slamming the door behind him. Ariel a gave me a tired smile and said she was going to turn in for the night, declining my offer of staying through dinner. Grimalkin, of course, trotted down the hall without any explanation of where he was going and vanished into the shadows, leaving me alone.
Truthfully, I was relieved. There were so many thoughts swirling around my head, and I think the others recognized my need to be alone, to process all that had happened and to prepare for what was to come. Or perhaps they were weary of me, as well.
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I ate a little, prowled my room, and tried to read some of the huge tomes on the bookcase in the corner to pass the time. Most were written in strange, ancient languages I didn’t recognize, some oddly blank, some with runes and symbols that made my eyes burn just from looking at them.
One book let out a chilling wail when I touched it, and I quickly with-drew my hand. I finally discovered, of all things, a small book of poems by the mortal author e.e. cummings, and leafed through that for a while, pausing at the poem, “All in green went my love riding,” one of my favorites. I smiled wistfully as I followed the stanzas, reminded of all the hunts Ariel a and I had been on and their sudden end.
Guilt gnawed at me, though it wasn’t quite as sharp as before. I’d finally come to terms with what I felt, both for Ariel a and Meghan. I would always love Ariel a, and there was still a part of me that longed for the past, for those days when it was me and Ari and Puck before—before her death and my oath and the decades of duels and fighting and bloodshed. But those days were gone. And I was tired of living in the past. If I managed to survive here, I would actually have a chance at a future.
Still, I couldn’t sleep; my mind worried at the situation like a dog with a bone and my body was too hyped up to relax. I was sitting in the window with my back against the frame, watching the stars and bits of rock drift by, almost close enough to touch, when my door creaked open and footsteps padded into the room.
“Don’t you ever knock?” I asked Puck without turning around. He snorted.
“Hi, I’m Robin Goodfel ow, have we met?” Walking up beside me, he leaned against the frame and crossed his arms, staring out at the End 242/387
of the World. After a moment, he shook his head. “You know, out of all the places we’ve seen, and we’ve seen some weird places, this probably takes the cake for Most Crazy Landscape Ever. No one will believe the stories when we get home.” He sighed and shot me a sideways glance.
“Are you sure you’re up for this, ice-boy?” he asked. “I know you think you can handle anything, but this is some serious stuff you’re going to face. Crazy Ash just doesn’t have the same ring as Don’t-bother-me-or-I’lll-kill-you Ash.”
I smirked at him. “You’re awfully concerned for an archnemesis.”
“Psh, I just don’t want to have to tell Meghan that you turned into a vegetable while trying to gain a soul. I don’t see how that would turn out well for me.”
Smiling, I gazed out the window again. In the far distance, something like a giant manta ray soared lazily by, fins rippling like water. “I don’t know,” I admitted softly, watching it vanish behind an asteroid. “I don’t know if I’m ready. But it’s not just Meghan that I’m doing this for now.” I glanced down at my hands, resting in my lap. “I think…this is who I’m supposed to be…if that makes any sense.”
“Nope, that’s just screwed up.” I shot him an annoyed look, and Puck grinned to soften the words. He raised his hands. “But, if that’s the way you feel, then more power to you. At least you know what you want. Just thought I’d make sure.” With a grunt, he shoved himself off the wall, tapping my shoulder as he passed. “Well, good luck to you, prince. There’s a bottle of plum wine and a f luffy down pillow calling my name. You need me, I’ll be in my room, hopefully well into a stupor.”
“Puck,” I called before he could leave the room.
He turned in the doorframe. “Yeah?” 243/387
“If I…don’t make it back…”
I felt him nod. “I’ll take care of her,” he promised quietly. “Both of them.” And the door clicked softly behind him.
I didn’t sleep. I stayed in the window and watched the stars, thinking of Meghan, and Ariel a and myself. Remembering those bright, shining moments with each of them…in case I didn’t see them again.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE FIRST TEST
“It is time.”
The Guardian’s voice cut through the silence, and I jerked my head toward the robed figure in the middle of the room. It stood expectantly, gripping its staff, watching me through the darkness of the cowl. The door behind it was still closed.
“Are you ready?” it asked without preamble. I took a deep breath and nodded.
“Then follow me.”