The cave was in its usual quietness, and the view of Emily, Raguel and Allerio, felt as though Raguel was guarded.
Emily sneezed, and her eyes slowly opened. "Katie isn't back!"
She got up from the mattress, and went to stand at the entrance of the cave to watch if Katie would show up in the next instance. Each sound of leaves, as the wind gave them a dance step, got her turning her head to look at every possible direction Katie could come from, in hopes that she had caused the sound.
"You aren't sleeping?" Raguel's voice came to her eyes, almost making her heart skip.
It had been about five hours since the time they laid on the mattress.
"It's not just you," she went on, taking her body off the mattress, and walking to Emily.
Emily turned her gaze from outside the cave to look at Raguel's form. She could see. The moon played its role of acting as night light.
"It's sweet to sleep, but hard to go through it."
"I wanted to feel the cool breeze blow against my skin," Emily said.
What an excuse.
Raguel was less than a step away from her such that her neck felt the breath from Raguel's nose.
"It has never occurred to me to find a mate, but at least, I've had one." She placed her hand on Emily's shoulder. "But is that really an achievement to boast about?"
Emily did not give a response, and again, the question needed no answer from her.
"I know it isn't."
Perhaps that should be comforting to Emily, she thought.
The new topic that was quite confusing would be her running away from the mate test ceremony. There seemed to be nothing to consider, nothing to justify any reason from Emily.
That would be if a reason could come up, talk less of justifying it.
"Emily...." She placed her hand on her shoulder. "You haven't told me why you had to leave the ceremony. And... the way you started feeling sick...."
It was almost like a form of judgment. Emily had not thought of an excuse. She was mute for a while, searching the library of her brain to see if there was something worth saying.
"I understand." Raguel patted her. "I know it's hard to say.... But I would have to talk to Darling and the rest of the council members."
Emily heaved.
"It's important that every decision I make should be with a reason."
"I... I just...." She opened her mouth to speak, but had to close it when she realized what was about to pour out might end up as a disaster.
"These days, Darling has been so inquisitive. It's not that she is against me. It's mostly out of concern. I understand that."
"It's just that...." Her eyes had started going wet.
Raguel shifted her brown hair to the other side of her neck, and then held her tightly from behind in a hug. A smile formed on her face.
"Maybe you haven't known."
'Known about what?' She thought inwardly.
All she needed was a few seconds, and she was going to burst into tears.
"Haven't you realized that I have taken you to be a worthy company?"
Emily turned to face her, and she did the work of cleaning the lines of tears from her jaws. She tightened herself against her a second time, allowing her body to dispel the cold that the cool breeze could have caused.
"Darling had always tried to be in your place, but she hasn't been able to get a clue about us."
"It's just that...."
"Don't bother to say a word." She touched the hair on her forehead, taking them to the sides to reveal her face. "It's such a pity that you aren't a male."
'What an assurance.' Emily thought. 'So there wasn't a need to panic?'
"We should have some rest before the day breaks."
Emily was touched. "So what are you going to do?"
Raguel's arm was around her shoulders as they walked back to the mattress. "As I have earlier told you, I would be in full control."
This time, Raguel made sure she stayed in the middle, close to Allerio.
"I know you have many things up your sleeve, but I will give you time to consider telling me."
She had caught Emily with an imaginary rope, and being caught, Emily slowed her movement of lying down beside Allerio.
'But why has she decided to stay by the edge?'
Was that a question? Or something to consider?
"Make sure you sleep!"
It was a playful command.
The first part of the case was solved already–Raguel agreeing to take control over everything concerning her and Darling. But the other part.... Katie had not returned.
Emily would have tried to leave the cave to go in search of Katie. Raguel had made it complex.
She had to wait for an hour, and finally, Raguel seemed to have gone into a deep sleep.
It was time for her to go into action!
She took a leap from the mattress, and was headed to the cave's entrance.
"Emily."
Yet again?
She turned back to look. "Allerio?" She took a pause. "Aren't you sleeping?"
He started walking to her, just the same way Raguel had done. "I have been, but you don't seem to."
It was as though he had been watching her, but had kept mute in order to see her steps.
"I thought you were sleeping."
He nodded. "Of course I was, who wouldn't be sleeping?"
It was too obvious that it was a wrong question.
"Why not go back to sleep?" His hand had gone around her waist, gently walking her back to the mattress.
She didn't attempt to protest, but Allerio was acting unusually.
Again, she found herself lying beside him. Worst of all, he wasn't ready to sleep off, was instead, humming like a bird in the early hours of the day.
Few hours passed, and Emily had finally slept off, resting her head on Allerio's chest like husband and wife.
Light brightened up the cave, and Raguel was the first to wake up.
She laid her hands on Emily. "It's time, I have to go."
With a lazy effort, Emily opened her eyes to look at her.
'Katie isn't back!'
Raguel was trying to dress up her hair. "By now, Darling would have started a search for me."
She was in haste!
'What must have happened to Katie?' Emily almost screamed out.