“This is unnecessary,” I tell him with a scowl.
Desmond looks at me with arched brows, “you will rest in your room tonight, Lady Alexis. No adventures.”
I narrow my eyes on the Master Informer and reach down to unscrew Golem’s jar. The magical creature immediately greets us from the shadows of a staircase we walk towards, his head dipping into a nod as he looks curiously at Desmond.
“She stays in her room tonight, Golem,” Desmond says in stern greeting.
Golem nods again.
“Completelyunnecessary,” I huff, following the two up the familiar set of stairs that leads to the second floor. Stormfall grips my shoulder hard as we move down the hall, the Master Informer leading us straight to my room before he stops in front of my door. I scowl at the back of his head, not even wanting to know how Desmond knows which residence is mine.
“Lock this behind you,” he commands.
I roll my eyes.
“Lock this door behind her,” he repeats, now looking directly at Golem.
“Really,” I look between the two of them.
“Really,” Desmond responds, “no adventures tonight. No chance of Troy running into you unannounced.”
“Goodnight, Prince Desmond,” I huff, turning my key in the lock.
Desmond waits until I close the door firmly behind Golem and I, his footsteps only receding when I turn the lock once more. I let out a deep breath and lean against the door, watching as Golem quickly moves past me through the small reading room and heads to the shadowy balcony. Stormfall jumps off my shoulder and does the same, flying under the arch and gliding over Golem’s head as they both bound into the night.
“Not too far, Storm!” I yell.
.Stormfall caws in agreement just as I walk into my main room. I drop my traveling packs on top of the bed and sling my bag over my shoulder, hearing Golem’s jar rattle at the bottom.
“Golem?” I call.
He shuffles back inside, eyes finding mine in question.
“What do I do with your home? Should I take it back to the King?”
He shakes his head, no, then disappears outside as quickly as he came.
“Alright, then,” I mumble, “tomorrow.”
I sigh and lean down to remove my boots and daggers, then unpack all of my clothes and leave them in a pile for wash. I grab a blanket from the bed and move out to the balcony to join my traveling companion, his stoic features greeting mine before he glances at Stormfall in the distance.
“He certainly knows how to make himself at home,” I smile.
The Bird of Ash dips through the dark sky along the rose garden, his wings soaring just above the rows as he heads in the direction of the Bell Grove. Golem gives me a small smile in agreement and then looks up to the moons above us, his brown robes swaying with the breeze as I lean into his side. I look over the land I’ve called home for so long, letting it bring a sense of peace to my thoughts I haven’t felt in a while.
I should have known it wouldn’t last…
A heavy urge pulls at my gut, the feeling so strong and demanding that I have no words to describe it. The urge pulls me to disband this sense of calm, to forgo any relaxation and contentment and instead replace it with the steady beat of an excited heart. And with it, I can no longer stand still. I need to visit the Great Oak.
“Let’s go, Golem,” I push off his shoulder.
“Storm!” I yell to the Bird of Ash, “come back inside. You’ll be able to fly where we’re going!”
Stormfall’s yellow eyes meet mine in an instant from afar. He flies out from the Bell Grove and lands gracefully on my shoulder, his beak caressing just under my ear as I turn back into the room. I swiftly pull my boots back on and fashion both blades underneath, slinging my bag on my shoulder as I walk into the reading room with Golem following.
“We’re just going to the Great Oak… please don’t try to hold me back. I will quite literally attempt to cut through the door if you do.”
Golem considers my words in silence. He nods after a moment, then flicks his hand at the door as it unlocks.
