Read Online Of Sea and Stone (Secrets of Itlantis) by Kate Avery Ellison - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kate Avery Ellison
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arduous as the work was, it let me explore the house, which appeared to be round, with hallways on every level leading away from the lift like spokes of a wheel. All kinds of wonderful rooms opened off these hallways—bathing chambers, bedrooms, living spaces, and other wonders that I had no name for. When the doumeu finally dismissed me to eat my meal in the servants’ room, my muscles were stiff and my back throbbed. I’d grown soft from captivity in a metal ship’s hold.
I wandered in the gilded hallways as I looked for the servants’ room. I passed a large door, from under which light and sound emanated. I put my ear to the crack, and heard laughter and the tinkle of dishes.
“Girl!”
I turned my head. A dark-haired man stood at the far end of the hallway, hands on his hips and a frown on his face. “What are you doing up here?”
My heart pounded and my face flushed. “I’m looking for the servants’ room.”
“That’s downstairs by the utility lift.” He had brown hair, brown eyes, and brown skin. He wore a one piece garment underneath his open robe, just like the men who had captured us.
I realized he was waiting for me to respond. “Thank you.”
His eyes traced my face. “Be sure you don’t get lost again. You might be punished for being in this part of the house.”
He seemed concerned for me, and I didn’t understand it. I took a step back, glancing toward the lift at the end of the hall. He let me go without protest, but I held my breath until I’d made it into the cage of metal and pushed the button that made it go down.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I RAN INTO Nol leaving the lift. His head was down, and his shoulder collided with mine. He lifted his head to look at me, turning away again when he realized it was me.
I didn’t care if he hated me. We needed to compare information if we ever wanted to figure anything out about this place.
“What are your duties?” I asked.
The muscle in his jaw twitched. He looked at the wall. “Keeping the master’s records, cleaning his study, attending to his needs.”
“An assistant,” I said, startled. That was much higher than my lowly position of maid. How had he scored such a good place in the household already?
“Slave,” he spat. “No matter what name you try to give it.”
“Perhaps it’s because—”
“Listen to me,” Nol said, cutting me off. “I do not want to discuss this wretched business with you.”
“Fine,” I said, turning away. If that was what he wanted, so be it.
I fell into step beside him as we headed down the long hall toward a door marked with the words INDENTUREDS’ DINING ROOM. Some of the letters were strange, but I could still read it. The written language was not too different from what I was familiar with.
Nearly a dozen servants sat at tables around the room, some eating stew from metal bowls, some talking, some half-dozing with their heads propped on one hand. The hum of voices died down as soon as we stepped into the room. All eyes fastened on us, and I felt the heat of their curiosity in their stares.
We stopped.
After a few seconds of silent staring, everyone returned to his or her tasks, and we were forgotten. I followed Nol to the stew pot. He dumped the watery meat soup into a bowl, his eyes fixed on the food. We didn’t speak, but I noticed the way his hand shook on the ladle. When he’d gotten his food, he went and sat alone at the far end of one of the tables. I went to the opposite side of the room and sank down into the first empty chair I found.
“You and the other new one don’t seem to like each other too much,” someone commented.
I looked up to see a thin-faced, brown-skinned young man with thick black hair and a scar down one cheek watching me over his bowl of food. He spooned some stew into his mouth and chewed, waiting for my response. A honey-complexioned girl with large, dark eyes and full lips sat beside him. She offered me a small smile.
“No,” I said,
I wandered in the gilded hallways as I looked for the servants’ room. I passed a large door, from under which light and sound emanated. I put my ear to the crack, and heard laughter and the tinkle of dishes.
“Girl!”
I turned my head. A dark-haired man stood at the far end of the hallway, hands on his hips and a frown on his face. “What are you doing up here?”
My heart pounded and my face flushed. “I’m looking for the servants’ room.”
“That’s downstairs by the utility lift.” He had brown hair, brown eyes, and brown skin. He wore a one piece garment underneath his open robe, just like the men who had captured us.
I realized he was waiting for me to respond. “Thank you.”
His eyes traced my face. “Be sure you don’t get lost again. You might be punished for being in this part of the house.”
He seemed concerned for me, and I didn’t understand it. I took a step back, glancing toward the lift at the end of the hall. He let me go without protest, but I held my breath until I’d made it into the cage of metal and pushed the button that made it go down.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I RAN INTO Nol leaving the lift. His head was down, and his shoulder collided with mine. He lifted his head to look at me, turning away again when he realized it was me.
I didn’t care if he hated me. We needed to compare information if we ever wanted to figure anything out about this place.
“What are your duties?” I asked.
The muscle in his jaw twitched. He looked at the wall. “Keeping the master’s records, cleaning his study, attending to his needs.”
“An assistant,” I said, startled. That was much higher than my lowly position of maid. How had he scored such a good place in the household already?
“Slave,” he spat. “No matter what name you try to give it.”
“Perhaps it’s because—”
“Listen to me,” Nol said, cutting me off. “I do not want to discuss this wretched business with you.”
“Fine,” I said, turning away. If that was what he wanted, so be it.
I fell into step beside him as we headed down the long hall toward a door marked with the words INDENTUREDS’ DINING ROOM. Some of the letters were strange, but I could still read it. The written language was not too different from what I was familiar with.
Nearly a dozen servants sat at tables around the room, some eating stew from metal bowls, some talking, some half-dozing with their heads propped on one hand. The hum of voices died down as soon as we stepped into the room. All eyes fastened on us, and I felt the heat of their curiosity in their stares.
We stopped.
After a few seconds of silent staring, everyone returned to his or her tasks, and we were forgotten. I followed Nol to the stew pot. He dumped the watery meat soup into a bowl, his eyes fixed on the food. We didn’t speak, but I noticed the way his hand shook on the ladle. When he’d gotten his food, he went and sat alone at the far end of one of the tables. I went to the opposite side of the room and sank down into the first empty chair I found.
“You and the other new one don’t seem to like each other too much,” someone commented.
I looked up to see a thin-faced, brown-skinned young man with thick black hair and a scar down one cheek watching me over his bowl of food. He spooned some stew into his mouth and chewed, waiting for my response. A honey-complexioned girl with large, dark eyes and full lips sat beside him. She offered me a small smile.
“No,” I said,
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