I was still feeling moody minutes after Alisa left my room. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had wasted too much time. It was logical though, I mean the more time wasted after the wedding, the more stale any clues we might have had would go.I sat at my desk, going over the books Gabriel had delivered to me. Arnou must have read them all by now, yet it didn't seem like he had new information to share with me.I understand that he's worried about my health. Talking about conspiracy theories is probably the last thing on his mind. But Herley is dangerous and she's still in the palace. I might have given up if I knew for sure that she would stop at poisoning me.But I had no way of knowing that she wouldn't step over everyone in her attempt to claim Arnou as hers.I had waited too long for my happily ever after and I was ready to fight for the love and acceptance I had found with Arnou.I took out a piece of paper and began to write down all the people who had died on Herl
Chapter 77The first thing I observed was the pungent smell of piss.I gagged disgusted, don't they get chamber pots here?As I walked downstairs I realized I had no idea what the living conditions of the dungeons were like.I had condemned Nikkini to a temporary life here without knowing what the place looked like.Tears welled up in my eyes as I entered through the tiny door at the base of the stairway.The guards on duty seemed confused at my presence but seemed to recognize my royal guards.They bowed before me and greeted in unison.“Good day, Queen of Queens,” I couldn't bear to speak, I felt so many emotions rising inside me.If I did this to Nikkini didn't that make me as bad as her? I waves their greeting off and began to walk deeper into the cells.I didn't say a word but they knew the prisoner I wanted to see and led me to her silently.I stood in front of her cell for a few minutes before I realized that I had arrived at my destination.Nikkini lay on the floor, or at le
Chapter 78Arnou lay flat on the bed sleeping with all his clothes on. He looked so tired and cute while sleeping that I couldn't help but feel guilty. He probably hadn't gotten much sleep, not with me being poisoned and randomly passing out.I walked up to him tiredly and gently tugged off his shoes, then I rolled him over and covered him up with the duvet on the bed.I was careful to not touch him for longer than necessary. Once I was satisfied with the way he was resting, I walked up to his bath chamber and washed my face clean with water.Arnou, Alisa, Nikkini, and even the guests were forced to remain in the palace for a ceremony that wasn't confirmed. Everyone was suffering from this entire situation.It needed to end and I was powerless to end it. I kept spending all my time, investigating Herley’s origins even though Alisa was so sure she had been a good person.What if it was all an immense waste of time? I had not made any progress on the whereabouts of the antidote either
Chapter 79Nafira and I are in a cave. It's cold and terribly wet, we've been on the run for three days now, and despite Nafira’s attempt at cloaking us, Mama's men are too good.They keep on finding us because they know if they return to Mama without us, she'll kill them.On the morning of the day, we escaped, Nafira and I had stayed glued to each other in that smelly stable. Too scared to do anything else but munch on moist bread Nafira had stolen from the chef.At first, the fortress had been quiet, then the chef had gone into the kitchen and cried out in outrage.Within minutes the entire Hottigan fortress was in pandemonium. Amid the commotion, we had snuck into the kitchen wagon and hidden between the supplies that left the fortress.I just got chills whenever I remembered the wrath with which Mama had yelled our names.I knew within me that she wouldn't rest until she found us. I think Nafira knew it too but she liked to pretend like everything was fine.Even now, in this cave
Chapter 80Arnou had woken up some time while I slept and had sat beside me working on his table.When I woke up with a scream, he jumped up and tried to confirm that everything was alright with me.He kept asking if I was alright but I was still reeling from the epiphany I just had.“Daciana please just say something. I verbally need to know that you’re fine,” Arnou please be with me.I knew this entire situation must be tasking for him. I mean he can’t even touch me to make sure I’m fine.“I’m fine, I’m fine. I just-“ I reassured Arnou as I trailed off and shook my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts.Arnou let out a breath of relief and balanced on the bed beside me.“Bad dream?” He asked quietly.I blinked at him strangely. I could swear I felt sand on my skin and my sweat-soaked dress must have actually been soaked by raindrops from the trees in the woods.“Arnou I need to tell you something. And please I need you to not interrupt me until you’ve heard everything I have to sa
Chapter 81The door opened and Gabriel walked in followed by a woman. She was dressed in draping skirts and had cowries braided into her hair.I smiled a welcoming smile at her and beckoned them both to come closer.“Good evening Lycan, Queen of queens,” she greeted with a bow.Gabriel bowed before us as well but remained silent.“Thank you, Gabriel, you may leave,” I waved him off.“Hello woman, what's your name?” Arnold asked the lady politely.“Verena, Lycan,” she replied.I could have offered her a seat but I didn't. Arnou and I were both seated while she stood in front of us.It was a simple power tactic I had picked up as Luna of the blood diamond pack.I was being incredibly nice to her but by not offering her a seat, It unconsciously reminded her of her position. “Hello Verena, can you tell us a bit about what you do?” I asked her with a smile.She had no idea why she was here. Gabriel had not briefed her on our questioning. She probably wondered why the Lycan and High Luna
Chapter 82The room door unlocked and Feyre came inside.I let out a sigh of relief when I saw her. I had almost worn a hole in the carpet from how badly I had been pacing about.Arnou had to repeatedly ask me to sit still because of my legs but I refused.I really wanted everything to come together. Herley was dangerous and I felt uneasy about the fact that she spent all her time with Alisa.It seemed her punishment was more of a punishment for me because I was constantly worried.“Yes? It’s been four days now. What do you have to report ?” I asked her hurriedly, the moment she entered the room.She looked a bit surprised by my small outburst and bowed before Arnou and me.“Good evening Lycan and High Luna,”I pinched the bridge of my nose in mild frustration and Arnou replied to her greeting.“Good evening Feyre. Please tell us, do you have any information for us?” “Yes, I do,” She replied with a smile.“It was hard and suspicious for me to constantly tail her on my own, so I empl
Chapter 83I sat in front of Nikkini in my wheelchair listening to everything she had to say.But nothing stuck with me, everything she told me, I already knew.Herley had approached her with the plan which was originally to poison the wedding dress I wanted to wear.But Nikkini in her vengeance had cut up all the dresses save one which she deemed ugly enough for me to wear.However, the fabric of that dress was very different from the fabric of the dress Herley had asked her to poison.Hence It absorbed most of the poison and I didn’t die touching the dress.“Nikkini, do you have no idea where she got the poison from? I just need a name. Who could have sold it to her?”I pressured. I was already tired and frankly, I was up very late.All the investigation I had been carrying out had been secret, but if the wrong person spotted me coming out of the dungeon by this time.Then Herley might know that I’m still on the case.“I really don’t know, she did sound like she was going to pick u