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Irvetta rolled her eyes theatrically and this time, Jade didn’t even mind the sarcastic tone in her voice. “Oh yes, where else would I have gone. Home? To drink a cup of tea and think, Hmm, I wonder where a certain annoying gnat is right now?”
Jade smiled as she got to her feet. “I really missed you. I thought you’d left me for good this time.”
Irvetta made a mock “And you’re calling me the bad guy?” expression.
Jade’s smile slid off her face and she bowed her head, subdued. “Irvetta, I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you for leaving my bag. I was being irrational and just really wanted to get home as fast as possible. I’m sorry.”
When Jade looked up, Irvetta was looking at her as though her ears were a violent shade of pink.
“What?” Jade asked, reaching up to touch one ear.
“I just didn’t think you’d ever apologise to me.” Irvetta shook herself. “You have made it through all of the trials in each room and you have successfully collected all five rings. So this is the final room.”
Jade looked around. The room that they were in seemed to be a standard bedroom from the late 1800s. A small bed sat in one corner, an old-fashioned desk sat on the wall opposite and a wardrobe took up a fair portion of the space. Sitting on the desk was a leatherbound journal and an ink pot with a quill sitting in the ink. “Where are we?” she asked Irvetta, gazing around expectantly.
“Where do you think we are?” Irvetta nodded towards the journal and Jade walked over to the desk and picked it up. The page was turned to an entry written on the 17th of May, 1837. When Jade turned the diary over, engraved in gold lettering on the back were the initials I.R.P.
Jade turned to Irvetta, shock written all over her face. “This was your diary?!”
Irvetta only nodded and, with a flick of her wrist, brought both of them back to the ramshackle house Jade had discovered Irvetta in earlier that day. “I’ve always wanted someone to understand me but my mother never did and I barely knew my father. I thought that if someone could find me in this house and use the enchanted rings to find my journal, they would understand me.” She hung her head, but Jade spoke up suddenly. “Can I keep this, Irvetta?”
Irvetta turned back to her, a little shocked. “You may, only if you promise to come and visit me again. And I won’t send you on any more missions.”
Jade laughed. “I think I can manage that.”
Irvetta turned away from Jade, but not before flashing her a rare, small smile.