11 Exchanging Sides

 "Here's the girls room, and that's the boys room over there," Ono told us, pointing to two doors across from each other. "Well, good night." And Ono took her leave.

We all stood transfixed, and not one of us made a move to enter our rooms.

Ausu was the one to speak first. "We need to have a meeting." 

"We could use this room." Nicolu suggested.

It was the first time he had spoken in a while, but I wasn't surprised. I knew that being awfully quiet was his usual.

The room Nicolu had chosen was about half the size the dining room had been, with dark maroon walls, and five bean bag chairs, no windows, with a small lamp on the floor, and green carpet.

"Five chairs?" I asked.

"Yeah," Ausu replied. "One for Lord Haundrake, one for Ono, one for Hanu, and one for Icuna… wait… who's the fifth for?"

"Maybe there's someone we haven't met yet... Someone they keep hidden…" Unah suggested thoughtfully.

"Actually, you might be right." Ausu told her as he shut the door and came to sit down next to Nicolu on the bean bag chairs.

The lamp turned on as the door closed, giving us a little light to go by.

"So," Ausu began. "Who do you think might be the werewolf?"

"Lord Haundrake!" I blurted out immediately.

"Merribelle, you almost gave us away when we arrived!" Nicolu shot back. "Now he knows why we're actually here! You're just slowing us down, you're making our mission harder than it has to be!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" I exclaimed feeling a little hurt, because he was right. I was slowing down our mission. No. I wasn't just slowing it down, I was ruining it!

"Nicolu, you have to remember, this is Merribelle's first mission!" Ausu reminded him.

"Then why did you pick her?" Nicolu retorted.

"Because everyone has to have a first time at everything, don't they?"

"But aren't you regretting picking her?" Nicolu asked.

"Not for the world." Ausu replied, and for the first time in the past few days, I smiled in spite of myself.

"Guys, we've got to get on with the meeting before someone catches us!" Unah reminded them.

"Right!" Ausu agreed, and Nicolu glared at him.

"I suspect Ono, honestly," Unah admitted. "she just seems too overly nice, and acts like she's mistreated by Lord Haundrake, and then admits to him telling her his favorite colors!"

"I agree. I think it's her too." Nicolu agreed.

"I just think she's sheltered," I told them. "And she likes him."

"Obviously." Nicolu glanced reproachfully at me, and I looked back with my piercing stare. (At least I hoped it was piercing).

I think it was, because Nicolu quickly looked away.

Ausu and Unah acted as if they hadn't noticed, but I was sure they had.

"I suspect Hanu, Lord Haundrake's little brother still; there's something about him I just can't trust." Ausu announced, making me remember when, before we started out on the mission, Ausu had told me he suspected Lord Haundrake's little brother, Hanu Haundrake, but that still didn't change my mind. I was still determinedly convinced that Lord Haundrake himself was indeed the werewolf who had killed four people: Echo's brother, Maki's cousin, Nicolu's uncle, and me and Unah's mother.

Then I realized something suspicious, a pattern I hadn't thought about before.

"Guys? Did you ever notice that all the people murdered by the wild werewolf were related to us?" I asked.

"You're right!" Ausu announced in alarm.

"What do you think it means?" Unah asked. ( Nicolu glared at me again, but I ignored him).

"I think it means Lord Haundrake is using the werewolf inside him for his advantage, to target us!" I announced.

"You mean the werewolf inside of Hanu," Ausu 'corrected,' his eyes shining in anticipation. "You're so smart."

I felt my face grow red, and quickly ducked my head, hoping no one had noticed. When I looked up again, I saw Unah looking at me, her eyes glittering with mischief and laughter, and I quickly ducked my head again in embarrassment.