In the hush of the dark, he found her mouth again. Their final kiss was a promise sealed in warmth and trust, a tender bloom unfolding against the night.
Chapter
Thirty-Eight
Goldie and Splice woke the next morning tangled in her sheets, the morning light filtering through the blinds to stripe their bodies. There was no awkwardness, no fumbling for excuses or hasty departures. Instead, a charged stillness settled between them.
Splice kissed her once, lingering, then said he needed to be with Mycor, to explain the plan, gauge his strength, and see if the god sensed anything they should prepare for.
Goldie, jittery with purpose, watched him go and then set herself into motion. She needed to get to work, not just to keep busy, but to prepare. She wanted to research a few rites, confirm the moon-phase notes, and she figured she might as well pick up extra candles and blessed salt, just to be safe.
At the library, she tried to lose herself in the mundane: re-shelving, reorganizing returns, running her fingers over the spines like prayer beads. But her body still hummed with leftover heat. The air felt thick around her, like the whole building was waiting.
Eventually, Goldie glanced up to see Nell leaning against the returns counter, arms crossed, eyes flashing white.
Goldie offered a tired smile. “Chasing the threads, or talking to Sig?”
“I’ve been chasing the threads on youconstantly,” Nell said, her voice flat with frustration. “You seriously think I haven’t been trying to scry whatever the hells is going on with you? And making Sig do the same? What kind of futures-seeing best friend would I be if I wasn’t doing that?”
Goldie winced. “Oh, Nell. I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark. I just... things got complicated. Fast.”
The faint glow in Nell’s eyes sharpened until her sclera was threaded with light. When she spoke again, her voice was quieter, as if she were half speaking, half listening to something far away.
“When Sig and I try to find you, it’s like you’re caught in a knot,” she said softly. “The threads tangle in themselves. Every time we trace you, it loops back, andsomethingpushes against us.”
Goldie laughed weakly. “That’s... comforting.”
Nell didn’t laugh. “I don’t get the sense it’s dangerous, just... loud. It feels like you’re standing in the center of a storm, and the threads are bending around you instead of through you.”
The pulse under Goldie’s skin thumped once, answering that truth. She pressed a palm against her sternum, grounding herself.
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “That tracks.”
“And right now, it feels like the air right before a thunderstorm. I don’t know what’s coming, but something is.” The glow in Nell’s eyes dimmed slightly, though they remained white and a faint charge still hung in the air.
Goldie let out a slow breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to worry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Nell dropped into the rolling chair behind the desk with a sigh, rubbing her temples like she could knead the static out of her skull.
“You’ve been distant. And that’s okay. I mean, I saw yesterday’s City Hall drama online and figured that things were happening with you andthe Thornfather’s Assistant—” she said the title with exaggerated gravity, “—but I told myself you’d talk when you were ready.”
Goldie hesitated, thumb tracing the worn spine of a copy ofMagical Land Use in the Municipal Era.“So. Cliff Notes version?” She cleared her throat. “The building let me sleepwalk and the Assistant went with me?—”
“I’m sorry,what?” Nell’s voice hit a register that made two students at the microfiche table glance over. The Dyad-white in her eyes snapped back to their usual green. “You went on asleepwalk date?Did yousleepwalk-banghim? Is that why you called him your boyfriend in that video?”
Goldie groaned. “Yeah. Well, no. No sleepwalk-banging. That happenedafter.But we figured out why I was sleepwalking and how to fix it, and...” She waved a hand vaguely. “It’s a whole thing.”
“You figured it out?” Nell leaned forward, the humor in her voice fading. “What kind of thing? Do you need help?”
Goldie huffed a laugh, though it sounded more nervous than she intended. “It’s long and complicated, and if I start explaining it now, we’ll be here until closing. Just know it’s being handled tonight. I’ve got the help I need, and I promise I’ll give you the full debrief once it’s all settled.”
Nell tilted her head, studying her with narrowed eyes.
“Pinky swear,” Goldie said, offering a small grin. “There’s a lot of spice. Definitely worth the wait.”
Nell was silent for a moment. Then she said softly, “Okay. You’re a big girl, Goldie, so I’m not going to yell. But is whatever you’re doing tonight...safe?”
Goldie nodded. “Yes. Weird and complicated and full of ritual, but safe. Splice—the Thornfather’s Assistant—will be with me. I won’t be alone.” She waved a hand with a flash of her usual flair, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “I promise.”
