*Kiara's POV*
My memory was a bit unreliable. I remembered little from the time I drank the wine—it was like a state of continuous sink. And for a while,it was just that.. An endless fall. Then, just as suddenly,I started to feel myself levitate higher and higher till the dream ended. I remember wondering why there were so many people in my room last night,but I was way too sleepy to ask,so I let myself slip back to my dreams.
"Good Morning Princessa" I heard Carlotta call merrily.
My eyelids happily welcomed light in, and I could already smell the sweetness of jasmine tea nearby. I felt happy and well-rested.
Except,as Carlotta explained later,that was not the case. I had been rushed home about a week earlier, sweaty,frail,unconscious, cold, and with a severe case of nasal bleeding.
"It was no sleep Kiara,at least not to us. It was a battle with death.And we were so worried.I–I was so broken and lost" Carlotta explained this with teary eyes and gentle sobbing. Carlotta rarely cried; it must have been quite a serious case.
This elaboration came in after a weird family reunion in my room with relieved sighs, hugs, and prayers from my dad, Uncle Hugo,Aunt Lydia, her three adult sons I hadn't seen in ages, and my grandmother.
It was she who noticed how overwhelmed and confused I was with the scene and suggested they give me time to freshen up and then proceed to bombard me with affection when I came down for breakfast. She winked at me when my father grunted in protest but obeyed.He always listened to his mother. The rest followed him outside wearily. I only noticed their eye bags when the excitement was gone. Like they had barely slept.
I stared at my ridiculously healthy face in the mirror as she narrated . I looked fine. But I knew it was no joke since the entire Whitman family was just in the same room at once,with no sarcastic comments or subtle insults,Damn..even Carlotta sobbed.
"How did I- '' I paused for the right words. ``Wake up?'' I asked,trying to use a word that wouldn't make me feel more frightened and in shock than I already was.
Carlotta stared at me in the mirror as her hands fashioned some artificial flowers into my hair.
"Shadrach recommended a cure. I don't know how he did it, but he used some flowers, a small ritual and some other wizards."
"Shadrach?" I asked, letting a smile form on my face.
A light scowl crept on Carlotta's face as she left my hair to pick another flower from the basket.
"Yes, your Wizard, Shadrach."
A soft warmth spread into my heart as I remembered our memories together.He hadn't been my doctor in a while.I have seen very little of him lately.He being my doctor again means more time together.
"You know,"Carlotta continued. "He was worried sick about you. We thought he was going mad,and in the earlier days of your condition,he asked us to make an abundance of jasmine tea so the smell would cover up the herbs and blood. He wanted you to smell your favourite tea when you woke up."
I couldn't help but beam like a child. Shadrach was my guardian angel and my favourite and only male friend. We had known each other for some time, and if he had not been banished from the palace,we may have been,perhaps,more than friends.
It was a thrilling thought for me, but I imagine my father hated the idea. When he found out we had kissed once, he ordered Shadrach away from the castle, despite the fact that he was one of my most efficient doctors. He was even good with magic, which was most often the cure. I never understood how my father found out; I never asked too.The very topic angered him.
"Where is he now?" I asked, lifting myself from the chair.
"I don't know." Carlotta replied, holding my gaze. "Pretend not to know,Do not anger your father about the matter."
The other ladies in waiting busied themselves by quietly adorning me with pearls and rings. They bowed when they were done and positioned themselves for us to go down. I wasn't going to make any promises to Carlotta. She always made it her mission to make me feel guilty if I didn't keep my word.
"Let's head down for breakfast."I ordered, leading the way.
The Whitman family was impatiently waiting for me to enter before they ate. The more I saw how quarrel-free and united they were,the more I understood how severe my coma was. Even Aunt Lydia was smiling broadly, and she was the most judgmental person to exist. She usually frowns upon my early morning make-up-free look. But she seemed awfully content with everything I did today.
"She is even able to walk again." Thomas teased, smiling. The rest of the family glared at him.
"What?" he asked, pouring himself some tea. "I'm sure Carlotta told her anyway."
Everyone glanced at Carlotta at the far end of the breakfast parlour and mumbled something that sounded like an agreement.
My grandma called me to sit beside her, the minute I did she held both of my hands and turned to me.
"How do you feel, dear?"
"I'm great." I smiled, but she refused to leave my hands. She gently squeezed them as her eyes got seriously cold. "Do not scare us like that again!!"
"I promise not to." I said before it dawned on me that I may have no control over it.
She released my hands and turned to the rest of the royal pack. "Lets-"She stopped to give a gentle glare at her three grandchildren, who had already started eating a while ago. Julio's tea cup paused half way to his mouth when her eyes caught him. He froze momentarily and raised his tea cup as if raising a toast.
"Have breakfast."she added , and the rest of the family started to munch on their food.
"It's such a relief that you are back on this table, Bella," my father told me in a hushed tone as he buttered his sweet bread.
"I'm happy to be here too, papa." I replied.
We got seeped into the moment. I could almost see vulnerability in my father's eyes.Almost.
"So, how is it like on the other side?" Thomas broke in with his usual amusement. Not caring if he got a glare from the elders.
"Uneventful."I responded, playing along ."Dark and boring"
"You mean you don't remember?" Grandma asked with a frown.
"No…."My voice trailed off,and it suddenly hit me. I always remember my episodes. No matter how brutal they were. I could at least hear the doctors,but this time. I could remember nothing. At all. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I looked up at my equally horrified family.
"It seems like Denzel was right after all." Aunt Lydia murmured, but I heard.
"What did you say?" I turned to my father.
My father stiffened and shrugged. "It's just a theory."
"He says you were poisoned, and it was a planned attack, "Uncle Hugo said.
My eyes widened, and I swallowed. Aunt Lydia's husband was almost as serious and cultured as she was (if not more). He did not fool around with such information. And the fact that he felt the need to tell me while my father held back sent an unhappy tune to my senses.
I stared at the faces around the table. They were all dead serious. Even the carefree Thomas seemed to have tightened his fist around his fork. They weren't here because they just cared. They thought I was dead and had come for war.
My shoulders dropped. War was the last thing I wanted. Especially not with the hybrids without their home and the proper protection.
"No..." I smiled, trying to concentrate on my plate. "Things change sometimes, and I have missed days of treatment; it must just be a-"
"Shadrach had found wolfsbane and hemlock in your body. It was no coincidence." My father cut me off.
"I would have smelled it." I retaliated.
"I didn't even smell it. It must have been masked with something else. Maybe cover magic." He stroked his white beard thoughtfully. "Either way, it was precisely planned. And it's got Adriel Valerian written all over it."
*Adriel's POV*
Erica walked into the field, fuming.
"I woke this morning with news that four of the witches I had pledged on my family's crest to keep safe were dead. One was found in her bathtub with an arrow in her head; another was dismembered and floating in the river; and the others were decapitated. And the last one hasn't been found yet."
"Interesting." Charles mocked her as he mounted his horse.
"I swore to keep them safe, Charles."
"And I tried to talk him out of it." With that, he rode away into the forest with his gun at his back.
Erica's eyes were pinned to me. And she scoffed and shook her head.
"They are never going to trust us again, Adriel. How do I cover this mess up?"
I stroked my horse gently.
"Don't. Tell them I did it because they sent me incompetent witches and made a fool out of me."
"And so killing them was the answer?" she asked.
"No."I replied. "But it certainly made me feel better." I added.
She walked closer. "You can't keep breaking the deals. I can't keep cleaning up dead bodies after you. I can't keep making excuses. I can't keep defending your actions."
"Then don't do it, darling. Stop."
"And watch you paint the town red?"
"It will be a beautiful national colour."I replied, brushing the mane of the black destrier.
She sighed loudly, suddenly getting pensive.She shook her head in disbelief.
"I don't know what went wrong.It worked on Lilith....and Lilith is a class-four.Even that other hybrid,Reya could barely last an hour when she consumed the potion.I remember it all so clearly,it was incredibly hard to come up with a cover up because of how fast the poison worked."
"I really don't care who it worked on. The bottom line is that it didn't work on her. That your trusted men failed me."
"If you knew they were men under my care, why didn't you care to tell me about your little serial killer spree before you started?"
"Will you agree to let me kill them?"
"No," she snapped.
"Exactly. You have grown too soft, and I will hate for you to get on my bad side when you interfere." I responded calmly.
Mirth spread through me as she hissed.
"But it's still our mission."
"Do your part, and I do mine. And starting to think of it. It's all your mess. If you had chosen people who actually knew their job, They would have done it without a fuss. The war will have started,they will still be alive, and everyone will have been happy. So if we look at it,it's me cleaning up your mess.You were this close to making my plans a failed project."
"But it already is!" Charles yelled from a distance as his horse galloped towards us. "The girl is still breathing, and well, isn't that your first step in your beloved plan?"
"The course of events could be shifted." I replied and soon realised that I hadn't heard any gunshots. Charles must be having a rough day if he couldn't even catch anything.
"No luck in the woods? I asked.
"On the contrary,"Charles replied, letting a smile form on his face. "It was a very lucky day."
There was a large roar from a persistent lion as it took heavy and laboured steps towards us; more followed behind it, whimpering. Erica and I stood still. It had been a long time since we were frightened when a wild animal that Charles was blood-controlling was headed at us.
It was a sport for him; the stronger the animal,the more power he had to use, and therefore, the better he felt. It was a weird pleasure, and he kept an entire zoo just for the cause. Erica bent to stare into one of the lions eyes. She looked up at Charles with a scowl.
"Aren't you supposed to not use it? she accused.
Charles shrugged nonchalantly. "I figured I would have some fun."
"I don't know which one of you is worse." Erica said, straightening up. "I could stay here and speak of all your dirty, shameless deeds, but I have a kingdom to rule,my reputation to save, and a bloody mess to clean. See you later, boys."
She adjusted her hat on her head and started to walk away. She stopped halfway and turned abruptly. "Where is the fifth witch?"
"Burnt to ashes,"I replied.
She narrowed her eyes and turned to keep walking.
"Why did you lie to her?" Charles asked as soon as she was out of earshot.
"If I tell you,you will be plagued with more guilt. Let my sins torment my conscience alone."
"Not that I object to the sudden suspicious care about my conscience,but I will still like to know. Don't stop with my soul halfway in hell."
I thought about it and saw no harm to tell.
"If you insist,Hendrix has spent an awful lot of time in the castle these past few days as he has discovered the presence of new maids who we know nothing about constantly appearing and reappearing everywhere maids shouldn't be. There's no doubt they are witches; the question is who sent them. And who better to find a sneaky witch with no good intentions than another?"
"And you suspect Erica sent them?" Charles continued.
"No...." I drawled, looking at his lions. "I suspect Denzel Whitman. And if my suspicions are indeed true,I shall pay him a visit this very night. And I will take with me the heads of his spies to remind him of who I am. And to solidify our friendship."
"You are going to see Kiara Whitman then."
A strange beat hit my heart. I frowned and looked Charles in the eye.
"Why don't you listen when I speak?"
"Oh, I heard clearly,and all I heard was you throwing yourself in the line of fire just to see the hybrid.You are aware you are the main suspect right?"
"Yes, and I don't mind stirring the pot a little"
"You could send another person in your place.You have spies there."
"And risk another failure?" I asked. "No, in matters like this; I handle them in my own hands."
"If it pleases you then."Charles said as he rode away with the lions behind him.
He was sort of right though.I shouldn't go so often into Werewolf territory but hell,I grieved,I had begun an obsession.