Chapter 63
Griffith looked up when we entered the dining room while he continued to eat his food, and he pressed his lips into a thin line while he studied me.
"Are you almost finished?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and he shrugged and grimaced while he continued to eat.
I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head while I walked the cup over the sink and started to wash it.
"How close are you to being done, Griffith?
We have to talk some things over before I have to go to Sparrow's Mill and start training some more. "
My siblings looked at each other before they looked at me. They didn't say a word, and I could tell that they were curious as to what I was training for, for I hadn't been completely honest with them.
"What are you hiding?" Griffith asked, not answering my question, and I held back an eye roll while I pressed my lips into a thin line but didn't say a word. He scowled and narrowed his eyes while he studied me, not eating his food like he should be.
"A lot," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet while I finished cleaning the cup and put it up.
"However, I am not allowed to say anything without being in a safe place, and we are not in one.
" I gestured to my brother's plate of food, and he looked at his food before he looked at me but didn't start eating again.
"Go ahead and finish eating and then we will find a different place and talk about everything that is happening. Ok?"
Griffith rolled his eyes and set his jaw. He didn't say a word before he turned his attention back to his food and started to eat, much to my relief.
"Are we going to learn everything that you know, Marini?" Yeely asked and cocked her head while she studied me. "Or are you going to keep us in the dark?"
"You all are going to learn a few things now, but it is going to take a little while before you know everything, especially since I have training every night until I am done with what I need to do."
And I also have to make sure that no one knows that you know, I thought while I pursed my lips in annoyance and moved a hand through my hair. I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head, closing my eyes ever so slightly before I opened my eyes and looked at them.
"What are you training for?" Griffith asked after he took a bite from his food. "Fights?"
I bit back a small snort and slowly nodded. "Yes," I said before I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head, moving a hand through my hair. "I think that there are some fights that are going to happen that could change the way we see the world and the world sees us."
Again, my siblings looked at each other with a small frown on their faces. Worry filled their eyes, and I could tell that they were nervous about what I said.
Griffith finished his food and cleared his throat while he shifted in his seat. "I'm done, Marini," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you want me to wash these first before we talk, or do you want to talk first before I clean up?"
"Go ahead and put it in the sink and then we will go talk," I said, and Griffith nodded and did what I told him to do.
I licked my lips and cleared my throat while I watched him do what I told him to do before I looked at the rest of my brother and sister, praying that I wasn't making a mistake following what Ilas told me to do and that they wouldn't get hurt because of us.
"I have to warn you all not to go in the space that I am about to take you all without me by my side. Is that understood?"
"Yes," they chorused after they looked at each other and then looked at me. They didn't say a word and pressed their lips into a thin line, looking very nervous and worried about whatever it was I was going to tell them.
I bit back a tired sigh before I shook my head and moved a hand through my hair. "Come on and let's go," I said and started to make my way to the pantry before I looked at my brother, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Griffith, you are going to be going last. Is that understood?"
"Ok," Griffith said and nodded in confirmation.
He watched as everyone started to follow me and before he took the rear.
He didn't say another word, and I could tell that he was nervous, excited even, for this was what he wanted; he wanted to know about the world that was hidden from him and our siblings for years.
"What are we going to do if Mama asks us where we are while we are talking and she gets home?" Yeely asked and cocked her head while she followed me.
"I will let her know what we have done later on," I said. I opened the pantry and walked in before I knelt down and grabbed the handle of the cellar, opening it without saying a word.
"Marini," Griffith said with something in his voice that had me pausing from opening the cellar door, and I turned to look at him.
He had a small frown on his face, and pain flashed through his eyes while he stared at me.
He didn't say another word while he did so, but I knew that he was afraid of doing something that our father would not like.
I offered him a tight smile and tucked my head closer to my chest while I looked at him. "It is safe, Griffith," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "Papa would have understood and wants me to use this in any way possible."
"So will we talk about everything down here?" Yeely asked, and I nodded in confirmation. "Nice," she said, getting a little excited. She cocked her head and pouted just a tad while she looked at me. "Who's going down first?"
"I am and then you will come next, Yeely," I said and looked at her. "The rest of you will follow until Griffith comes down last." I looked at my brother. "Griffith, you will need to close the cellar door after you come down. Is that understood?"
"Yes," he said and nodded in confirmation. "I understand." He looked nervous, worried even, and I had a feeling that he didn't like the idea of closing the cellar door as soon as he entered the room.
"We will be fine," I said and gave him a grim smile. "I wouldn't tell you to do something if I thought it would hurt us. Ok?"
"Ok," Griffith said. He looked at us before he looked at me with wide eyes and a nervous look in his eyes. "Then start going down the ladder so that we can get this done, please."
I pressed my lips into a thin line before I slowly nodded and did what I was told to do and went down the ladder without another word, praying that nothing bad would happen to them while I did so and hoped that Ilas would do what he said he would do and stay until my mother was home safe and sound.
And hopefully, nothing else would end up going wrong one way or another...