“They seem to be,” Raiden replies, staring down at the book in his hands.
After a moment, Doc asks, “Is there anything back at the house that I actually need to pick up anymore?”
“I’ve got a couple of bags that I left there,” Van says.
“I’ve got some weapons that I put by the front door,” Coen adds with a grin.
“Me too,” River adds.
“I’ll head back tomorrow and grab them then. I’m too tired to head back now,” Doc replies with a smile.
Reed claps him on the back, “It has been an extremely long day. One of us can come back with you tomorrow. I don’t want anyone going anywhere alone from now on.”
“We didn’t really go to many places alone anyway, but I get what you mean. We can’t risk one of us getting caught out. We’ve got Casimir after us, which of course means that we’ve got HID after us as well, who are most likely waiting to get hold of at least one of us. Casimir wants Neith, and he knows that Neith cares about us, so that means that he will most likely want to use one of us to get to her,” Griff summarizes.
“And that’s only one of the reasons why we shouldn’t go anywhere alone.” River agrees. “At least we don’t have to worry about being recognized because we won the Choosing.”
“Yeah, that was an unexpected perk that none of us thought to be worried about in the first place,” Coen agrees.
“Thank fuck for that. It would have been impossible to do our jobs properly if everyone knew what we looked like,” Ransom agrees.
A giant yawn overtakes my features, “In all of the realms too, not just this one, since it’s broadcast everywhere.”
Griff smiles, “That’s true.” He turns to Reed, “Let's go and check your room out, and then get to bed. We’ve got a lot to sort out in the morning.”
Reed grins, “I’m good with that.”
When we get to Reed’s room, he hesitates ever so slightly and then pulls open the door.
Reed’s room is blue, a soft shade that’s calming and instantly makes me feel at home. He’s got the same fireplace as the others and a balcony so that he can come and go as he pleases. He has a large wall covered with bookshelves, and in the corner is a workout area, complete with a punching bag and practice dummy. I have noticed that he seems to work out a lot more than the others, and I assume that it’s because he has to keep such tight control over his magic when he’s anywhere but around us.
His room has beams crisscrossing the extremely tall ceilings. It’s something that none of the other rooms have, and I’m guessing that it’s something that is unique for Reed.
When I look at him questioningly, he smiles, “I like to be up high. The higher the better.”
I grin, “Like me.”
He nods, “Yeah. I feel happier when I’m higher, and I’m guessing that’s why there are beams in here, and why the ceiling is so high.”
“I always joke that it should be me who likes to perch high up and survey my kingdom,” Griff jokes. Adding, “You know, because I’m a gargoyle and that’s what we do.”
“You’ve got three doors in here,” Van points out before I can reply to Griff and ask if they actually do that.
I know that they used to, but I have no idea if it’s still a thing.
“Huh,” Reed says as he strides across the room to the door closest to us. Pulling it open, he reveals a completely black bathroom with brushed brass shower, taps, and even a basin. He grins, “Nice.”
“Check the other doors,” River says with excitement.
Reed pulls open the door next to the bathroom and reveals a closet. He doesn’t bother going in, instead, he shuts the door and then walks over to the corner of the room where the last door is.
We should have known that it would be that door that the interesting thing is behind. Especially when, as we get closer, I realize that this black door is carved with patterns, unlike the black doors that are in the bathroom and closet.
“Huh, I wasn’t expecting that,” Doc says as Reed opens the door and reveals a staircase.
The steps are made out of rough, dark grey stone, and there are sconces lining the walls and lighting the way up the stairwell. They flare to life with a welcoming glow.
“This is so cool,” I mutter as we follow Reed up the steps.
