Chapter Fifty-Six

“Stop here, please!” Orion called out, much to Harry’s surprise. They had only been on the road for mere minutes. “Do you have any money?” the Guardian asked him as the carriage halted.

Harry gave him a look. “And what if I didn’t?”

Orion only sighed and made a grabbing motion with his fists. “Please?”

Harry snorted before rummaging through his pockets. Eventually, he fished out a gold coin and offered it through the roof hatch to the driver, seated behind them. “Thank you, sir.”

The driver stared at the coin as Orion hopped out of the carriage and offered a hand to help Harry down. “This isn’t Axarian currency.”

“No, it’s pure gold,” Harry replied. “Promise!” Then he grabbed Orion’s hand and they made a run for it.

They plunged into the trade district, past the upscale shops facing the main road. The din of the marketplace reached their ears, loudening with every stride. Only once they had crossed into the market squares did they slow to a walk.

“Don’t look behind you,” Orion whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

“Wha—augh! ” Harry nearly tripped as Orion yanked him into an empty side alleyway.

“Do you have any more money?” the Guardian asked over-
enthusiastically, his voice echoing against the brick caging them in on both sides. “We should buy my father a gift of some sort!”

“Oh,” said Harry guiltily. “I hadn’t thought of that.” Mortal customs usually eluded his memory, but this one really should have occurred to him. He did still have a bit of gold left, but what sorts of things would constitute as a good gift? “Does your father have any hobbies?” he asked as they exited the alley and rounded the corner. Orion tugged him to a standstill. “Or maybe we could get him a bottle of wine? Is that too generic? I mean, first impressions and all—” He cut himself off abruptly when he realized Orion didn’t appear to be listening. Instead, the Guardian was cautiously peering around the wall. “We’re not actually going to meet your father, are we?”

“Sadly, no,” Orion murmured, still squinting into the alley, which lay just as deserted as before. “I don’t think Killian tailed us, but I didn’t want to risk it.” He let out a resigned sigh and slumped back against the brick. “I’m worried about Luna. She’s changed.”

Harry frowned. “So? Everyone has changed. What makes her forbidden from doing so?”

“Nothing, of course. That’s not what I meant.” Orion shifted uneasily. “I . . . I just have a bad feeling that she’s about to do something stupid. That’s why I thought we should follow her back to Axaris instead of going to Eradoris.”

Harry arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Luna is many things. Stupid is certainly not one of them.”

“I wasn’t calling her stupid.” Orion made some vague hand gestures, as if grasping for the right words. He ran a hand down his neck. “I don’t know. She’s my friend. She gave me my memories back, too. I care about her.”

Eventually, Harry let out a sigh. He took Orion’s hands in his own. “Whether we agree or agree to disagree on Luna,” he began, “I trust you. And more importantly, I trust your instincts. So if you want to head back to the palace, or anywhere else, anywhere at all, I’ll follow you.” Gently, he pressed his lips to Orion’s knuckles, never breaking his gaze. “To the end of the world, I’m yours.”