Chapter SEVENTY- TWO: SOMETHING SMELLS FISHY
My eyes shut tight hoping to crash hard on the ground as I tumbled, instead I was pulled towards a wall. Then I opened my eyes still panting from the near death experience. It was Kieran, he was there. He had caught me. I held him closely. We said nothing to each other. I just wanted to be there a little longer. In his arms, I thought about everything, how fragile life posed to be and how everything could change in split seconds.
“What happened?” He asked.
I only looked at him, tears flowing freely. The words were there staring me in the eyes but I couldn’t say them. My muscles had become flaccid and too weak to speak. Would he believe me? Or I just couldn’t accept the fact that someone had just tried to kill me and he had been my saviour again. How would I begin to tell him all these things and not sound insane because it didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense.
Kieran carried me to his chambers. Not long after, hecame in with a man. This man touched me; my neck, my arms and even my eyes. I wanted to tell him how the white lights burned my eyes when he took the lights closer. I heard their words but they kept acting like they couldn’t hear mine. Maybe, the words echoed in my head just as theirs did to me.
“I think she is in shock.” The man said.
“Will she be okay?”
“Yeah sure, she just needs to rest. What really happened?”
“I don’t know doc.”
“You just met her like this?”
“Yes… I mean no,” He stuttered. “I was on my way back. I decided to use the stairs and then I saw her falling.”
“Hmmm…. do you think…”
“Think what?”
“That this was a suicide attempt?”
“No, of course not. Clara would never do that to herself.”
“Okay, guessing she might have tripped.”
“Tripped?”
“Do you think that it was something else? Like someone might have pushed her?”
“Right now, I don’t know. She is the only one that can tell us what really happened. How long would she be like this?”
“I don’t know how long but hopefully for a few hours.”
“Oh God. I just hope she is okay.”
“She just had a near death experience so it is normal if this happens. She’ll be fine.”
“Thank doc,” Kieran said and soon the man was gone.
“Hey, are you okay in there?” He asked as soon as he returned and I just managed a nod.
He took up the glass of water from the bed and brought it closer to me.
“Here, you need to drink.”
He held my head until I was able to take in the water that greased my throat.
“Kieran,” I called out.
“Thank God, you are finally talking.”
“What happened to you?”
“I told you there was someone watching in the dark.”
“Did you see the person?”
“No. The person pushed me from behind. I could have died if you weren’t there to save me.”
“It’s okay, I am glad I was right in time. I cannot begin to imagine what could have happened to you. The doctor says you are fine. You have no injuries. You were just in shock. But you are okay now.”Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.
I touched his hand and mouthed, “Thank you.”
Indeed, he was my saviour. He needed to be because everyday I spent at the palace meant nothing but chaos for me. My presence only attracted more enemies. And I knew the strange happenings were just beginning. I needed to be ready.
…
It was already noon, I laid on the bed with my cheek pressed to the pillow. Feeling weak and tired from having a rumbling stomach all day. The hot bread I had for breakfast played a part in causing its own misery. The pain had subsided and I did not feel the etching desire to throw up or the cramping of my stomach walls. I just wanted to go back to sleep. Kieran had kept me under extreme protection and even restricted my movements which pained me some times when Ithought about it. Lizzy the new maid assigned to me after Donna walked in again, this time she came with a bowl in one hand and a letter on the other hand.
“I made something hot for you, it would help with your belly and this letter came for you.”
“Thanks Lizzy,” I said.
She dropped it on the table together with the bowl. I moved sluggishly out of bed to the chair just in front of the table. With the spoon in my hands, I took out a scoop of the liquid emptying it inside my mouth. My tongue felt numb but I could still taste a bit of the peppermint. I took up the letter tearing it open, it read;
Dearest Clara,
How are you?
I know you might probably be wondering why I had sent this. I have not seen you in days and I would admit that I miss you.
“Miss me?” I muttered chuckling, I read on:
Don’t worry I am doing very well too. And I am also watching over you as I promised. I want you to leave the palace and come to the spot where you met me that night. No one needs to know. And you don’t have to come with the guards. There would be no need for that. I’ll be waiting.
Kieran.
“Where did you say you saw this letter again?” I asked Lizzy.
“Just by the doorstep. Is there a problem?”
“Not at all,” I said.
I read it out loud again, so I could hear the words in his voice. Kieran had shown me so much in so little time. The urge to go and speak to him bubbled as I read the letter again. I wanted to feel his warm stare around me even when he thought that I was not looking. His smile closed the rift of solitude I had created around myself in the past years. I moved away from the chair, to the closet. There, I found a silk white blouse and jeans just perfect for the little adventure. Just like in the letter, I didn’t tell anyone when or where I had gone to. After all, it was Kieran I was going to see. No one would be punished.
I got to the spot exactly where I had found him that night. Although it looked a bit different in day time but Kieran wasn’t there. Instead, some men walked out from behind the tree.
“Who are you guys?” I asked as I turned to run back but they had already surrounded me.
“Hey chick. Love those curved booty,” one of the guys said. He walked closer moving his hands to grab my ass.
“Let go of me!” I shrieked.
But instead they all laughed.
“Maybe she doesn’t like her ass being grabbed lets try the boobs instead,” another guy said rushing for my boobs.
“Stop please,” I threw his hand off.
“What? You don’t want to have fun? What are you doing here then?”
“I am sorry if I disrupted anything but I just came to meet someone here.”
“Yes, you came to meet us. Clara right?”
“How do you know my name?”
“That’s not important,” one of the guys rushed in on me but I moved backwards hitting him hard.
“Oh shit!” He cussed holding his chin, “You bitch, you are going to regret ever doing that.”
They began to move closer as I retraced my step backwards searching for a perfect time to run but that seemedimpossible as they were everywhere.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I had already began to feel the tightening in my chest. The one that felt like my heart would suddenly seize because it has been racing too much. As they drew closer, I saw them clearly
They had shabby hair with dirt on their faces. The man in front of me wore only a sarong and a tattered shirt grinding a piece of stick with his teeth. Then, he grabbed my arm.
“Let her be! She is with me.” I heard from the distance. It was Kieran.
“Who are you?” The guy asked moving forward slowly.
“I’m someone you don’t want to mess with. You better stay back if you don’t want to lose your heads.”
One guy whispered in his ear and then he stopped for a while.
“Oh the Lycan King. I see, you own the fancy palace. We better not see you around here again lady,” the man said to me. Then he turned to the other guys, “Lets go guys.”
He said moving backwards slowly. Kieran held my hands as we walked out. The guys at the back stood for a while before going back to the corner they had crawled out from.
“What we’re you doing in the woods?” Kieran nearlyscreamed as soon as we walked into the palace.
“You sent a letter asking me to meet you there.”
“What letter?” He sounded confused.
“Wait,” I paused, “You didn’t send that letter did you?” I asked.
“No Clara, I didn’t send any letter.”
“What the hell is going on? I asked rhetorically. There was only one person that could answer that.