VOX

Ch 15

Though he masked everything with sarcasm or gruff responses, he had genuinely seemed excited to show her what he did for a living. He answered every one of her questions, and if there was an answer he was unsure of he'd take the time to research the topic for her. The daily testing on facts, classification techniques, and uses of plants was something she looked forward to each day. So why had he stopped? Everything had been fine until she saw broken-finger-guy. Maybe she had done something wrong? But wouldn't he tell her?

"Whatever you're overthinkin', stop. You're given' me a headache," Finn whined.

"Ha! Well that isn't hard to do."

He scowled at her out of the corner of his eye, "at least I would have known to grab green leaves instead of-" he stopped, staring at the bag in his hands, realizing his mistake.

"Instead of what?" she mused. "What other color leaf should I have grabbed?"

"Shaddup."

"Just stuff the rainbow leaves down towards the bottom so he doesn't say anything." She ignored him mumbling you stuff it in a bad impression of her under his breath as he pressed the few oval shaped leaves in with the dried oblong ones.

They tossed the small bag onto the coffee table as they removed their layers of sweaters, scarves, and jackets, once home. The bag rested besides yesterday's jar of arnica cream that Robert "had to have", and the other miscellaneous things he sent them out for but never touched. Amongst the metallic clanging of pots and pans, Davina could make out the familiar melody of Robert humming in the kitchen.

There wasn't even time to hang their coats on the hooks beside the door, before it slammed open with a loud bang, and a swarm of red flooded the house.

Finn was fast. The gray sweater clad arms pulled her behind him in the same breath that her brain registered that there were weapons hidden under those long red coats. The motion of something curved and metal-looking coming unhooked of a belt drew her eye. She knew what a gun was, in theory. The sisters talked of "gun-wielding men, willing to slay their best friend if they got in their way of gratification". She had no idea how they worked, but she knew enough to fear them. The sound of clanging metal and angry voices from the kitchen made her blood run cold.

"Robert," she gasped, trying to move around the wall that was Finn. Before she could fully duck under his arm and sprint to Robert's voice, Finn's arms were pulling her back into his chest. It was no gentle hug.

The sight of guards surrounding Robert, whose hands were bound behind his back, had her throwing elbows and thrashing wildly in his arms. There was no hearing his pleas of "Raine, stop", "stay still", or the curses he grunted out as her elbow landed in his gut.

The clipped voice of a guard was what made her still. The man stared blankly at Robert as he loudly announced, "Robert J. Stokes, you are hereby under arrest for suspected disloyalty to the crowns." Without another word they led/ pushed him towards the front door.

"Wha-no!" Finn's grip was like iron.

The guards filled out of the house two at a time, Robert sandwiched in the middle of them, his head hung in exhausted defeat. This can't be happening. The last guard to leave gave her a long calculating look before shutting the door behind him. A sweaty and surprisingly red-faced man, one that she had seen before. The same one she had let through that very door just the other day.

⟴

Finn didn't relax his grip on her until he was sure the guards had left the block. When he let go all her brain could focus on was how cold her skin was and how deathly still the house was. Sliding onto the floor, her legs felt like they had been replaced with noodles, her hands shaking slightly as she clutched them to her chest.