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“We… did say we’d pick up where we left off, last time,” Webb said, trying for nonchalant, but their heart was beating very fast and it came out a bit breathless. “Though, I mean, the circumstances aren’t exactly…”

“I’m not in a rush,” Lore said, a little flustered. “I mean—in terms of that sort of thing. I really just wanted to know if you wanted time with them, or…”

Webb wrinkled their nose, knuckles bumping up against Lore’s cheek. “I’m not sure what impression you’re working with, here.” They lowered their voice somewhat, rolling onto their back, coaxing Lore to ease back with them. “I’m not—I mean, I like them, obviously, but—”

Webb was in no way equipped or qualified to be having this conversation or confronting their feelings about their companions in any way. And yet, and yet…

“I see,” Lore hummed, pouring over Webb like an exhalation of smoke. Their expression was  soft, fond and patient and a little teasing. But apprehensive, too; Webb could see concern in the way their brows creased, the light indentation of their teeth as they worried at their lower lip. “Well… either way, it’s fine. Though, keep in mind, I was shadowing you when you kissed Faraday in the truck—”

“Don’t remind me!” Webb protested, swatting at the coils of hair that were winding their way around their wrists.

“And when you and Ariadne got bitey in my sitting room…”

Webb blew at them, which did absolutely nothing. It seemed Lore had control over what their amorphous body was doing at all times, which made Webb feel all sorts of ways. They settled on flustered, grabbing a pillow and yanking it over their own face.

“I’m sort of getting this impression,” Webb said, muffled into the pillow, “that you like to watch.”

Lore was quiet for so long that Webb immediately lifted the pillow back up to search for them, suddenly worried that they’d said the wrong thing. Lore hadn’t gone far, but they were sitting back, arms wrapped around their legs, chin resting on their knees as their hair pulsed behind them like the tendrils of a jellyfish.

“I… do,” Lore mumbled shyly. “I do like to—observe people. I won’t, obviously, without your permission, not for… not for anything you’d rather I not. And there’s things I want to experience for myself, of course, but I just—”

Webb sighed, reaching out their hands to try to coax Lore closer again. “Is that a you-thing, or a shadowfolk thing, or…?”

“A little bit of both,” Lore hazarded. This time when they leaned down, they stayed more corporeal, a surprisingly warm weight against Webb’s side. Webb hesitantly leaned in and pressed their face into Lore’s hair, feeling it stir against their cheek. “Is that… alright?”

“I like you,” Webb said simply, finding that the words came with surprising ease, even though it came out a little hoarse. “I’m… not really sure what to do with all this, but I’ve liked you for a long time. I’d look forward to your letters, our visits. Also, what you did to me earlier tonight was simultaneously the hottest and most terrifying thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m into it?”

Lore let out a choked, horrified little laugh. “The most terrifying? After what you just told us? I’m so sorry…”

“No, no, I meant, I was both horny and afraid,” Webb assured them hastily. “Not mutually exclusive. It’s a good thing.” They drew in a deep breath. “But it felt nice. I… I’d like to do that again. If you liked it. That… going inside me—and also, I mean. If you want to watch… whatever, it’s fine, as long as you get the consent of everybody involved?”

Lore’s eyes widened. “I see,” they said, eyes wide. They looked shy, amazed, a little overwhelmed. “That’s…”

“Only if you want to!” Webb said immediately, feeling their cheeks burn and wondering if they’d just majorly overstepped. “Fuck, I mean, it’s been a really long night for everyone, and emotions are running high, and my experience with and capacity for emotional relationships of literally any kind has long since rusted, so—”

Lore leaned in to kiss them again, framing Webb’s face with both hands. “That all sounds very, very nice,” they said softly, against Webb’s mouth, smoke licking at Webb’s tongue and lips, coiling under their nose. “I don’t… have a lot of experience with relationships, either. But I value… you. And this. I’ve tasted what you’re made of and I’m hungry for more.”

Webb felt a sensation rush through them that they were very sure was something violently short-circuiting, a heated rush of electricity that left them gasping a little weak. “Oh, wow,” they breathed out, stammering, trying frantically to remember how to string words together in ways that made sense and weren’t just some variation of hello, yes, please, more.

At the back of their mind, they knew they probably shouldn’t commit to too much. Even now, some part of them was frantically sending up warning bells, making their breath come fast and their chest tighten. Years and years of don’t get involved, don’t let them close. Whatever they were plunging into with Lore seemed the antithesis of that in every way, but—

They’d been empty and alone for so long that as much as the rush of warmth and heat felt like they’d drown in it, if they were running around risking their life and dashing their personal comfort zone to pieces, they might as well get something nice out of it along the way, not just the miserable parts.

Lore was watching them with heavy-lidded eyes, their lashes heavy, waiting for Webb’s reaction. Idly, Webb wondered what the long-term effects might be of having let Lore in—could they tell what Webb was thinking or feeling right now? Did they have to let them fully inside again? Or were they, like Webb, relying on expressions and words and actions?

Webb decided to err on the side of the latter, leaning in to give Lore a gentle kiss, a little teasing. “You are quite intense for someone that seems so mousy.”

Lore made a soft noise, shoulders shaking with laughter. “You like it, though.” They managed to make it mostly sound like a confident statement rather than a prompting question, which just earned a laugh out of Webb in return.

“I like it,” Webb agreed. They brushed Lore’s hair back again, leaning back in, then stopped suddenly, turning their head towards the front hall. “Fuck, I forgot about—”

Ariadne and Faraday were nowhere to be seen. After a moment, Webb realized that they could hear the muffled sound of running water coming from the bathroom, beyond the closed door. Two bathrobes were laid out on a nearby chair.

“Ah,” Lore said softly. “I think they saw that we were… talking… and decided to. Give us some space.”

Webb let their head fall back on the pillow, letting out a muffled laugh as they dragged their hands down their face. “That’s probably for the best,” they muttered. “I think trying to deal with my feelings for you and them at the same time is way beyond my current level.”

Lore stroked Webb’s hair lightly. “There will be time,” they said softly. “For this. For them. For… everything. I’m very determined to get you out of this alive.”

Something twisted in Webb’s chest. They left their hands over their face for another beat, taking a deep breath, then reached out both arms to Lore again.

“I don’t have the heart to believe in promises,” they said, voice rough and raw. “But I’ll accept that in the spirit it was meant. Still, there’s this very nice moment that I’ve been afforded with you, and I’d really like to live in it fully.”

Lore’s eyes, dark in their shadowy face, still seemed to brighten somewhat as they leaned back down into Webb’s embrace.

“I did feel bad about leaving you wanting, earlier,” Lore said softly. “Let me make it up to you…”

***

Interlude: 18+ (NSFW)

***

Afterwards, Webb lay panting on the bed, still half-clothed and feeling like they’d run a marathon. Although Lore had pulled back enough that Webb was no longer feeling them along every nerve and with every breath, they still remained pressed close, cradling Webb in their arms and pressing lazy kisses against their temple.

“Fuck,” Webb breathed out, trying to nip at Lore’s ear and just getting a mouthful of smoke instead. They let it loll around their tongue indulgently before exhaling. “Did you—you’re amazing. Are you—was that…?”

“Shh,” Lore murmured, bumping their nose against Webb’s. “That was wonderful. That was perfect.” A bit shy, then: “Not… too weird?”

“It was incredibly weird,” Webb said fervently. “In the best possible way. Fuck. I have to go make eye contact with Ariadne and Faraday, now. I need to use the bath. I need to kick them out of there and they’re going to know that you just railed me on the bed that we’re all going to sleep in together.”

Lore’s hair was squirming like a nest of snakes, which Webb was beginning to identify as a sign of amusement on their part. “Oh no,” they said seriously, not sounding sorry at all. “Poor Webb.”

“Poor Webb!” Webb grumbled, rolling over with great effort, groping around until they found their discarded binder, shirt, and Ariadne’s sweater. They stared at them all balefully for a moment, then tossed them off the side of the bed, shimmying down to their boxers and hauling a bear robe on overtop of it.

They made it partway to the bathroom, then abruptly doubled back, running back over to give Lore a brief, urgent kiss.

“Mmh—!?”

“I’m complaining, but it’s happy complaining,” Webb assured them quickly.

Lore blinked, then eased into another wide grin, resting their foreheads together. “I know,” they murmured. “I know you.”

Webb closed their eyes tightly, drawing in a few deep breaths before easing back away again, making a second attempt to head towards the bathroom. They stood outside the door for a moment, cheeks flushed, weighing the pros and cons of listening in before knocking—after all, Faraday and Ariadne had clearly done them a solid by making themself scarce for a bit. If they were busy—

They heard a sudden laugh from the other side of the door. “Webb, I can smell you,” Ariadne called out, sounding far too chipper. “Are you going to come in, or what?”

Webb let their head thunk against the door. “Ariadne, you’re killing me. Every single one of you is on thin fucking ice.”

They were smiling, though, still buzzing with a sleepy, warm sense of satisfaction—even as wisps of thought and worry about the day started to creep in again unbidden, like shadows. They knew they’d have to start planning again soon. Was there anything else they needed to talk about with the others before setting out once again? Any preparations they needed to make, or any questions that they’d left unanswered?

Still, sleep would come first, and whatever that brought with it. At least tonight they wouldn’t be alone.

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“Okay, fine!” Ariadne said loudly, crossing her arms. “You win. No problem. What’s the plan?”

Webb, still spiralling, snapped their jaw shut as they scrambled to understand what she was asking. “I, what?”

“I said, that’s fine,” Ariadne said, polite but firm this time. “You’re right. This is all a big scary mess, and I can’t guarantee that we’re going to be alright. We might decide to do something and get killed, and if you don’t want to be party to that, I understand.”

Webb grimaced. “I’m not… I’m not bailing on you…”

“I’m not saying you are,” Ariadne said, matter-of-fact. “I’m just agreeing with you. We’ll do whatever you want to do. You want me and Faraday to stay here in the hotel? Book a plane ticket to the Bahamas and forget all about this? I know a guy that can get you a fake passport if you want to come with us.”

“I have extended family in India that I’ve been meaning to visit…” Faraday offered helpfully.

“Or we could just lie low for a while. Wait for a more secure chance.” Ariadne tugged at the drawstrings of her robe again. “I’m just not sure what you were hoping for us to say under the circumstances, so if you have any ideas…”

Webb dragged both hands down their face, letting out an irritated sound and falling heavily back onto the bed. “Shut up,” they muttered. “I’m—being serious…”

But the damage had been done, or undone, as Ariadne had obviously intended. Webb felt the tension and anger and fear draining out of them like a punctured balloon, leaving them instead just feeling exhausted and depressed and a little bit ludicrous.

They felt the bed shift as Ariadne sat next to them, her fingers carefully brushing through Webb’s hair.

“Hey,” she said gently. “I wasn’t actually making fun of you—”

“You were a little.”

“I wasn’t!” she protested. “I mean, I was exaggerating slightly, but I just—you were sort of getting yourself into a state where there was no right answer. And I get it. You know what you don’t want, and what you don’t want is for us to get hurt. I appreciate that. But… at the end of the day, we’re choosing to be here, you know?”

“It’s an awful position to be in,” Faraday said quietly. “You probably don’t feel like you have a lot of choice. But… I think we do have more choices than we realize. It’s just that you start pretty quickly discounting the ones that don’t make any sense, morally and emotionally.”

Webb sighed, turning their face to press into Ariadne’s hand, muttering. “I don’t want the it-makes-sense choice to be… this. Dangerous and uncertain and full of spiteful fae and vampires.”

“Hey,” Ariadne mock-chided, pinching Webb’s cheek. “You weren’t complaining about the vampire part earlier tonight…”

“Then that was a miss on my part, I have been trying to complain about everything—” Webb muttered, batting Ariadne’s hand away. “I just wish… fuck, I just wish none of us had even been put in this situation in the first place.”

Lore folded themself down close to Webb, wisping over them like a blanket of fog. “So do all who live to see such times,” they whispered very solemnly next to Webb’s ear. “But that is not for them to decide—”

Webb let out a noise of amused outrage, trying to grab for Lore and cursing as their hands passed right through Lore’s suddenly semi-corporeal form, sending smoke gushing over their fingers like water. “Don’t you dare quote Tolkien at me, you—”

The ridiculousness of the situation started to sink in. Faraday grinning, his mouth hidden behind one hand. Ariadne in her bear hood, one fang lightly indenting her lower lip. Lore playing keep-away with… themself. And Webb in the middle strung somewhere between a panic attack and a temper tantrum because they had no idea what they wanted—only what they didn’t.

They groaned, dropping their arm over their eyes and letting out a reluctant laugh. “You’re all the worst,” they said, horrified to find their breath hitching, their voice coming out a little rough, their eyes stinging. “There I was, baring my heart and soul, and—”

“Bear-ing…” Ariadne whispered urgently, then clapped her hands over her mouth, voice rising in pitch. “No! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Webb dissolved into choked laughter, a little hysterical, grabbing Ariadne and tugging her down with them onto the bed. She continued to stammer apologies in between her own breathless giggles, wrapping her arms around Webb in return, squirming and trying to kiss the top of Webb’s head.

“I mean it,” Webb complained, after they managed to catch their breath. They pulled Ariadne close, pressing their face into her shoulder, inhaling the laundry-soap smell of the fresh robe, the copper-and-flowers of her hair and skin. They rubbed at their face with one sleeve, perplexed to find it coming away damp. “I… I’d never told anybody any of that before.”

“Oh, Webb…” Ariadne said gently, brushing some of the white strands of hair back from their forehead. “I know. And… I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make a joke out of it. It just seemed like you had gotten yourself into a bad spot, and—sometimes, for me at least, people just being kind about it makes you want to dig your heels in worse, right?”

“We’re so sorry that that happened to you, Webb,” Faraday said quietly, finally rising up from the chair and making his way over to the bed, sitting cross-legged at the foot of it. “And… grateful, that you shared it with us. I know it can’t have been easy.”

Words rose up, then caught in Webb’s throat, choking. They blinked a few times, vision blurring briefly, then cleared their throat. “Actually,” they said, “I changed my mind. I liked the bullying better.”

Faraday made a face. Ariadne just laughed, kissing Webb’s forehead. Lore drew themself back into a more solid form again, their long dark hair drifting like spiderwebs as they looked down at Webb, gaze even.

“I can sympathize,” Lore murmured. “Feeling like you’re letting your life pass you by out of… mm. Fear, maybe. Of the unknown. Of being burned. And… maybe things won’t go well. Then again, maybe they will…?”

“Both seem kind of alarming when you think about it,” Webb muttered. “At least if everything crashed and burned I could just, I don’t know. Lie back and yell, I told you so and feel vindicated in my misery. If I risked it all and put myself out there and everything was sort of okay, then I’d just have to, I don’t know… be emotionally vulnerable. Confront the mortifying ordeal of being known.”

Ariadne wrinkled her nose, her expression fond and soft and teasing. “Is that scarier than going toe-to-toe with a vampire lord?” she asked.

Webb pretended to think about it. No, actually, they actually had to think about it. “The vampire lord is sort of a nebulous factor, here,” they said after a moment. “Schrödinger’s vampire lord. I am both afraid and yet have not personally been made to fear them, so it’s easy for me to not be locked in the visceral vice of dread…”

“Also,” Faraday reminded Ariadne gently, reaching out to gather her into his arms and trying to haul her back like a recalcitrant kitten, “we are not currently planning to throw hands with Grimm, or whoever’s in his place, remember? This is a reconnaissance mission.”

“Speaking of which…” Webb, temporarily free of Ariadne’s weight, shifted to free their phone from their pocket. “I should see if we got anything from Pax…”

They were feeling… better. Tired, and drained, but the feeling of emptiness left inside of them felt more like a balm than a wound. Their hands were no longer shaking, and the idea of hearing back from Pax—or not hearing back from Pax—no longer felt like an insurmountable obstacle to be avoided or put out of their mind at all costs.

Webb opened their messages, feeling their heart leap at the sight of the notification badge next to Pax’s name, and opened it hastily. “He—… ah.”

Webb stared for a moment, then snapped their phone closed again.

“What??” Ariadne gasped, alarmed. “What happened? Did something happen? What did he say?”

“He sent me a dick pic.”

“… oh,” Ariadne said. A beat later: “Well, can I see?”

“No!” Webb dug their heels in and shifted a little further up the bed, putting a pillow between themself and Ariadne. With an aggravated sigh, they opened up their phone again, scrolling up to the actual message Pax had sent. “He’s—he’s fine,” they muttered, trying not to sound too relieved. “He got away from the Inquisitors, and Veracity’s vampires have been trying to question Vyo.”

“What have they learned?” Faraday asked quietly, still looking a little amused, but relieved nonetheless.

“He says Vyo wasn’t actually a harpy at all. She’s fae. A changeling,” Webb says grimly. “We were right. Veracity’s pulling some strings now to try to find out more, but that’s our confirmation, huh? The fae want something from me, and the vampires are involved.”

Somehow, saying it out loud felt a little less daunting than it had ten minutes prior. They still weren’t happy about it, but now they knew for sure—and unlike earlier in the evening, at least knowing there was a potential reason for Webb, personally, to be involved made things seem a little less bewildering.

You’re a menace, they texted back. That matches what we learned. Fucked up. We’re up north. Taking a break, then heading after another lead.

They stared down at the message for a long moment after sending it, hesitating. Before they could talk themself out of it, they added:

It was good to see you again. I told them more about what happened. I told them everything. When I come back—

They deleted and retyped those words a few times. When. If. When…

When we see each other again, let’s catch up properly this time, alright? Thanks for sticking by me, all these years.

They hastily closed their phone and shoved it in the bedside drawer. They could deal with the ramifications of that later, or maybe never.

“So,” they said, clearing their throat. “Pax is fine. Nobody is immediately bearing down on us, probably, and if they are, fuck it, we’ll burn that bridge when we come to it. We can go find this Niall guy later in the afternoon. I’m in no shape to go anywhere, and we made Faraday pay a lot of money for this room. I want to see the salmon faucet.”

Ariadne’s expression lit up. “I’ll get you a bear robe,” she exclaimed, scrambling off the bed.

“Only if Faraday wears one too,” Webb countered, earning a laugh in return.

Rolling over to their side, Webb found themself face-to-face with Lore, who curled closer, flowing across the tartan duvet like water. Lore touched Webb’s lips with their fingertips, giving them a hesitant smile.

“Do you want me to give you three some space?” they murmured. “I can… keep watch, or do some, um, information-gathering around the town. Or—if you’d rather I stick around, do you want me like this, physical, I mean, or…?”

Webb abruptly remembered their farewell to Lore back in the Drawing Dead, and found their cheeks flushing. They licked their lips, breath hitching softly as they felt Lore’s fingertips dissolve slightly against their tongue. They weren’t entirely sure they knew what Lore was suggesting, or implying, or what the options were. But as for what Webb wanted—

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They ended up checking into a little place called the Wolpertinger Inn, a quaint-looking little place near the edge of the tourist-centric part of the village. There were a few bigger hotels closer to the outskirts, but Webb was feeling jumpy about being too close to the forest, and the others didn’t argue.

The person at the desk looked charmingly inhuman in a way that Webb couldn’t quite place: angular and tall, with pale hair and golden eyes that were all iris and no pupil or sclera, their head crowned with a row of bone-white horns. They didn’t bat an eyelash at the group requesting to check in at an ungodly early time, just offering a thoughtful smile.

“Luckily, I have a few rooms available,” the desk clerk said, picking up a tablet and scrolling through, their fingertips making a soft tik-tik. “How many will you be needing?”

“Just… just one’s fine,” Webb said.

“King-sized bed?”

Webb carefully examined the wood grain on the countertop. “Sure.”

“Perfect,” the desk clerk said nonchalantly, sliding a trio of key-cards across the desk. “I’ll just need a credit card, then, and we’ll be all set.”

Ariadne leaned in close to Webb as Faraday took care of the deposit, nudging lightly against their side. “You didn’t have to…”

Webb flushed abruptly, jamming their hands in their pockets. “I mean, I just… I guess I could have asked, and not assumed—actually, if you’d rather have some time alone, or you’d rather we at least get separate, beds, I—”

Ariadne pressed her gloved fingers against Webb’s lips. “N-no! Shh, shh. Webb, darling. It’s fine. I’m more than happy with it. I just wanted to make sure you were fine.”

“I’m not fine,” Webb mumbled as Ariadne dropped her hand. They snatched it up, giving it a tight squeeze. “But that—you, and Faraday, and Lore, have nothing to do with my lack-of-fine-ness. Somehow. Remarkably. Very confusingly.”

Ariadne let out a little laugh, tugging Webb closer and wrapping her arms around them tightly. “Okay,” she murmured. “Let’s just make sure it stays that way, alright?”

We’ll see, Webb thought. But they just gave Ariadne a hasty little squeeze in response, face pressed against her shoulder as they drew in a deep breath. “Fine, fine,” they muttered. “Look, Faraday’s ready, let’s go. I’m sure the desk clerk already thinks we’re here for a day-fuck we don’t need to make things more suspicious—”

“That happens a lot,” the clerk called out. “Don’t even worry about it.”

Webb, who had been very sure they’d been whispering quietly enough to not be overheard,  made a face and hauled Ariadne towards the elevators. The clerk grinned, resting their chin on their hand and giving a little wave. Ariadne just laughed, still draped on Webb and allowing herself to be pulled, unresisting.

“Do I want to know?” Faraday murmured as he caught up.

“No!” Webb grumbled, pushing Ariadne into Faraday’s arms. He caught her readily, just raising his eyebrows at Webb as she gave him a hug, too.

The whole situation just seemed so… surreal. Joking around with these two like they’d been friends for ages. Booking a shared room with hardly a second thought. Knowing that they planned to share something with Ariadne and Faraday and Lore that they hadn’t revealed to anybody before.

Webb was anxious, and confused, and there were things looming over them that seemed all-encompassingly terrifying—and yet, it still seemed natural that there was time for this. It was feeling easier and easier the more they let themself relax, and open up, and just… enjoy these moments strung in between running for their life, running from their past, running towards an uncertain and actively distressing future.

“Come quick!” Ariadne called urgently from where she’d let herself into the hotel room, Faraday and Webb trailing closely behind. “There’s a chair in here that has antlers. And the bathtub faucet looks like a—like a salmon…!”

Webb kicked off their shoes, weaving their way over to the bed, and flopped directly onto it face-first. They could hear Ariadne rummaging her way around, exclaiming with joy whenever she found something new (“The complimentary robes have BEAR EARS!”).

Webb didn’t know if they wanted to laugh, or cry, or some kind of incoherent combination of the two. They settled for just kicking their feet up a few times and dropping them, letting out a low whine under their breath.

They felt the pressure of a hand pass over the back of their head. The bed indented, shifting slightly, as Lore slithered into a solid form again, sitting cross legged next to Webb.

“Hey,” Lore said quietly. “Webb… you hanging in there?”

“Don’t,” Webb grumbled, climbing the rest of the way up onto the bed and rolling over onto their back. “The last time you were nice and considerate to me, I had a breakdown.”

“I… think that means you just might be very stressed out,” Lore suggested. “But… um, you’d know best, I suppose.”

Webb groaned, sitting up again and yanking off their hat, tossing it and their glasses onto the bedside table. They ran their hands through their hair, scrunching it up, tugging, then dragged their hands down their face.

“Ariadne,” they called out. “Faraday. If you’re finished with your, uhh, tour, could you come here? There’s some stuff I want to talk about. Like, now. Before I lose my nerve.” They weren’t sure they meant to say that last part out loud, but hey. Now they were committed.

Ariadne and Faraday came obediently when called. Faraday took a seat in the antler-crowned armchair, facing the bed. Ariadne, who had swapped her leathers and her helmet for her tank top and one of the bear-ear housecoats, took a seat cross-legged at the edge of the bed.

“Sorry,” she told Webb, tugging a little at the drawstrings. “I just got excited. What is it?”

Webb opened their mouth, then closed again, glancing aside at Lore. “Maybe… let’s start with what happened with you?” they suggested, voice sounding a bit weak even to their own ears. “How’d you end up getting away from the Inquisitors?”

Lore tilted their head to the side, but didn’t protest. “Of course, Webb,” they said. “Things went… as expected, when Veracity handed me over. She played her part, really leaning into the whole—’my, my, well this is unprecedented’ sort of attitude. Tried to spin it so she was coming out on top, handing ‘you’ over.”

“Which she did, I assume.”

Lore nodded. “The Inquisitors took me and started walking me away from the Drawing Dead. I tried to talk to some of them, but they weren’t… um, very chatty. So… I’m afraid I didn’t get any of them to spill many details about what they wanted, but… I did get one thing.”

“What did you find out?” Ariadne asked quietly, leaning forward on her elbows.

Lore hesitated. “They started heading towards the woods,” they said quietly. “Leading the way out of the city. They didn’t seem to want to hurt me—to hurt you, I mean, Webb. And they didn’t have any questions. They just—seemed like they wanted to take you somewhere. Alive.”

An icy chill passed through Webb at that comment, sinking leaden into their stomach. “Into the woods.”

Lore shrugged, wisps of smoke drifting out of their mouth as they frowned. “I didn’t stick around much longer than that. I saw some of them break off and head back towards the Drawing Dead, and I was worried they’d realized something, and were going after you. So I escaped. When I searched for you, I realized you’d been tugged further away, up north, so I followed.”

“Wait, when you searched for them—?” Faraday asked, curious.

Lore’s expression grew serious. “I’ve already told you a lot more than I ought to,” they said, their tone much firmer than usual. It was clear that on this point they weren’t going to be swayed. “Let’s just say that—wherever Webb goes, I will be able to find them.”

That thought was unsettling on some level, but mostly Webb just felt tired. Maybe even strangely reassured. “Alright, so, then you found us,” Webb said hoarsely. “Meanwhile, yeah, Pax got us out, but it turns out the harpy that worked at the Drawing Dead was working with the Inquisitors, or ratted me out to them, or something.”

“So the harpy and the Inquisitors were on the same side,” Ariadne murmured. “But she said it definitely wasn’t Grimm that they were working for. So if not Grimm, then… who?”

Webb hesitated. “I have… a guess,” they said very slowly. “And maybe there’s more to it, and we’re missing some pieces still, or there’s another player involved, but…” their voice faltered. “I think someone’s been looking for me for a long time. And maybe—maybe this situation with the Inquisitors and Grimm might be… might be wrapped up in it a little.”

All eyes were on them now, curious, concerned. Webb couldn’t keep their gaze up, looking down instead and fiddling with a loose thread on the duvet, smoothing out the stripes in the soft plaid.

“I was pretty young when the Valefication happened. Eight or nine. So I grew up actually super interested in the occult, the paranormal, and all the magical stuff that was happening. It was all I ever dreamt of doing, of being involved with. I always thought it was… kind of disappointing that I was normal. No hidden magical or demonic bloodline, no estranged family members inviting me to their mysterious haunted houses… I know, I know,” they waved a hand a little, “that didn’t exactly go, uh, well, for some of you. But I was just a kid. I didn’t know what was best for me. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”

They continued. “During my university years, I fell in with a crowd of… well, of like-minded people, like me. The leader of our little group was called—his name was Jasper.” Webb swallowed, the name feeling like it rasped and caught on the way out, ragged. “Jasper was—amazing. Beautiful, brilliant, confident. We…” they hesitated. “We didn’t always get along, because we were both very strong personalities, but he was… he was important to me. And he was very sure that even if we were mundane, and boring, that we could still be a part of that world, and do amazing things. And for a while, you know, things were going pretty well. We did odd jobs, helped some people out. Got a little bit of a reputation as amateur detectives, problem-solvers, hunters of the magical variety. We hung around with the fantastical and powerful, like Pax. It was rewarding. It was dangerous, but it was thrilling, and it was… validating. I thought it was everything I could ever want.”

They paused to gather their thoughts. Ariadne reached over as if to squeeze their hand, then seemed to change her mind, tucking her hands back in her lap again.

“Then what happened?” she asked softly.

Webb closed their eyes. “I mean, I’m sure you can guess how this story goes,” they said. “We got in over our heads. We accepted a job that took us deep into fae territory and we got caught. They got Dominic first—just swallowed him up inside a tree, devouring him before he had a chance to do more than scream. Jasper tried to get him free, but then we heard just—this thunderous noise. Hoofbeats and horns and the sound of bells.”

They were breathing too fast, their heart hammering as though they were actively being chased again. They heard Lore make a low noise, curling up against Webb’s back.

“The wild hunt,” Faraday said quietly.

“We… ran, of course,” Webb said with a shaky, humorless little laugh. “What else could we do? One by one I heard my friends fall behind, or be taken down, or be lost, and I couldn’t—I couldn’t do anything. And I was never the fastest or the strongest, but maybe I was always the most cowardly and self-interested, because I made it to a stream, and I started to cross.”

“Oh, Webb,” Ariadne blurted out helplessly. “… escaping from a situation made to harm you doesn’t make you a coward, or selfish.”

Webb gave a jerky shrug. “Maybe not,” they said bitterly, noncommittally. “But I’m not finished. Partway across, I heard Jasper behind me, calling out. I turned back—but behind him, I saw… him. The Erl-King. King of the Elves. Indescribable and beautiful and absolutely dreadful and awe-inspiring. And it seemed like just a game to him, him on that nightmare mount of his, rising up over Jasper and holding his blade up high, and I met his eyes and I felt like—like everything in me was on fire from the inside out. Like everything was wrong, but also, like I was his, I belonged to him from then on and I knew that with every fibre of my being. And I took a step back towards him and—and I’m sure that I would have walked willingly into the jaws of my own death, then, except Jasper struck. He managed to hit the Erl-King square in the side of one eye with—with a rock, I think? I wasn’t thinking clearly anymore. All I could remember was this searing pain, and feeling like I was suddenly going limp, like a marionette with its strings cut and suddenly falling slack.”

They drew in a deep breath. “And then I ran. Through the water, and out of the woods. Everything was—off, wrong. Disorienting. Everything about me was changing, and the forest itself seemed like it was trying to drag me down and devour me, like it had done to all of my friends. But I fucking made it out, and it took months in the hospital before they were able to put me back to even the most pathetic shape of a human. Or… or whatever it is I am now.”

The others were silent. The room was very, very quiet; all Webb could hear was the rhythmic hammering of their own heart, the blood rushing behind their ears.

“When the harpy said that you’d never be free of him…” Ariadne whispered finally, as though she was also feeling the oppressive weight of the quiet in the air, “do you think that meant…?”

“I dream of him every time I sleep,” Webb blurted. “Every single time I close my eyes, I dream of the hunt. For years, I’d hear them in the distance—chasing me, calling for me. And recently… they’ve been getting louder.” They drew in a shuddering breath. “Earlier today, I dreamed of the Erl-King himself. And he spoke to me. He told me I should just give up and let myself be caught.” They let out a hysterical little shadow of a laugh. “For some reason, I don’t think he’s very happy that I got away.”

Faraday was sitting with his fingers steepled, his brows furrowed deeply, elbows resting on his knees. “So the Inquisitors… could be working with the fae,” he said slowly. “That seems to check out, from what Lore said. And—I mean, based on the fact that literally nobody knows who they seem to work for in the first place. They may have been trying to capture you when they found out about you, not because of Grimm, but because of the Erl-King…”

“But it’s still true that Grimm had been using you to send people his way…” Ariadne said with a frown. “So the Erl-King was after you, and Grimm was manipulating you… are they working together? Or—or against each other?”

“How should I fucking know?” Webb croaked, sprawling back onto the bed and staring up at the ceiling. “Maybe Faraday is right, and I’m just a ragged chew-toy caught in a tug-of-war between the vampires and the fae. Maybe every bit of agency I thought I’d ever had has been a lie. Maybe I should just go walk out into the forest and be done with it. Maybe—”

“Shh,” Lore murmured, running their fingertips soothingly across Webb’s hair, leaning in to press a shadowy kiss against their forehead. “Webb. There’s… a lot going on, I know. But… you’re not alone. Nothing… nothing has really changed in that regard.”

“Lore’s right,” Ariadne said firmly. “If anything, this just makes me feel even more determined to figure out what’s happening here. Things are going to be okay, Webb.”

“And what if they’re not?” Webb demanded, brushing Lore’s hand away and shoving themself up onto their elbows, glaring around at the others with their breath coming fast. “I just told you—everyone that I cared about died, and I couldn’t do shit to save them. I ran away and saved myself. And then I spent the next decade after that absolutely wasting my life and refusing to get involved in anything like that ever again. They had dreams. They had things that were important to them, and I just—I just gave up on everything I ever wanted and decided to let myself live vicariously through others. Others who I thought I was doing right by, but it turns out I was sending them to their gruesome deaths, too—!”

They knew this would fucking happen. That they’d tell them everything and it’d just be more of the same—let’s stick together, it’s not your fault, let’s figure it out. Let’s charge up Vampire Party Death Mountain and get ourselves killed. Webb didn’t know what to do or say to make things go differently. Maybe they did want to be caught, just to get this over with. Maybe that would be the easiest way out.

Because when push came to shove, they hadn’t been able to save their friends, or protect Jasper, and now they’d left Pax behind—how could they risk losing anybody else?

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Webb let out a rough breath, leaning in close and pressing their forehead against Faraday’s, their noses bumping together. They could feel the warmth of his breath, see the shadow cast by his dark lashes as he leaned in slightly, one hand finding Webb’s and squeezing tightly.

“Your face is very close,” Webb muttered inanely, closing the gap to lightly catch at Faraday’s lower lip with their teeth, tongue flicking out briefly before drawing back.

Faraday raised an eyebrow in return, a slight curve to his lips. “You seemed not to mind it there.” His expression was cautious, but warm. With a curious hum, he closed the gap again slowly, carefully, keeping his eyes on Webb the whole time.

This time, the kiss lingered a little longer. Webb shivered as Faraday’s lips brushed at one of their lip rings, and closed their eyes as Faraday’s hand on their cheek guided them closer, callused fingertips firm but gentle under Webb’s chin.

Webb wanted nothing more than to sink into it with abandon, to indulge in the intoxicating sensation of someone holding them close, blocking out the world and their fears and the lingering sour taste of their nightmares in their mouth. They wanted to bury their hands in Faraday’s long, silky hair and feel desired and protected and to not have to think—

When will you finally give up on this charade?

They pulled back with a sharp little noise, breath coming fast and shallow, one hand clutching at Faraday’s shirt and pushing, trying to put a little space between them. Faraday immediately leaned back, expression concerned and apologetic, which Webb hated most of all.

“You’re fine,” they assured him roughly, hastily. “This is—a me problem, not a you problem. You didn’t—you didn’t do anything weird. But I just… I mean, we should probably—”

Faraday squeezed their hand one more time, brows creased. For a moment, Webb thought he was going to press further, and they weren’t altogether sure they didn’t want him to. But he relented, leaning back, opening the door and letting out a visible huff of breath as the cool mountain air rushed inside.

“Let’s get inside somewhere,” Faraday suggested gently. “I suspect there’s a few things we need to talk about.”

Webb felt their gut twisting, uneasy. “Ohhh, no,” they muttered. “I hate talking about things.” They readjusted their sunglasses and tugged their hat down further over their forehead.

Faraday let out a soft laugh, warm and patient, holding up a hand to help Webb down out of the truck. “I know,” he said. “And I won’t force you to say anything before you’re ready. But… I just want you to know that I’m willing to listen. When you’re ready.”

Webb made a face at him, but obligingly took his hand, hopping down. “So gallant,” they said. “I’ll keep it in mind.” They tried to keep their tone as light as possible, because Faraday kept looking at them like he really cared about what they were thinking and feeling and it was absolutely just going to make them scream.

They needed to tell Ariadne and Faraday and Lore about what had really happened back then, ten years ago. What they’d been going through every night since then. And what that might mean for them—for all of them—if the Erl-King really was involved in what was happening right now. Unfortunately, Webb suspected that they’d be supportive and even more determined than ever to protect Webb and stay by their side, which was pretty much the worst scenario they could imagine.

Against their best intentions, and despite ten years of hard work trying to keep everyone at a distance, they’d had one bad night and fucked it all up, and now there were contingencies that Webb desperately wanted to ensure didn’t become casualties.

Not again. Not after last time.

They shivered again—at the thought, at the cold air, at the feeling of Lore slithering against their neck, murmuring in their ear.

“Webb?” Lore whispered softly. “Are you alright?”

“I’m—fuck, Lore, you were there the whole time?” Webb hissed, cheeks flushing as they shuffled across the slick pavement after Faraday.

“Of course I was,” Lore said softly. “I’m not going to leave your side again if I can help it.”

Webb’s heartbeat quickened, that sour and fleeting taste stinging the back of their throat again. “There are probably times when I’m—going to want time to myself,” they muttered, even as they crawled their hand back up to try to touch whatever part of Lore was available to be touched. There was nothing at first, then the sinuous sensation of smoke between their fingers, silky and cool and reassuring.

“I’ll give you space if you want space,” Lore said. “Do you… want me to leave?” They sounded a bit tremulous, uncertain.

“No,” Webb said, terse and a little miserable but trying not to let Lore get the wrong impression. They swallowed, exhaling in a plume of frost. “No, I don’t.”

The two of them fell silent as they approached where Faraday had just joined Ariadne and the minotaur, the latter two still in animated conversation. Ariadne looked up as Webb approached, and although they couldn’t see her face with every inch of her covered up, she still seemed and sounded quite pleased.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she teased. “Did you rest well?”

“Well enough,” Webb lied. “Pillow kept trying to cop a feel, though.”

“I did not!” Faraday protested, scandalized. Webb appreciated that. It was important to keep people on their toes, even when you were being a little sweet on them.

Ariadne just laughed. “Well, I’m sure we can find another place to settle in for the day where you can rest a little more peacefully. Octavia here was just telling me a little bit about the town.”

Octavia, the minotaur, gave a firm nod of her head. She had enormous horns that would put Pax’s to shame—no wonder she needed that big ol’ truck, Webb thought. Then, they tried hard not to think about Pax. “Shadewick’s a real nice place,” Octavia commented in a light, low drawl. “Good food. Nice trails. A lake nearby. Short walk to the gondola up to the top of Mount Bloodstone an’ the Devil’s Pass trails—”

“Mount Bloodstone,” Webb echoed brightly. “Was that named for any, uhhh…”

Octavia scratched her neck. “Don’t think it has anything to do with the Valley or anything,” she admitted. “Given that mountains have kinda been there for a while. I think that’s just how humans like to name things sometimes.”

Webb opened their mouth, then closed it again. “You know what, fair enough. You’re right.”

“Though,” Octavia added, her tone suddenly serious. “I was just tellin’ Ariadne here, it ain’t been quite right lately. I’ve been hearin’ a lot about folks hearin’ all manner of strange noises out in the woods. Those goin’ missin’ more often than usual. I reckon there might be some manner of trouble about, so just make sure y’all stick together, alright?”

Ariadne gave Octavia’s arm a little squeeze. “We’ll be sure to,” she assured her, though she sounded a little worried. “You too, alright?”

Webb didn’t blame Ariadne for being concerned. Hearing that wasn’t a surprise, given why they’d come here at all, but it was still, unfortunately, a little chilling to have it confirmed. “I don’t suppose there’s anybody here who would know a little more about that?” they asked casually. “Like, I don’t know… someone who survived an uncanny encounter, or got away from something dangerous?”

Octavia looked thoughtful. “None I know of,” she said apologetically. “I’ve mostly been workin’ down in Hallow Point, so a lot of what I know has just been passed along secondhand by friends in the area.”

“What about a local doctor, or healer?” Faraday suggested. “If anybody was hurt…”

Octavia did brighten slightly at that. “Oh, sure,” she said. “You can probably pop in to see Niall. He’s a witch that runs an infirmary right at the edge of town. Patches us up pretty well when anybody has a tumble or pushes themself a little too much.”

“Good to know.” Webb gave her a nod, then glanced at the others. “Well… thanks, again, for the ride, I guess. We’ll see you around…?”

Octavia grinned. “Yeah, my pleasure to have the company. If y’all are stickin’ around at all…” She gave Ariadne a hopeful, pointed look.

“We’ve… got some things to do, so I’m not sure how long we’ll be in town,” Ariadne said hastily, sounding genuinely apologetic. “But if things all get sorted—we’ll seek you out, for sure!”

She managed to sound way more confident than Webb felt, but she also had the benefit of the motorcycle helmet hiding her expression, which was probably a blessing. Webb hung out next to Faraday while Ariadne and Octavia said a few more polite goodbyes, then beckoned for Ariadne to follow them away from the truck and towards the motel.

“Are we planning to stay here?” Ariadne murmured, falling into step beside them.

“I don’t think we should,” said Webb. “If this is where Octavia’s staying… the more out of sight, out of mind we are with anybody that could be trailing us, or hearing about us, or looking for us…”

“I agree,” Faraday said quietly. “Let’s find another place.” He paused. “How do we want to do this? Some of us got a little bit of rest on the trip, but not much. Ariadne’s not at her best during the day, but…”

“But others are more active at night, too,” Ariadne pointed out quietly. “The chalet on top of Bloodstone Peak is definitely a place we should check out. I’ve been there. I know it’s one of his. But whether or not he’s there at the moment, or at one of the other locations…”

“I’d like a chance to talk,” Lore said softly, though loud enough for all of them to hear. “About what happened back at the Drawing Dead…”

Webb chafed their hands together, fingers a little chilled despite the gentle magical warmth from their sweater. “Right. There’s that, too…” They really wanted to know what had happened with Lore—not to mention the fact that they hadn’t checked to see if they had any messages from Pax… “And as for that witch Octavia mentioned, did we want to try to talk to him right away in case he knows something that majorly changes our plans, or…?”

They trailed off slightly, voice rising in confusion as Faraday and Ariadne, on either side of Webb, both seemed to notice that Webb was feeling cold and stepped in at the same time to try to sling an arm around them. Realizing what they’d done, both of them fumbled in surprise, glanced at each other, then started to laugh.

Webb just stopped walking and buried their face in their hands, feeling their ears starting to burn and redden from more than just the chill.

“I’m happy to do whatever you think is best,” Faraday told Webb quietly, “but try not to push yourself too much, alright? It’s okay to take a bit of time before moving on.”

Spoken like a man who’s not outrunning something at all times, Webb thought sullenly. But then… that wasn’t Faraday’s fault. And despite the anxiety that was beginning to build again in their chest at the very thought, maybe it was about time to just bite the bullet and tell them.

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Webb let out an embarrassingly loud yell of shock, taking a hasty step back and hearing a crunch as their back pressed against a display hung with potato chip bags. Their reflection’s eyes widened in return—before it vanished entirely, leaving behind a much paler, vaguer silhouette in the glass.

There was sound of footsteps on linoleum, then Faraday’s hands were firm on Webb’s shoulders, bracing them, helping them stand upright.

“Webb, what happened?” Faraday asked, concerned and alarmed, pulling Webb close and glancing back out the window, gaze searching. “Was there something there—?”

“I, no…” Webb stammered, mortified at how their heart was still hammering, their fingers clutching at Faraday’s jacket. “I mean yes? I just thought I saw…”

The gnome behind the counter cleared her throat. “If you’re fucked up, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave…” she said, before immediately seeming to lose interest again.

“We’re fine!” Webb snapped, then stiffened again as they felt a cool touch at the back of their neck, and heard a soft voice whisper:

“Webb? I’m sorry… did I surprise you?”

“Lore!” Webb felt their knees weaken, their head thunking against Faraday’s chest in a combination of relief and exasperation. “Fuck! You almost killed me. I almost died. Holy fuck, you’re here, you’re alright!”

“Lore’s back?” Faraday murmured quietly against Webb’s hair, arms wrapped around them tightly. Webb distantly realized that he was kindly hiding the fact that Webb was talking to someone invisible from the judgemental gaze of the cashier, which was both very thoughtful and extremely embarrassing, and he continued to smell spitefully good.

“Yes,” they mumbled, still too relieved to do anything except breathe deeply and focus on their heart racing. “Let’s… damn. Get Ariadne, get your coffee or whatever, and let’s go.”

Faraday obligingly gave them a little squeeze and stepped back, also looking a strange combination between flustered and relieved, a crooked smile softening his expression for a moment. “Try to stay out of trouble for, say, a literal minute,” he suggested quietly. “I’ll be right back.”

Webb made a face, but couldn’t really fault him for that. They watched him go, then quickly turned, pretending to carefully examine one of the fridges on the far side of the store, as though mesmerized by the unnecessary array of flavored milks.

“Lore, what happened?” they murmured under their breath, closing their eyes. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Lore said gently, a little rueful. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’d just been trying to catch up with you for a little while…”

“A little while?” Webb demanded under their breath. “It’s hardly been any time at all! I mean, I’m not complaining—”

“You sound a little bit like you’re complaining,” Lore whispered, but it was fond, and Webb felt shadowy hands running along their arms, inside their sweater. They let out an aborted, flustered little noise, hunching down.

“Fuck you,” Webb breathed out. “Fucking hell. Alright. We need to get out of here. We’re heading north. You can tell me more about it along the way. I don’t suppose you brought a car?”

“I… no,” Lore admitted, their quiet voice seeming to just wash over Webb. “I wasn’t… aware that was… I mean, how do you get out here?”

Webb hugged their own elbows closer, as if that would let them hug Lore, somehow, and let out a shaky laugh. “Again, long fucking story. Let’s go see if Ariadne came up with any other ideas, and just… go from there.”

It turned out that although Ariadne hadn’t come up with a new idea, she had started up a conversation with a friendly, burly-looking minotaur who was stocking up on snacks for her hiking trip up north, and, wouldn’t you know it? She was driving in an extended-cab pickup all on her own, and her gear didn’t take up that much room in the back, so…

Webb exchanged a glance with Ariadne as they made their way to the truck, pressing close to her and murmuring under their breath. “I can’t tell if you actually needed to mesmer her or not,” they whispered.

Ariadne just gave them a toothy grin in response and took a sip of her coffee. “Sometimes there are just nice people in the world!” she chided gently.

“Well, something might as well go right tonight,” Webb muttered, climbing up into the back seat.

Even as the words had come out of Webb’s mouth, they realized that they didn’t actually mean them. The night had been terrifying and distressing in a lot of ways. They’d lost their job and home, possibly permanently, and there was some kind of warrant or bounty out for their capture. They were fleeing up north to try to track down and get the dirt on some super-powerful entity that had usurped a vampire lord, and it all had something to do with the painful past that Webb had been doing their desperate best to outrun.

But… they were still alive, and somehow more well-supported than they could have ever imagined. They felt Lore’s shadowy presence clinging to their hair and coiling up in their hood, and had to shift aside as Faraday folded himself into the back seat next to Webb, leaving Ariadne in the front to continue charming their driver.

Webb was tired, but they weren’t cold; they were frightened, but they weren’t alone. This was all a big mess, but rather than wanting to flee, Webb felt a quiet sort of determination thrumming in their chest—to figure this out. To see it through.

It felt very strange, and they weren’t altogether sure they liked it.

There wasn’t a lot of room in the back; the minotaur had most of her gear stashed in the cargo bed, but there were a couple bags sharing the passenger bench. Grumbling, Webb shoved themself up against Faraday’s side, resting their head against his shoulder.

“Put your arm around me,” they muttered sullenly as the truck headed out onto the highway. “I’m going to sleep.”

“I, oh,” Faraday stammered, immediately and automatically obliging. He grinned after a moment, ducking his head slightly, voice dropping a little lower. “You’re a menace, you know that, Webb?”

“They know,” Ariadne called back in the rear view mirror, grinning. She was wiping down her helmet before tugging it back on. The minotaur made a disappointed little noise. “—eyes on the road,” Ariadne teased. “The clouds look like they’re breaking up a little, and I don’t want a deeply unpleasant sunrise.” To Webb and Faraday, she added: “Get some rest. I’ll wake you up when we get there.”

Webb stifled a yawn. “Where is there, exactly?” they asked. “Where are we headed?”

“I’m on my way up to Shadewick,” the minotaur offered. “If you’re going past there, I can’t be of much help, but you’re welcome to go that far with me.”

Ariadne nodded. “That’s about two hours from here. It’s a fair-sized place. Pretty nice. Close enough to where we want to go. We can rest up there for a bit.”

She kept her tone purposefully light and vague, which Webb appreciated. There was no need letting their new friend know any more than strictly necessary. If anything, Webb hoped that Faraday’s magic might make it so that the minotaur remembered as little about them as possible once they got out of her hair—for her sake as well as their own.

Webb wondered why the thought suddenly struck them as a little lonely. They, who had mesmerized every one of their one night stands into forgetting about them over the years. This shouldn’t be anything new. It was obviously just the traumatized exhaustion talking.

They turned their head and got a little more comfortable against Faraday’s side, feeling the rise and fall of his chest, listening to the soft undercurrent of the radio and the rhythmic hum of tires on wet concrete as they headed north and let a fitful sleep claim them.

***

They were always running, in their dreams. They’d often quipped that this was the reason for the shock of white in their hair, the ever-present dark circles under their eyes, but they knew that they actually meant it.

Rest was a time for fear, and was never truly restful.

They scrambled through the underbrush, their hands scratched up by brambles, their feet slipping on moss and leaves. This time, when they glanced behind them at their pursuer, something seemed even more sinister than usual. A knowing look, and mocking laughter. He was close, closer than he’d ever been before, close enough that Webb could see the cruel curve of his lips, the brittle brightness of his eyes. 

“When will you finally give up on this charade?” coaxed the Erl-King, astride his mount of a thousand shifting faces, each more unsettling than the last. It reared and stamped its hooves, its splintering antlers casting ominous shadows. “We both know you long to be caught.”

***

Webb jerked awake with a gasp, scrambling. They felt their elbows impact something soft, and struggled to free themself—

“Oh, fuck,” they stammered, realizing that they’d just jammed an elbow directly into Faraday. “You’re—oh, we’re still…”

They were still in the truck, though they were clearly no longer on the highway, parked just outside of a rustic little motel. They could see Ariadne and the minotaur outside, stretching and taking a look at the deep, clustered pines and the thin, glittering layer of snow.

Faraday rubbed his jaw ruefully as Webb drew back. “I think you’d been dreaming,” he said apologetically. “I was trying to wake you gently…”

Webb pressed their eyes tightly closed. “No, it’s alright,” they said, their voice sounding rough and strange to their own ears. “I mean, I was. I always do. Sorry about your… everything. That I impacted with the sharp bits of me.”

Faraday’s expression softened. “You seem to be all made of sharp bits,” he commented, then hesitated, reaching out to nudge Webb’s glasses up, thumb brushing their cheekbone. He gave Webb a rueful smile. “That’s… not a bad thing.”

He hesitated, leaning in a little closer, giving Webb a searching, curious look. What do you want? It seemed to say. How can I help?

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