could and shook her head when he looked over at her. He put the spoon down and pushed his soup away. He didn’t want to know what was wrong with it, but he was certainly glad that Lena had friends in the kitchen.
*****
CHAPTER 3
“Mrs. Corbett?”
After the evening meeting that day, Lena went to collect her belongings from the room on the fourth floor. Griffin had told her there was a small guest room elsewhere on the floor that wasn’t being used, and though she hadn’t found it yet, she was determined not to spend another night in the same room with Mrs. Corbett and her son. It was too…unnerving. Lena had stayed awake at night, afraid that if she fell asleep Mrs. Corbett would forget who she was and she would awake to find the woman standing over her with a knife, or worse, having done something to Darius.
“Mrs. Corbett?” Lena cautiously walked into the room. Mrs. Corbett was sitting on her bed, calmly reading a book. When she didn’t see Darius, she walked over to the crib; it was a little early to be putting him down…
It was empty. “Mrs. Corbett, where’s your son?”
She looked up from her book, confused. “How should I know?”
Lena ran to the bathroom, but he wasn’t in there. She ran to the closet, checked under the bed, and checked everywhere else she could think to look as Mrs. Corbett watched her disdainfully. Finally, she spoke up.
“Don’t you know where he is?” Mrs. Corbett asked calmly.
“No, I don’t!” Lena said anxiously.
She paused. “That’s good. I prefer it that way. Now, what are you looking for?”
Lena stared at her for a moment, then ran back out into the hallway and across to the other side of the house, where she frantically pounded on Griffin’s bedroom door. He didn’t answer, and she tried to decide whether or not she should just go in.
Griffin!
What?!
She pounded on the door again, and a minute later he answered the door in a bath robe. Apparently, he had been in the shower.
“What?!” He snapped again.
“Your…Darius is gone.” Lena said quickly. “I was just in your mom’s room and I can’t find him, and she’s gone crazy Griffin, it’s like she doesn’t even care! She’s gone totally—“
Griffin looked annoyed; she was overreacting. “Okay, calm down. I took him. No one’s supposed to know where he is, because that’s the point.”
Lena stopped. “What?”
Griffin turned and walked back into his room. He left the door open like he expected her to follow him, but she wasn’t sure if it was appropriate. He gestured for her to follow him and she stepped inside and closed the door, knowing full well that she would get a load of paperwork if Howard ever found out. Griffin’s room was larger than hers, and she wasn’t sure why, but it evoked a slight sense of jealousy in her. It was done up with a dull red color palette, except the molding and curtains which were a deep bronze. Griffin walked back into the bathroom and closed the door. Lena sat down in a sitting area next to the windows and tried not to feel unnerved by the fact that she was hanging out in Griffin’s bedroom.
I took him because she clearly wasn’t going to be able to take care of him much longer. He’s been placed with a family until he’s of age to take his place in the Council. Assuming, of course, that they agree to hold the position for him. The door opened, and Griffin came out again, dressed in his nightclothes. “Though it is nice to see you concerned for him. I distinctly remember you being entirely against their moving in here to begin with. Grown a little attached?”
Lena sighed, lightly touching the velvet curtains. “Just…concerned. You checked out the family?”
“He’ll be fine.” Griffin walked over and sat in the chair across from Lena. “Unless you want to keep him?”
Lena looked out the window. Griffin’s room had a good view of the mountains, and it was a completely cloudless night. The stars and
*****
CHAPTER 3
“Mrs. Corbett?”
After the evening meeting that day, Lena went to collect her belongings from the room on the fourth floor. Griffin had told her there was a small guest room elsewhere on the floor that wasn’t being used, and though she hadn’t found it yet, she was determined not to spend another night in the same room with Mrs. Corbett and her son. It was too…unnerving. Lena had stayed awake at night, afraid that if she fell asleep Mrs. Corbett would forget who she was and she would awake to find the woman standing over her with a knife, or worse, having done something to Darius.
“Mrs. Corbett?” Lena cautiously walked into the room. Mrs. Corbett was sitting on her bed, calmly reading a book. When she didn’t see Darius, she walked over to the crib; it was a little early to be putting him down…
It was empty. “Mrs. Corbett, where’s your son?”
She looked up from her book, confused. “How should I know?”
Lena ran to the bathroom, but he wasn’t in there. She ran to the closet, checked under the bed, and checked everywhere else she could think to look as Mrs. Corbett watched her disdainfully. Finally, she spoke up.
“Don’t you know where he is?” Mrs. Corbett asked calmly.
“No, I don’t!” Lena said anxiously.
She paused. “That’s good. I prefer it that way. Now, what are you looking for?”
Lena stared at her for a moment, then ran back out into the hallway and across to the other side of the house, where she frantically pounded on Griffin’s bedroom door. He didn’t answer, and she tried to decide whether or not she should just go in.
Griffin!
What?!
She pounded on the door again, and a minute later he answered the door in a bath robe. Apparently, he had been in the shower.
“What?!” He snapped again.
“Your…Darius is gone.” Lena said quickly. “I was just in your mom’s room and I can’t find him, and she’s gone crazy Griffin, it’s like she doesn’t even care! She’s gone totally—“
Griffin looked annoyed; she was overreacting. “Okay, calm down. I took him. No one’s supposed to know where he is, because that’s the point.”
Lena stopped. “What?”
Griffin turned and walked back into his room. He left the door open like he expected her to follow him, but she wasn’t sure if it was appropriate. He gestured for her to follow him and she stepped inside and closed the door, knowing full well that she would get a load of paperwork if Howard ever found out. Griffin’s room was larger than hers, and she wasn’t sure why, but it evoked a slight sense of jealousy in her. It was done up with a dull red color palette, except the molding and curtains which were a deep bronze. Griffin walked back into the bathroom and closed the door. Lena sat down in a sitting area next to the windows and tried not to feel unnerved by the fact that she was hanging out in Griffin’s bedroom.
I took him because she clearly wasn’t going to be able to take care of him much longer. He’s been placed with a family until he’s of age to take his place in the Council. Assuming, of course, that they agree to hold the position for him. The door opened, and Griffin came out again, dressed in his nightclothes. “Though it is nice to see you concerned for him. I distinctly remember you being entirely against their moving in here to begin with. Grown a little attached?”
Lena sighed, lightly touching the velvet curtains. “Just…concerned. You checked out the family?”
“He’ll be fine.” Griffin walked over and sat in the chair across from Lena. “Unless you want to keep him?”
Lena looked out the window. Griffin’s room had a good view of the mountains, and it was a completely cloudless night. The stars and
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