Disbelief

Blaire's Pov

"Where have you been?" I spat as I came face to face with Jamil and Ulo. The two were dressed in black robes and had their swords around their waists. In the moonlight, I could notice strands of undergrowth clinging stubbornly to their robes.

The two exchanged glances before turning to me.

"What's going on?" Jamil asked, looking over his shoulder at the circle that was gathered a few feet away. Following his gaze, I frowned as I realized that the bed was gone and so was the doctor. I hurried over but all I saw were a group of guards huddled in a circle, no doubt discussing what had just happened.

"Where is he?" I growled.

The group looked at me like I was a stray before one of them replied nonchalantly, "the doctor has had him taken somewhere else."

My head spun as I wondered how long I had remained on my knees, uttering a stupid prayer while the person I was so worried about had been taken away. He could have died for all I knew and I didn't know anything about it. The realization made me sick to my stomach.

"Where did he take him?" I asked again, looking from one to the other of the group.

"The doctor said no one was to be allowed to interrupt him." Another replied as he turned his back on me and continued to speak to his comrades like I had stopped existing.

My heart churned with anger as I glared at the group. Being the daughter of one of the elders of the pack who rather than train was always too busy with her makeup, I didn't get much respect from the Pack members, a fact which had never really bothered me. Until now, that is. "Where did he take him?" I asked again, my voice growing colder.

The guard did not spare me so much as a glance. That was the most I could take as I stomped toward him and pulled him by the shoulder so he turned to face me. "Where is Indrik?" I growled, my anger rolling off in waves.

The guard looked shocked as he looked from his arm to me, no doubt shocked about how I had managed to move him so easily. To be honest, as I looked from my arms which weren't frail but weren't the exact strongest either, to the guard who was well built, I couldn't help but wonder how I had managed it. I couldn't be bothered with that for now though as the other guards fixed their attention on the two of us, wondering where this was going to end.

"I asked you a question." I repeated. This snapped him out of his shock as he scowled.

"I don't know!" He replied stubbornly.

I bunched up my fists, my anger starting to get the better of me. There is no telling what I would have done if Jamil had not showed up beside me, placing an arm on my shoulder to calm me down.

"What is going on here?" He asked, his cold eyes resting on the guards. Ulo appeared on my other side. The change that took place was drastic as the curious look on the faces of the observers turned to that of discomfort while the one that had been standing neck to neck with me stepped back, his eyes flying to the ground. "Do I need to repeat myself?" He asked again, making me marvel about how he had managed to bring them under control so easily.

"The doctor said he would not like any disturbance while he attended to Indrik." The man replied, his voice a shadow of the booming version he had used for me.

"Indrik!" Jamil repeated as he turned toward me with a frown. I responded with a desperate look of my own. He nodded as he turned toward the guards. "Don't you have something else to do?" The guards needed no other urging as they bowed and scampered off.

"Now!" He turned toward me as soon as the men were gone. "What is going on with Indrik?" On my other side, Ulo had his eyes fixed on me as well, just as curious to hear what was going on.

"You would know if you were here." I choked, a sob escaping as all the fear and pain came rushing back. "Where were the two of you?" I asked, looking from one to the other as I recalled how lost I had felt when I had seen Indrik lying on that bed, dying from the poison that was given to him by his own maid.

They exchanged glances again. Glances that I had come to associate with them keeping something from me. Usually, I would have remained on their necks until they told me whatever it was but now, I couldn't care less.

"We had to take care of something." Jamil said quickly. "Now, tell us what happened to Indrik."

"He was poisoned." I blurted. Even now, the word left a bitter taste in my mouth. The two men looked at me in shock, then at each other. I could guess why. Who would want to poison Indrik? Sure, he had his own fair share of enemies but none would be so rash as to poison him. I knew this because it is the reply I would have given if someone had told me this a day ago. Their looks of shock morphed to anger as they turned toward me, their eyes, blazing balls of vengeance.

"Who did it?" They asked simultaneously.

I clenched my jaw as I turned toward Jamil who was the one who was always going around with that woman. "His maid, Luna." I bit out.

"What?" His eyes widened. "But, that is impossible."

"Go tell that to Indrik, if he survives." I replied, my voice full of resentment.

The two fell silent as the realization started to sink in. Suddenly, thunder rumbled as rain started to fall, right in the dead of winter.