Nikki’s eyes lit up, and Gunter belatedly realized exactly what he’d stepped into. He was such a fool.
“I like books!” Nikki volunteered.
Well, at least there was some hope for the mage.
Gunter stopped at a door just down from his own and opened it. The room smelled a little stale. It had been a while since it was last used, but it was kept tidy in case of visitors to the castle. There was a lovely sitting room adorned in shades of pale blue. From there, the doorway led to a sunny yellow bedroom, walk-in closet, and en-suite bathroom. All very lovely and private. It had to be a vast improvement to where Nikki had been living before.
“What’s this?” Nikki asked.
“This is your new room.”
Nikki’s eyes snapped up to Gunter. “Really? All of this?”
“Yes. This is your private apartment. Your rooms. No one can come in here without your permission. You’ll always be safe in your rooms.”
Nikki’s grip on his hand lessened a little, and they took a step away to let their fingertips skim across the fine fabric of one of the chairs. Their expression was poleaxed, as if this was something Nikki had no experience with and certainly didn’t expect. But there was a growing smile of delight, too. “I don’t have to share it.”
“No.” Gunter grinned as Nikki took another step into the room. Yes, this was perfect. Nikki would have a place of their own and would be willing to detach from Gunter.
“Where are your rooms?” Nikki asked suddenly, and Gunter forcibly held on to his smile.
“Right next to your room. If you step into the hall, I’m the first door on the left. You can come visit me anytime you need to.”
“Oh. You promise?”
“I do. I’m just a few steps away. Nikki, if you don’t mind, I have a few questions for you?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“I’m trying to track all of the mages we find and their families. What’s your full name?”
“Nikki Bos.”
Gunter mentally noted that. The name didn’t ring an immediate bell, which was interesting.
“And, er, sex?”
“Three times a day.” Nikki shot him an outrageous wink.
Gunter snorted, amused, but that didn’t answer his question. And clearly, he could have phrased that better. “I mean, male, female…?”
“No mercy for either,” Nikki assured him brightly.
Oh god, no wonder Nikki and Ravi got along so well. They were both comedians at heart. Exasperated, Gunter rephrased again. “I’m trying to figure out what pronouns you want me to use?”
“Ohhh. Thanks for asking. They/them, please.”
“Thanks. I thought Ravi said so, but I wanted to make sure I had it right.” Gunter ushered Nikki a little farther in, directing them toward the bedroom. “You have to be exhausted. Why don’t you take a nice relaxing bath, and then you can get some sleep? When you wake, you can get something to eat and explore the castle.”
Nikki was quick to step into the bedroom and peer into the bathroom. The noise of appreciation made it clear Nikki liked what they saw.
“You relax. I’m just going to grab a shower and prepare for Hoheit’s return.”
Gunter slipped out of Nikki’s room and closed the door behind him, smiling to himself. That was it. Nikki was already feeling more settled if they were being sassy. Sleeping safe and sound would just reinforce nothing would happen to them in Burkhard. They would be more at ease and forget all about him.
He was still patting himself on the back as he stripped out of his dirty clothes and stepped into the warm shower. He sighed as water pounded on tense muscles in his shoulders, as relief washed over him all over again. Ravi was safe and was going to be home again in a matter of minutes. All of his family was safe. New mages had been saved. And while the Jaeggi continued to be elusive, they would be stopped very soon.
Nikki might even hold the key to eliminating the Jaeggi.
The mage didn’t seem so bad. A little clingy. Justifiably nervous around mages. Sassy, too. And frightening when it came to impulsive spell crafting. But there was a sweetness to their enthusiasm and innocence. Maybe after they had some time to acclimate to the castle and the Burkhard Clan, Gunter would be able to chat with them about their past. They probably had some interesting insights into the Jaeggi and might even have some critical knowledge about a lost mage clan.
Yes, Nikki would be quite useful for the clan.
Gunter finished his shower and dried off. He quickly dressed in a fresh suit, fully anticipating a round of meetings with Alric as soon as he arrived in the castle with the other kings. He stepped into the bedroom to search for a pair of cufflinks that would match his tie when his eyes fell on Nikki.
Curled up at the foot of his bed.