“About what?”
I whirl around. “Good grief. Where’d you come from?”
Rauk doesn’t even look at me as he strides into the kitchen. “What’s wrong?” he asks, stopping next to Elowen.
“Is it true?” she asks, staring up at him.
“Is what true?”
I make a mental note that he isn’t as harsh to her as he is to me. “Are they really changing back?” I shift uneasily; there’s so much fear on her face.
Rauk straightens and looks over his shoulder at me. If looks could kill...yeah, I’d be a goner. “Everything is fine.”
“But she said—”
“Sheneeds to learn to keep her mouth shut.”
“Seriously?” I ask in a droll voice.
I push off the counter and stand to my full height. “Is that how you get away with it?”
“What are you talking about?” he demands.
“With not helping. Do you just not tell your people what’sgoing on outside your precious kingdom? Do they even know that people are dying? The other kingdoms are under constant attack, especially in the Jaguar Kingdom. Do any of you know or even care that the guivres are probably preparing to gather forces and attack?”
“Enough.”
I ignore Rauk’s command. “While you all sit up here in your hideaway kingdom, people are dying. You could—”
“Enough,” Rauk all but yells at me.
I eye him. “Seriously?”
“Rauk, is she telling the truth?” Elowen asks.
I frown. “Why would I lie?”
But she doesn’t look at me; she just stares at Rauk. He makes a sound that doesn’t sound like he’s very happy. “It’s not that big a deal,” he tells her. I open my mouth to argue, but he shoots me a look. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.” Elowen looks over at me, and I promptly close my mouth, not allowing the argument I was ready to make spill out. She suddenly looks like she’s aged ten years. “You.” My head jerks to Rauk. “With me.” Then he strides out of the kitchen. I stare after him flabbergasted.
“Is he for real?” I ask Elowen in disbelief. She doesn’t say anything, and I walk over to her. “Hey, you good?”
“Yeah.” Her voice sounds far away, and I wonder what’s going through her head.
“Harper!”
I close my eyes and will Rauk to just disappear, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. I turn around and leave the kitchen, ready to give him a piece of my mind. “Are you for real?” Istart in.
“Not here.”
He walks away, and I stare after him.I’m going to murder him.
Maybe don’t because Noxlyn would probably not be happy about that,”Redara says.
Despite being so incredibly irritated, I smile at the sound of my dragon’s voice in my head. I follow Rauk to a closed door that he promptly opens. I debate not going in but finally cave. When I step into the room, I'm surprised at how big it is. This castle just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Rauk nods at the chairs around the long table. “Sit.”
I shake my head. “Do you have like any manners? Never mind; I already know the answer to that question.”
He stares me down, and I return his gaze. It’s not lost on me that he’s trying to intimidate me. Well, he’s got another thing coming to him if he thinks he can so easily do that. I cross my arms and continue the staring contest. “Is there a reason you’re telling my housekeeper about what’s going on in the other kingdoms?” he finally asks.
