It’s in vain. Moe continues, “You’re always so obsessed with making money, to the point that you’re talking in your sleep about it. The walls are thin, you know. I can hear everything! But then you refuse to buy yourself nice things. You ruined your light coat last time and you still haven’t replaced it, but you could afford to buy me a new one.”
“I have better resistance to the elements, all right?” I grumble.
“And let’s not forget your weird ramblings. That’s very strange, all right? You’re always talking to yourself, though I have no idea what you’re saying.”
“I’m just worried I’ll say thewrongthing so I practice beforehand, okay?”
She raises a brow at me as if to ask:See? I told you so.
“All right so I might be a bit strange. But it’s not as if I have a lot of experience interacting with people.”
“Well, because of that I can read you very well. And last night you were rambling more than usual. So I knew something was wrong. When you mentioned the letter it just confirmed it to me. So I read it and realized what you planned to do. Which, by the way, shame on you!”
“What?” My eyes widen.
“You left knowing we might never see each other again and you just wished me a happy life? A happy life, Nykander? That’s all you could come up with?”
“Well, uhm, I mean… I’m not good with words.”
“That’s an understatement,” she adds drily.
“So you followed me because you were mad at my wording?”
“Half. I wanted you to have the courage to tell me to my face to live a happy life,” she says accusatorially.
“And the other half?” I ask in a low voice.
She sighs. “You didn’t really think of me, did you? I have no other life outside of you. I can never return to the Mortal District, not just because of my family but due to all the rumors about me. Any other place would not take a mortal in so you left me to slowly waste away in that house.”
“But I left you a lot of money.”
“Money, money, money!” She snaps, exasperated. “Who cares about money!”
“It was enough to last you a lifetime?—“
“Nykander, shut up.”
I promptly close my mouth.
“See, there you go again being strange.”
Instead of answering I just nod. This pleases her and she smiles at me.
“How did you manage to keep up with me until now though? And without me noticing? It must have been hard,” I add pensively.
She laughs. “Sure, it was a bit hard physically since I’m not used to walking so much or traveling for long hours. But following you was the easiest thing. You were so lost in your own world that you never noticed me.”
I frown. “Where were you?”
“Next to you.”
“No, really.”
“I mean it. You were either sleeping soundly, and muttering about a date location, or you were just staring blankly outside the carriage window.”
“Uhm…”
Alright, it seems I’ve been caught. I can only retreat honorably.
