Chapter 16
Anastasia quickly stands up and turns to face Maggie. She leads her to the wardrobe, pulling out a long black cloak.
"Put this on so the people won't be able to recognize you," she said.
Anastasia nodded, slipping into the black cloak and putting the hood over her head. She followed Maggie, walking behind her as they descend the stairs.
As they approach the guards, who are chatting and laughing amongst each other, Anastasia can feel her heart racing with fear. She sees Maggie walk past them and slowly follows her, keeping her head low. Once they were outside, Anastasia breathed out in relief before turning to Maggie.
"Why didn't they stop us?" Maggie smiles. "I gave them what they wanted, and they allowed us to leave."
"But what if Cassius finds out that I escaped he's going to—"
"He's not going to find out, and even if he does, I will find a good lie to tell him," Maggie assured.
"So where are we heading?" She asked as they continued walking through the quiet road.
"Just follow me and keep your head low," Maggie instructed.
Anastasia did as she was told and followed Maggie, keeping her head down.
Once they had walked miles away from the castle and tower, Anastasia could breathe a sigh of relief.
She was no longer in the tower, but she was afraid - afraid that Cassius would find her soon.
She didn't know where to start or where to go.
She thought back to her mother, but she was hesitant.
She had vowed never to go back there.
But Anastasia wanted to see her one last time and tell her what a bad person she is.
She wanted to shame her mother, who probably thought she was dead by now.
"I have somewhere you can stay and hide for a few days until the issue about you dies down, and you can leave the Kingdom," Maggie said.
Anastasia didn't know how she should thank Maggie. She had offered her enough help without asking for anything in return.
"But first, I need to see my mother," Anastasia said as they continued walking. She was angry. She wanted to hear from her mother why she had abandoned her like that. But was there enough reason to justify why she left?
When they reached the small cottage house, Anastasia knocked on the door, but it creaked open. She was surprised. Irina never left the door open during the daytime. Why was the door open? Did something happen?
She turned to face Maggie and told her to wait there for her. Maggie nodded, and Anastasia stepped inside the cottage.
"Mama?" She called out, but received silence in response. She looked around; the house looked empty. The chairs, table, everything was gone. Did something happen?
Then it clicked in Anastasia's head that her mother had left the cottage. She might have been afraid that the Prince and guards would find her here, so she fled. 'Without me,' Anastasia thought.
She never expected more than this before. Her mother had always been like this. Sometimes she would wonder if she was adopted or if that was truly her mother.
Turning around, she left the house to meet Maggie. When Anastasia came out, her face was scrunched together. Maggie didn't know why she was like that, but she was starting to think that something had happened in there that made her like that. She wanted to ask what happened, but she realized that they had wasted too much time on the road. Lucas would be waiting for them, and Maggie wanted to take her to the cabin as Lucas had instructed her.
"We should go," Anastasia said. They continued their journey to the place, and it took them half an hour to reach there. When they arrived, Anastasia couldn't stop looking around, feeling wary of the place. The cabin was located near the woods, with tall trees surrounding it. As soon as Anastasia stepped inside the shelter, she was surprised to see Lucas appear. But he was not alone. He was with another man wearing glasses that sat at the bridge of his nose. She felt uneasiness wash over her, and she turned around to leave when suddenly Lucas grabbed her by the neck.
"Where do you think you are going, little human?" He questioned. She swallowed hard, attempting to fight him off, but he was strong. Then she turned to Maggie, but she was gone. Was this some sort of plan with them? Had Maggie betrayed her to this man? She wanted to scream and shout, but Lucas wrapped a white handkerchief around her nostrils. When she breathed in, she felt her body becoming weak. What was happening to her body? Why was she feeling so weak?
"I am putting my trust in you that this will work," Lucas said.
"I have a mermaid and a human. I hope it will work out," the man with glasses said. She could hear their voices, but she was feeling so weak and tired. If it weren't for Lucas holding her, she would have fallen down. She struggled until she gave up, leaning against Lucas. Her eyes soon fluttered closed, and she found herself unconscious in his arms.
When Anastasia woke up, she felt an excruciating headache on her head. But that wasn't what bothered her; it was the fact that there were drips on both wrists taking her blood, and she felt very weak. She tried to speak and call out for help, but nothing came out. Her throat was dry, and she was extremely thirsty. What was wrong? Why was she feeling this way? How long had she been in here? She sighed, scanning the room, and that was when her eyes landed on the young girl in a glass tube.