A/N: I know the chaps have been boring and long, and I know I'm makin WAY too many chaps *cringe* but I'm happy with my fic so far, but if you guys have any complaints, please, speak right up! Tell me to quit writing this pathetic excuse of a fanfic, and I might just surprise you and do just that…I totally understand…thanks for the reviews guys, they keep me enthused! (honestly, without them I wouldn't bother)
The directions I sought out to obtain from a haughty palace guard, who stood rigid and formal, moving only his eyes as he glared at me wholeheartedly—the suspicion thickening his brown eyes. I coughed to get his attention and stepped closer, a stubborn look casting my face.
'Excuse me?' I started, but he went on gazing arrogantly at me, his long nose endowing more affect into the slight action. Not wanting to kick up a fight, I inwardly sighed and stuck on a smile. 'Sir, would you please help me?'
'Don't waste my precious time, wench,' he snarled, and then slid his eyes from me as if I didn't deserve to even be looked at.
I'm not taking this, I thought angrily, but pressed my nails into the palms of my hands and prayed for patience as I coughed again for attention. 'Sir, if you'd only tell me—'
'I said, move off, girl!' he snapped, and shoved me away.
What the hell does he have against me? I don't even know him for God's sake! 'Well, I don't know what your problem—'
'Mithros, wench, my problem is everyone's problem right now,' he snarled, shoving me hard. I fell back a step. 'You,' he went on ferociously, his face pinched. 'You and your…friends…those dung-infested girls from your "world"! You get told over and over that you're not wanted, but here you remain…in our land, our world! Why can you get the point? Is it too much overload to your undersized brains? Get the fuck out of our home, bitches! And don't bother coming back! Godscurse it, you're like bugs! No matter how many times you're politely waved off, you still come back…you won't let off till you're killed…and I'd do that if the King wasn't so tempted by the lot of you!'
My jaw was tightened as I coldly glanced up at the guard. 'So kill me,' I hissed. 'Go on! Kill me…let's see how your problem ends with killing girls who view things different from you! Come on, why are hesitating? Grab that spear and kill me.' My eyes burned with uncontrolled rage and my voice quivered with absolute intolerance.
I hadn't realized how us "Other-Worlders" had affected the Tortallans; hadn't even cared enough to notice. I reasoned it was because all the Tortallans I had hung around had been fine with us girls and didn't act like we were frightening, incurable viruses a person would rather stab themselves a thousand times than catch. But I still didn't get why…what threat were we to the Tortallans? We didn't bring weapons, we didn't bring a different magic…none of us were trying to revolt against the King, and none of us were threatening people like this guard was. We loved Tortall just as they did, maybe even more…
So why were they so scared of us?
As I looked back up into the face of icy-cold glare of the guard, the answer slapped me.
Change…My jaw would've probably broken off with the pressure as I bit down to keep myself from retorting something overly obscene. People were always scared of change, always scared of something different for the mere fact that the thing was unlike anything they'd ever seen before; they didn't know what to expect of it since they knew nothing about it. Therefore, they pushed the "difference" away, in desperate hope that if they didn't have to live with it, they could carry on as normal and not have to seek what was so different about that difference.
I turned away from the guard and walked off, feeling anger and sadness overwhelm me…
Tortall is no different to home, I thought, fighting back tears. Back there I was judged as different and pushed away because of my race and religion…here again I'm judged because of my background.
Shaking my head, I realized both judgers didn't know anything about my differences. Back home, the racists didn't understand what a wonderful religion Islam was, what a wonderful people Arabs were. Now, in Tortall, none understood that the girls dragged into this "fantasy" world had not planned to come here and had had no choice in the matter. They'd expected a nice and lovely welcome, not a shocked and outraged one. It was like living overseas, away from your homeland for so long, and then coming back and realizing no one knew or cared about you. It was devastating and heartbreaking and you had absolute no control over it.
You didn't belong…not anymore…
I sat in the practice fields, my mind whirling and swirling with nasty doubts and wonderings. I still had to find the directions to the inn, but suddenly I wasn't in the mood for it. Why should I care about an assassination of a world that couldn't care less about me, and would rather kill me? If I did find out who was to be assassinated, would they even want an Other-World girl save them? Would they rather die by the hands of a person of their world than me?
I shook my head and looked out onto the practice yard, wishing I could be as the boys practicing; I yearned to be accepted, treated equally…have nothing on my mind to trouble me but an ambition to succeed my training and become a Knight.
But up till now, life had never hinted at ever allowing me to live a simple life.
No, I had to fight for the simple life.
Too busy drifting in thought, I didn't notice the figure walking towards me until the shadow blocked the sun that'd been half-blinding me before. When I looked up, I saw it was Kael, a frown on his face and a hand resting on his hip. Again I appreciated his strong build.
'Hey there,' he greeted, and sat down beside me, hands resting on tugged up knees. The frown didn't leave his face as he looked over at me.
'Hey,' I replied, and attempted a smile before looking back out onto the fields; I wasn't in the mood for polite conversation and wasn't about to start one for the sake of Kael, no matter how good he looked in a tight top.
'Is there a reason for you looking so cross?' he asked softly, his gaze now resting on the fields.
I smiled bitterly and shook my head. 'No, I just like putting off people.'
My smile was not returned. There was quite a long silence as I willed Kael to find me so utterly boring, that he'd leave without saying another single word. He was being overly polite, trying to pretend to care, when he hardly knew me. You couldn't possible care about someone you didn't know. It was hard enough caring enough about someone you did know.
That was my sincere and petulant way of thinking, anyway.
'A lot of my friends would love to meet you, you know,' Kael stated, breaking the awkward silence.
My head snapped towards him and I had to laugh. 'I'm sure they would.'
Kael really frowned at me then, and scrutinized me with his steady gaze. 'What's wrong with you?' he demanded.
'Nothing.'
'Any other time you I'd said my friends would love to meet you, you would've sarcastically mentioned they'd run off at the sight of you…or 'yeah sure, right after they fall over themselves running away and screaming like a bloody bushfire was after them!'… so what's wrong? And if I hear you say nothing one more time, I'll be forced to introduce you to my lovely friends.'
I couldn't help it… As miserable as I was, I had to laugh. The expression on his face was too sincere, too caring for me. 'Fine. Not a single thing is wrong with me!'
Kael groaned and slapped my arm playfully. 'Come on,' he said, getting up.
'What?!'
'Get up!' he ordered, outstretching a helpful hand for me to accept.
I squinted my eyes at him, suspicious. 'Where to?'
'Where else? To meet my friends!'
'But—'
'I changed my mind, I'm forcing you to come along, whether you said nothing or not. Yes, I know, I'm a pain. You'll live.' He winked and grinned and then started to drag me over to some hard-training guys.
'Wait…no, what time is it?' I tried to pull his arm away, but I was too whacked out to do anything but wiggle my arm.
Kael let go off me and sighed. 'An hour and a half till noon, why? Lunch can wait you know! You're not getting out of this…'
I bit the bottom of my lip, and my eyes glided towards the squires. They were laughing and joking cheerfully, playing around and slapping each other harmlessly. Maybe this would be fun…maybe they're not like the guards…maybe I needed this…maybe I should stop saying maybe…maybe.
'Alright,' I declared, and before I'd even finished the word, Kael was dragging me over once again to his mates.
After the polite introductions, I stood there and for once in my life, I didn't say a word. Didn't try to make an idiot of myself with a stupid joke or try to get anyone to laugh. Didn't try to include myself into a conversation I hardly knew a thing about. I mainly just half-listened and smiled and nodded when a question was asked of me.
Finally, when they started to head off to the archery section of the field, Kael took me aside and decided to lecture me. 'What is wrong with you? Now they think you're a complete snob because you wouldn't bother—'
'Since when do I care what anyone thinks of me, Kael?' I snapped.
'Since when did you act like a complete—' he stopped and sighed with frustration as he looked down at my infuriating expression of stubborn anger. 'Forget it.'
'What? A complete what? Bitch? Yeah, go on, say it. I know I am,' I growled, eyeing him angrily. 'Look, this is the way I am, no one will ever change it and I won't even bother listening or hanging around people who want to change it! If you were a real friend, you wouldn't ask me to be someone I'm not for the sake of looking and sounding presentable and lovely to your bloody friends, all right? So just…leave me alone! I'm not in the mood for faking laughs and smiles and pretending to be someone I'm not…'
'I never asked you to!' Kael argued, disbelief at my lashing out apparent on his shocked face.
God…why the hell did I say all that? To him of all people!Because you weren't even talking to him, a side of me snapped bitterly.
I couldn't take all the craziness of the day and so I forced an apologetic smile. 'I'm…sorry, Kael…I just haven't had a good…morning.'
He inspected my face very slowly and then sighed and ran a hadn't through his hair. He looked over his shoulder; his mates were calling him over. He turned back to me, obviously torn about whether to stay and squeeze the truth out of me, or jump back to normalcy and get on with his "manly" duties and leave this psychotic, temperamental freak to dabble with her own life.
He chose the former, and that strangely flushed me with relief and a natural and unforced smile escaped my lips as he shouted back at his friends that he'd be back later. 'You want to get some…brunch?'
I laughed and nodded, my worries forgotten as I watched his sincerely worried expression turn to pleasant content at my agreeing to get some food. So we left the training fields and grabbed some food from the kitchens before heading out to the courtyard.
We ate and chatted a bit, and when—after three-quarters of an hour—we were about to get up and leave, someone walked into the courtyard and froze my very heart. I choked on my food and felt a blush creep up on my face—and it wasn't because of the pressure to breathe.
Khalil made his way over to us, and after I'd calmed down a bit and had a drink, smiled tightly at me, and nodded at Kael. 'Khalil, I—'
'I'll just be leaving,' Kael murmured, and got up to go. I told him to wait for me at the training fields, I had something to ask of him. He nodded and nodded back politely at Khalil and walked off.
I turned to Khalil, and I had to push back the guilt and shame in order to be even able to look at him. 'Khalil, about—'
'What was it this time?' Khalil interrupted, as if he hadn't heard me. He looked at me with a smile, but it was a sugarcoated and fake smile, and he let me know it. 'Did you…wrestle a bear and get a whack on the head? No. Did you dunk the King with his wine and get arrested? No, no…that wouldn't be it,' he said, a bitter tinge to his voice as he locked his eyes on mine. 'I guess you were too busy swooning over that squire to apologize for not showing up last night?'
My eyes lowered to the grass and I became restless as I tried to avoid his demanding tone and gaze. 'I'm sorry,' I whispered.
Khalil shook his head and laughed bitterly. 'You're sorry,' he repeated slowly, eyeing me strangely.
'Yes, I'm sorry, Khalil…'
'You're a fuckin' liar, that's what you are' he hissed.
His harsh tone and use of words shocked me and I felt my eyes widen as I forced myself to look up at him. I was literally ashamed…I hadn't thought of how Khalil'd feel when I'd stand him up by hurrying off on some stupid fruitless quest. In fact, I hadn't even thought of Khalil the whole while. I was a heartless bitch. I desperately wanted to wipe the let down and hurt look on Khalil's face, but I knew whatever I said wasn't going to help. It'd just double his anger and triple the hurt.
I don't deserve you, I thought, tears freely flowing from my eyes as I continued to gaze at Khalil's hurt-twisted face. I never deserved you as a friend, and I won't ever deserve you as a boyfriend.
'Khalil if I could change—'
'No,' he cut in again, his tone thick with unhidden rage. 'No, don't apologize. Don't explain yourself. Just…just tell me…and be honest…do you want us to work?'
I do…God, I do…'I don't know.' The coarse voice wasn't mine…why was I saying that? I wanted us to work, badly…what was wrong with me? Had I finally lost it? Probably have, I shouldn't be too surprised…I'd always been a tad over crazy…
I couldn't bear to look up again at Khalil, so my head remained bowed and the grass my main interest. 'Why?' Khalil's voice cracked as he too fought his own emotions.
Why I want us to work? You make me happy; you never let me down, you always make me laugh and never once did you go out of your way to make me miserable like everyone else already has….I can trust you with my life…I never have to worry about saying what's on my mind because you already know without having to even look at me.
I love you.
'You're like a brother,' I found myself saying, and finally looked up. 'And…that doesn't make it feel right…'
Khalil's expression blanked as he put a rein to his emotions and regarded me expressionlessly. I didn't have to look closely to see he was angry and worse than devastatingly hurt. 'Right,' he finally said, and I envied his toneless voice. My voice was high-pitched and crazy sounding.
'I'm sorry,' I said again, for a different reason.
Khalil shook his head and silently walked out of the courtyard.
The expression on his face when he turned to leave exploded the last tears out of me, and I sat there for a while, crying. My heart tightened and tightened with every tear drop until I felt every bit of emotion was drained out of me.
And that's when I knew; I was ready to face Atkin.
* * *
I met Kael outside, and from the look on his face, I knew he'd seen Khalil's expression as I had. But I merely shook my head when he began to ask the question I knew I couldn't answer. 'I need directions,' I stated, my tone and gaze daring him to object as the guard had.
He nodded and I showed him Roald's note.
I thanked him after he'd written the direction on the back of the note—he'd wanted to come along, but the look I'd given him when he'd uttered the suggestion had shut him up well and he'd sighed and wrote the directions down. I took a deep breath before I turned to leave and swap the semi-safety of the palace walls to the open streets of Tortall…
It didn't take me long, about ten minutes passed before I was standing in front of the Baywolf Hurtling; it was in worse condition than the Street Sunshine had been in. The door itself was nothing more than a wooden thing only pitifully held by a half-rotten hinge. The rest of the inn was in a disgraceful manner; as I walked in, I nearly tripped over broken chairs and fallen over tables. Rats infested the place and I was shocked to see no cobwebs as the cliché went. But what was the most peculiar thing to me was the fact that the place was deserted.
No landlord. No bartender. Nothing.
Just absolute quiet.
I tried to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose since the stench of muskiness was way out of control, but ended up coughing from the dust that I breathed in.
A shiver ran down my spine as I considered my options: should I leave and get away from this disgusting and creepy place? Or wait a while to see what comes out of the lovely visit…
I decided on the latter and looked around the dark inn, hoping the weak roof wouldn't collapse over my head while I waited as patiently as I could get without getting paranoid.
'Well, well, well…'
The voice sprang me into action and I whirled around, knees bent and ready for attack. I guess I was very grateful for the self-defense and martial art lessons I'd dragged myself off to after school, every day.
What the—'Shocked?' Atkin asked with a wry smile. 'Don't be.'
But…Roald…'You gave me that note?' I croaked, disbelief flooding my voice.
Atkin shrugged, a bored look enclosing his dark face. 'Who'd you think it was? The Prince?'
My jaw automatically clenched as I glowered at him spitefully.
His laugh echoed about the abandoned inn, making me shudder and ripple goosebumps all over my body. 'Oh, you did? That's so…naïve of you! I guess everything went better than I'd expected.'
I eyed him sternly, wishing him very harmful and torturing deaths of all kinds as I listened to his sickeningly smooth voice. 'Why?' I demanded harshly.
His bored look grew and he yawned as he flicked a hand at me. 'You were so suspicious, I had to convince you I was not what you think.'
I rolled my eyes, strangely gaining strength with every word I uttered. 'You wasted your time. But I guess you have a lot of that on your hands…too much of it. Which is why you do what you do then, eh? Destroy other people's lives for the mere fact that you yourself don't have a life to live? Does it bring that much satisfaction, Atkin?'
The bored look was swapped for a look that clearly stated he was practically just slapped in the face. It was obvious he was about to cuss most colourfully at me before he barely contained himself and changed his mind; the sickening smile reappeared on his face. 'You're interesting enough,' he stated. 'But you're too overconfident—'
'You graduated me in that degree, master,' I said dryly, sweeping him a challenging glare.
He squinted his eyes at me and sighed, surprising me with a look of relief. 'Well. I've warned you.'
I raised my eyebrow at him, but he merely smirked at me before leaving the trashed and musky inn. Frowning with suspicion, I looked about me one more time before my eyes froze on something that lay readily on the only table that wasn't upturned or broken. Curiosity won over caution and I walked over to what turned out to be a burlap bag and a note. The note to me was the most interesting and so I inspected that first.
Reem,
Katsunyu determines the fate of Laryan at noon; meet me at the Baywolf Husking to finish of the deal. You've done very well so far: three dead by your hands without a single clue to be trailed after.
-A.K
My heart beat fast as I folded the note and tucked it into my pocket, determining I had to get out of the inn, that instant. This was too much, I had never meant to delve this much into this case… Getting this involved had already cost me way more than I had to lose and I didn't want to go further into this case and lose hope of getting what I'd already lost back.
I was about to open the burlap bag and see what was inside it when I was thrown off balance and knocked over into a wall. I felt my head bang into the creaking wall and then it swirled. My vision blurred immediately and I had no time to defend myself before I was held up against the wall and a knee was rammed into my stomach.
I pushed back the pain and threw a punch at the attacker, but my punch was blocked and my head was thumped in return. Groaning, I tried to fight back but I had no choice in the matter as the last hit to my head sent me sprawling on the floor, very close to unconsciousness.
My blurred vision and pounded and close-to-deaf ears didn't help me as I heard voices flood my mind and my attacker tie my hands behind my back. The rope scratched and bloodied my wrists and I puked my lunch all over the grimy inn floor. Someone searched me thoroughly and soon there were muffled gasps and shouting.
I felt myself being hauled up and thrown into a carriage, and then very—too slowly—I started losing feeling of my body and my body shut itself off into unconsciousness.
* * *
'Goddess…'
'Mithros, I never—'
'Shh, she's awakening…'
'But you said—'
'Shh!'
My eyes fluttered open and I found myself lying in a small, dark room. As I craned my neck to look around, and after my head roared its protest, I realized I didn't recognize the room. As I let my eyes get accustomed to the new bearings, I found my body was roaring with pain.
I rubbed my eyes and looked about the room, pushing back the pain.
It was a very stuffy and barely furnished room. The bed I lay in was simple; the bedsheets were a plain white, the walls were grey and the only other furniture was the chair someone sat on and a bedside table.
I felt like my whole body had been battered in some bloody battle, but when I ordered my arm to move, it moved. I did the same to all my limbs until I was assured that no bone was broken and it was all mainly just bruises and such. Turning to look closely at the people in the room, I suddenly began to wonder why I was there…
This wasn't my room…
I frowned and realized Kael and some unknown woman were standing beside me, looking worried and hopeful. 'Where am I?' I croaked, my voice seemingly unused and cracked.
Kael's look was of pity, but I was too tired to object to that certain emotion. 'Well?' I demanded shakily, trying to sit up. I was mainly just exhausted; like I'd slept for too long and feeling sleepily tired. No one met my eyes as I swept them both at the woman and Kael.
'You…' Kael started but then went quiet and bit his lip as he looked back at the woman. She nodded, as if he'd asked her a question when all he'd done was look at her, and then turned to me. 'We need to get you changed. His Majesty specifically asked to see you as soon as you were awake.'
Suddenly memory flooded me like a slap in the face and I was knocked speechless
The Inn…
Atkin…
The note…
The bag…
The fight…
This room.
Kael and the woman had left by the time I'd organized my thoughts. I ignored my body's protests as I got up and off the bed. Looking around, I saw a washing basin and soap, so I washed my face and splashed it with as much water as possible. I wished I could splash it out of this seemingly hazy dream, but this was plain and nasty reality.
The King, I thought weakly.
Pushing back the thought of the "meeting", my eyes slid to the end of my bed, where clothes lay. So I replaced my clothes for the new ones and sighed as I turned to look one last time at the dim room before opening the door and facing two guards.
They wordlessly seized either of my arms and practically dragged me to the King's office. I didn't object because I was too mentally and physically exhausted to, and what was the point of kicking up a fight? I just wanted to see the outcome…
The King raised his eyes from the sheets of parchments as the guards dumped me on the chair and threateningly hovered beside me at either side. I sighed and rubbed my eyes tiredly as I waited for His Majesty to snap and growl at me. But he merely sighed in return and set down his quill to look at me.
'Reem, you know what you've done?' he said warily.
I shook my head.
He pursed his lips. 'I've come to a decision,' he stated.
I waited patiently, suddenly feeling like I couldn't care less if I was killed on the spot. It didn't matter. The one person I truly cared about despised me. The other person I trusted and loved was back Home, believing I was dead or something. This new "home" I did not belong in and was hated and treated just as badly as I'd been treated in my own world.
'Laryan of Denalt was found by his wife, dead, an hour past noon. He was stabbed to death,' the King enlightened me with an emotionless gaze.
Laryan…I thought, the note…the note that was meant for me…
Trap.
I was about to explain myself, but the King went on. 'Apparently, you were found with a note, a rather disheartening note. I won't ask where or how you obtained it. But you were also found with a bag. That bag contained evidence.'
Something stopped me from interrupting and telling my side of the story, and so I went on gazing expressionlessly at the King, giving him no hint as to what I was thinking or to what I had, or hadn't, done.
'Do you have anything to say?' the King asked, not kindly, but also not unkindly. Neutrally.
I shrugged and kept my eyes on the King's. 'Nothing that would interest you,' I said, my voice was still husky.
The King pursed his lips again and nodded, and then picked up his quill again. 'You've been charged with murder…three murders. And you have nothing to say?'
I smiled resignedly and leaned back on the chair. 'What I say, I told you, will make you roll your eyes. You've probably heard it too often anyway. I wouldn't wanna bore you to death, no matter how much shit you accuse me off.'
I got a thwack to the side of my head for that, from the guard to my right side. 'The King asked you to speak for yourself, speak,' he growled gruffly.
'Alright,' I murmured, and turned my gaze back to the King's. 'I didn't do it,' I simply said.
The King nodded and looked me over, then flicked his eyes to the guards and with one look they were out of the room, the one who'd whacked me looking shame-faced from the glare the King had gave him. When they were gone, the King turned to me with a sigh. 'Why, Reem?'
'Why what, Your Majesty?' I asked, wondering why he hadn't believed me. He really thought I'd kill three people? Did I look that dangerous? I'd never acted like a serial killer…I never thought so anyway…
'Why did you—'
'I told you what I said wouldn't interest you,' I interrupted.
'No,' the King said with a faint smile. 'I wasn't going to ask why you killed those people, because I know you didn't.'
'But you just said—'
The King rolled his eyes at me. 'I'm required to probe supposed accused people with questions and intimidating comments to get the truth out of them. But I already know the truth.' His eyes locked on mine and there was a question to them.
'No, Your Majesty, I didn't kill anyone.'
'Of course you didn't,' he replied. 'But it is rather suspicious to people that all the three murders you supposedly committed happened while you were away from the palace.'
My eyebrows rose. How very clever of you, Atkin! 'Oh? That's comforting,' I said dryly.
The King made a face at me and then sighed, as if there was a huge burden on his shoulders and he couldn't hold it on his shoulders anymore. 'For the sake of the conservatives, I'm going to have to put you under strict watch.'
I sent him a quizzical look. Strict watch?
'You'll remain in your room, with guards outside your room,' the King explained softly. 'You'll be supplied with sufficient food by the guards and if you desperately need to leave the room, you'll be led by the guards to the courtyard for some fresh air. This will go on until we find the real murderer.'
I know who it is…I thought desperately.
'You don't know who it is?' I asked snappily.
The King didn't flinch at my suddenly angry tone. 'No, we don't. The three murders have been kept quiet this long to keep the conservatives from frothing at the mouth and going overly insane.'
'But…can't you get DNA testing?' I said quickly, not knowing why I didn't just speak of Atkin and get this whole unfair matter over with. I was being treated like a criminal! When the King knew I hadn't done it…
The King gave me a 'what-the?' look and I realized what I'd asked. I fought back hysterical laughter.
You're lucky you're being treated like a crim and not a murderer, a dry side of me said. I frowned. I guessed I was lucky…I mean it must have taken a fair bit for the King to be allowed to keep me in my room guarded and not thrown into a dungeon or killed, like I knew the conserves where wishing and whining about. With the proof there and ready, I was amazed the King had been able to pull of something like this…keep me only locked up in my room and not killed, that is.
I ignored the question how? and began to wonder why I was so against speaking out about Atkin and his cronies. No proof, you dolt! They'll think you're blaming anyone blindly to get out of it…
But the Prince knew…
And why would a crim be allowed to talk to a Prince?
I sighed and chewed on the bottom of my lip.
'Do you need anything, before you get locked up?' the King asked, eyeing me kindly.
I shook my head. 'No.'
But then I thought everything through and changed my mind. 'Actually, yes… D'you know that very thick and strong…erm, wool?' I asked cautiously.
The King raised an eyebrow. 'You want to knit?' he asked with obvious disbelief.
I forced a smile. 'I'm that angry…and I'll be that bored.'
Jonathon eyed me for a fair bit—and I held my breath while he did so—but then he nodded—and I inwardly sighed with relief—and said he'd send over some wool. 'Lots of it, please,' I said, smiling gratefully. The King merely nodded and called for the guards, who then dragged me into my room, which had been cleared of all possible sharp objects or anything that could be used as a weapon. The bedside tables were gone and the closet was bare except for a few new clothes items. The window was covered with a new, dark material that was somehow stuck to the walls and didn't seem weak enough to be able to be pulled off by a girl my age. Candles burnt at each corner of the room and one on the study desk in the middle of the room. Serena, Hayley and Sandry's beds were gone and the room felt bare and too big.
I heard the lock to the door click in place, and I immediately fell into a pool of panic.
Everything had happened too fast. Things had gone wrong too quick. I hadn't done anything to stop them…and now…now I had to sit here and sew.
I smiled at the last thought and sat myself down on the bed, waiting for the wool to arrive so I could literally drag myself out of the boredom and panic that would soon wash over me.
Smart, Atkin, I thought spitefully, very smart… unfortunately for you, not nearly smart enough to rid yourself of me. No, unlike you, my threats are more than threats. They're promises with a bitter twist…and you're at the receiving end, arsehole.