He pushed the rug back, revealing a small wooden hatch cut into the floor.
Rook glanced up and around at all of us before tossing the rug behind him. “So a secret door that’s sealed, and now a secret door in the floor?”
Royce knelt down next to him. “Looks like the door that we came through for the cellar.”
Her blue eyes moved up until they were locked on me. Then Rook followed, as if they were both waiting for me to say something.
“Why are you looking at me?”
“You’re the oldest,” Rook said, but Ford clicked his tongue.
“By like two months.”
I crouched down and pulled on the metal handle, but it wouldn’t budge.
Royce was about to move in to help me, but Ford nudged her out of the way.
“Pull harder.”
Ford grunted as his shoulders heaved. “I’m trying.”
“Maybe we aren’t supposed to open it, maybe whatever is in there we aren’t supposed to see,” Royce said, placing her hands on top of the wood.
Right as she said it, we heard someone call for us from above the cellar.
We all straightened while Rook quickly moved the rug back over the floor.
“Let’s go.” I held my hand out for Royce, but she ignored it. I glared at her while she walked past me. Ford watched our interaction while running past Royce, so he was the first to exit the stairs. I had no idea why my stomach felt weird watching it, but for some reason, I knew Ford rushed up there to make sure Royce didn’t get in trouble.
I looked down and pushed the weird feeling away, maybe they were finally going to be friends? That would be good.
But why did the feeling seem so bad?