Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 21: The Heated Proposal

Marlina perked up and immediately went to the men's room, looking inside to find them in deep sleep, snoring like beasts. Could those people be robbers? Or worse?

Dashing outside, she needed to catch up with them to find out where they were heading. They were in the courtyard near some stone clay spires that provide air to the underground chambers. As she got closer, her metal footsteps thudded against the stone, echoing in the space around her.

"Stay right there! What are you..."

Marlina was then immediately tackled by one of them, pinning her to the ground with their hand over her mouth.

"Will you shut up, you idiot? They're gonna know we're up here," Neterion hissed at her.

Now that Marlina was closer, she could barely make out Neterion's aggravated expression. Next to the spires was Natashia, who was kneeling.

"Why'd you have to go and tackle her?" Natashia whispered, pressing her ear against one of the spires to see if they were discovered.

"Because she's a loudmouth," Neterion said, letting Marlina go but keeping his hand over her mouth. "We're trying to eavesdrop here, so shut it and go back to the tavern so we can listen." He then pulled his hand away and quietly moved near the spires, the two of them listening for the one with the clearest sound.

With the silence below, the two of them were perplexed until a burst of smoke from Mordecai's pipe billowed from one of the spires and into their faces, prompting them to cover their mouths as they coughed and gagged.

"I told you two to go to bed! I won't tell you again!" Mordecai shouted sternly from below, raising his voice so they could hear him.

While the twins were still coughing, they noticed that Marlina wasn't bothered by it. Neterion got an idea, keeping his voice low. "Hey, stay here and listen in case he tries that again."

Marlina showed agitation at how he was barking commands at her. "Perhaps I shouldn't, and I thought I wasn't supposed to hear about whatever is your business? Clearly, he doesn't want you to hear either."

Natashia scooted closer to Marlina, placing her hands on her shoulders as Marlina noticed the pleading look in her topaz eyes. "Marlina, we're really sorry about what happened earlier. It's important, but it could lead to Mordecai getting involved in something dangerous. We need to understand his plans, or we might lose him. He's the closest thing to a father we've had, and we can't afford to lose him..."

Marlina's brow furrowed as she looked at Neterion, noticing the same concern in his eyes despite his scowl. While she couldn't fully grasp their concern, she felt a sense of sympathy. "I'll do my best."

Natashia smiles with relief and hugs her, helping Marlina sneak to the spires. At that moment, everything is silent below, as Neterion and Natashia intentionally take heavier steps so those below can hear them walking back to the barracks.

Marlina waited a moment, and another puff of smoke emerged from the spires. With no signs of coughing or any other sounds, she began to hear muffled voices again. Marlina focused on listening closely.

"It sounds like they're gone, Mordecai. Can you put that awful thing away before we choke to death?" Elek complains.

"It's smelly; I don't know how you can stand smoking that stuff," Tessa replies.

"I'm sorry; I just had to make sure."

Marlina then heard a whooshing sound from below, a powerful blast of air shooting from all the spires, creating a loud whistle; it was Tessa using her wind scribes to clear the room of the smell. "If the smoke didn't do it, that did."