“Yes . . . please.” The tears finally start flowing.
“Oh, baby sister. I love you. It’s going to be okay. You’ll make it out of this.”
“I know.” I hiccup. But I’m not sure I will.
65
RAINE
Roark came and talked to me. Explained what Aisling told them. He knew I’d heard everything. He said the ball doesn’t mean a thing. They’re going to wait the six months. But there’s the loud ticking of a countdown clock in the back of my brain. And there’s a void growing between us.
Kieren and Evander took Aisling back to Crest Wing without me getting to meet her, and they haven’t come back. I can’t keep on avoiding Roark, telling him through closed doors I need some space. I have to have the hard talk, I know. That’s why I’ve come out to grab my own food. Yes, I’ve got a stack of notebooks and endless lists of things I want to accomplish with the collection before my time is up. But I was kind of hoping I’d run into one of the guys.
There’s a loud rumbling behind the curtain. The curtain I’m not supposed to open––yes, they let me stare into its inky darkness during the ceremony, but it’s not like they’vekept the curtain open since. Kieren even reminded me I shouldn’t look behind the curtain. But it’s vibrating.
I’ve been sneaking around, just getting my job done. I have to have space from the guys. I’m causing problems for them, and I need time to think about it. But where is everyone? I haven’t been sequestered away for that long.
“Hello?” I spin around the dragon’s eye foyer. There’s no one here. I jog toward the dining room and shout toward the kitchen. “The portal... I mean, theThessariis moving. It’s active—like on.” I shout, but no one emerges from the kitchen. I peek around the corner of the butler’s pantry, but nothing. “Hey?” I run back to the foyer and bang on the office door. But there’s no answer. I even turn the knob, but it’s locked. They leave their hoard unlocked but not their office? Right. I’m back out into the foyer, watching the curtain blow. There’s a thump.
“Hello?” I’ve seen enough horror movies to know I should be running right now. But I don’t. My feet are glued to the floor. But the curtain is pushed out. There’s something behind it. I take a slow step forward. There’s something flapping about behind the curtain, and it flutters backward at theThessari.On the floor, there’s a rock. A rock. With twine tied around it, holding a piece of thick parchment.
I look around and yell, “Hello?” one more time. I pick up the dark rock. For a grapefruit-sized rock, it’s remarkably heavy, with sharp edges. I untie the string and remove the parchment.
Raine,
Leopold is keeping Roark busy. I want to meet you. Throw the rock back if it’s safe for me to travel through.
Yours in sisterly love,
Aisling
I stare at the rock and then the note.
It’s a heavy rock. Did she think this through? I don’t have a pitching arm, but if I throw this, who knows what I’ll hit?
I set my notebooks down, pull out a pen, and prepare to write. But the pen hovers over the page. I want to write that it’s safe. Because I think talking to Aisling will give me clarity. But I don’t want her to get in trouble. So instead, I write:
Won’t you get in trouble coming here?
Yours in friendship,
Raine
I step with care behind the curtain. The last thing I want is to be sucked into the void. I’m tearing pages out of my notebook to use as a less dangerous weight when a smaller rock hits me in the chest. “Ow.” I quickly tie the note to the roll of paper and toss it through. The blackness swallows it up. It’s the weirdest thing. I have the urge to touch it, but then I sometimes have an urge to lean over high places too. I pull my shoulders back and wait. And wait. I duck under the curtain and scramble around, looking for the rock that hit me in the chest. Then there’s a larger thud behind the curtain.
“Hello?” I call.
“You didn’t open the curtain.” Aisling’s fighting with the drapes—at least, I hope it’s Aisling. “It’s you!” She charges at me and hugs me around the waist. “Wow, you’re tall for a human.” She pulls back, her blue eyes glowing.
“Thanks?”
“You’re welcome.”
“Your brother isn’t going to be happy you’re here.”
“I know. But I hiked up to theThessari. It’s not normally done, that’s why they didn’t notice.”
“I see.”
