Chapter 22: Nothing to Ask

Garrick Stonehall had been sitting at the grave for eleven hours when the lantern came up the path.

He knew it was Wynne by the walk.

He had known that walk for eight years, and for most of them he had not once looked up to see it coming.

He did not stand.

His legs would not have held him, and his arm had stopped hurting somewhere around dusk.

On his knee was the crayon drawing, three wolves in orange and black, with her careful writing on the corner.

Eli drew this. He said it was you.

He had read it so many times the words had gone strange.

Wynne stopped on the far side of the white stones.

She had left the lantern on the path, and her face was in the dark.

"Hester said you hadn't moved," she said.

"I haven't got anywhere to move to."

"You have a house."

"It's yours."

He dug in the pocket of his coat with his good hand and held out what was in it.

A ring of iron keys, and a plain gold band with a white stone in it.

The Luna's ring.

It had been in a drawer of the Luna wing since the night of the Stone, and he had taken it out that morning.

"The house, the hall, the gate," he said. "All of it. I'm not asking for anything, Wynne. I need you to know that I'm not."

She came over the stones.

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