Chapter 28

Tidun hadn't returned by the time I'd fallen asleep last night, but I woke up snuggled in his arms. His pale skin made the dark circles under his eyes even more apparent.

It was obvious the chat he had with Corelyn was an important one, and I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that sat in the pit of my stomach. I ignored the feeling and cuddled back into his arms.

Tidun woke a few hours later, still looking tired, but normal for the most part. He didn't mention anything about his chat with Corelyn, and I didn't pry either.

Instead, we spent the rest of the morning hanging out with Aisha, his dad, and Naial in the kitchen as the latter two taught us how to make a dried seaweed dish that reminded me ofcroissants but green.

After lunch, Tidun took us back to the circus grounds. Naial wanted to go too, but with royal guests coming tomorrow, they needed all hands on deck. I was disappointed to learn that Tidun also needed to head back to prepare as well, but he promised to return on Saturday.

That meant I'd have to spend three entire nights without him. It kinda shocked me just how much I hated the idea already. I'd only spent a few nights sleeping with him, and I'd already gotten used to it.

"Is she really your fated mate?" I asked Aisha as we walked back to where the RVs were parked.

"She is," she replied. She looked in the direction of the ocean and smiled. I knew she was thinking about Naial.

"I'm happy for you," I said and pulled her into a hug. "You deserve so much love."

She returned the hug and cleared her throat before saying, "Tidun doesn't seem like a bad guy either."

I rested my chin on her and peered up at her. "Are you saying that because he's your fated mate's little brother and you kinda have to get along with him now?" I teased.

She snorted and pushed my head off of her. We continued walking, and a few seconds later, she said, "I'm really happy for you too, Conall. You deserve the fairytale ending."

I skipped to her and hooked my arms with hers. "Does that mean we can go on double dates now?"

She rolled her eyes, but I didn't hear a no come out of her mouth.

The first thing I did after dropping off my stuff was look for my parents. Since it was a day off, they were both resting at home, so finding them was easy enough.

Of course, I had to tell them the exciting news that both Aisha and I had found our fated mates. Dad was so shocked his tail was frozen stiff. Mom excitedly listened as I told them about the trip and Tidun's kingdom. Her ears twitched with energy as she hung on my every word.

The more I talked about my time with Tidun, the more depressed I got realizing that I wouldn't see him again for a few more days. Mom must have noticed my shift in mood and suggested that I go rest for a bit and have dinner with them tonight.

I agreed and returned to my RV, but I didn't want to spend the rest of the afternoon moping. Sketching always made me feel better, so I picked up my sketchbook and decided to do just that.

The shell I'd placed on the table caught my eye. I picked it up, flipped it over in my hand, and was shocked to see the vague form of a shell.

Had I been so involved with Tidun that I'd forgotten what the shell looked like, because I remembered this side to be a jagged rock. There was no rock now, instead there were shallow grooves on the oyster shell with some cracks running through it.

I ran a finger through the cracks, wondering just what in the world had this shell gone through to be in such rough shape. The spot under my skin gently pulsed, and the feeling like it was alive returned.

There was something comforting about the shell. And with each stroke of my finger, the negative emotions that had plagued me slowly started disappearing. A strange calmness settled inside me instead.

That should have been the warning to tell someone about this—to hand it over to Seven and let him take care of it—but I didn't do that. I was drawn to it and fascinated by the story it told.

Before I knew it, my sketchbook was in my hand as I studied the shell, trying to capture its essence on paper.

It was a couple of hours and a few tries later that I finally had a drawing I was satisfied with. The shell itself wasn't hard to draw, but getting the shadows correct using charcoal proved to be difficult, especially when it seemed like the cracks on the shell kept shifting…but that couldn't have been possible. I was probably imagining it.

I cleaned up and posted the finished piece on Ether. I half expected a certain username to pop up and comment, but none came even after the likes had started coming in from others.

It wasn't until after dinner that WhaleofFortune commented, and seconds after, Tidun sent me a reply. I immediately clicked out of Ether and chatted with him for the rest of the night.

I woke with a good morning text from Tidun and apologies that he would probably be too busy to chat today. I understood since they had guests to tend to, but that didn't keep the disappointment at bay.

When I climbed down from the bed, I looked around my RV. This place had served me well and had truly become my home, but then I thought about Tidun's large form occupying the space.

It was cozy for the two of us, but maybe I should think about buying a bigger place for us in the future. That was provided that he actually wanted to travel with us in the circus, which I hoped to god he did.

I'd never thought about leaving the circus, but if Tidun said he wanted to settle down somewhere, I would probably give it up for him. I would hate to be away from all my friends and family, but it might kill me to be away from Tidun.

I looked at my empty table where I thought I'd placed the shell after sketching last night, but there was nothing there. I frowned, wondering if I'd misplaced it but threw the thought to the back of my head.

The circus was due to open soon, and I needed fuel if I wanted to keep up with the long day. My parents and Aisha were already in the mess tent waiting for me. Aisha chose to forgo her morning meal as usual but still sat with us and read on her phone as we ate.

The rest of the day passed pretty uneventfully, and I didn't hear from Tidun again until late that night. We chatted for a bit before heading to bed.

Friday I worked the Ferris wheel again. Seeing all the loving couples had me happy-sighing as I watched them enter the rides. Tomorrow was Saturday, which meant Tidun would finally be back.

Saturday was also the day the circus had the grand finale and hosted a fireworks show to end the night. A plan to have the perfect date with Tidun formed in my mind, and when Kain arrived for his shift later that day, I recruited his help. He happily obliged.

I grabbed a quick dinner with Aisha before heading to my spot to do some portraits for a few hours. I fell into a trance as I drew each customer.

Drawing was still the thing that grounded me. I loved it and wished I could be more involved in the arts, but I also loved working at Black Cat Circus and couldn't see myself ever leaving.

I remembered Tidun casually mentioning once that people would want to learn how to draw from me. It intrigued me, and I wondered if there was a way I could combine the two.

The line of people thinned, and I was on my last couple for the night. They were a gay couple, both around the same height and drop-dead gorgeous in different ways. One was tall and willowy and had the facial structure of a runway model. The other was double his size with angular features that gave off a rugged handsomeness.

The bulkier one sat on one of the chairs I provided for them, then looked up at his partner and patted his legs. The slim one rolled his eyes but obliged. "You're so silly, Ash," he said as he climbed on Ash's legs and wrapped an arm around his neck.

"I'm silly for you, babe," Ash teased and pressed a kiss to his partner's nose. The other man rolled his eyes again, but it was clear he had a lot of love for Ash.

They seemed like the kind of couple who would want to do the cheesy things, like kissing at the top of the Ferris wheel, but I hadn't seen them before. I would remember considering they were a hot, gay couple. I might have a boyfriend now, but I still had eyes.

"First time at the circus?" I asked as I started the sketch.

"Yep, first-timers. It's Jay's first time out of Austin, actually," Ash replied with a grin. His arms tightened around his partner. "We're doing a road trip up to northern California and ran into some car trouble a mile down the road."

"Shit, I'm sorry to hear that."

Ash shrugged. "It's okay. The car's being worked on now and figured we'd check out the circus while we waited since it was nearby. Good thing too, since I never thought a circus could be this fun! Best decision ever, right, babe?"

Jay gave him an indulgent look and played with Ash's short hair. "It's one of your better ideas."

"Hey! I thought you loved all my ideas," Ash grumbled. A smile tugged at his lips. Jay leaned in for a soft kiss, and I wondered if they'd forgotten that I was still there, drawing them. It was like watching one of my favorite rom-coms in real-time.

And god, seeing them like this only made me miss Tidun more. I wanted to be the disgustingly sweet couple that people yelled at to get a room, but I couldn't do that if the other half of that equation wasn't here.

The terrifying thing was, a nagging fear in the pit of my stomach told me that this mini separation was just the taste of something bigger. And that scared the hell out of me.

I finished Ash and Jay's drawing and handed it to them, blushing when they complimented me. Ash gushed about how they were going to hang it in their bedroom. I half-expected Jay to tease his partner again, but he merely nodded.

They left after I suggested they take a ride on the Ferris wheel. I told them how pretty the view was at night from the top and the romantic legend that surrounded it.

Ash was pumped after hearing that and practically dragged Jay away. I laughed as I watched their backs disappear into the crowd.

I packed up the rest of my stuff and returned to my empty RV. After a quick shower, I fell into my nest. My nose dug into the blankets, trying to catch Tidun's scent, but these were clean sheets and all I got was a lungful of my usual detergent.

Just one more night until Tidun came back.