Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 9)

(That's amazing and evil I love it)

Marcella found her father sitting there with several books open on his desk, writing in a journal.
"Can I hide here?" she asked eagerly, already crawling under him to crouch in the legspace beneath his desk. Gaius glanced down at her with a small smile.
"Found someone to play hide and seek, did you?" he asked.
"Ky's never gonna find me," she giggled. Gaius raised an eyebrow; he'd wager she was right. Ky wouldn't come in here unless he invited her, he expected.

Ky had a prick of conscience after that and decided to go seek. Time passed awfully fast when you were four. She started trying random doors on that hall to see what was unlocked.

Mattathias was hidden deep under a dark corner of the stairs, nestled under a bunch of sacks.

Ky stepped inside and glanced around.

"Can me and Mattathias meet the Marrow Man when he gets back?" Marcella asked from under the desk.
"Maybe," Gaius replied.
"Why only maybe?"
"Because he might be tired and hungry from his journey. He'll need to rest, Marcella. And he's still wary of making too many friends. Did you ask Ky?"
"She said to ask you."

Ky checked the next room and the next, getting progressively more frustrated the longer it took. She really should just go back to her letter. She started for the stairs, though, deciding to force herself to be a good sport.

"Well, let's wait and see, then. Did you interrupt her from writing?"
Marcella shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe."
"Let's try not to do that next time."

Ky hesitated at the stairs. Would they have gone up or down? She decided to try downstairs first.

Mattathias was under the stairs she was walking on, humming quietly to himself to pass the time.

Ky hesitated on the landing, trying to decide whether to check this floor or go to the first floor and work her way back up. But her gut felt like one of them was probably on this floor. Maybe both. Would they hide together?

He went quiet as he heard footsteps, eyes wide.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Ky decided to try. See if they would illicit a giggle or gasp of horror or any other indication that there was a child nearby.

Mattathias's breath caught and he held it, keeping as still as he could.

Ky sighed and started down the hall on that floor.

Mattathias sat up, grinning as he saw her leave.