Jinxed

S I X T E E N

CHAPTER 16: GOING INTO TOWN

EMILIA

"Are you sure no one will suspect anything?" I asked Kai as we walked through the corridors of the Manor in the morning light "Especially after last night?"

Servants were bypassing us in a rush, many of them carrying large heavy fabrics or cleaning materials of some sort, like brooms and buckets filled with water and old cotton rags.

It seems like they were heading to the Ballroom, most likely preparing for the Ball Andrés mentioned that was scheduled in nine days.

On Halloween.

"We should be fine" Kai reassured me "Especially when we mention that we need to grab a few things from town before our lessons begin."

"What if they send someone with us?" I pushed "What if we can't accomplish what we need to accomplish with someone watching our every move?"

"Relax" Kai squeezed my hand that was currently located in the crook of his elbow "We'll be find Emilia."

I gave him a surprised look.

"What?" he asked when he noticed my expression "What did I do wrong now?"

"It's Emilia now, is it?"

"What?" he shot me a bewildered look "I don't understand. That's your name, isn't it?"

"It is" I nodded my head "But you typically don't tend to use it unless I have a Level 100 panic attack or if you're mad at me."

"What are you talking about" He snorted "I use your name all the time."

"Emmie, Ice Queen, She-Devil" I counted off on my unoccupied hand "Big Chicken, Boring, Unadventurous-"

"Okay!" he stopped me midway "I get it! Apparently I don't use your name but instead use the hundreds of nicknames I created for you."

"Which leads me to believe one thing" I nodded "You're still pissed at me for last night."

He paused.

"No," he said "I'm really not."

"That didn't sound too sure" I teased "You're definitely still mad at me."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Emilia..."

"See!" I poked his side as we entered the kitchen "Soooo mad."

"What are you two doing in my kitchen?" A grumpy feminine voice interrupted our back and forth banter.

My eyes swept across the large kitchen area filled with servants of all ages, a few sitting in a makeshift nook near a window in the corner of the room, eating what looked like to be some type of oatmeal while others were busy chopping vegetables or kneading dough.

At the woman's voiced displeasure of our arrival, a hush whisper fell across the bustling kitchen.

My eyes clashed with a pair of cold ones, her brown eyes locking with my own in a menacing stare down.

The woman no more than fifty years old was a short Chinese woman that held an intimidating aura about her.

She was the boss here, no doubt about it...