Forging Ties (Ties, Book 3) | ✓

Chapter 32

Duran had been so desperate to run away before they'd left on the trip, but walking on this beach, seeing the serene smile on Fanner's face and the way the wind caught his hair and made it sparkle in the sunshine, watching the confidence with which Danya took each step like he no longer had someone always watching and telling him he was doing it wrong, the way he spoke now like he wasn't worried about whether his every word was the right one... these things were worth coming back to.

"So, what's next for you now?" Danya asked as they walked.

"Oh, fuck knows," Duran said. "I guess if you're bringing a bunch of mages into the area who are fresh out of slavery, I'll just be one of them and it'll be someone else's problem to figure out what to do with me. I am educated, but I don't have a whole lot of practical life skills."

"I was thinking..." Fanner said, and then hesitated.

"Mm?" Duran prompted.

"Well, I do healing now, as you know."

"I definitely can't do that."

"No, I know. But I'm still... well, Yore's been helping me with it. Organising appointments and trying to keep people from being too pushy with me, things like that. He's a busy man, though. I know he'll always make my needs a priority, but he just doesn't have as much time as those things need and I don't want him exhausting himself trying to be everything for everyone. So... maybe you could help with that? You're more organised than I am, so I'm sure you could manage appointments, and you're much more assertive."

"Hm," Duran said. "You know, I wouldn't mind that. It sounds great, actually. I'll be honest, I wasn't really that excited about being just another face in a throng of ex-slaves. You know us Companions. We like to be special."

"You are special, Duran," Danya insisted.

"Okay, back off on the sincerity before I throw up," Duran said with a roll of his eyes. "Anyway, job. Yeah, sounds good. Thank you."

"No, of course," Fanner said. "It solves my problem nicely as well. There are so many nice people here, but for this job, I need someone who I know I can trust. No matter how kind people are, that's still difficult for me."

"Well, it sort of has to be, doesn't it? People can be nice all day, but what you can do really tests how far that goes."

"Yes!" Fanner all but shouted, then shrunk his shoulders down when he realised how loud he'd been. "Yes. Yore understands, because he's amazing, but some people can be dismissive when they're trying to be reassuring. I want to be safe, to be protected, and I don't think it's accurate to say that there's nothing I need to be protected from. Not everyone is good."

"Nobody's pure good," Duran said. "I'll get Hamish to teach me some self defence. I'm sure he won't say no to an excuse to grapple with me."

"I don't really expect you to fight anyone," Fanner said. "Just... help me with boundaries. I can do it for myself, sort of, but it makes me so anxious and tired. I just can't do it all by myself."

"And you don't have to," Danya reminded him. "I know Duran will do an amazing job, but don't forget that you have so many other people who have your back if there's ever anything you need more help with."

"I know, it's just... hard to wrap my head around," Fanner said. "Suddenly being cared about."

"It's not sudden at all, baby boy," Duran said as he slung an arm around Fanner's shoulders. "I always cared. I couldn't do anything to actually help you, but I did care."

"So did I," Danya said. "But things were different then. I understand. Anyway, Duran, what's this about Hamish being happy to grapple with you? Did you manage to get into his pants?"