“What?” I asked, even more confused.
“That’s your clue,” she said. “Now shut up, or we’ll be heard,” she commanded, and I was relieved to see the glow of light as we turned a corner.
The moment we stepped into the light of the foyer of the mansion, there was commotion. Shouts that I had been found, and within a few minutes Selene was before me, running her hands from my face and down my arms, her eyes scanning my body worriedly.
“Where have you been?” she demanded.
“I fell asleep in a library,” I said, and I saw the relief wash over her and a quirk of her lips.
“I was worried, pet,” she told me. “You’ve been gone for hours. I thought…” she shook her head, “it doesn’t matter. You are safe.”
She took my hand in hers and drew me closer, lifting my hand. I saw her nostrils flare, and her head turned to Katrina.
“You found her?” she asked.
Katrina nodded.
“Speak when asked a direct question!” Selene barked.
“Yes, Marchioness, I found her in the library,” Katrina replied easily, not upset at all by Selene’s tone, which seemed completely out of character. Katrina was clearly better able to hide her upset than I ever was.
“How did you find her?” Selene asked, and I saw the distrust in her eyes—or perhaps I felt it. I wasn’t sure if the way Isuddenly felt a little queasy was the bond trying to form between us or my own unease. Our bond reminded me of a radio with a terrible signal: occasional and surprisingly jarring bursts of sound but otherwise static.
“I remembered seeing Percy earlier in the day heading in the direction of the south wing, and I thought it best to check,” Katrina replied, lying, of course. She didn’t see me heading in the direction of the south wing—she was with me in the south wing. It made me uneasy that she obviously didn’t want Selene to know that we had spoken. That unease only increased when I realised she expected me to keep our conversation between us, like a secret form Selene. I felt ill, not knowing if I would or not.
“What were you doing in the south wing, pet?” Selene asked me.
“I was trying to learn the layout of the mansion. It’s big here, and I wanted to know my way about,” I told her.
She smiled at me softly.
“I should have provided you with a tour or a servant as a guide for the day.”
“I had fun exploring,” I told her. But I hadn’t any fun at all. It had been a terrible day of deep thoughts and questions I didn’t want to ask of myself. She cocked her head slightly and gave me a look that said she knew I wasn’t telling the truth, but she sighed after a brief moment, and I was thankful that she was letting it go.
“You will eat while I continue to prepare for our departure to begin the tour,” she said as she led me away from the foyer and towards the dining room.
“When do we leave?” I questioned.
“In a few days. There is still much to organise,” she replied.
?
I threw myself onto the bed when back in our room. It was late, and despite my long afternoon nap, I wanted to crawl under the blankets and sleep some more. But before I could do just that, Selene pulled me from the bed.
“You need to get dressed for bed,” she instructed.
“I don’t want to,” I whined, and I couldn’t even care how childish I sounded. It must have been years since I refused to get ready for bed.
“Tough,” she replied and began pulling at my clothing.
Frustration bubbled within me and I pushed her hands away.
“Leave me alone. You’re always telling me what to do. Just stop it,” I said, frustrated.
She took hold of my wrists and held me still, but she didn’t say anything—just looked at me with an odd expression I couldn’t place.
“Stop it.” I tried to pull my wrists from her hold but failed. “Why are you doing this? Just let me go to bed,” I said, turning my head and refusing to look at her. I felt too much. I was overwhelmed.
