A Storm in the Making

Chapter 41--Day off from school

The sound of desperate scratching, interspersed with pitiful yowls, pulled me out of a deep sleep. I was not a happy camper. I promised myself a sandbox for Luther—today--as half-awake, I stumbled from the bed to let Luther out of the room.

Happy to have gotten my attention, he wound his body sinuously around my bare legs, nearly tripping me before I could get the leather thong lock unwound and let him out.

The minute the door cracked open, he darted out through a sliver of an opening hardly wide enough for my hand to slip through. He took off like a shot down the hallway then disappeared down the stairs. Yes. Definitely a sandbox.

With a wide yawn, I wiggled my way back under the heavy gatzu robe and snuggled down for a few more minutes of sleep. I closed my eyes, and as if my brain was a movie projector, a re-run of scenes from yesterday began flickering through my mind. Again, I could feel the alien touch of that evil entity that had touched my mind. I shivered and opened my eyes.

Going back to sleep with that on my mind would be impossible. I wrestled my way out of the animal hide blanket, and crawled out of bed again. I went over to the window and pulled back the heavy curtain. An alien dawn backlit the diamond windowpanes with sickly gray. With a shock, I realized morning had broken already.

Hmmm? Where was Marta? She hadn’t come to wake me. That was odd. God forbid that I miss Latin class at 6AM in the morning. Was Varak sick or something?

I took a last glance back at my room before I headed down the hall, making sure to tightly closing the door behind me. I looked over to William Helm's usual corner, only to find it empty. Really, really, Odd, I thought, as a prickle of anxiety flared up inside me.

Thinking of missing people reminded me that there had been no sign of Julius last night, either. After what happened yesterday, I had to wonder why he hadn't at least come to check on me. Maybe he had made it safely out of the castle, and for whatever reason, could not return. As I descended the stairs, I couldn’t help but wonder when I would see him again.

Sooner than I had expected, as it turned out. About halfway down the stairs, I could hear a loud dispute drifting up the stairs from the dining room. Julius's voice, raised in anger, rang out from the rafters. From the sound of things, he wasn’t having a great morning either.

“You were not watching her close enough."

“Calm down, Julius,” Dr. Spinner’s calm voice floated up the stairs. “Accusations will not serve your purpose here.”

What was Dr. Spinner doing here? I wondered. Did it have something to do with William Helm's and Marta's absence?

“I will not tolerate insolence from the likes of you, half-breed,” stormed Vorst.

“Oh crap!” I ran the rest of the way down the stairs.

All of the voices went as silent as a graveyard as I had stepped into the dining room as they turned to look at me. Vorst, Varak, and Natos stood on one side of the table facing Dr. Spinner, Chloe, and Julius on the other.

"What's going on?" I wanted to know when no one spoke.

Two Nintuks I didn't know stood guard to either side of the doorway. I recognized Mauk. He wore a voluminous gray robe over his clothes. Mauk nodded at me grimly.

I turned to the other Nintuk, a stranger, and obviously a full-fledged Knight of the Black Rose, judging by his black robe. He, too, glanced down at me and nodded.

Speaking of Knights of the Black Rose, I thought looking around the room, where was my tormentor, William Helm?

Julius came to stand by my side without saying a word. I could sense the depth of his emotions and his righteous anger. The strength of both surprised me.