Walking in the Dark [Down Draft]

Part Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

A knock on the door woke me up. It was light, faint, but it still woke me up.

I got up to answer it, looking back at Scott and smiling as I did so. It was little Anna.

“Are you busy?” She asked.

“No, what is it?” She looked around and blushed.

“I started and I can’t find any pads.” I felt myself smile, despite her embarrassment.

“Let me look in the storage closet. Come on, now.” I turned to Scott who was also smiling. I hadn’t realized he’d awoken. “I’ll be right back,” I said. He was still stuck in bed because of the nasty gash he had on his back. It should be healed by the end of next week. That would be the day Kay got married.

He nodded and we left. It took us longer to get to the storage closet because we had to sneak around. I didn’t know why, but Anna said we had to. Possibly because she was too embarrassed.

When we got to the closet, though, I asked her and her answer was different. (Not that she’d admit to being embarrassed.)

“I’ve heard some talk around the castle about you and I don’t particular like it, Aunt Skye. I just wanted to protect you…” She looked around the closet for anyone, but didn’t see anybody. Then she started looking for the pads.

“Thank you for your worry, Anna, and your protection. But I’ll be okay. If it makes you feel better, though, to sneak around, then we will.”

“No, we don’t have to.”

“Do you want to? It could be a fun game.” Her eyes shone. I grabbed the pads off the shelf where I knew them to be, and only because I’d have to go get Kay some from time to time.

“How could it be a game?”

“Well, we could sneak around the castle to get back to our rooms, and if anyone sees us, then we lose. And for every person we successfully pass unnoticed, it’s a point. The one with the most points when we reach our rooms wins.”

“And what do we get if we win?”

“Well…” I thought a moment. “How about we do one thing the winner tells us to do?”

“Okay!”

“Shh! You don’t want to lose now, do you?” She put both of her hands over her mouth and shook her head. “Good. Are you ready?” I whispered. I turned the light off to the supply closet and opened the door. “Wait for me to say go…Go.”

We made our way up and down the hallways, hiding when necessary. And then…

“Miss Schuyler?”

Damn! I’d been noticed. I looked at Anna still walking down the hall unnoticed and she was looking back at me, laughing silently.

Then I turned my head around to the maid who been the one to catch me.

“Yes?” I asked.

“Forgive me, Miss, for my interruption. But Master Amir and Master Cecil would like to see you in Master Amir’s study.” She bowed the whole time she spoke and not once did she look me in the eyes. They never did.

“Very well. Catch up to Anna and see to it that she gets to her room safely.”

“Yes, Miss.” She turned around and jogged off to catch Anna. I only walked through the halls, but I did so quickly. The whole way to his study I wondered what it was they wanted.

“Good morning, Skye,” Amir said when I walked into his study.

“Good morning, Brother, Cecil.” I stepped in further. “What is it that’s so important you had to send a maid after me? I lost the game with Anna.”

“You were playing a game?”

“Of a sort, yes, Cecil.”

“Well, whatever game it was, it was very difficult to find you this morning. Scott said you’d left with Anna earlier,” Amir said smiling.

“As you know,” Cecil began, “Kay’s and Markus’ wedding is coming up. You are Head of all Guard. And since Markus is a Warrior himself, there will be a ceremony performed by you. This ceremony is performed every time one of our Warriors marries. It is simple, but very important. The one he will be married to, and I’m glad Miss Kay will not have to go through this, but this ceremony accepts the female into the male’s family. Because of this, Kay will not ever be able to speak to her parents. Thankfully, though, she will not have to go through it.”

“Why? Is it only warriors that it does that to?”

“Yes. To be a warrior family is a great honor. And it is celebrated greatly when they become pregnant. So anyway, the point is, you’re going to have to lead a ceremony in three days’ time. And, um, I think you should go see Kay. She might be a little stressed and nervous. We will rehearse tonight and tomorrow. Be prepared.” I nodded my head and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll talk to you later,” I said and left. I was headed toward Kay because I’d become a little worried about her. I hadn’t seen her in days. She was really stressed. We haven’t had a private practice-our-secret-abilities cession in days either. I would have to get her alone today, somehow.

I didn't want to upload it this early, but I figured you guys needed something. And~~ I'm sorry I haven't uploaded in FOREVER, but I've had testing last week that I had to study for a while for, and I have an AP Test (for those of you who know what that is understand me) Friday that I MUST study for. So this is short, but more will come later.