By the time Benn and the others emerged from his private quarters, the rest of us were restless with hunger. Tess caught my gaze but stayed at Benn’s side when he approached. Most of us sat on stools carved up from the mountain rock, though there was a large table in the very center with a long bench on both sides. Like the other rooms, we could only speculate what this one was used for, but given its proximity to the ‘kitchens,’ where we’d discovered a large roasting pit, we assumed this hall was for eating.
And so we ate here too.
“The witches will arrive in two days,” Benn told us all, his voice booming easily off the walls. No one made a sound. “I expect everyone to be amenable hosts to our guests, though their presence may make you uneasy.”
Guests?Like we weren’t guests ourselves in this stolen kingdom?
“I sent Patrick and Kyl ahead as scouts this afternoon, to help guide the witches to the northern tunnel. They will be sleeping in another room once they arrive, though they will take their meals with us. Shayma and Jess have been working hard preparing our dried rations, but there will be a small feast with the remaining fresh meat once the witches arrive. Tocelebrate.”
Benn smiled when a small burst of excited chatter started up with the news. That smile made my fist clench over the stone at my brow. When Benn caught sight of me, that smile died. His jaw tightened and I saw Tess shift closer to him, saw her reach out a hand to touch his forearm.
“With one or two exceptions, you have all worked hard. And despite what you may have heard today, I treat everyone here equally. And when a crime has been committed against us, I punish it in kind,” Benn continued and I focused on breathing through my nostrils. “It is time to eat but let us first take a quiet moment to be grateful for our blessings. This is a special time. We are on the cusp of change. I only ask that you hold on for a little while longer. Endure this pain, this frustration, and you will all be rewarded tenfold.”
There must have been whisperings about me throughout the day to elicit such a speech from Benn. He was really aiming for benevolence tonight. To distract from the rumors of my brief imprisonment?
It must have been Jacques who told someone. He’d been the only one there.
No one seemed to move as deafening silence spread throughout the room. I even saw a few close their eyes. Once Benn was satisfied, he went to the storage room just off the hall. He brought back the chest, full of the rest of our rations, pulled out his key from the pocket, and unlocked it.
There was a casualness about his movements that suddenly put me on edge. That and the fact that he’d brought the entire chest out in front of everyone.
Across the room, Kaila shuffled backwards behind Emmi. But Emmi was looking at Benn without a hint of trepidation. Instead, his arms were crossed over his chest and there was even a hint of a smirk on his expression.
My heart began to pound. Because I could see it all unfolding before me. And Iknew. Iknewthat this was not right.
Slowly, I stood, the rock hanging limply in my grip.
Then the words came from Benn. Soft and angry and somehow gleeful.
“There are rations missing,” he said.
Chapter Twenty
No one gasped. No one spoke.
The room went dead silent.
I didn’t think anyone evenbreathed.
It was Tess who finally said, “That can’t be right. Only you have the key to the chest, Benn.”
Benn shot her a look, his shoulders bunching. “Are you saying I’m lying?”
Tess immediately realized her mistake. She shrank back. “No. Of course not.”
“I count the rations every two days. Imeticulouslyplan out meals so that everyone can eat their fair share,” Benn began, raising his voice. “And someone has taken more than their share. Someone has stolen food from us, fromallof us, and I want to know who!”
Kaila’s face was pale. A slim hand settled on the swell of her belly and she looked down at her feet, though a moment later she shot a look up at Emmi.
“Ifanyoneknows anything about this, step forward now and speak! This will not go unpunished. When you steal from one, you steal from us all,” Benn said, his voice booming in the small hall. “So step forward! Look your sisters and brothers in the eyes and tell them that you stole food from their own bellies.”
Kaila’s eyes caught on me. And she flushed when she saw me watching her. I knew. Of course I knew. She was waiting to see if I would say anything.
Standing tall next to her, Emmi’s gaze cut to mine. He glowered at me when he saw me looking at Kaila and in that brief moment, I knew what he would do. My belly flipped in mild panic as he stepped forward and somehow, the already silent room grew even more hushed.
Unconsciously, I took a step forward, as if to silence him myself before he said the ugly words.
“It was Mina,” Emmi said, his voice ringing clear and sure. “It must have been. I saw her slipping the key back into your pocket, Benn.”
