Page 34 of The Unseen Hour

“I’ll get you something else to⁠—”

“No, these are fine. I’ll be perfectly comfortable sleeping in these.”

It was a horrible idea, really. I was dingy and dirty from my journey through the fields and woods, but I couldn’t exactly ask the man to leave his own house, and no matter how terrible I was at behaving as a proper lady, I wasn’t willing to take my clothes off in front of a man I’d just met, no matter how helpful and handsome he might be.

Orion shrugged.

“Whatever you think, then.”

Even as I settled under the blankets on his cot, which was more comfortable than it first appeared, I would have guessed it would be impossible to sleep.

But I was wrong.

The exhaustion of being taken from Emrys to the Ether caught up to me, and I fell into a deep sleep without even dreams to disturb me.

CHAPTER 18

The events of the previous evening had shaken me, but when I woke the following morning, I was refreshed and determined to get answers. Before getting up, I patted the Thipp’s antidote in my pocket, reassuring myself that it was still there. I left my satchel tucked underneath the blanket.

This morning, I was going to do whatever it took to convince Orion to help me. I’d made it this far, against all odds. There had to be a way to find my father, and a way out. If the Shades entered the Ether in that open field that led to the Meadow, it made sense that one could exit from there as well.

Resolute, I threw the cover off, wishing for a fresh change of clothes. A quick glance told me Orion wasn’t anywhere in the small cottage. Surely he wouldn’t leave me alone? When I opened the door, though, he was nowhere to be seen. I was hesitant to call out for him, not knowing what else might show up. As I scanned the trees, I noticed something that had me stumbling back.

It’s still dark.

Bluish moonlight filtered through the trees. Brighter now than before, but there was no sunny sky that I could see. There was a colorful flash between several of the trees. Those same dancing lights that I’d seen in the forest when we’d arrived at his home.

“Orion?” I called.

He didn’t answer. He’d told me to stay inside, but I couldn’t accomplish anything alone in front of his fireplace.

“I’ll be right back anyway,” I reasoned aloud to myself.

Decision made, I wandered away from the path we’d come in on the night before, and farther into the woods. Not far from Orion’s home, I walked into a clearing, and the vibrant colors had me throwing a hand over my brow. The sky was filled with those same ribbons of lights, but these were purple and orange, and even brighter now.

I missed the blue and greens of the previous night.

They’re the same blue as the specks dancing in Orion’s eyes.

I was mentally chastising myself for that frivolous thought when something tapped me on the shoulder.

“Bloody ghosts!” I jumped a good foot in the air, and when I whipped my head around I saw Orion, laughing behind his hand.

The sound of his laughter set my heart fluttering, or maybe it was just nerves.

“Is this how ladies have been talking since I went away? Well, well.”

He was smirking. It was the closest to happy that I’d seen him.

I winked, hoping to keep his smile in place. I much preferred it to the somber Head Shade I’d first met.

“We talk how we like. At least I do. You should know, though, I’m no model of the ideal lady. Not by the queen’s standards and not by my mother’s, either. In fact, I’m afraid that I’m somewhat of a societal disappointment compared to many ladies,” I admitted.

“And I’d wager neither your mother nor the queen got themselves in a mess like getting Taken to the Ether,” he teased, still grinning.

I took a step closer to him, remembering how much warmer it had been when he’d held my hand. It was still cold out, though not nearly so bad as it had been with Charon in the Meadow.

If he was in a positive mood, then this was as good a time as any.