Chapter 67
Someone knocked against the cellar door, interrupting one of my siblings from asking me a question, and I jumped into a standing position and moved quickly in front of my siblings while they moved closer together, and their whole body grew tense while their hearts skipped a beat before they pounded hard and fast in their chests.
"Marini?" Yeely asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her whole body started to shake, and tears pricked the corner of her eyes. "What's going on? What happened? Are you going to check it out?"
I slowly nodded and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Stay quiet," I said coldly, my voice barely above a whisper, "and stay put. Is that understood?" I looked each of my siblings in the eyes and set my jaw, waiting for them to answer me before I went to see what this threat was.
No one said a word but nodded, silently that they would stay quiet and stay put, and Griffith pulled Yeely closer to him.
They all stared in the direction of the trapdoor while there were more knocks on it, and it sounded as if the knocks were slowly but surely getting more frantic, with each passing second, as if whoever was knocking on the door was afraid that something bad happened to us.
I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh, silently praying that I wouldn't get hurt or have my siblings get hurt because I opened the trapdoor to whoever it was that had been knocking on it and trying to get in.
BANG, BANG, BANG.
The person started to pound against the trapdoor harder than they had been, earning a small strangled cry from Yeely before Griffith was able to shush her because it sounded as if something was trying to break the trapdoor open so that they could get to us.
I cautiously walked toward the ladder and started to climb the ladder when I reached it, watching as the trapdoor shook with the weight of the person pounding against it, but it never broke and kept holding strong.
I couldn't hear anyone on the other side of the trapdoor, no matter how hard I tried to strain my ears, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was someone I knew, like my mother or if it was someone else that was going to try and harm us.
But Ilas wouldn't have let anyone inside of the house if it wasn't her...
The person stopped banging on the trapdoor and seemed to leave the safety of the house, and I couldn't help but pause and narrow my eyes while I stared at the trapdoor, grabbing the sides of the ladder tighter in my hands.
The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention while a shiver went down my spine because I had no idea where they had gone and what they were going to do.
"Marini?" one of my siblings asked, their voice barely above a whisper. "I-"
"Hush," I said, interrupting them with a wave of my hand, even though they couldn't see it.
"Stay quiet and stay where you are located.
I will be back as soon as I can after I make sure that it is safe.
Is that understood?" I raised an eyebrow in question, even though I knew that they would not be able to see me.
There were a few murmured agreements from my siblings, and I knew that they wouldn't leave the safety of the cellar while I explored what was going on outside of the cellar room to make sure everything and everyone would be safe.
Oh for the love of the Great, protect me...
I took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh before I pushed open the trapdoor and looked around to see that no one was there, and I breathed a small sigh of relief when I saw that no one was there, but that didn't mean I was going to let them out because I wanted to see who was trying to get into the cellar in the first place.
Oh, please just let it be my mother, I silently prayed while I bit the inside of my lip. I stepped out of the cellar and closed the trapdoor before I walked out of the other door and into the kitchen, closing that door behind me.
I looked around to see that no one was there, and my heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest. My whole body was tense, and a small shiver went down my spine. I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or not that the unknown threat had left, leaving us "safe" and alone.
But where did the "threat" go..?
I hesitated before I started to walk to the front door, listening to the pull that was Ilas, and my heart continued to pound hard and fast in my chest with each step that I took that way, hoping that he would still be there and watching everything.
My mouth grew dry, and a shiver went down my spine while I took a deep shuddering breath before I let it out with a small whoosh.
Oh Great, protect me, my brothers, and sisters as well as my mom, wherever she may be...
I opened the front door and looked around outside before my gaze landed on my mother and Ilas, with my mother leaning over him while Ilas's head slowly started to lull back and forth with eyes closed.
My mother was close to yelling at Ilas, who was looking a little worse for wear, even though I had a feeling that it was all an act at my mother's expense. She was frustrated, angry even, and I had a feeling that it was because Ilas did not say a word to her at all.
Oh thank the Great...
I breathed a small sigh of relief when I saw my mother standing there and had a feeling that it was her who had tried to get into the cellar where everyone was located.
"Mama?" I asked when she paused in yelling at Ilas to see if he had something to say, and she instantly whipped around to look at me with wide eyes that were filled with fear and worry.
Relief filled her eyes, chasing away that fear and worry, when she saw me staring at her, and she sank to her knees as if the fear and worry left her feeling weak and exhausted. "Oh, thank Gods," she said, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "You're alive."
I held back an eye roll and slowly nodded while I walked over to them, shocked and worried about my mother and silently wondered what she was thinking and why she thought we wouldn't be alive.
"I am," I said, licking my lips and clearing my throat while I slowly nodded.
"We all are alive and well. Why wouldn't we be?
" I cocked my head while I stared at her, studying her with lips pressed into a thin line and hoping that she would answer my question.
My mother shook her head, and she cleared her throat to hold back a small sob, blinking back tears while she tried not to cry.
"I didn't know where you all were," she said.
"I knocked on the trapdoor, but..." She grimaced and shook her head, biting the inside of her lip and wiping away some of the tears that fell.
I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded, rubbing the bridge of my nose and pursing my lips in annoyance.
"We didn't know who was there and who was knocking on the trap door," I said and licked my lips before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet.
"We had a few... incidents before that, which was why we didn't answer the door when you knocked. "
My mother grew tense and looked at Ilas before she looked at me.
Her eyes turned darker color while she stared at me, searching my face for answers, and she looked very protective of us while she studied me.
"Incidents?" she asked and looked at Ilas again, tucking her head closer to her chest while she stared at him with a hard expression on her face.
Ilas bit back a small smile and shook his head, silently indicating that he wasn't the threat that I was talking about but was there to help. He bowed his head in respect and didn't say a word while he waited for me to say something about him.
"He is a friend, Mama," I said and placed my hand on her arm, and she instantly looked at me with a hard look in her eyes. "I will explain what I can when we go inside, but there are still some things that I am not able to discuss just yet."
My mother set her jaw and narrowed her eyes while she looked at me.
"And why can we not talk about this now?
" she asked coldly. "You said that he is a friend, correct?
" She gestured toward Ilas, and I bristled a little while Ilas bit back a small snort, not even phased about her protective behavior over me.
"Because it is not safe to talk about this right now, Mama," I said coldly and pressed my lips into a thin line while I shook my head. "There are some things that are best left unsaid, and unfortunately, this is one of those things."
It is not safe for us to talk about this in front of him...
"Out here," Ilas said, and I held back an eye roll while I set my jaw.
"It's not safe for you all to say anything out here.
She will tell you later, my lady; I promise.
" He bit back a small smile while he looked at me and winked teasingly before he looked at my mother again, and his head moved from side to side, with a grin still on his face.
"Ilas," I warned, and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, with my heart aching because I had no idea why his head was going back and forth like that and wondered if he was ok.
Ilas bit back a small smile while he tucked his head closer to his chest while he looked at me. He didn't say a word while he stared at me, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes while I pressed my lips into a thin line.
I tucked my head closer to my chest and turned to look at him. "Please."
"Now, now, Rinnie," he teased, and the smile grew wider with amusement flashing through his eyes, studying me. He shifted on the stool before he flashed me another smirk and a wink. "There is no need for you to act like that."
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line, but I did not say a word to him before I turned to look at my mother. "Let's go inside, Mama, and I will tell you everything that has happened before I have to leave again."
"She will tell you everything somewhere safe," Ilas chimed in, and I held back an eye roll while I pressed my lips into a thin line and set my jaw.
He bit back a small snort and grinned innocently, and he turned to look at me.
"Come now, Rinnie," he said. "You don't need to act like this, and you know it. "
I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head, but I didn't say a word to him while I waited for my mother to finally relent and start to make her way to the house where my siblings were waiting for me to collect them.
Finally, my mother sighed and slowly relented, nodding, and I breathed a small sigh of relief. "Ok," she said and cleared her throat. She looked at Ilas and tried to smile, even though it looked more like a grimace. "Thank you for making sure that they stay safe. I do appreciate it."
Ilas smiled and bowed, tucking his head closer to his chest. "Of course," he said before he cleared his throat. He started to shift to stand before he sunk to the ground, and my heart stopped while I turned to look at him to help him stand.
He chuckled and waved me off when he sat down again with a small groan in his voice. "Stop, stop, Rinnie," he said before he cleared his throat and licked his lips, growing serious, even though a smile appeared on his face. "I am fine. Leave me be."
I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line, biting back an annoyed sigh. "If you were, then you wouldn't have fallen, Ilas," I said with a small scowl in my voice, and Ilas bit back a small chuckle and nodded.
"Go talk with your mother. You don't have much time until you leave again, and I am sure that you all have a lot to discuss. Correct?" He raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me with his smile turning sad.
I hesitated before I slowly nodded before I looked at my mother, who was watching us with an unknown look in her eyes that I didn't know if I liked or not. "Let's go, Mama," I said. "The others are safe and sound. I promise."
My mother breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly nodded. "Ok," she said and looked at Ilas. She offered him a tight smile and bowed her head just a tad. "Thank you for watching them."
Ilas nodded again and stayed seated, and I could tell that he would be there for a while, much to my nervousness and anxiety.
"Of course," he said. "I will continue to watch after them for as long as I live.
" He flashed me a small smirk and a wink, and I held back an eye roll while I pressed my lips into a thin line.
"Stay close," I said, silently telling him that I still wanted to stay near the alleyways, and Ilas chuckled and slowly nodded. "I'm serious, Ilas. Stay close, and don't move that far away from them. I need to make sure that you stay safe."
Ilas bit back a small chuckle and leaned back. "I will," he said. "Now, go. You have others waiting for you and waiting to make sure that they will be safe and are able to leave the safety of where they are hidden." He flashed me another small smirk and a wink, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.
I didn't say a word to him and held back an eye roll, earning a small chuckle from Ilas, and looked at my mother, who was already looking at me with something in her eyes that I did not like nor understand. "Let's go, Mama. He is right. We do have people waiting for us."
My mother nodded and gestured for me to lead the way, looking a little exhausted and worried, and I nodded before I started that way with her following me and Ilas watching over us to make sure that we stayed safe and alive.
Oh Great, keep us safe...
Please...