Where on earth is he taking me?
Finally, the carriage came to a stop at the side of the road.
“Here we are,” Sebastian said as he sat up and shuffled to the door. “Are you ready?”
“I…” She swallowed. “Anything I need to know beforehand?”
“Such as?”
“You tell me.”
He smirked softly, seeming amused by her worry. “Come on, best that I show you. It will be easier that way.”
Then, he popped open the door and stepped outside.
Sebastian had brought them to what looked like a large warehouse, a single massive block with huge front doors and a flat stone roof. She craned her neck, noting a sign that hung over the doors, but was unable to read it. A quick peek down the road confirmed that most of the buildings looked the same, and every single one looked broken, dilapidated, and abandoned.
Or they should be, because I can’t imagine anyone living like this.
Sebastian stepped up beside her. “Here, take my arm.”
Helena did as she was told, finding that she wanted to stay close to him.
It was entirely too silent for a city such as this, colder than the estate, and it felt as if eyes were watching them in the dark. Once she took Sebastian’s arm, some of those feelings vanished because she felt safe with him. But not all of them, because in a place like this, one was never truly safe.
“Sebastian…” She swallowed. “What…”
He smiled knowingly but said nothing as he led her around the carriage and to the front doors. She expected him to knock, but he simply pushed the doors open wide. Beyond them, darkness loomed, as did the sound of footsteps and voices. Soft voices. Even laughter.
Were those children?
They walked through the doorway and into the warehouse. It took a moment for Helena’s eyes to adjust to the dimness, but once they did, once she saw where Sebastian had taken her, she gasped and her mouth dropped open. Still confused, but no longer scared.
“Sebastian, this is… this… What is this place?”
“Surprised?” he asked, chuckling at the shock written all over her face.
“I’m too confused to be surprised.”
The interior of the warehouse was a vast and open space, stretching back further than she could see in the dark. But what she could make out… that was where things became confusing.
There were rows of beds lining the walls. Dozens of them, possibly more. Most of them looked to be occupied with sleeping bodies as the hour demanded it. But walking among the beds, whispering to one another and laughing, were several small children. They were each dressed simply, dirty and rugged,certainly not from wealth or even modest means. But Helena noted the smiles on their faces, and she could sense the joy and the safety in the room.
“It’s an orphanage,” Sebastian explained as he led her toward the rows of beds. “As you might have guessed.”
Helena stared dumbstruck as they went. And not just at the situation, but also at how the children reacted to Sebastian’s arrival. Some waved. Most smiled. All appeared to recognize him. One little girl even ran up to him and threw her arms around his legs, to which he laughed, tussled her hair, and then told her to get to bed.
“They know you,” Helena whispered.
“Of course they do.”
“But how?” She was looked at every which way.
As well as the children and the beds, there were drawings on the walls; those obviously done by kids. Stuffed animals, too. Toys all over, even if most of them were broken or old. And when they reached the center of the warehouse, she spotted at the end a bookshelf stuffed with books of all shapes and sizes.
“I do come here quite often,” Sebastian explained. “I thought you had noticed.”
“No, not that.” She let go of his arm and looked at him desperately, understanding well enough what was going on but not believing it.
