Chapter 64
I looked up the ladder as soon as I was done climbing down and bit back a small smile when I saw Yeely and the rest of my family looking at me with wide eyes filled with anticipation and fear.
"Ok," I said and tucked my head closer to my chest while I cleared my throat and grew serious. "You all can come down. It is safe."
"But it's still dark," Yeely said, and I couldn't help but bite back a small chuckle while I slowly nodded and pursed my lips in annoyance because I knew that it was dark. "Are you sure that it is safe?"
"Yes," I confirmed again before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I would not tell you all to come down if I do not think that it is safe."
Even though a part of me doesn't want you all to be a part of this world so soon...
I kept that thought silent while I bit the inside of my lip. I had no idea why Ilas thought it would be a good idea to tell them, but I wasn't going to go against his words and disobey direct orders even with someone being in control of him.
Yeely sighed and nodded, relenting. "Ok," she grumbled with a small pout in her voice before she started to make her way down the ladder with me watching her every step of the way.
"What are we going to do when we get down there?
" she asked and cocked her to the side while she concentrated on each step of the way.
"Are we going to talk about everything?"
"As I had stated before, we are going to talk about some of the stuff but not everything," I said and shook my head. "I do not want anyone to get hurt."
They grew silent and looked at each other while Yeely continued down the ladder. No one said a word, but I could tell that they were curious as to why I said that I didn't want anyone to get hurt when there was a chance that no one would...
I bit back a tired sigh and moved a hand through my hair. "There are some things that I do not agree with you knowing, but I have orders that I need to follow," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "So, you all will know everything."
"And we can not say anything to anyone, right?" Griffith asked while he raised an eyebrow in question.
"Correct," I said and nodded in confirmation. "No one needs to know that you know unless I have told them that you know. I do not want anyone to get any ideas as to how they need to react. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Marini," my family said and nodded in confirmation. They looked at each other again, and I could tell that they were wanting to ask questions before we had our meeting but didn't know who should ask them first.
I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Let's go ahead and get everyone down first before you all ask your questions. Ok? Micah, you are next. Go ahead and start going down the ladder."
"Ok," my younger brother said and nodded before he did what I told him to do and started to go down the ladder. He didn't say a word while he climbed down, and I could tell that he was curious and wanted to know what was going to happen now.
Yeely made it to the bottom of the ladder and walked over to me. Her whole body was tense, and I could tell that she was nervous but excited about being in a spot where she had never been down before.
"Is there a certain way you want us to come down the ladder?" Rayana asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Or do you want us to start going down when the next child is off the ladder?"
"After you, then it doesn't matter, Rayana," I said and shook my head, "so go ahead and go down the ladder please once Micah is half way down. Continue to do that until everyone is down, and we are ready to talk, please."
"Ok," my siblings said in unison and nodded before Rayana did what I told her to do and started to go down the ladder with the others waiting and talking amongst themselves as to who was going to go next and when.
"What are you going to do?" Griffith asked. "While you are waiting for us to go down the ladder, Marini?"
"I am going to go ahead and get a light started so that we can see," I said and shook my head before I turned around so that I could go further into the room. "Yeely, you can go ahead and come with me if you would like, or you can stay near the ladder and wait for the others to come down."
"I'm going to stay here," Yeely said and shrugged while she grimaced. "I do not think you are going to need me for anything, right?"
"No," I said and shook my head, biting back a small sigh of relief, even though I had no idea why I was relieved that she didn't want to follow me further into the room. "I will not be needing you for anything."
"Then, ya, I am going to stay here and wait for everyone to come down, so have fun doing what you need to do, Marini." She looked at me again, her eyes filled with mischief and happiness.
I rolled my eyes and bit back a tired smile but didn't say a word while I turned my attention back to the matter at hand.
My whole body was tense while I made my way into the darkness, praying that they would heed my warning and not tell anyone what I had told them because if someone got word of what I was, then I knew that there was going to be hell to pay.
And maybe, just maybe, the "curse" of being bonded to Mir?na would happen, no matter how much I wanted to make sure that the anger he had felt before being "bonded" to me ceased to exist because I knew that was when more death would happen without our control or consent.
Oh, Gods, help us...