“Never.”
I glance up at him. “What do you mean never?” It hits me then. “When was the last time you had a visitor?”
“Never.” He strides forward, and I watch him go. I hurry to catch up with him, even as I process this information. To be honest, I don’t really know what to do with it. I’m shocked in some ways, but not so shocked in others. The staring and shock on people’s faces makes a lot more sense now; as does the unwelcome reception I’ve received. When I finally catch up to Thorne, I huff. “Can you please tell me what we’re doing here?”
“Getting you a fur and warm clothes.”
“What?” I stare at him, like he’s lost his mind. “Why?”
He shrugs. “His Highness’s orders.”
Irritation burns through me. “Would you stop with all theHis Highnessstuff; I know the two of you are friends.”
His eyes jump to mine. “What makes you say that?”
“I can just tell; I’m not an idiot, you know.”
He studies me a moment, but I ignore him and turn to the furs in front of us. I pick up a tag and look at it. “I don’t know your money system here, but that’s a big number. So I’m going to take a wild guess that these are incredibly expensive.” He doesn’t argue with my assessment. I take a step back and shove my hands in my pockets. “Well, I have no money, so I’m not really sure what we’re doing here.”
He turns to me, and his eyes are intense. “Why would you expect to pay for it?” He sounds genuinely perplexed, and I don’t really understand why.
“Because it’s for me.” I say each word slowly, so he can understand.
He stares down at me a moment, and I think he’s going to say something. In the end, he pulls a fur off of a wood post and hands it to me. “Try it on.”
I try not to let my irritation show. “I already told you—”
“You have no money. I know.”
I gesture to the fur. “So why—”
He cuts me off again. “Just do it, Harper.” He surprises me so much by calling me by my name that I pick up the fur without thinking. I wrap it around me and look down at it.
“Wow, this is like...really warm.”
“That’s generally the point,” he says without any inflection at all.
Chapter 12
It takes three days for me to get back to the locked door. Three incredibly long, boring days after my unexpected shopping trip with Thorne, in which I came away with the warmest fur and several warm shirts and pants. Rauk hasn’t returned since he ran out at the sound of the alarm. I ask Elowen every morning, but every morning is the same. “He’s doing kingdom business.” I’ve had three days of sitting around the house and trying to keep myself busy. I ventured outside a few times in my new fur, but without anything really to do, I never stay out long. People just stare at me, and I’m over it all. Redara took me out like she promised, and that was amazing; but that was a few days ago now. I’ve had three days to sit and stew; and that’s really not good for a person like me. I’ve had three days to prepare for what I’m going to say to Rauk the moment he shows his face. But right now, I finally have a chance at this lock. Elowen left the kitchen about thirty minutes ago to lie down, and I’m glad she did. She looks dead on her feet, and there are circles under hereyes like she isn’t sleeping well.
I carefully insert my second dagger into the lock. I watched Hector do this once, and he made it look so much easier than it is. I’ve almost given up when I finally hear the click of the mechanism inside the handle. Elation sweeps through me, and I turn the handle slowly and stand to my feet. “What do you have hiding behind this door, Rauk?” I ask softly as I step through the doorway and stop. It’s an identical hallway to the one at the other end of the castle, the one where my room is located. I frown and start down the hallway. I glance inside a few empty rooms and then pause when I see a bedroom that I just know is his. There are dark linens on the bed and several furs on the floor. The room is neat but definitely lived in. I keep walking down the hallway and stop when I hear...something. I creep forward towards the next open door. I pull my dagger out of my sheath and palm it as I get closer. I keep all my senses open and alert as I step closer to the open doorway. I stop right outside the room and listen. When I hear a voice speaking, I tighten my grip on my knife. I know it’s not Elowen. It doesn’t sound like her; besides, she’s resting. I hear something move, and I spring forward with my knife raised. I freeze just inside the doorway as shock ripples through me.
“Oh, hello, Harper.”
My eyes widen as the girl, who was just playing with dolls, calls me by name. My gaze circles the room before landing back on the girl. “Who are you?” I finally ask.
“I’m Auri.”
I finally look her in the eye, and my breath catches. I knowexactly who she is; she doesn’t even have to tell me. “You’re Rauk’s sister.” The dark hair and dark eyes are a dead giveaway.
“I am.”
I stare at her and try to take all this in. “How old are you?”
“Ten. How old are you?”
I smirk.She’s definitely his sister. “I’m twenty.”
