Then the shouting started.
chapter twenty
“Elias! What was that noise!?” Lord Oberon shouted through the walls.
I sat numbly on the floor, processing the fatal mistake I had made. Lawrence had been surveying the halls throughout the night, and now Lord Luke was banging down the door. They must have planned to keep an eye on Elias, and my laugh triggered their suspicions.
The blood drained from my face. I opened my mouth to speak, but only choked air came out. This can’t happen, not now. Elias can’t be blamed for this. Tears welled in my eyes, and I noticed a similar ashen expression on Elias’s face. His clutched the crucial bag of documents. We needed to stash it quick or this would all be over. I tried to speak once more, but an exterior voice distracted me.
“We’re coming in!” Lord Oberon barked as he clamored through the sitting room. I looked desperately at Elias.
He threw the bag in my direction, and gestured for his bed. “Hide, now!” he whispered.
I didn’t wait for further instruction. I scrambled under the thickest part of the covers, hugging the bag to my chest. I scrunched up as small as I could, and nearly shrieked again when another weight pressed down on the bed. Bear had piled onto the covers in front of me, and I breathed an internal thank you to the intelligent creature. He would hopefully draw eyes more than a suspicious lump in the bed. No sooner than I had my feet tucked to my torso that the door flung open. I stopped breathing entirely.
“Elias, what in the realms is going on in here!?” the lord roared sharply. “Lawrence tells me he heard a woman’s voice come from your room? What is the meaning of this!?”
The distinct sound of a hand clapping to an arm made me flinch. He must have grabbed Elias. Rage bubbled up inside me, urging me to defend him, but my best hope was to stay still. It seemed like the only thing I was good for was sitting still and doing nothing these days. My anger continued to burn hotter as the yelling continued.
“Answer me boy!” The shout rattled the room with his unrestrained anger.
“Father,” Elias replied meekly, “I- I couldn’t sleep. Bear and I were practicing some of his commands, and the stool I was using broke.” His words came out in utter shock, and I relieved a bit in how believable he sounded.
“Who’s Bear?” the lord asked impatiently. I sucked in a quiet breath.
Elias had used the wrong name.
“Bartholomew!” he corrected nervously. His collected nature was fracturing subtly, and I feared his father would notice. “Bear is just a nickname I gave him.”
I balled my hands into fists beneath the heavy covers. He was buckling from the pressure, and there was no way I could help him. My warm breaths heated my face from beneath the blankets, and I felt like I was suffocating all over again.Come on Elias, you can do this.
“Never mind the dog,” Lord Oberon continued. “What about the woman Lawrence heard? Is that Lockly brat here? Have you been harboring her all along?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, the strain of remaining idle was almost too much to bear.He can do this. He can do this.Everything will be fine. The Lord has no proof I’m here. I just have to trust Elias. But it’s not Elias who I don’t trust…
“Father.” Elias’s tone startled me, sounding bolder now with a newfound strength. “I swear to you, there are no noble “brats” hiding in this house.” His words could have shattered stone. I could only imagine the ice in his eyes as he confronted the accusations.
“Is that so?” his father snarled. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, my boy...” A light footstep indicated that he was closing the distance between them. “There have been a lot of suspicious occurrences around the house lately, and they all started when that Lockly girl went missing.”
My heart pounded so loud, it pained my ears.Had he suspected all along?Why bring it up now? The weight of the blankets and Bear pressing against me caused me to sweat profusely. The soft sheets dampened, making my position even more uncomfortable than it already was.
“At first I didn’t care much,” the lord continued, his voice had a rancorous draw to it. “A runaway noble doesn’t affect me much. In fact, it could even benefit me. The girl’s family owes a great deal of money to her betrothed, and a little feuding between their families wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” He paused for a considerable moment. I wondered what he meant by benefiting off my family’s conflict, but he carried on before I could think on it. “However,” his tone darkened, “something very valuable has gone missing from this home since her mysterious disappearance. Something I can’t ignore...”
My breathing grew shallow and tight.The documents…He had discovered they were missing.
“That’s rather unfortunate, Father,” Elias sympathized collectedly. “Have you reported the theft to the authorities? Perhaps they could aid you in locating the thief.”
Another pause followed. Elias had backed him into a corner. If it was truly the documents he was missing, then he couldn’t report their disappearance. He might as well turn himself in at that rate. I anxiously awaited his reply, but he didn’t speak, he only laughed. It was a sick, twisted laugh, the type that only came from a cornered villain.
“You’re clever, my boy.” He laughed. “It would seem I have underestimated you. Let’s do this... How about we start being more honest with each other, hmm? You tell me where you’re hiding your little friend, and I start teaching you more about my work, just like you’ve always wanted.” The image of a crooked smile passing across his face swept through my mind. I shivered, causing Bear to lean in to try and warm me. It was a sweet gesture, but the last thing I needed was more heat.
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to, Father, but can we revisit it in the morning?” He let out a prominent yawn. “It’s late, and we both could use our rest.”
I tightened my fists, hoping that Elias’s deflection would be successful. We needed to get out of this house right away. If Lord Oberon left the room, then maybe we could flee out the window or make a dash for the stairs before dawn. We just had to get him out of the way, and then we could do it. Before I could plot any further, the thunderous sound of smashing furniture and Elias crying out stopped my heart.
“No! We cannot discuss this later!” Lord Oberon’s violent screams paled in comparison to the absence of Elias’s voice.What happened to him!? Was he hurt?!“You are going to tell me where that snake of a child is, and you better pray she has my bloody files!” More smashing sounded and this time, Bear leapt into action.
He barked and growled so aggressively that I didn’t know which was scarier. A small groan sounded from Elias, and I nearly leapt out of the bed, but I held my ground. If I moved now, this would all be for nothing.Please be alright, please be alright...