Sand Scented Jar (Gazellian Series #9)

Chapter 42

Dedicated to: Donna (Thank you so much for attending our TOS meet and greet event! )

Chapter 42: Game of Chess

The soft clatter of the thudding small woods against the board and the hushed voices of my brothers woke me up.

Hindi pa man ako gumagalaw sa pagkakahiga ko ay alam ko na ang ginagawa nila. I grew up with that constant sound— how the small pieces of those woods would be shuffled, the swoosh of the small amount of the red cloth against that smoothened surface against a board with colored tiled boxes.

Even with my eyes closed I could clearly imagine it.

At first, I didn't move, I just stayed lying on our huge sofa, hugging my pillow while blinking at the ceiling with the familiar chandelier that made me remember the endless court lessons that Casper and I had to remember.

I knew that we were inside one of our favorite libraries in the palace, where we usually spent our free time together. Hindi ko na napansin na nakatulog na pala ako dahil sa lamig ng panahon.

I used to look up at the ceiling if I happened to forget a certain passage or section of the law that had been implemented a few hundred years ago, but this time I stared at it because I was literally feeling lazy, unable to move.

I could hear Evan, Caleb, Finn, and even Casper's voices while having their discussion. The crackling of fire from the heart and the constant splash of the wind mingled with snow on the high windows.

Tilting my body to the right side, tightly hugging the pillow with a thick blanket that I didn't remember if I covered myself almost covered my whole body, I glanced at the tall window— I couldn't see anything but white— the color of snow. There was a snowstorm, and everyone's huddled inside the castle.

Casper and I recently just had our lesson from one of the masters on how to identify real weather to weather drawn by a vampire gift. And now that I had a slight idea about it, I wouldn't blame my brother for this extreme coldness.

Kung si Zen ang siyang may dahilan nito ay siguradong hindi iilang beses na siyang sinisisisi ni Caleb at Lily.

Mas umusod ako sa dulo ng sofa upang higit na mapagmasdan ang mga kapatid ko. Except for Dastan, who was reading a book on the chair near them, and Zen who was leaning near the window with his arms crossed, everyone was sitting on the carpeted floor, and in the middle of them was a chess board. Casper and Evan were the ones playing yet everyone around them was so invested.

"Are you sure that Father would take that move?" tanong ni Lily.

Napamasahe sa kanyang sentido si Evan. He looked frustrated. "Don't distract me, Lily. That's how Father usually uses his knight. Now, what's your move, Casper?"

Sa likuran ni Casper ay naroon na sina Caleb at Finn na bumubulong sa kanya. Pero agad rin tumira si Casper na tila hindi na kailangan ang opiniyon ng dalawa.

"Hmm... then Father will take your pawn like this," sabi ni Evan.

Ilang beses pa silang nagpalitan ng pagtira ni Casper nang nag-angat na ito ng tingin kay Evan. "If this is Father's game style, I wouldn't have lasted for ten moves, Evan."

Caleb, Finn, and even Zen who were standing by the window groaned in frustration.

"Matatalo ninyo ba talaga si ama?" tanong ni Lily.

"Why not try to ask him to play with you, Lily?" tanong ni Caleb.

"I used to win against him."