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“What is it?” I mumble, my words slurred.
“Rafe’s back.”
At the sound of my third mate’s name, my eyes fly open and I glance down the bed at Elio. He’s frozen too.
“We should probably go talk to him. We need to update him on things,” Azarius says flatly before pressing his lips against the top of my head. “Rest and we’ll be back shortly.”
“Can’t I go with you?” I beg.
“Not this time,” Elio says, running his hand affectionately up my leg before climbing off the bed. “I’m sure this is apt to be a serious business discussion, but hopefully it won’t take long.”
I sulk, though it’s not because I’m left out of the business again. I’ve grown so used to being attached to my men over the last few days that even a short while without them seems unbearable.
Look what they’ve done to me.
“Fine,” I groan, rolling over and pulling the blanket up to my chin. “But hurry back.”
“Of course.” Azarius climbs over me and off the bed, dipping to press his lips against my forehead. “Sleep well.”
I close my eyes and wait for them to cross the room to the door, but knowing Rafe is back in the mansion has drained me of any tiredness and I’m now wide awake. My heart skips along eagerly in my chest at the thought of the three of them sitting around the dining room table discussing the Malevs and Ignatius’ disappearance. There’s no way I’m going to wait here in my room while they discuss all the important things.
Just this once, I want to know what’s going on.
I want to know what kind of information they’re keeping from me.
The door clicks closed and I wait a whole minute, impatiently counting the seconds as they pass, before throwing back the blanket and scurrying off the bed. I pad barefoot across the room, gently tugging open the door as quietly as possible, and I poke my head out into the hall. No sign of Elio or Azarius.
Quietly, I slip out of my room and tiptoe down the hall. If they catch on to what I’m doing, I’ll be in trouble for sure. Rafe might even punish me for real for disobeying and not staying away from the dining room while they conduct their debriefing.
But I’m not headed for the dining room.At least not yet. There’s something I want to try before slipping downstairs and pressing my ear against the dining room door, which they’re sure to pick up on. They’d be able to sense me outside in the hall, regardless of if the door is closed.
Being locked up in the mansion for so long has given me plenty of time to explore and learn the exact layout of the house. I know precisely how many windows and doors there are on each floor, as well as which rooms are the most secure in the event of an attack. I also know that Elio’s bedroom sits directly above the dining room.
If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to press my ear against the floor and hear what’s happening below. If not, sneaking downstairs is my next best option.
After his room was destroyed by the Malevs, Elio spent weeks getting it back into some kind of liveable order. It still drips in maroon and gold decorations, although there are less of them, and he and Azarius replaced the broken windows and boards. Now there are only hints of what happened. A scratch here. A nick there.
I cross the room confidently, my eyes searching the floor for a vent or gap in the floorboards, but I don’t find any. With a huff, I check again, laying on the floor to look under the bed, but come up short.
“Shit,” I hiss under my breath. So much for this plan working out. It looks like I’ll be sneaking downstairs and trying not to get caught after all.
However, as I turn to leave, I notice a cracked baseboard behind the door that hasn’t been fixed yet. There’s nearly an inch gap between it and the floor, and my heart jumps into my throat as I hurry over to it. I drop to my knees silently and squish myself up against the wall, pressing my ear as close to the gap as possible.
At first I hear nothing, and I begin to think I’ve hit another dead end. Of course this isn’t going to work.It was a silly plan anyway. Besides, I shouldn’t be snooping around. I know the rules, and I know why I’m left out of these kinds of things.
I hold my breath and listen again, hoping with all my might that this works so I don’t have to go downstairs and risk getting caught.
And I wait.
I nearly give up when I start to run out of breath, but finally I hear Rafe’s muffled voice seep up through the crack. Gasping, I take another breath and hold it, straining to hear the conversation over the thud of my pounding heart.
“If they can get to Ignatius, they can get to us,” Elio warns sternly. His voice is louder, so either he’s practically yelling or he’s standing closest to where I’m at.
“I fear we’re no longer safe,” Azarius agrees. “Especially after how many Malevs we saw moving. There were thousands, Rafe. Unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It was like–”
“A god damned army,” Elio finishes.
There’s a long pause, and I take the opportunity to suck in another hasty breath.
