“I’m failing to see the humor in all of this,” Wesley said, grabbing his shirt from the floor. “I won’t be long, I promise.”

“It’s fine, go.” Tavia stretched out farther amongst the covers, burying her face in the pillow. “I’ll be glad for the space, if I’m being honest.”

“Funny,” Wesley said. “But don’t get too used to it.”

Tavia wiggled her eyebrows and Wesley wanted nothing more than to jump back into bed with her. Unfortunately, family came with responsibilities.

He just wished those responsibilities ended after sundown.

Wesley turned back to open the door.

“Is everything okay?” he asked Saxony’s amja.

His amja.

She was Wesley’s too now, and he needed to at least try to get used to it.

Wesley shuffled out into the hallway and closed the door softly behind him.

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” Amja said softly. “I’m sure you want to spend this night doing something other than speaking to me. It’s just that we haven’t had the chance to talk about everything that has happened.”

“You didn’t need to come and speak to me,” Wesley said, clearing his throat to counteract the tense atmosphere. It was odd how unsettled he felt, being alone with this strange woman who shouldn’t have been strange to him at all. “I’m not sure there’s much for us to say.”

“I disagree,” Amja said. “I want you to know that I’m sorry for all I’ve done to wrong you, but I’m here for you now, Malik. As I always should have been.”

Wesley couldn’t help but wince at the use of his old name. It didn’t feel like his—the life that Malik had before Creije didn’t feel like his—and though the Uncharted Forest had carried a sense of home while Wesley was there, it still wasn’t quite Creije enough for him.

Wesley knew who he was and who he wasn’t.

And he wasn’t Malik Akintola.

He had been once, a lifetime ago, but not now. Despite the fact that he could see that Saxony and Amja so desperately wanted him to return to that boy, Wesley knew it wasn’t possible.

He could do a great many things, but not that.

There wasn’t enough magic in him for that miracle.

“I will do my best to watch out for you,” Amja said. “Like a real family would.”

Wesley swallowed. He didn’t know how to react to that.

Nobody had ever promised to watch out for him before.

“I’ve never much liked families,” he said, leaning against the wall as indifferently as he could. “Bad experience and all.”

“That’s fair,” Amja said. “I’ve not had the best experience with grandsons.”

Wesley couldn’t help but laugh at that.