Steal the Stars [REWRITING]

Nicole - This is Not, and Never Will Be, a Good Idea

Two days after our stop in Esuin we finally arrived in Koyia, the Queen's City. After travelling day and night, no one was particularly happy, and everyone was eager to rest. We'd been on the road almost three days, and no one was thinking of the deadline we were on right now. Just a somewhat safe place to rest would be enough. For tonight, anyway.

Annabelle was out the door before anyone else could even begin to move, her bright red coat standing out against the snow and her dark hair. "Finally," she said, spinning with her arms out wide. "I thought we'd never get out of there."

James rolled his eyes as he stepped out behind her, eyes surveying the inn we had stopped at critically. "This is it?"

"What were you expecting? A palace?" Annabelle sniped.

"We need to save money," Leo explained as he stepped down beside me. "We can't risk being stuck here. This way, we know we can get back. And we're not sleeping with a bunch of bugs, either."

"If we make it back," James muttered.

"Hey, this was your idea," Annabelle reminded him. "You're the one who jumped at it so fast."

James ignored her. He was already marching ahead, clearly having anticipated Annabelle's response. The Starlight Inn was a simple building, wooden planks half buried in snow, with the gabled roof completely covered. The rest of us followed suit, and I was grateful for the warm buzz that filled the inn. We wouldn't be noticed here, as conspicuous as we were.

Hopefully, that would last.

James swiped the money bag from Leo and headed towards the check-in desk, clearly set on making the transaction himself. Which meant we'd probably end up with suites for each of us, and no money to get food or return home with. But Leo made no effort to stop him, and so I hoped this had either been planned, or he knew that James wouldn't spend all the money.

If he did, we would be in for a very long walk home.

Annabelle, Leo, and I followed James towards the front desk, where he was already taking room keys from the receptionist. He sauntered back over to us, clearly pleased with himself, and Leo and I glanced at each other. He had probably booked the entire inn. He passed Leo and I each a key, and said, "Stop looking like that. We still have plenty of money. And I only got two rooms. Three, technically."

"Did you book yourself a room or something?" Annabelle asked.

"No–but I thought about it." Annabelle glared, and James smirked, their usual routine displaying no changes. "I got us a connecting room, with chairs and stuff. We can plan and whatnot in there, so it's not useless. And some of us have taste."

"Not you," Annabelle muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Good." James frowned, seeming slightly put off that anyone would dare insult him. Even though he and Annabelle went at it on a daily basis, he really shouldn't have been that surprised–no matter how cool he thought himself. "Let's go, then," he said, hefting his satchel with a final glare at Annabelle. "I could sleep for a million years."

"I could sleep longer," Annabelle said. "And steal the Queen's Jewels and be back home while I'm at it without ever waking up."

Leo caught my eye and we grinned at each other, as James protested; neither of them seemed to realise how ridiculous they sounded. The stairwell up to the rooms was cramped, barely two wide. James tried to shove Annabelle down them, which didn't end well for him when she simply slammed into the opposite wall, barely an inch away from her, and had shoved him right back. Leo and I, behind them, had nearly been pushed down ourselves, until Leo finally snapped at them to knock it off (when James pushed Annabelle so hard she lost her footing and slammed her head into the railing).