“Will you stay with me?” Volkmar asked, before Adrissu could decide on what to say, looking up at him with a sudden earnestness. “I... I don’t want to pack up alone.”
“Of course,” Adrissu murmured, starting to reach for Volkmar’s hand on his forearm, before becoming suddenly very aware of the heavy coin purse in his opposite hand. “I’ll drop this off with Madame Crowe first, and then we can go gather your things.”
When they entered the building, going from the bright street to the dim interior, a different girl was sitting in the foyer reading a small book. She glanced up as they entered, smiling, but the smile faltered slightly upon seeing them.
“Oh, Volkmar,” she said, lifting one hand to wave at him uncertainly. “Hello.”
“Hi,” he said breathlessly. “Is Madame Crowe in?”
“Is it true you’re leaving?” she asked without answering his question, glancing between him and Adrissu.
“Well, yes,” Volkmar replied, grinning nervously. “Headmaster Adrissu paid off the rest of my contract, so...”
“Wow,” the girl said, grinning over at Adrissu. “How lucky. We’ll miss you, Volkmar.”
Something in her tone seemed strained, but Adrissu couldn’t place it; and Volkmar seemed to ignore it. The human murmured a thank you, and together they walked through the hall, into the atrium, and toward Madam Crowe’s office.
“There you are,” the woman sighed as they entered. “I’ve been expecting you.”
“I’ve brought the rest of the payment,” Adrissu said. Her eyes flickered toward him briefly, but when she spoke again, she addressed Volkmar.
“I assume headmaster Adrissu has explained to you what’s happening,” she said sharply. Adrissu frowned—it was rare that he was ignored, and he did not like the way she spoke to him.
“Yes,” Volkmar said, nodding. He, at least, did not seem surprised. Perhaps this was just the way she always was. The thought was not comforting to Adrissu.
“And you’re alright with this?” she pressed, clasping her hands on her desk in front of her. “You can always stay here, Volkmar, even if he does pay off your contract. Don’t feel beholden to him.”
Adrissu bristled, but remained silent. Ultimately shewasright—while his instinct was to keep Volkmar with him regardless of what he wanted, the more rational part of him balked at the idea of doing anything against Volkmar’s will. If he truly did not want to leave the Garden, Adrissu would let him stay, or at least try to.
“I understand,” Volkmar said, nodding. “But I... I appreciate what Adrissu wants to do for me, and...” He glanced over at Adrissu, who maintained his stony, silent face as much as he could manage. A slight smile wavered on the human’s face. “I like him. He’s... nice.”
It was hardly a compliment, but it still made Adrissu’s body tingle with pleasure to hear, and he stifled a smile.
“So, yes, I’m going with him,” Volkmar continued. Across from her desk, Madame Crowe sighed.
“I thought you’d say that,” she said. “Well, Volkmar, you know we’ve all loved you, and you’re welcome back any time. I mean it.”
Adrissu stopped himself from rolling his eyes as he stepped forward, setting the coin purse on the table.
“That’s the rest of it,” he said, and without waiting for her to answer—after all, she had ignored him—he turned to go, leading Volkmar by his elbow.
“Bye!” the human called brightly over his shoulder. He led Adrissu to a different staircase, so they did not have to pass through the atrium again. When they were on the stairs, he looked up at Adrissu and grinned.
“She hates you,” he laughed, and Adrissu smiled.
“I noticed,” he said dryly. “I take it you were one of the... better performers? I can imagine she’ll miss the business you bring.”
“Well,” he said, suddenly seeming almost shy, his smile faltering. “It’s really just that there’s only one other man who’s here regularly. And she liked my mother, so I think it’s more nostalgic for her. My numbers were pretty average.”
Adrissu still wondered about his mother, but it could wait. They would have plenty of time. Instead, he followed Volkmar silently as the man led him to his room, and they packed up his personal belongings. It wasn’t much—several skimpy outfits with a handful of plainer robes and pants, some books and trinkets and toiletries. Among his belongings was a small box of what seemed to be old children’s toys that Volkmar held and sighed over, before setting it in the pile of things to carry out. Again Adrissu wondered, but remained silent. Volkmar was so much more different from Ruan than he had expected.
“That’s everything, I think,” Volkmar sighed, looking over the small room once more. They each had a full rucksack on their backs, and Adrissu held a crate with the other items. The linens and furniture all belonged to the Gardens and would remain behind. “Shall we go?”
Adrissu nodded. Part of him wanted to ask if Volkmar truly wanted to do this, if it was too much, too fast—but the rest of him knew that he wouldn’t be able to handle being told no, not now, and Volkmar had already agreed, so again he held his tongue.
As they descended back down the stairs, a few women called out to him to say goodbye. He was polite and answered each of them in turn, but didn’t seem particularly emotionally invested in any of them. His gaze was distant, as if he were thinking of a hundred other things.
Their trip back to the tower passed mostly in silence, as well. Adrissu watched Volkmar walk a few steps ahead of him, his gaze fluttering around and looking at the city as if he might never see it again. The thought made him frown. He thought he had made it quite clear that Volkmar was free to do as he pleased, but...
