Page 10 of Spirit Rites
“The weather,” Harper quips. “What do you mean about what? He’s probably going to talk to you about going back to his kingdom.”
Instant panic sets in. “Is that what he wants to talk about?” I ask Farrah.
“Not exactly.”
Her answer catches both my and Harper’s attention. “What?” I ask. Farrah gives us a blank look. “You know something.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says in response.
Harper snorts. “You’re really good at a lot of things. Lying? Not so much.”
She bites her lip. “Just hear him out. Okay?”
My eyes widen. “What are you talking about?”
“Farrah?” Rysden’s voice comes through the open door, and he appears a moment later. “Ready to eat?”
“Hey,” Farrah says brightly. “Yes.”
We make our way downstairs to the dining area. “If you walk any slower, you’ll be walking backwards,” Harper says from beside me. I ignore her and eye the room. I spot Kaldar right away. Not that it’s hard; he’s the tallest person in the room. I take note of the chair he’s standing behind and make a beeline for a chair as far from him as possible. When I look up, Kaldar’s bright green eyes are on mine. I jerk my gaze away and decide to see if Hector needs any help.
“Hey, Hector, I’m sorry I’m just now offering my help. I should have come in here earlier.” He turns towards me and hands me a heavy platter of meat. “Uh, right. I’ll take this out.” I carry it out to the table, and Lox intercepts me and takes it from me. I grab the wooden tray with a loaf of bread and a knife and carry it to the table next. After one last trip into the kitchen, I find my seat.
Dinner is a lively affair with lots of good-natured banter, but I don’t partake in it. My mind runs a million miles an hour wondering what Kaldar wants to speak to me about. I know the conversation we’re eventually going to have to have. I’m bonded to the mate of the jaguar he’s bonded with. There’s no escaping this. Panic claws at me at my future being taken away from me. Just last night, we learned that the banished would finally be allowed to live in safety within the walls of the kingdom. And before I’ve even had a chance to celebrate that, I’m facing an entirely different future all together. As soon as it doesn’t seem rude, I pick up my dishes and take them into the sink and begin to wash them as well as the other dishes from dinner prep.
“Yo, Kins.” Harper appears suddenly. “Let’s go. It’s time to talk about your future.” I turn to her, and she puts her hands up. “Don’t shoot the messenger.” I finish drying a large bowl and putit back on the shelf. I take a deep breath. I know I can’t avoid this forever. Might as well get it over with. I turn towards Harper, who hasn’t moved. She eyes me. “You gonna be okay?”
I shrug. “Does it matter?”
She frowns. “Yes. Of course, it matters.”
“I’ll be fine.”
She stares at me a moment “Okay, listen. If things get crazy, and you need an escape, just give me a nod or something.”
“And then what?” I ask, truly curious as to what she’s thinking. I mean, she’s Harper. She could be thinking literally anything.
“We’ll leave.”
I blink. “We’ll leave? And go where?”
It’s her turn to shrug. “Wherever. Anywhere. We’ll find a place to lay low for a time until things die down, and then we’ll continue to live our lives. If there’s one thing we know, it’s how to survive.”
“And you’d just,” I motion to the room. “Leave all this and go into hiding with me?”
“Yeah.”
“You can’t do that,” I protest.
“Sure, I can.”
“Harper,” I start, but she cuts me off.
“I’m not saying it’s ideal; I’m just saying it’s a plan, should we need it.” I blink a few times, and her eyes narrow. “You’re not going to cry, right?”
“I might.”
Her face scrunches in disgust. “Don’t.” I can’t help my laugh. I swipe at my eyes and lean forward to give her a tight squeeze. “What are we doing?”
