Chapter 11
Elowen. I throw back my covers and snag my knife from under my pillow. I race out of my room and towards the other end of the castle, to where I think the sound came from. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I can only think of what I’m going to find when I get to her.
What’s wrong? Redara is alert and in my head.
Something happened to Elowen, the housekeeper...I think.
Let me know if you need me.
Yeah.
The hall is dark as I race towards the other end of the castle. I can only assume that’s where her room is. The main part of the castle is dark, and I can barely see where I’m going. I suddenly run into something hard. I stumble backwards in the dark and lift my knife.
A hand clamps around my wrist, bending it painfully. “Not a good idea.” In my adrenaline, it takes a moment to recognize Rauk’s voice.
I yank my hand out of his grip and take a step back. “Rauk? What happened? Is Elowen okay?” I push forward, but I’m stopped by two heavy hands on my shoulders. I automatically pull away from him.
“She’s fine.”
I look behind him but can’t make out anything in the dark. I start to move past him, but he puts a hand around my elbow, stopping me. I pull my arm away. “I’m going to check on her.”
“And I told you she’s fine.”
“Then why did she scream?” I argue.
“She didn’t.”
Frustration burns through me. “I know what I heard. Besides, if she didn’t scream, then why are you out here in the first place?”
“I was getting a drink, not that I need to explain myself to you.”
I try to look behind him again, but all I see is darkness. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know I’m not going to figure it out tonight with him blocking my path. “Fine. I’ll just ask Elowen about it tomorrow.” I turn away and start back towards my room.
“You do that.”
I trip over something in the dark. “Ugh, stupid, irritating...”
“You okay over there?” his voice calls out behind me, and I can hear the lack of sympathy.
“Why don’t you keep any lighting out here? Are you trying to kill all your guests?” I call back, beyond irritated.
“You found me out; that’s exactly what I’m trying to do with all my guests.”
I make my way back to my bedroom, cursing his name in my head the entire way. I take it that went well, Redara says through our link.
Sure, if you like your sleep to be interrupted by an overbearing, annoying, egotistical king who thinks he’s all that and more.
You forgot powerful.
I laugh at that as she uses the same words Rauk used. Yeah. I finally make it back to my room.
Are you going to be able to sleep now?
I climb into my bed. Going to try.
Tomorrow night at dusk, let me take you for a ride. The view here is incredible.
Warmth spreads through my chest. Will Noxlyn be able to be without you that long? I ask dryly.
He can come with if he wants. If not, he’ll be fine.
I don’t know; you two have been inseparable.
He's been showing me the ways of the dragons.
I groan out loud. I really don’t want to know what you two are doing together.
Not that; get your head in a good place. Although, I can’t complain about all that.
Going to bed now, Redara. I tell her.
Good night.
Night, I send back. I thought it would take me a while to fall asleep, but fatigue drags me under rather quickly.
The next morning, I make my way to the kitchen, intent on checking on Elowen.
Right before I get there, I hear an alarm of some kind sounding outside the castle.
Just as I’m about to push open the door to the kitchen, it flies towards me.
Rauk nearly runs me over. Without a word to me, he hurries past me.
I turn back around and head into the kitchen. “Where’s he going in such a hurry?”
“The alarm’s sounding,” Elowen points out the obvious.
“I hadn’t noticed,” I reply dryly.
She gives me a look. “He has to go; duty demands it.”
“Go where?” I ask.
She shrugs. “To keep the kingdom safe.”
I frown at her non-helpful answer, but I have a more pressing matter to talk about. “About last night,” I begin.
“What about it?” she asks calmly, too calmly.
“Why did you scream?”
“I didn’t.” The fact that she doesn’t skip a beat in answering my question is concerning to me.
I cross my arms over my chest. “I heard you scream.”
She finally looks over at me. “Child, whatever you heard or didn’t hear, it wasn’t me screaming.”
I get the feeling she’s telling me the truth, and now I’m confused. “I know I heard something.”
“Is it possible you were dreaming?”
I open my mouth to refute her words but pause. Could I have been? There’s just enough doubt in my mind that I drop my line of questioning. “Fine. What can I help with?”
“Nothing. Here.” She pulls a plate out from under a linen cloth. “I kept this warm for you.”
“You don’t have to keep cooking for me.” My stomach growls, though, which doesn’t really support my words.
“Child, I have to do something to keep busy. Cooking brings me such happiness; let me do this. Just eat the food and enjoy it, and that will bring me great joy and fulfillment.”
I slide the plate forward. “Well, I want to do my part to help make you happy.” I stare down at the plate of raisin cakes and plump sausages, and my stomach growls again.
I take a bite and close my eyes as I chew.
“I’m so glad I can bring you happiness.” Elowen laughs, and I take another bite.
When my plate is nearly licked clean, I wash it and help her pick up the kitchen.
“I’m going to go rest for a little bit,” she says as she takes off her apron.
I glance over at her as worry thrums through me. “Are you feeling okay?”
She smiles. “Yes. You don’t need to worry about me.”
I frown, ready to argue but bite my tongue.
She’s right; I don’t need to worry about her.
I won’t be here long enough to form any relationships.
I nod and watch as she leaves the kitchen.
I sit in the chair at the table and wonder what in the world I’m going to do with myself today.
I’m supposed to be talking Rauk into fighting this war, but if he’s never around, how can I do that?
Frustrated, I leave the kitchen and start wandering through the castle.
When I get to the locked door on the far side of the castle again, I frown and wonder what Rauk could possibly keep in there that’s locked.
Another thought hits me. Where is his room?
I frown and think back through the rooms I’ve come across.
There have been a lot of them, but I don’t think any of them were his.
Come to think of it, I thought that was where the scream came from last night and thought maybe Elowen’s room was this way.
Curiosity burns through me. Where would their rooms be, and why can’t I easily find them?
I turn the handle once again, finding it just as locked as it has been the last several times.
“Why would you lock your bedroom away, Rauk?” I wonder out loud.
I glance around, even as I remember that Elowen is supposed to be taking a nap.
If I want to find out what’s behind this closed door, my chance is now.
I bend down and examine the lock, but before I can get started, somebody knocks on the massive front door.
I debate ignoring it but finally cave when whoever it is won’t stop knocking.
I push the same button I watched Elowen push, and all the locks disengage.
There’s a fleeting moment of doubt, wondering if I should have opened the front door.
For all I know, it could be someone that hates Rauk and is here to kill him.
That wouldn’t be too difficult to understand.
With a sigh, I pull the door all the way open, relaxing when I see it’s Thorne.
“Oh, it’s just you.” He stares down at me, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
“Did you need something or are you just going to—”
“Come on.”
He turns away and starts down the steps. I throw up my hands. “Where? To do what? I don’t even have shoes on.”
He doesn’t turn back. “Put some on.”
I debate ignoring him and just closing the door, but I have a feeling he’ll just come back.
He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to take no for an answer.
With an irritated sigh, I spin around and make my way back to my room to grab my boots.
I slip the knife from the small table next to my bed into my boot and then make my way back to the front door.
I glance over at the locked door once more before stepping outside and pulling the huge door shut with a thud.
I walk down the steps, refusing to hurry.
Thorne waits for me at the bottom of the steps.
“Where are we going?” He doesn’t answer but just starts walking.
“Is it a rule here?” I ask as I quicken my pace to catch up with him. So much for not hurrying?
“What?”
“Being a jerk, or is that just you and Rauk?” He doesn’t answer, and I walk next to him in silence, wondering what we’re doing.
He stops at the same market I went into yesterday.
I look up at it and then back at him. “What are we doing here?” He walks inside without answering.
I look around the place and confirm that everybody is staring pretty much just as much as they were yesterday.
I frown. “Do you people not get visitors here very often?”
“Never.”
I glance up at him. “What do you mean never?” It hits me then. “When was the last time you had a visitor?”
“Never.” He strides forward, and I watch him go.
I hurry to catch up with him, even as I process this information.
To be honest, I don’t really know what to do with it.
I’m shocked in some ways, but not so shocked in others.
The staring and shock on people’s faces makes a lot more sense now; as does the unwelcome reception I’ve received.
When I finally catch up to Thorne, I huff.
“Can you please tell me what we’re doing here? ”
“Getting you a fur and warm clothes.”
“What?” I stare at him, like he’s lost his mind. “Why?”
He shrugs. “His Highness’s orders.”
Irritation burns through me. “Would you stop with all the His Highness stuff; I know the two of you are friends.”
His eyes jump to mine. “What makes you say that?”
“I can just tell; I’m not an idiot, you know.”
He studies me a moment, but I ignore him and turn to the furs in front of us.
I pick up a tag and look at it. “I don’t know your money system here, but that’s a big number.
So I’m going to take a wild guess that these are incredibly expensive.
” He doesn’t argue with my assessment. I take a step back and shove my hands in my pockets.
“Well, I have no money, so I’m not really sure what we’re doing here. ”
He turns to me, and his eyes are intense. “Why would you expect to pay for it?” He sounds genuinely perplexed, and I don’t really understand why.
“Because it’s for me.” I say each word slowly, so he can understand.
He stares down at me a moment, and I think he’s going to say something. In the end, he pulls a fur off of a wood post and hands it to me. “Try it on.”
I try not to let my irritation show. “I already told you—”
“You have no money. I know.”
I gesture to the fur. “So why—”
He cuts me off again. “Just do it, Harper.” He surprises me so much by calling me by my name that I pick up the fur without thinking. I wrap it around me and look down at it.
“Wow, this is like...really warm.”
“That’s generally the point,” he says without any inflection at all.