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Chapter 11
Sandy
Just another day trapped in the house.
Being allowed to expand her ability to roam to this one wing certainly did a lot to alleviate the slowly growing mania of cabin fever, but it wasn’t a perfect fix. It was also becoming less effective with each passing day. She was a homebody, but having free will taken from her ability to leave was the difference between homebody and jailbird.
She was getting enough food now, so that was an improvement. She didn’t know how he did it, but she was sure Rane had done something. It just endeared him to her even more. But it brought with it the unexpected side effect of actually having energy again. Which was a bad thing because now she was much less content just sit there, doing nothing, for hours on end.
That was probably why she had reverted to destruction.
She didn’t have any of her knitting projects or anything, and she couldn’t buy any since her subnet access was monitored and restricted, and also she still had no way to access her converted Earth funds, so she had to entertain herself. She did that by deconstructing the wicker furniture in the halls. She took them apart and broke them down. Then, just to see if she could, she soaked the reeds until they became pliable again and she was able to work them into new shapes. One shape, really, since she only knew how to make baskets.
But it entertained her for a while.
Sitting in the middle of the hall, a pile of reeds beside her, soaking the beige rug, she wove a lovely basket that she decorated with strips of beige fabric she took from the curtains. That was where Drevor found her one morning, blinking at her mess in confusion.
“Er, tilla, are you okay?”
Sandy, who had heard him approaching but hadn’t stopped in her movements, paused now as she gave him a look.
She didn’t know him well, but just by virtue of his close association with Elffa, she didn’t like or trust him. The fact that he was allowed to come to her prison must mean that he was someone Elffa believed wouldn’t betray her, which made him immediately suspicious.
Her silence made him frown but he continued. “I hope I am not bothering you. What is it exactly you are doing here?”
Sandy said nothing. She just kept staring, waiting for him to get to the point of whatever had brought him here.
Sighing, he crouched down in front of her, resting his arms on his legs.
“May we talk, tilla? I know you can. Which means you are deliberately refusing to speak to me. May I ask why?”
Was he ever going to get to the point? She didn’t like him, and he was interrupting basket weaving time, probably for something unimportant.
“Listen,” he leaned in closer, making her lean back, eyes narrowed. What was he trying to pull? “I mean you no harm, tilla. I vow it to you.”
Sandy could just imagine the bitch fit her grandmother would throw if she believed someone just because they said they could be believed. And even if he did mean it, it didn’t necessarily follow that what he thought was best for her was actually what she wanted or needed. The path to hell is paved with good intentions and lined with well-wishers, as her grandma used to say.
“I can do nothing directly, because that would cost me this position and ruin any chance I have of helping at all, but you and Rane can depend on me. I know he is trapped, and it is my hope to be able to free him.”
He whispered it, like he was afraid of someone overhearing, though there was no one here. Which was probably smart. Sandy hadn’t seen any hints that she was being directly watched, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t.
Not that she believed Drevor. He could just be saying that because Elffa wanted her to think he was someone safe to talk to. The stakes were a bit higher now, but really it wasn’t that much different to when the mean girls in high school would designate one of their number to ‘befriend’ other girls just for the sake of information gathering and mockery. It had only taken the entire school learning that Sandy had kissed Mitch Gunderson under the gym bleachers and the resultant mockery for her to learn her lesson on trusting friendly appearing people.
So, she remained impassive as Drevor searched her face. He sat back with another sigh.
“You don’t believe me. That’s understandable. I will have to let my actions be the proof of my words. You will come to trust me, in time.”
That was probably supposed to be reassuring, but it really just made her more suspicious.
“If you’ll allow it, tilla, there is a guest requesting to see you today.”
Sandy’s brow popped. A guest? She was under the impression that no one was supposed to know about her. No one had said as much directly, but it did seem to be a reasonable thing to assume considering how much effort was made to keep her only around certain people.
“Her name is Lisra. She is the mate of Sal, captain of the Eliviers. Sal was told about you by Elffa herself, and though Sal was asked to maintain discretion, it is not unreasonable to assume that he would tell his mate. She has been eagerly anticipating your meeting, which I have arranged today.”
Ah. So, it was like a ‘girlfriends of the football guys’ kind of meeting. The wives club, basically. Sandy was surprised she was getting an invitation, considering Rane was the most disliked person on the team, but maybe it was another mean girl spy thing and, like Drevor, this Lisra character was the one designated to get close to her.
“Lisra is a kind female,” Drevor said, like he was reading her mind. “She is exuberant and energetic. She wishes to be friendly with you as her mate and Rane have been friends for a very long time. Her intentions are only honorable.”
