DOGS. Legacy Saga II

21

Marina looked out to watch him sneak along the cornice and down the tree back to the garden. He paused outside his own window to look up at her. He did nothing. He only met her eyes for a moment with that mild smile and hurried back into his bedroom.

She let out a shaky giggle, rubbing her lips, still wet. Her head felt full of clouds where sentences floundered. She was about to close the window, but left it wide open. She knew he wouldn't come back, but it didn't seem polite, closing his way in, just in case he changed his mind.

She slid under the covers and lay down face to the window and the night, her thumb back against her mouth, now stroking them slowly, like looking for traces of his.

Yes, it'd been her first kiss, but the racket inside of her wasn't all about that. It was because it'd been him. She giggled again and closed her eyes. She had no idea how she was supposed to behave the next day, and she couldn't care less about her own ignorance. She fell asleep still smiling.

Marina woke up to the sun, rested and happy. She washed herself, amused at her own good mood and the sudden whim of picking a dress that made her look pretty. There was one Dolores had complained about when she'd bought it, deeming it not classy. But she could wear it without help with only a little struggle. It was in blue and white, with discreet laces and stays that allowed her to move and breathe without breaking her ribs over a simple sigh. She wore the hairpiece for the first time since she'd arrived to Castillano's house and added white ribbons to it. When she was done, she glanced at the sea outside the window and left her room with a merry smile on her lips.

However, approaching the stairs she heard an argument at the main hall. Alma and a man. She rushed down the stairs when she saw the woman outside the library door while a fat bully in soldier uniform grabbed her arms, trying to push her out of the way. Two younger soldiers tried to restrain him.

"Gentleman!" Marina cried, trying to sound bossy like Dolores. "Let Alma go at once!"

Taken by surprise, the soldier stepped back. Alma smoothed her sleeves down, growling. Marina approached them as she looked the man up and down, and stopped so close to him, he was forced to take another step back.

"Are you fine, Alma?" she asked, staring right into his eyes until he looked down. "Explain yourself," she commanded, and her voice was like the hiss of a snake, low and menacing.

"I can't leave my guard without showing the prisoner," the man replied roughly. He glanced up at Marina, met her glaring eyes and looked down at his boots again. "But the Captain is locked up in there since dawn and he refuses to open the door."

"And the brute wants to kick it open!" Alma complained.

Marina knocked on the door softly. "Captain?" she called.

She waited, staring at the soldier again. When she got no answer, she swallowed her concern to chide him some more.

"Have you looked through the garden window, soldier?"

The man frowned.

"I see, you didn't even think about it. Too complicated for such a donkey as yourself, I guess. Breaking doors and mistreating women is easier than using what little brains you may have."

The soldier sank his head between his shoulders as if she'd threatened to smack him.

"Follow me, the three of you. You wait here, Alma, please."

She spun around and preceded the soldiers to the double doors to the garden. There she stopped, until one of the young soldiers opened them and waved for her to go out. She kept her offended façade as she led them along the wall toward the first library window. She stopped again two steps away from it, forcing them to do the same, and went on alone to be the first one to peek in.