I take in the look on her face and don’t push. “Okay. What games do you have in your room?”
“I don’t have any games.”
My eyes widen in surprise, but I quickly readjust. “Okay, no problem. You ever play rocks and sticks?”
She crosses her arms over her chest again. “Rocks and Sticks? That sounds like you just made it up.”
“I didn’t. I played it all the time growing up.” A memory hits me of a time Kinsley and I played, and I smile at the memory, even as a pang hits me, reminding me I miss my friends. I force a smile and push those thoughts away. “Come on.” I lead the way to her room. I glance around her room and quickly realize she has nothing that will work. “I’m going to go outside and find what we need. I'll be right back; don’t go anywhere.”
She makes a disbelieving sound. “Where would I go?”
I don’t answer as I leave her room. I stop by my room to grab my fur in case it takes longer than I think it’s going to. All in all, it takes me nearly twenty minutes to find rocks and sticks. I finally make it back to her room. “Sorry that took so long. I—” I pause when I see Elowen standing next to Auri’s chair. I’m prepared to stand my ground and tell her that I’m not leaving Auri’s room, but she surprises me.
“Auri told me you’re going to play a game.”
“Yes.”
“Good.” And that’s that. “I’m going to go work in the kitchen.” On her way past me, she squeezes my arm but doesn’t say a word. I watch her go for a moment and then turn back to Auri.
“You ready to get destroyed?” I ask, lifting my collection of rocks and sticks.
Chapter 13
We spend the next two hours playing rocks and sticks. She gets the hang of it pretty quickly and becomes a good competitor. Around lunchtime, Elowen shows up with two bowls of food. I quickly stand and help her set them down. “I could have helped.”
“Nonsense,” she tells me, waving me off. “Are you having fun?” she asks Auri.
Auri nods. “We’re playing sticks and rocks.”
Elowen looks down at our pile of rocks and sticks on the ground. “I see that; you’ll have to teach me how to play it.”
We both agree to teach her. After we finish our lunch break, I turn to her. “What’s next?”
She shrugs, but I can see the excitement in her eyes. “I don’t know. What do you want to do?”
I think about it for a moment. “How about we get you out of this room? When was the last time you were outside?”
Her eyes nearly bug out of her head. “Outside?”
“Yeah, you know that place outside of this castle?”
She scowls at me. “I know what it is.”
“Oh good; I was worried there for a moment.”
“But I don’t think that’s a good idea. If Rauk heard that I went outside, it would be really bad.”
“Well, then we won’t tell him,” I say easily.
“What if somebody sees me?”
I think for a moment. “Is there a door that leads out back where no one will see you?”
She stares at me a moment. “You’re really serious.”
“Yes, I am.”
She doesn’t say anything, and I wait. I want this to be her decision. “Okay, fine.”
