Chapter Thirteen - In The City

The morning sun hung low enough that it cast long shadows across the orchard, the farmhouse, and the sleek black car idling in the driveway. With their adrenaline almost spent from the descent down the mountain path, Charlie and Griff pushed themselves to see who could reach the porch first. With a smirk Griff used his final burst of energy to speed past her only to hang back at the last second and let her win. He stumbled with a laugh as he collapsed onto the bottom two steps.

"You jerk," Charlie grumbled.

She stuck a cold bottle of water to the back of his neck. It made him jump slightly, but he was grateful all the same. His loud, overly sexual moan—purposefully done, she was sure—had her nearly shoving the bottle into his mouth to shut him up. He laughed, swatting at her before he downed it in one go and smacked his lips.

"Erde, that hits the spot."

"You didn’t have to lose on purpose."

"Yeah, I did," he grinned. He motioned the empty bottle to the living room window. "Can't show you up with him watching."

Charlie rolled her eyes, unable to hide her smile. As if on cue Reiem—and surprisingly Ignis—stepped out onto the porch. Their faces held neutral expressions. Much better than the typical strained politeness they seemed to hold around one another. Griff waved at them both, receiving a wave and a nod in kind.

With the green landscape surrounding them shifting into brighter greens, yellows, and blues with the slowly increasing sunlight, Griff took a deep breath of the country air and stood up.

"You ready to head out?" he asked, looking up at Reiem. He could feel the question in his eyes. "Duh, I'm not going like this. Just asking so I know how long to shower for."

"Take your time," Reiem replied. "I'd rather my car not reek of gym socks and ass."

Griff flicked his eyes to Charlie, an eyebrow raised. She grinned almost immediately. "You're a terrible influence on him, you know?"

"Who says I'm the one who told him that?"

"Either you or Dad, and I can't imagine the latter." He brushed past them, giving Ignis a nod as he passed by into the house. He turned the water on hot and lost himself in steam.

Today's endeavor was definitely going to be a weird one. It was grocery day, and of all people to ask to accompany him, Reiem chose Griff. His explanation was that his last trip had been more headache than help since he hardly knew any of the new stores that had popped up in the past decade, and Griff was far more versed in the ways of navigating crowds. He didn't deny Griff's own remark about his imposing physique being a potential aid to keep strangers away.

Twenty minutes later he was ready. He descended the steps in time to see Charlie and Ignis off. They both had canvas bags and wore tight clothing. It was a strange sight to see Ignis in jeans, boots, and a white t-shirt, but he couldn’t exactly wear his typical all-black, baggy getup out in the thicket to gather herbs.

Reiem awaited him on the porch. He looked up, pocketing his phone as Griff came outside.

"Ready?"

"Oh yeah. Let's get this show on the road!"

‡ † ‡

The drive was just under an hour, northwest of Moonfall Hollow. Reiem's car smelled like leather, and the music playing was a soft ambience that went well with the calm mood that had settled over them. He didn't say anything for much of the drive, occasionally commenting quietly on something they passed. And Griff didn't say much, either. The closer they got to the destination, the bigger his desire to take in the city life grew.

At first, he'd checked out the stores on his phone. He wasn't too surprised to learn they were Noble- and Guardian-only establishments. It made sense to keep the common people out of reach of what could potentially be dangerous to not only their health but to those around them. Of course, there were exceptions to the strict rules, such as presenting a writ of transit allowing the holder to shop or attend events in place of the Noble or Guardian. And people in higher political standing—such as those from the Jaeger Corporation or either Ostralian or Dacian royalty—had free passes.

Griff spent about fifteen minutes sending a small barrage of messages to Charlie and Ignis, bragging about how cool the day was going to be. While he only received a few one-word replies from Ignis and a middle finger emoji, Charlie seemed genuinely jealous and asked to have something special brought back. He absentmindedly checked his phone during the last leg of the trip for any more messages but pocketed his phone when there were none.

They passed through downtown and entered what looked to be an old neighborhood. Reiem took a left, then two rights before parking parallel on the street in front of what looked to be a home. From the sign in the window and the odd wood-and-shell chimes hanging all across the porch, it was obvious the place had a shop inside.

At the sound of the small crystal bell, the aged woman behind the counter didn't even look up. Eyes glued to the crinkled, yellow page of the book she held in her rough, thick-nailed hands, she flatly said, "Welcome to Ilya's Emporium. What's the name on the order?"

"Reiem Mayerling."

At this, the old woman's eyes slowly crept up to meet theirs. A small smile crossed onto her pallid face. "Began to think Methuselah would never grace my shop again. How are you, handsome? Finally got a Guardian who treats you right, I see. It's about damn time, too. No one's got respect for us old folks anymore."

Still rambling as she hopped from her chair, the woman tottered off to the section of shelves blocked off from the rest of the store. She retrieved five or six soccer ball-sized bundles wrapped in purple silk and tied off with black cord. Back at the register, she rang them up, pressed a series of buttons and handed over the paper that printed out. What little of a smile she offered Reiem vanished as her eyes fell on Griff.

"Who's the kid? He's the new Guardian?" She snorted. Jabbing a knobby finger to Griff's chest, she said, "You better treat this man right, you hear me, new blood? Ain't right the hell that family's put him through. Nothing but nightmares if I hear even a whisper of you doin' him wrong, you hear me?"

"Ilya, please don't threaten him," Reiem interrupted with a small smile. He took the paper and neatly folded it, sticking it under the cord of one of the bundles. "I assure you he's very polite and considerate of those around him, regardless of their background."

Ilya snorted, not moving her gaze from Griff. "Well, that's news to me. Wouldn't guess that from his appearance. Like every other Ealamese delinquent around here with your gang tattoos and foolish hair and clothes. Guess this old fogey should stop judging on appearance, huh? But my powers aren’t what they used to be, I'll tell you that. Can't see through the masks anymore, you know what I'm saying? Better keep your nose in line, kid, you hear me?"

Reiem nodded. "I…do understand, Ilya. Thank you so very much. It's been a pleasure seeing you again. Do take care."

"Don't be such a stranger, Reiem Mayerling. I expect to see you around more often these days, you secretive old fool."

Giving a final nod of farewell, the pair exited the shop. The bell hadn't even chimed to signal the door's closing when Griff stopped, his face screwed up in confusion. Reiem spared him a small glance.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"What just happened in there?"

Offering a nonchalant shrug, the immortal neatly packed the bundles into the trunk. "I believe you were racially stereotyped."

"Uh-huh, I figured that." He frowned deeper. "Should I be angry? Or…or confused? I've never really had anything like this happen to me."

"Haven't you been to the city?"

Griff rolled his eyes. "Duh, I've been to the city. But never to a part where some ancient bag judged me on my skin color. Like, on zero fingers can I count how many times that's happened to me. I, uh, think I'm gonna go say something."

Reiem sighed. "I suggest you keep your words to yourself, Griff. Ilya is a Cieth. She is already well aware of how you feel about her."

"Think she's aware of this, too?" Turning to face the store as he backed up to the car, Griff extended both middle fingers. Reiem arched a brow but said nothing as he turned the car's ignition on.

The next store they arrived at was more like a supermarket than some old house turned into a shop. Cars of all types filled the parking lot, and customers came and went through the automatic doors. Instead of finding all sorts of odd and rare food and spices, it really was just a normal grocery store. Dividing the list to get this leg of their little adventure over quicker, the pair set out with carts. Griff started at the deli side on the front, Reiem at the dairy section in the back with the intention to meet in the middle.

Thirty minutes later and halfway down the frozen foods aisle, Griff eyed some supreme pizzas. As he considered slipping them into the cart, he tensed when he heard a female voice coming from the next aisle over. Her tone was playful, and it made Griff's stomach churn.

"Reiem Mayerling. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I'd have believed my senses to have failed me. How ever have you been?"

Reiem said nothing in reply, but the woman continued to talk. Griff stayed put at first, pretending to go over the list while he tried to listen, but he quickly fished his phone from his pocket.

Griff: dude we have silver bitch

Ren: For fuck's sake this timeline is all over the bloody place…

Ren: Are you sure it's Mercedes Argenti?

Griff: positive

Griff: that sickly sweet tone doesnt belong to anyone else dude

Griff: i wanna throw up my soul for real

Ren: Fuck.

Ren: She's supposed to be in Ostrali attending some ball or another.

Ren: What's she doing?

Griff: talking at reiem

Griff: hes keeping quiet

Ren: Good.

Ren: Keep her away from him.

Ren: How did she get into the Hollow?

Griff: she didnt

Griff: were out in the city getting groceries and she just appeared outta nowhere

Griff: i can hear them in the next aisle

Ren: I don’t care what you do, but keep them apart.

Griff: gotcha

Ren: Hell, lie if you have to.

"There's no need to be so shy, love," Mercedes went on at Reiem's continued silence. She then made a humming noise. "Unless your Master is nearby? I forgot she can be quite demanding."

When Griff rounded the corner, he was able to catch Reiem's reaction. Discomfort and surprise. He was looking away from Mercedes, his hands curled painfully so around the cart's bar. It was exactly what he expected. Griff's lip curled briefly into a snarl the second he laid eyes on the woman.

Mercedes was a dainty thing, barely coming up to Reiem's shoulder with flame red hair spilling down her back. She wore a long white dress with spaghetti straps, a sheer white shoulder wrap, and white heels with pink butterfly decals. Were she anyone else, Griff would have been charmed by that angelic smile, but knowing what he did, he kept his focus. He came to a stop right beside the immortal, looking curiously from one to the other.

The one-sided conversation interrupted, Mercedes looked up at Griff. Reiem straightened himself out at the sight of him. His eyes went to Mercedes for a second before he cleared his throat.

"I'm glad you've happened by, Master," he said, a perplexed look easing onto his face. "I'm afraid there's none of the tea you're so fond of in stock." He pulled his phone out to check the time then angled his cart and moved to pass Mercedes by. He paused to look directly at her. "Please excuse us. It nearly slipped my mind we must still visit Lars McClellan."

Reiem moved the cart briefly but stopped as Mercedes held out a well-manicured hand and lightly touched the end of the basket. His head jerked towards her, something red burning within his dark eyes. That aura of innocence turned intimidating.

"My, I wasn't aware such a handsome young man was the new Guardian." She smiled towards Griff. Her accent was Ostralian, lilting with royal education. "How nice to see the two of you working together."

Griff returned the smile, pretending to be at ease. "Yeah, I know how he gets in social situations." It wasn't a lie, but Griff felt it was the wrong thing to say the second it was out of his mouth. Not that it mattered. She wasn't paying attention to what he was saying, her eyes going pointedly to the still-silent Reiem.

A dark glint briefly flashed across Mercedes's eyes as she flicked them back to Griff, and the corner of her mouth quirked somewhat downwards. She was trying to read his thoughts. His smile increased when she couldn't.

"If you don't mind my asking, you aren't of Elburn blood, are you?"

"Nah. Last of the family died back in February, and there wasn't anyone to carry on the work." He jabbed a thumb to his chest. "I volunteered."

Her perfectly arched brow rose, and she said, "How noble. And yet… I was under the impression there was a granddaughter. What of her?"

Griff shook his head, aware of Reiem becoming more and more tense beside him. "Accident back in 2010. She and the parents both died."

"Goodness, I'm so sorry. Were the two of you close?"

Another nod, then Griff frowned. "We were. Uh, I'm sorry." He extended his hand, a warm smile on his face. "I'm Griff."

She took his hand, her skin cold and clammy against his. "How rude of me to not introduce myself sooner. I'm—"

Upon contact, Griff flinched. He took in a small, sharp breath and squeezed his eyes shut. When he cracked them open, a faint bluish light shone in their honey depths. It faded before he opened them back fully.

"Oh, are you feeling unwell?"

He shook his head, exhaling. "Er, no, sorry, that happens when I meet a new person. Governess Mercedes Argenti," he said. "Overseer of the state of Old High Walsh." He frowned slightly, looking away in thought. "Didn't you also have something to do with…someone named Cadence?"

Her eyes widened, her own smile somewhat forced now. The aura of authority she held waned as she quickly extracted her hand, and she flicked her eyes between the two of them.

"If this is your attempt at humor, I'm afraid the joke isn't a very good one."

"No joke I'm afraid," Reiem offered. "He's dreamtouched."

She blinked several times, her jaw going slack. "You're joking."

"Afraid not."

Slowly, the sweetness drained from her face, and she glared at the pair of them. "I wasn't aware another possessed this talent."

"Dude, real talk? I'd give anything to get rid of it," Griff sighed. "It's a real pain in the ass. Super hard to make friends."

The air between the three of them grew tense, and even other shoppers in the aisle paused to look around as if they weren't sure if they were supposed to be there or not. Mercedes's gaze went to the floor for a moment before she looked around at the faces of nearby strangers.

"Well, this has been an enlightening reunion, but I'm afraid we shall have to catch up later, my love." She forced a sweet smile at both Reiem and Griff. "Please excuse me." She turned and left, her heels clicking against the tile floor at a fast but graceful gait.

At his side, Reiem was quiet. Griff looked down at him, too riled up to say anything about the unexpected encounter. They needed to get out of there and far away from wherever Mercedes had taken herself, because it was only a matter of time before she figured out that she had been lied to. Thoughts raced through his brain, an idea forming as they both made for the front.

‡ † ‡

It was close to dusk by the time they both were on the long stretch home. Griff had been worried to a level that was out of character for him, and to be honest he had every right to be. They'd both been on edge as they hit up the last three stores on their to-do list for the month, and thankfully hadn’t had anymore unexpected encounters. That didn’t stop the otherwise miraculous reunions with the shopkeepers from being awkward.

Reiem remained silent as they packed everything into the car, his eyes hard and flat as he stared through whatever his gaze was aimed at. The fact he'd completely reverted to his prior detached and emotionless state was worrying enough on its own, let alone whatever was going through his mind. Judging by the lack of response when Griff asked him anything, he hoped the change wasn’t permanent.

Still, he was amazed his bluff worked at all. If anything, Reiem should have picked up on it and thrown a thousand questions his way. It always was his way to be overprotective, skeptical, and elusive. He'd always been so stressed out, seeming to run endlessly on whatever task he was given without taking time to consider himself. It was a nice change this time—or it had been—to see him acting so…normal. Griff didn't know what to expect as he turned the car off the highway and began the long drive across the Kattun Desert.

He was beginning to realize that he couldn't keep quiet about a lot of things anymore. He'd gone out of his way for the people in his life, a quality he'd always prided himself on, even when it ended up stabbing him in the back. As long as everyone ended up happy and safe and alive, he didn't care what he'd have to do. How many other people would kill themselves over and over again and try so hard to make everything just right to help out the ones they loved? He knew there were limits to the normal brink of kindness, but his quite literally went above and beyond worlds.

They were about forty-five minutes from home when Reiem shifted in his seat, and Griff glanced over to see that he was looking at him. A frown pulled at the corners of the other man's mouth. Quickly, Griff looked back to the road. Long, dark, straight. Boring. Not long after, he sighed. Those eyes continued to burn into the side of his face. He knew Reiem wanted answers.

But he just didn't get it.

What made Griff 'Griff' wasn't something so easily explained. Surely Reiem had seen it countless movies, read it in novels too numerous to count—both fiction and nonfiction alike. Historical tomes, ruins, and records. He had to know something was up, something more than just some stupid lie.

Griff couldn't just casually chat about the nightmares that kept him awake each time it stormed, or how something as simple as the clash of steel-on-steel, the burning rip of magic, or the crashing of waves shattered his soul into a million fragments he feared would blow away in the wind. Griff was just Griff. Not their Griff. Not anyone's Griff. And after decades of 'one more time' and 'maybe this is it', he couldn't deal with spilling his heart only for it to dissolve with another pull of the trigger.

Especially not now. This time was so perfect—too perfect—that he'd already gotten way too invested and needed to back off. This was the kind of perfect where pinching didn't hurt, and cuts never went too deep. It was the kind that rejection, repetition, and revival made worth it, and it would destroy him if he gave it the chance. He had to distance himself now, if only to save himself later.

Besides, he still had three years left until it would all go to hell. If it even did. Astrals, he hoped it wouldn't.

"How did you know about Mercedes?" Reiem asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Not really a secret, you know. She oversees the largest state in Ostralia."

"I suppose, yet it isn't so common knowledge. Especially to one such as you." He paused a moment, looking to his hands clasped in his lap. "Are you truly dreamtouched? I'd thought that merely some joke to cover for good intuition."

"Maybe," Griff said with a shrug. He eyed some desert horses as they galloped alongside the road. "I mean, Charlie's been reading a lot since she came back, so she might've mentioned her once or twice."

"Reading of a governess from a rival nation when we are in an accordance to focus on a mutual enemy? I'm afraid I doubt that."

Griff frowned. "Think what you want."

"Words are powerful if used carefully. Lies, on the other hand, are deadly in any use."

Slowly, Griff turned his head to look at him.

"Pay attention," he snapped, a hand coming up to rest on the dashboard.

Eyes snapping forward, Griff slammed his foot on the brake, jerking forward into the steering wheel. A pack of wild horses crossed the road ahead, and his heart raced in his chest, adrenaline spiking and falling. A sick feeling filled his stomach, but whether it was from the near brush with death or Reiem's seeing through his bullshit he couldn't tell. Even when the road cleared, he remained there, and stuck the vehicle into park.

He turned again to give Reiem a hard glare, ignoring the sharp tension building between them. Why should he care so much about something that saved him from losing his mind again? He had no idea about that, but still. He had taken everything in stride thus far, and Griff had done plenty. Some things he wasn't proud of, sure, but important, world-changing things, nonetheless.

When neither showed signs of backing off, Griff leaned back in his seat with a huff, staring into the distance where the shimmery haze melted road with sky.

"Look, man," he grumbled into the heavy silence. "I'm gonna lay it all out for you. I know some shit that I shouldn't, and don't know shit that I really should, and no it's not cuz I'm a bad guy or anything. I just…have my ways. I know that shit's gone south in the past between you and that cunting bag of crazy back there, and I know the outcome of it. Just don't worry about her anymore."

"And might you be keen to share some context for this unexpected admission?"

"Under other circumstances? Yeah, I would."

"Then, by all means. Consider these the best you will receive. Explain yourself, now, before the wrong assumptions are made."

"The astrals really hate me," he grumbled.

Reiem narrowed his eyes. "The astrals are indifferent. They care not for such trifling things as broken hearts or the forever waxing and waning emotions of one particularly confusing human. If you even are that."

The immortal stared at him for a few solid seconds before undoing his seatbelt and exiting the car. Irritated lines formed between his eyes, and he frowned sharply. Griff watched him walk ahead of the car, past the glow of the headlights. Why did he have to make things so difficult? Still staring after him well after his slim form had vanished into the darkness, Griff shook his head. He got out of the car and hurried to catch up before Reiem tore open a portal and fucked things up even more.

"Dammit, Reiem! What are you gonna do, walk back!? Get back to the damn car."

"I need a moment."

He reached out a hand and barely touched his fingers to the man's shoulder. In a shimmer of magic, he found his arm constricted by chains, a dagger aimed at the hollow of his throat, and the other poised over his heart. A hatred he'd never seen before burned a molten gold in Reiem's eyes.

"Don't do this." Griff spoke slowly, carefully, his Adam's apple brushing the blade tip with each syllable. "I'm not a bad guy. I'm just here to help."

"And what, pray tell, is it that you're helping with?" He released the chains from himself but kept Griff bound. Reaching a finger to adjust his glasses, he walked a few steps away, looked up to the stars, then turned back. He jabbed a finger into the larger man's face. "You will tell me everything. Who you truly are, what you are, and what it is you want. I'll not have some interloper prancing about wh—"

"I'm not an interloper! I'm…" He trailed off, swallowing small against the blade that he swore drew blood over his shout. Grimacing, he took a few breaths. "Fuck, man, I'm Griff! Just…not your Griff."

Reiem eyed him, anger and wariness giving way to curiosity. "Need I remind you lying would be deadly?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This was way too early.

"I'm. Not. Lying." Light glinted of the chains, drawing his ire. "Can you get these things off me, man? I'm not gonna do anything."

Reiem proceeded to barrage him with questions, wholly ignoring his plea.

"Is your friendship with Charlotte simply a ruse?"

"What? Fuck no!" He'd worked so hard… "I'd do anything for that girl. You know that."

"I seem to know very little these days," he replied coldly. "How can you use magic?"

"Just something I've learned along the way."

Reiem moved his hand and the chains tightened slightly, constricting around Griff's large chest. He grunted softly but kept his gaze firm.

"Don't be flippant."

"I'm not," Griff growled.

"Ignis spoke with me the other day about powers he deigned to keep hidden. Do you know anything of this?"

"Yes."

"Explain."

"For fuck's sake, man, really?" At a twitch of Reiem's hand, the chains got a little bit tighter, the blades digging in just a little bit more. Thankfully this road was literally dead at night or else there would certainly be a crowd gathering. A strangled scream came from Griff's lips as something cracked in his shoulder. "He has these fucked up powers that are passed through his bloodline! He's kept them quiet cuz he's afraid of them! Think back to Hoensa!"

The chains loosened. A little.

"The last Ocroti stronghold. He is a Runavegr, is he not?"

"Yeah, and you said he needs black kyanite. Get him some and it'll stop him from losing his fucking mind. The sooner the better," he mumbled.

"Are you working with anyone?"

"Yeah."

"Who?"

Well, here goes nothing and everything all at once.

"Warren Lee Renata."

Reiem's eyes were a deep, starless black now. "The reigning prince of the most powerful nation on Äerd is your conspirator? Do you have evidence to back up such a wild claim? What even is your endgame, should this be the truth?"

"Ask him yourself," Griff bit back. "Get these fucking chains off me and I'll call him right now."

Giving Griff one final look of contempt, Reiem waved his hand once again and the chains loosened. They dissolved as they fell away, link by link until they were gone entirely. Griff dug his phone out of his pocket and tapped out a number on the keypad. It wasn't connected to a profile, but he hadn't seen a need to add it. Until now.

With a frown tugging at his lips, and a final glare to Reiem, he tapped the call button and put the device on speaker. It rang once, twice, three—

"It's nearly one in the morning, Griffith. What's going on now?"

Resisting the frustrated shout that wanted to claw its way up the back of his throat, Griff swallowed his anger, and said simply, "He knows."

A short silence came, followed by a long, deep sigh. "I swear things never get any easier."

"No shit."

"Forgive us for interrupting your sleep," Reiem began, his concerned words dashed by the ice in his tone. "Yet it would benefit us all for you to explain."

"Of course."

"You wouldn't happen to have proof of your identity, would you? I've been assured Griff isn't lying, yet my suspicions are set in stone at the moment."

"It’s not an issue, Reiem. I don’t blame you. Griff, would you turn on video chat?"

"Yeah, sure thing." He tapped a camera icon.

The screen went black briefly before a light flicked on, revealing Ren's face. He was young, in his mid-twenties and sporting a strong jaw behind trimmed facial hair, high cheekbones and olive skin. His long brown hair spilled out around his face, and his tired, deep-set eyes of verdant green seemed to pierce through whatever they gazed at.

"What proof would you like me to provide?"

"Your magic seal would suffice."

Flexing his fingers in full view of the camera, Ren made a series of signs before opening his hand and aiming his palm to the camera. A shimmer of magic coiled around his palm, jumping across his fingers as a phantom symbol appeared in the air. It showed a triple spiral surrounded by a series of leaves.

There was no doubt. This was the real Prince Warren Lee Renata. Looking more at the man's face now, Reiem's eyes widened slightly. "He looks remarkably similar to—"

"That doesn't matter right now," Griff cut him off. "Ren, we need cliff notes."

Rubbing his face, Ren shifted in and out of the shadows, revealing a long, thin scar over his left eye. He sat up with a groan and blinked the sleep from his eyes. "I'll do my best. Can the two of you promise me something in return?"

"I'm down, but it's up to Mister Grouchypants over here, too."

Reiem frowned at the name, flicking his eyes up to Griff. "It depends entirely on what it is."

"We can't tell Charlie anything. Not yet. There's too much at stake."

"As her protector, it falls to me to make that call."

"And as monarch of the mainland kingdoms, I must insist on secrecy for protection's sake. Need I remind you, Methuselah, that you are still under service to the goddess, and by blood, myself?" Reiem said nothing to that. He only glared. Ren sighed again, running his fingers through his hair. "I trust you'll join my opinions once I explain. So…where to begin?"

‡ † ‡

The night desert air bit cold through their clothing. In the distance came the whine of the wild horses, playing and running through the dusty terrain. Stars glittered above, their constellations numerous and bright against the black backdrop of the void. Griff sat against the hood of the car, eyes down and staring at nothing while Reiem paced back and forth before him.

The conversation with Ren hadn't lasted more than fifteen minutes, and even that was pushing it. They could’ve been traced. Overheard. Even Griff erased texts the moment he read them to ensure nothing happened. Thankfully, it seemed to be enough to satisfy the immortal that they weren't enemies conspiring to murder Charlie or whatever it was he'd thought. Instead of bitter tension, there was now a strange sense of camaraderie between them. After all, they all wanted the same thing: to protect Charlie and help her in whatever way they could to achieve her goals.

"You okay over there, big guy?"

Reiem said something he couldn't hear. Whatever it was made the man's face screw up before it fell back to his usual indifference. With a sigh of his own, he walked over to the car. Everything in his eyes screamed 'I want answers' despite how composed he held himself. Griff's smirk only seemed to irritate him.

"Relax, ReiRei," Griff said, his tone gravelly. "You'll get them eventually."

"There were many things my mind jumped to, but time travel?"

Rubbing a tender spot on his ribcage, Griff sighed. "It's not time travel. Well, not really. It's all so stupid and complicated to explain. More like I'm…a jumper. Shit goes wrong, I jump into the next world and try to make it work. It goes wrong again, I jump again. On and on and on, until I can barely remember my own fucking name or even if it's worth it to keep going."

"Can you go back to a previous one?"

"No."

"How many times have you jumped?"

Griff turned his gaze to the stars. "I lost count. I think…somewhere close to fifty."

Reiem looked at him sharply. "Fifty?"

He shrugged. "We fucked up a lot. Or rather, shit fucked up for us." After a moment he met Reiem's gaze, and this time he held it. "Are you satisfied now? You believe I'm not in it to hurt you or Charlie, or fuck the town up?"

"I am. However, it behooves me to inform her of this—"

"I'm gonna have to say no to that. You heard what Ren said."

"She deserves to know."

"Everyone deserves to know," he replied. "But it's just…not the right time yet. I don't know it'll ever come at all, and I pray to the Astrals it won't." Taking a deep breath, he gazed back up to the stars. "There's an endgame here, Reiem. A big one. And if she or any of the wrong people find out about any of this, even the smallest hint that something's going on, I might have to reset again. And I just can't anymore. I don't have the strength, and we don't have any other choice. This is it. This is the last chance."

At the silent stare he received, he pushed off the car and walked up beside the smaller man. Placing his hands onto his shoulders, he tried to give him a smile.

"With the both of us knowing what's going on, and Ren included, I think it'll actually work this time. Gotta admit, running around and trying to avoid your annoying sense of 'something's off' was really tiring."

"I was simply doing my duty," he stated flatly.

"Yeah, I get that. And you're aggravatingly good at what you do." His smile turned genuine as his hands fell away. "Glad you're an ally this time."

"'This' time?"

"Er, I'll tell you about that one later. Not a pretty story." He frowned at a buzzing from his pocket and dug out his phone. There was a new message from Charlie.

Charlie: Where are you guys? Everything okay?

"Baby Girl's worried. We should probably head home." Eyeing the man for a moment, he added, "We good?"

Reiem shook his head as if he couldn’t quite get a grasp on his own thoughts. "I acted purely out of loyalty for my Master and did such unreasonable things to someone so close to her. Knowing what I do now…" He was gathering his thoughts, Griff realized by the slight movements he made of adjusting his gloves. "I'd thought myself on the right track, desperate in my endeavor to keep hold of the one thing that's brought me some sliver of joy."

Griff gave him an annoyed look. "Desperate?"

Reiem's mouth twitched, his expression conflicted. Oh. He got it now. "I merely wanted to keep what's been given to me. Awakening to a world that's passed me by. Learning of the travesties bit by bit during my absence." He flicked his gaze up to Griff, eyes hard and cloudy. "The encounter with Mirum struck me in a way I've no words to express. My mind, it…spiraled. And with everything you claim to know, you should know why I acted as I did."

That hadn’t occurred to Griff. Why he'd seemed so on edge following that little misstep in time. When they'd gotten onto the desert highway, he'd been so frustrated at having to repeat something he'd done dozens of times, but it wasn't that at all. This time wasn't like the others at all. Griff knew Reiem couldn't put into words what it was he felt, and even if he did, he wouldn't say it because he felt something akin to shame. It was just another Big Secret he tried to fold as small as he could to shove into the deepest, darkest corners of his splintered mind.

Reiem seemed to grow uncomfortable in the extended silence. "If I may speak openly, the prospect terrifies me. I was placed here merely to protect those to whom I am bound to serve. I never anticipated it growing so—"

"Out of control?"

"In a sense, yes."

"That makes two of us," Griff said, slowly moving his eyes to take in the darkened landscape around them. "It's definitely been an interesting run so far. Lemme ask you something: How does it feel to know you got this amazing person worrying and waiting for you?"

The moment the words left his mouth Griff knew it was an impossible thing for him to ask. There wasn’t anything in the world he could think of that would make him answer. Reiem's anxiety, trauma, everything and everyone in the past that made him him had made damn sure of that.

In lieu of words, the confliction on Reiem's face grew. Just as Griff had expected, he didn't say anything. Yet it was evident without words. Having someone show kindness, patience, compassion, and anything else he'd been deprived of was sure to be the center of his lonely, cold eternity. And it was something he'd fight even the gods for to keep it close.

"You don't need to answer," Griff said gently. He smiled a little. "I already know what you're gonna say. Even if it's not now."

Reiem looked at him almost blankly for a moment, then a smile cut into his features. Genuine, and bigger than he'd done any of the other times before. But he could still see a faint glimmer of old fear and hurt in his eyes. "While I do hope your brand of insanity has a limit, I'm holding you accountable for anything that goes awry."

Laughing, Griff patted the man on his shoulder and walked back to the car. After sending a message back to Charlie, he pulled out the key fob.

"You wanna finish?"

"Of course."