“Sorry.”
She turned back toward me, her face scrunched in remorse. “I’m sorry. I’m a bit moody. This feels kind of hopeless.” She chucked a bent cooking pot back where she’d found it with a frustrated sigh. I’d noticed that for most of the morning Ruby had seemed a bit distracted and glum—maybe we all were, but because she was normally upbeat, it was more obvious that something was bothering her.
“What’s up, Ruby?” I stopped rifling through the rubbish and went for the direct approach. “I mean, besides looking for a needle in this crappy haystack. Something’s bugging you.”
“It’s nothing really.”
She glanced over to where Ash and Tejus were standing, a few yards off to our left. I followed her stare. It was something to do with Ash.
“How’s it feel being the girlfriend of an emperor?” I asked, pretending to turn my attention back to moving rocks so she might feel more comfortable opening up.
She groaned. “Difficult. We had all these plans…I don’t know, it’s just difficult. There’s always something standing between me and Ash. If it’s not Queen Trina, it’s Nevertide politics—and I guess now, as emperor, he has this massive responsibility that I can’t even begin to understand…it makes me feel separate from him, you know?”
Uh… Not really.
“Sure,” I murmured. “That must be difficult.”
“Anyway, ignore me. I’ll snap out of it.” She forced a grin, and I returned it.
Privately, I thought that Ruby might have been better off without Ash. I didn’t understand how they could have a future together—he would always be needed in Nevertide, and Ruby couldn’t just turn her back on her home and her friends, and GASP. She had a whole life back at The Shade, one that Ash just wouldn’t understand. I didn’t really understand Ruby or Hazel’s interest in dating sentries—to me it seemed plain weird. They were so old-fashioned and strangely unemotional, and tall. They were really, really tall. Nobody needed to be that tall! Ruby would have an amazing future ahead of her—dating someone from back home would be way better for her. Someone who could fight by her side when they joined GASP…
“I think I can see it!”
The guard I’d traveled with shouted out from one of the rock heaps up ahead. All three of us started to clamber toward him. I could hardly bear to hope that this long and boring search would finally be over.
“Under there!” The guard was standing above the shell of a room that would have originally come off the main hallway. The rubble from one of the towers had surrounded it, creating a pile that we could climb up, giving us a bird’s-eye view of the room. Most of it was covered in gray stone, but I could see the golden glint of a lavish headboard.
“Is this the old emperor’s room?” I asked.
“Think so.” The guard nodded. “The book’s in a box, down under those rocks.”
“You’re right,” Ash announced, climbing up behind us. Tejus joined us a second later, and we all peered down at the room.
“Let’s get on with it then,” I prompted. I wanted this over and done with already.
Hazel smirked at me.
“Volunteering, are you?”
The remaining construction of the room didn’t look all that stable, but if I could find another way in, by going down and around, it would be safer.
“Yep,” I replied stoutly.
“I’m joking—I’ll join you.” Hazel laughed.
“No, you won’t,” Tejus barked.
Surprise, surprise.
“Tejus, I’m going. It’s fine. We’re all smaller than you guys—we can get in more easily,” Hazel reasoned, as she and Ruby started to make their way back down the slope of rocks. I hurried to join them, not wanting to be left dealing with the brunt of Tejus’s wrath.
I slowed my pace as I neared the bottom of the stone pile, the ground becoming more perilous as I jumped from one stone to another to keep up with Ruby and Hazel. We started to climb over the old entrance to the castle. The stench of rotting flesh grew in intensity, and I felt nauseated.
“I think this is where most of them were killed,” Hazel said sadly. “They all flocked here, trying to escape.”
I tried not to look down. At one point, clambering over one of the stones that made up the arch, I stepped on something soft. I leapt forward, not looking behind me, but the stink that emerged filled my nostrils and I vomited—quickly and quietly, trying not to draw attention to myself.
“Are you okay?” Ruby’s voice was muffled by the sleeve of her robe.