The next day, Illius found Eric back out on the porch. Hireth was tending to her bakery, so Illius made him a cup of tea. Eric took it without a word and stared out at the high stone wall surrounding Hireth’s backyard. The space was small, but Hireth made the most of it. Some of the fresh herbs she used in her bread grew in the planters jutting out from the walls. Rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, and oregano swayed in the breeze, gently waving back and forth. She had a shed back against the perimeter with a door warped so badly it had an opening about an inch wide. They sat together on that rickety bench until Eric clicked his tongue and looked at Illius. “You make this?”

Illius nodded, wondering if it was bad since Hireth hadn’t made it.

“It’s good,” was all he said before taking another sip.

Illius fidgeted with his hands. “You think everything Hireth said was true?”

Eric shrugged. “She knows more about magic than anyone I’ve ever known. She taught me. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. She’s the best chance we have—you have—of getting out of this country.”

Illius looked at him, and his breath caught. “You’re not coming?”

“I don’t know.” Eric stared back at the wall, his eyes following a bird that had flitted down to sit on the wall. “It’s a shit country, but it’s my country, you know?”

A country that would have killed me. “I don’t want to leave my mom,” he confessed. “But if I stay here, she’s in danger.”

“I suppose the same is true for my brother.” Eric’s frown grew. “Even if I find him… it’s probably better he doesn’t associate with me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You chose to save me. And now you’re associated with a therian.”

“That doesn’t… I don’t care,” Eric said. “It’s not your fault. It was my choice, but really, it’s just this shitty country. Nah, you know what? Fuck this place. After what they did to you?”

Illius couldn’t really dispute that.

“There. It’s decided,” Eric declared, smiling at him.

“You can’t just make a decision like that!” 

“Yeah, I can. Just did.”

“But…”

“Look, someone has to make sure Hireth is safe, and if I ever really want to, I can probably come back to Patria.”

Illius sighed. He wanted Eric to come, but it felt like a snap decision.

“What do you think Noviad will be like?” Eric asked. “Hireth seems to think you’ll be safe there, and I guess the Demon Lord is a therian, so… Man, that’s so weird to think about.”

“Us leaving?”

“We’ll be in the same place as the Demon Lord and the Witch of Dotric.” Eric looked at him with wide eyes. “It’s like meeting someone out of a storybook.”

Illius nodded. “And dragons.”

“And dragons,” Eric agreed. “I wonder if we’ll get to see any?”

“I hope so.” Illius smiled to himself. “I really hope so.”