still have much ground to cover before we reach Dawnmoor.”

  A round of muttered agreements followed, and once we were on our way, I rolled my shoulders with a grimace. “When we stop later, I really need to pull these thorns out. They’re everywhere.”

  Time shot me a curious look. “Are there thickets of thorns down there as well? I would not think anything could grow in those shadows.”

  Before I could answer, Dominicus chuckled. “You’re right—nothing naturally grows down there. But Nikolas summoned thorns as a barrier between us and the shadows. It was ingenious.”

  Heat climbed my neck, and I coughed. “It was more desperation than anything. I don’t have light spells, after all.”

  Time hummed, his gaze drifting to the staff still clutched in his hand. “Perhaps I should have had you carry this after all…”

  Considering the last time I used it, I lost an arm shortly after, I’d just as soon not deal with the memories. Still… “Would it have worked on shadows? I know the description mentioned undead.”

  Dominicus partially turned at that. “Undead are rare since Death keeps a firm hold on his domain. Why would a weapon need to repel them?”

  Time sighed. “Part of the staff’s power is to produce a light as bright as dawn—once per day. It would have helped against the shadows, at least partially.” His expression darkened, something old and heavy settling over him. “As for the second question… this staff was made from the first tree of Nexus, before Death took up his mantle. Monsters were likely different back then.”

  A chill slid down my spine at the weight of his words. I hadn’t considered what the world was like before most spirits existed. Time himself would be one of the few beings who knew what it’d been like.

  Judging by Time’s expression, it wasn’t an era anyone would have wanted to live in.