Page 48 of The Unseen Hour

A small bird with feathers of varying dark blue shades, blending into the darkening sky. The creature hopped through the branches with ease, just a glint of black under its wings.

Orion cupped a hand over his mouth, then gave a series of sharp chirps and whistles. The bird began jumping from branch to branch, flying in short bursts on its way down to us.

“I call them tree hoppers. Very smart little birds. And they like a certain berry that grows in the woods. It’s tasty. Perfectly safe for us to eat. I learned a lot from the animals here. It’s a shame your first experience was with a predator, but many of them are more helpful than anything else. You can learn from them, and they’re good company. I leave food out for the tree hoppers and have even set up some obstacles for them to work through. They’re quite clever, and sometimes they bring me things like”—he stopped, giving me a sheepish smile—“They’re the closest thing to friends I’ve had.”

If he was concerned about me poking fun, he needn’t have worried. After years of friendship with Pellix, it made complete sense to me that the birds could be excellent companions as well.

The tree hopper jumped onto Orion’s outheld hand. It tilted its head and clicked its beak.

“Sorry, my friend, no food today. Visit tomorrow, and I’ll make amends.” The bird took wing and flew away as if it understood. Orion turned to me. “I know they can’t really respond, but when you’re alone out here …”

“You talk about them like they’re your friends and neighbors. I do that with my horse, Pellix, sometimes. He’s better company than most of the nobility in Emrys.”

Orion laughed.

“If things are similar to when I was there, I’m sure that’s true. It’s the same for many of the animals here. They’re certainly less conceited than many humans I’ve met. I’ve always appreciated animals. We had a dog at our estate that I was quite fond of, Terris. He was meant to help with the sheep, but in the evenings he loved to lie at my feet. Long gone now, I’m sure.”

My heart lurched. Returning to find Pellix gone would crush me. And the thought of living for decades in a forest with only Pellix for company wasn’t any better.

He must have been terribly lonely.

Orion was sitting with his legs kicked out to the side, one hand bracing him. Throwing caution to the wind, I reached for his hand, lacing my fingers through his. It wasn’t as if it was the first time we’d touched, but this was more intentional.

Orion sucked in a breath, his head whipping toward me.

I gulped.

“When we find my father, that will be even more company for you. Then, at the next Unseen Hour, we can all go back to Emrys. If whatever home you had is gone, my family will help you.”

I would do everything I could to make sure Orion had another chance at the life he’d been denied.

Orion smiled.

“Tomorrow, we can begin looking. Charon rules here, but aside from the time just after the Unseen Hour, he takes little interest in the Shades until it draws near again.”

When we returned to Orion’s home, he fixed us a plate of dried meat and bread.

“You know, you still owe me some answers as to how you have all these things,” I reminded him, finishing off the bread.

“If I tell you my secrets, are you going to tell me yours?” He smirked.

“Perhaps,” I managed. Maybe he did have a sense of humor, when he wasn’t being summoned by a god.

He offered to sleep on the floor again and give me the cot.

“I’ll get to work on a second one soon. Then we’ll both have somewhere comfortable to sleep,” he said when I tried to object.

I crawled under the blankets, warm and comfortable.

Long after his breathing evened out, I was still lying awake.

My thoughts were stuck on everyone I’d left behind. Ambrose and his lectures, Mother and her insistence on pink. Bram and his smile, and Temple with his somewhat haughty charm but quick wit. When I eventually managed to push the thoughts of my family away, they were replaced by Charlotte and Thomas.

My eyes began to water.

“It will be worth it,” I whispered to myself.

Soon enough, I’d have my father. Maybe we’d even get lucky and find a way back before the next Unseen Hour.