Page 81 of Forging Bonds: Part One

“Good point,” River agrees.

We don’t waste any time finishing up our food and then head to our separate rooms. I’m not going to lie. After spending so long living in close proximity to the guys, being separated from them, and knowing that if I yell, they most likely won’t hear me is not something that I am fond of, and judging by their expressions and how tightly they hug me, neither are they. I don’t think any of us really thought through the whole them not knowing where my room is thing because, quite honestly, I would feel a lot better if they knew. Of course, if they know, then that means that the Draconian team knows, and I definitely don’t want that.

When I get to my room, I find Mabel waiting outside for me.

“Hey, Mabel,” I greet her. “What are you doing here?”

She holds up a small basket of little bottles, “You all arrived somewhat unexpectedly, so I didn’t get a chance to stock your bathroom.”

“Oh, thank you. Come on in,” I say with a smile, as I pull the key out from my pocket and unlock the door, making her eyebrows raise.

She follows me into the room and then walks over to one of the doors on the wall opposite the balcony doors. I barely spent any time here earlier since I was too excited to go and see what was on the third floor. Which actually reminds me, that I wanted to mention that to Mabel.

She must be thinking along the same lines as I am because as soon as she comes out of the bathroom, she asks with a smile that says she already knows the answer, “Did you find any interesting paintings on the third floor?”

I shake my head, and she looks momentarily confused before I explain, “I didn’t find any on the third floor, but I did on the fourth.”

Interest sparks in her eyes, “Did the castle help you find it?”

I nod, my smile widening, “Yeah, it did. It’s pretty smart, this castle of yours. It gave me a key to the door as well, just to give me some reassurance.”

She smiles, “Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me. It does surprise me that it spoke to you though. Most people either can’t feel the magic at all or just dismiss it.”

“I’m used to listening to things that other people can’t hear,” I reply, and then, on a whim, add, “I’ve got a House that’s similar; the magic felt familiar to me.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Neith

Again, she raises her eyebrows in surprise, which I expect to be honest, since sentient houses are pretty fucking rare.

“I did wonder if maybe the castle would lead you to it or not,” she says.

My eyes narrow slightly, “You were testing me?”

She winks at me, “It’s been boring here. It’s been a long time since a Choosing was called, but the castle still needs to be looked after and needs company. I had a hunch, and I wanted to see if I was right.”

“Why do I feel like you know more than you are letting on?” I ask.

I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me before. She obviously knows something because why would she send me to look at the painting in the first place?

She grins, “Because I do.”

With those words, she turns and heads to the doors. I shake my head, a slight smile on my lips. I would push her to know more, but quite frankly, I’m done with the revelations for the day. Which I know sounds odd considering only yesterday I was wishing that I had more answers. I didn’t expect to get two very big answers at once.

“Oh, I met Ribbit while I was up there. She actually gave me a lot of information that I needed,” I start.

Mabel interrupts, and her expression once again looks surprised, “You spoke to her?”

I nod, “Yeah, I don’t think I made a very good impression on her though because I was too busy freaking out. If you see her, could you please apologize for me? I would love to hang out with her at some point, but since what she told me was somewhat of a shock, I think I came across as a bit of a weirdo. I mean, I am, but,” I sigh, realizing that I’ve started rambling and making myself stop talking before I embarrass myself even more.

“Ribbit won’t mind. I imagine that she was probably just as shocked as you were,” Mable says, her words confusing me more.

“What? Why?” I ask.

“Because she’s dead. I am assuming, since you didn’t say otherwise, that she just looked like a normal supernatural to you?” She asks, and I nod, somewhat in shock about what she’s just told me. She smiles, “I thought so. No one has ever seen Ribbit fully or even heard her speak. She whispers, and she likes moving things around too. The only thing we really know is her name and that she would rather be here than move on.”

“Oh, I had absolutely no idea,” I reply.

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