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"I have to sleep eventually," I pointed out. "Who knows when she's going to want to go for another night time stroll."
"We take shifts," Julian said, turning his steady gaze to me. "One rests. Two guard you."
"Like I'm a Brooks truck," I muttered.
Luca raised his eyebrows. "What's that?"
"Nothing," I said, louder. "That sounds like a perfect plan. Flawless. Does this sleeping have to be done on Julian's floor, though, or…”
"The book does not leave these walls," Julian said firmly.
I sighed, thinking about the feather duvet at the inn. "Fine," I said. "Cabin sleepover it is." I glanced over at the bed. "I guess it's big enough for two."
Julian looked away, his cheeks darkening slightly. "Keep reading," he instructed Theo.
Theo rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Can I hand off to you?" he asked. "This handwriting is starting to make me see double. I just need a ten minute break."
"Of course," Julian said. He moved to take Theo's place at the table and read the title at the top of the next page. "Incantatio ad attrectare creaturam."
"That what you used on these guys?" Theo asked, stooping to affectionately ruffle the brown hen's feathers.
Julian chuckled. "Hardly," he said. "Chickens are loyal to feed and a warm bed."
"We have that in common," Theo said with a grin. "Luca. Keys? I left Twizzlers in the car."
"You did what to my car?" Luca said, sitting up.
"Don't tell me that you're half a millennium old and don't know what a Twizzler is," I said incredulously.
"Oh, I know what Twizzlers are." Luca got to his feet and went to the door, where he'd hung his jacket from an unoccupied nail. "I am just horrified that they were anywhere in my vicinity."
Theo snorted. "Not clueless, just an irredeemable snob."
"Hopefully not beyond redemption," Luca said, some of the humor fading from his tone. "Ah—River?" He was holding the jacket and digging through the pockets, his brow furrowed.
I raised my eyebrows. “Yes?"
Luca's expression turned slightly embarrassed. "Do you happen to have my keys?"
"Noooo," I said slowly, thinking of the stream. "Do you not?"
He slung the jacket over the back of Julian's chair. "I do not."
"Looks like our cabin sleepover just got a lot less optional," Theo said. He patted his pockets, then bent and started lifting fur blankets and pillows. "Julian?"
Julian made a huffing sound. "I have not driven in almost eighty years," he said, but he got onto his hands and knees and started looking under the chairs and wooden chest.
"Incredibile," Luca muttered irritably. "Of course it would be after dark that I realized."
Theo straightened up and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Let's go search,” he said, turning his flashlight on. "It's not that far. Stream's shallow, too. We'll find them."
Luca sighed, but reached for the jacket and slung it over his shoulders.
"Good luck, boys," I said. "Julian and I are going to stay and translate while you save the day."
"Don't wander off," Theo said to me, his light tone edged with worry. "Julian—"
"She is safe with me," Julian said, not looking up from the book.
