“Thank you!” Elia shouts at Ginna’s back. Ginna throws a half wave in response and turns out of sight.
“I like her,” Elia comments. “Is she helping to search for the relic, too?”
I walk up the stone steps to the back door of the castle, leading to the kitchens, Elia trailing alongside.
“Yes, she and Hanson both are. Hanson stayed here to keep an eye on things, but you’ll meet him soon enough. Outside of the King and a few of his closest advisers, the three of us are the only people who know about the relic.”
Elia grins. “What did the rest of the Hunters think you were doing, then, picking up a random girl from the desert?”
As we pass through the kitchens, I pick up an apple from the bowl on the table and toss it to Elia. “Hell if I know. You’ll have to ask Ginna what she told them.”
We start the climb in the back stairwell to reach my chamber’s floor. Elia takes a bite from the apple, and I can see her already forming her next question.
“Am I sharing a room with you here, too?” She is completely unfazed, and I must be imagining the wistfulness in her voice.
I’m drawn back to the memory of the inn from last night, the towel, my shirt on her wet body. “Ah… no. You have a room made up next to mine.”
“Pity,” she smirks. “I’ll have to hope I wake up to another six-foot-five Hunter. A redhead might be nice next time,” Elia muses.
She’s joking, but the thought of anyone else in her room causes an irrational pang of jealousy to hit me. Especially because Hanson has red hair and would fit that description.
“If someone you don’t know is in your room, you should probably scream for help instead of measuring his – ”
“Callum!” Elia gasps, cutting me off. “You can’t say that.”
“His height,” I continue my sentence, eyeing her sternly. “You’re not very good with that, if I remember.”
“Still mad that I forgot three inches, huh?” She elbows me playfully.
“Just trying to keep you honest.” Elia laughs and for a second it feels like we’ve been friends for ages.
But I have to remember where my head needs to be. My first priority is finding the relic. I am in no shape to even think about forming any sort of connection, no matter how badly I want and need to move on. But Elia has this way about her. It’s as if she is the sun and I am a planet blindly circling around her, unable to free myself of her orbit. Her personality is refreshing andwarm, and I have been in the cold for so long.
We arrive on the fifth floor of the castle and walk down the long corridor of rooms, the sconces throwing flickering shadows down the path.
“Whose rooms are these?” Elia asks as we pass by several closed doors.
“This floor is mostly empty, besides mine. Ginna and Hanson and some of my other Hunters stay on this floor whenever they need to. Royal guests also stay here on occasion, but long term it’s only me.”
“What about the King and the Prince?” It had been more than a decade since the Queen had passed, and the King never remarried.
“King Corvin is in the highest tower for security reasons. He shouldn’t bother you.” In fact, one of the reasons I had chosen this floor was the distance between him. I want Elia nowhere near him, either.
“And the Prince?”
“Not here.”
We approach the last two doors at the end of the hallway. I gesture to the black door made of solid mahogany, with the carving of the Ashven family crest, an overlapping crown and sword, that is crafted into all doors in the castle. “That is my room, and this”—I open the door one room over; the twin of mine, except the wood is a dark cherry shade—“is your room.”
Elia takes a nervous step into the room. Thankfully, I made sure her chambers were already prepared, with a fire roaring and everything dusted and clean. You couldn’t tell that it has been unused for the last couple of years. This room is decorated based on the cherry wood of the door, with tones of red and pink throughout. It’s the mirror of mine, except with my room being shades of black and dark brown.
“It’s beautiful,” Elia exclaims, reaching her arms out and spinning around.
I point out the bathroom then indicate towards a third door. “That connects to my room. It’s locked on my side, but if you need anything yell or knock. I’ll only be a doorway away.”
“Seems to me that we’re practically sharing a room anyways.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.
I give her a pointed look, but my mouth lifts at the corner despitemyself. “Get some rest, it’s been a long day. We can start everything tomorrow.”
