This isn’t right. Their approach isn’t right. Why can’t they just wait until we get back to Bardot?
Golem openly admitted that King Zander would explain everything to us then.
What are they doing?
Are they trying to catch the twins unaware, hoping that they will provide information because they’re caught off guard? Do they even see what they’re doing to Cal? I’ve never seen my friend so quiet in my life. He’s sitting sullenly in his chair and retracting from the rest of the table, and they’re causing that rift. A rift between Knowledge and the bond we have formed over the last two years.
This isnotthe way.
“In what setting?” Keane demands again.
I look to Holis and Mana at my side, my voice going hard, “you do not need to answer him.”
Both Princes turn to stare at me in shock, but I’ve had enough. I swiftly push my chair back and stand up from the table, glaring at the Prince brothers as anger courses through my veins. Stormfall quickly jumps from the table and lands on my shoulder, his yellow eyes flashing a new gold before he turns his piercing gaze on the royals.
“We serve the King of the Lands of Disce,” I scowl at the Warrior brothers, “His Grace, King Zander Bardot. We answer to no one but him inthese matters. Try this again and I’ll rescind my invitation for you to join my conversation with him when that takes place.”
Stormfall spreads his wings behind my back, adding his own warning to my words. I give Keane and Desmond one last look before walking away and into the dark courtyard of the inn.
“The fuckingaudacityof them,” I fume when I hear Golem’s padded feet behind me.
“Where were you, Golem? Why didn’t you speak up in there?”
Golem shakes his head quietly, giving a non-answer as we walk towards the main road.
“Do you agree with the Princes?” I ask in disbelief, “of what they were doing in there?”
He offers no response, just remains quiet at my side. I immediately stop and turn to my magical friend, not understanding his position.
“Talk to me.”
Golem has a look of sadness on his face, his head shaking just slightly.
“No?” I cross my arms in front of my chest, “I don’t understand Golem. No you don’t want to talk to me? Or no you don’t agree with the Princes?”
More silence.
“You can’t possibly be siding with Keane and Desmond right now,” I shake my head “they ambushed my friends, Golem! They made Cal feel like an outsider to a secret he was going to learn anyways!”
Golem watches me in thought, his drooping eyes darting back and forth across my face as his features remain unreadable.
“If you have nothing to say, then I want to be alone,” I sigh, “go back to the inn, Golem. I have no use for your company tonight.”
Golem’s eyes round in shock. I laugh in exasperation at the first real emotion he’s shown all night and shake my head, brushing past him in anger as I make my way down the road. Golem remains standing in the middle of the sleepy little village town, watching me walk away.
“Just you and me tonight, Storm,” I say to the bird with a shiver. The cold blanket that surrounds these moody woods is in full effect tonight, but I’m determined to make the walk to the real Fumagalli despite it. Daniel should be there, and hopefully him or someone else can guide me up to the Hidden City when I arrive.
Stormfall nips at my ear in affection as the two of us continue down the road together. We walk for a while with the darkness of the woods surrounding our sides, my vision adjusting to the barely-there moonslight with each step. Eventually my breathing starts to level again as the calm of the forest erases the rage I felt at the table.
“We’re looking for a path on the left, Storm. It’ll appear between two large trees.”
I move to the side of the road even though I know we still have a ways to walk. The inlet the men disappeared into will be somewhere fartherup ahead, but I’ll need the Bird of Ash’s eyes to navigate these woods without Golem.
Stormfall gives a small caw in response and pushes off my shoulder, flying along the edge of the forest before he disappears into the dark expanse. I keep walking, knowing that he’ll reappear when he needs to, and let my thoughts roam back to dinner.
That was not the way,I sigh.
Keane and Desmond handled that situation as regals, not as the friends we’ve just spent days traveling with. The men in that room would kill for them,didkill for them, so why did they think approaching the situation like that was a good idea?
