Chapter 78
POV: Arlan
He instantly got up from the bed where he was lying. It created an eerie creaking sound, and he couldn’t stop himself from shivering at the creepiness of the place.
The place was unfamiliar to him. The walls were made of wood, and the countless white candles gave light to the entire room. One corner of the wall had a hanging shelf where peculiar species of insects, roots, and plants were placed inside the jars. When he saw exotic dead animals like toads, rats, snakes, iguanas, and other animals he couldn’t look at, he just wanted to puke. They seemed to be preserved, and he was just grateful that they didn’t emit a foul smell.
He grunted as he felt the throbbing pain in his back and his vision was slightly blurred, but he tried to know where he was. He felt so disoriented as he held his aching temple. The indistinct weirdness of the place was making him more uncomfortable with every second that he was staying there.
There were some old books stored and neatly arranged. Some were also already torn apart maybe because of how ancient they were already. Arlan put his feet on the cold wooden floor. There’s nothing on the floor but an old and ‘used’ rug for it was already almost ripped apart.
Arlan bit his lower lip as he tried to stand up, but he was just too weak to do so. He needed to know where he was.
Was he in a friend or foe’s house?
Before he could even think of anything else to do in the odd place, the door suddenly burst wide open, and he flinched in shock. He was instantly in an alert mode even his inner wolf as he saw the man wearing a mask that was covering his mouth and nose.
Then, he suddenly remembered that it was he who had saved him from the rogues in the woods. He didn’t know if it was a good thing that he wasn’t holding his katana, but he shouldn’t be trusting anyone now not even this man, who had saved his life. He must be very careful with his own actions. He didn’t know why the heck he would help him.
“He’s awake.” The cold voice came out of the masked man who turned out to be a woman’s voice.
‘So, she’s a woman.’ Arlan mentally thought.
His forehead furrowed when a woman with straight jet-black hair, purple-tinted lips, and deep purple eyes appeared beside the woman with a mask. She was wearing a long white turtleneck white dress that touched the floor. Her sleeves reached her wrists, and he couldn’t see her feet because of her long dress.
‘Is she going to attend a ball?’ Arlan commented on his thoughts.
But he pursed his lips together as he realized that he didn’t even hear her steps nor smell her scent which was strange.
The mere sight of them made his body shiver. They looked like some sort of peculiar women in the woods. But what made it more frightening were the ways they stared at him cold and menacing, but more of the… lifeless glares.
“Good thing, that you are awake now.” The woman with purple eyes commented.
Arlan swallowed hard as he was trying to compose himself. If he compared it to the King and the Queen’s auras they seemed almost the same as theirs, but they were more eerie and mysterious, while the royalties were more blatant with their ominous auras.
“You don’t need to be scared. We are not going to hurt you, Mr. Arlan.” She seriously continued while the other woman with a mask just leaned on the door frame and watched them.
“H-How will I know t-that? And how do y-you know my n-name?” He croaked as he said those words his heart was starting to beat swiftly.
The woman with purple lips chuckled, but it never reached her eyes.
“Who won’t know the King’s second in command?” The woman sardonically said.
Arlan remained silent.
“Very well, then. You are fated to be here, Mr. Arlan. And I don’t need your trust because it’s all up to you. For now, you need our help, and we are willing to help. And you don’t have any other choice but to accept it whether you like it or not, and whether you allow it or not.” The woman in white dress said making him grit his teeth.
“I believe you can travel now. Your wounds might hurt, but it won’t kill you until we arrive at the King’s castle. You’ll live.” She merely added as if it was just a simple matter.
Arlan gaped at her.
“W-Wait… what are you s-saying?” He bewilderedly inquired.
“I believe you discovered something from the Eastern part of the South Side, right? You still need to say everything to the King, and we need to escort you. That is, if you want to live and deliver the message to the King. The rogues are all over the place, and we are the only ones who can show you the secret passage towards the castle.” The woman folded her arms as she squinted her eyes directing it at him.
“H-How could I be so s-sure that you aren’t going to kill the King and Queen o-once we arrive at the c-castle? I don’t even know you.” He pressingly stated acting so valiant, although he was already shaking in fear inside.
“Then, you can kill us once we step foot inside the castle.” She remained serious as she replied.
“Tamika.” The woman in a mask called her seriously more of a reprimand for saying those words.
‘So, the woman with purple eyes, purple tinted lips, and jet-black hair, whose name is Tamika.’ He seriously thought.
Tamika just took a quick glance at the woman with a mask and chuckled.
“You should be serious and stop playing games.” She warnedly added making Tamika’s left brow move upwards.
“Fine. Let’s just get to the castle, later at midnight. For now, please eat your food, Mr. Arlan. I know you are starving, and you will need a lot of energy for later.” Tamika smilingly told him.
The woman wearing a mask brought a tray of food and placed it on a small table near the bed.
“So, your name is Tamika. H-How about y-you?” He tried to act cool as he saw those cold dark reddish brown almond shaped eyes glaring at him.
“I am a woman without an identity, but this mischievous woman called me Shanaia. So… You can call me by that name.” She coldly responded.
She was referring to Tamika when she said about the mischievous woman, and the latter just shrugged her shoulders like it wasn’t a big deal.
Before he could even say another word, the two women had already gone out of the room leaving him alone inside.
He let out a deep sigh as he stared at the food. His stomach was growling inside him, but how would he know if it wasn’t poisoned, or if they hadn’t put anything in it. He looked around once more. There were no windows or even a comfort room inside. The only way that he could go out was by the door.
Arlan hopelessly heaved another deep sigh. If the two women wanted to kill him they would just let him die in the forest, but that woman named Shanaia saved him. Another thing was, the woman named Tamika was right, he was running out of choices now. He needed to go to the King and tell him everything. They were running out of time, too. The enemies were getting so close in completing their experiments regarding the rogues.
He swallowed hard as he moved towards where the food was. He wasn’t sure if they were friends or foes, he wasn’t that sure. But she was right, he could easily kill them if they did something funny in the castle. The King wasn’t foolish, either. It wouldn’t be easy to fool him in this state.
Now, he was just hoping that he had made the right choice.
***
POV: Tamika
Meanwhile, Shanaia closed the door loudly behind her as she folded her arms in front of her chest. She smiled before she seriously faced her and sat on the old sofa.
“What the heck is that? I couldn’t believe you just gave away your life just like that.” She irritatedly commented.
She couldn’t help but chuckle anymore as she rested her arms on her knees after crossing her legs inside her long white dress.
“Oh, I thought you were not worried and that I was not your friend. What happened, Shanaia?” She sarcastically told her.
Shanaia rolled her eyes as she plopped down on the floor where the pillows were scattered everywhere.
“I am just clarifying things, Tamika. We already talked about this and you staking your life on this isn’t part of the plan.” She annoyedly spat.
“Fine, fine. You are so cranky, Shanaia.” She mockingly smirked at her as she stressed out her name.
“Whatever you say, Tamika.” She equaled the mockery that she had thrown at her.
She slightly shook her head before she seriously stared at her.
“Anyway, I still need to spy on those bloodlust rogues.” She icily said before she stood up and got her black hood and katana.
“Don’t get yourself killed, Shanaia.” She leaned against the sofa as she rested her elbows on the armrest and intertwined her fingers together.
“You worry too much, Tamika. I’m not going to get killed. Not until I see our plans come to fruition. Besides, it isn’t as if you have seen me get killed tonight.” She didn’t even turn around as she said those words.
“That isn’t a good joke.” She instantly became irritated by her uncalled gags.
Shanaia chuckled before storming out of the room. She was also hoping that all of their plans would succeed. It should, no, it must for even she couldn’t see if it would or not.
Now, she also needed to get ready.
***
POV: Queen Tamara Pierce
“How is your conversation with Raven and Kage?” She carefully inquired about her husband as he entered their room.
Hades let out a deep sigh.
“Well, it ended well, I guess. I need to go for a quick shower.” He replied as if it wasn’t affecting him at all and went inside the bathroom.
Tamara was speechless because she assumed either Raven and Kage didn’t tell him about their connection to him or he wasn’t making a big deal out of it.
‘But it is a big deal!’ Her mind shouted inside her pretty little head.
Tamara shook her head as she gently held her stomach. This day had been so exhausting for her that the moment she laid on their comfy bed, she had already fallen asleep.