Chapter 46: Chapter 46
ROGUE LANDS
"The rogue wants to kill me." The frail woman said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "You have to run away. He’d imprison you too."
Maria felt a sense of dread overwhelm her. Trevor was the king here, could she be speaking about him?
"Which rogue wants to kill you?"
The woman hesitated, her tone was even lower than before. "Trevor."
Maria felt the pressure in her blood rise and she swallowed hard, trying to keep her cool. "You mean Trevor locked you down here."
The woman nodded weakly. "You have to escape"
Maria’s lips quivered as the reply refused to escape her mouth. Was this woman talking about the same Trevor that sat at her bed to feed her medicine, the same man who saved her life and who even gave her a tool to protect herself.
"You’re lying," Maria retorted after much thought. "Trevor is my mate. He wouldn’t lock anyone without reason."
A faint chuckle escaped the woman’s lips. "He isn’t what he seems. Run away, but promise me you will help me escape too." She looked at Maria with weary pleading eyes.
Maria was torn between trusting this stranger or trusting Trevor. She moved closer to the lock and it burnt her skin. ’silver,’ she muttered through gritted teeth.
"Run away. I sense Veilwood energy on you. Tell the people I’m still alive,"
Maria furrowed her brows in confusion. The woman looked at her desperately. Before Maria could think of an answer, she heard footsteps advancing towards them.
"Quick, hide." The prisoner said.
Maria ducked behind the broad iron door. It covered her body, and she peeped through the space to see who it was. It was Devon, one of the men who ate dinner at the table.
He walked towards her with a plate of food which he slipped through the small space underneath the bars.
Maria’s eyes widened in disbelief. She mistakenly hit the door, and it creaked, causing Devon’s attention to be directed towards her. His gaze moved to the door, although it settled too short for her to tell if he had seen her or not.
She heaved a sigh of relief when he left without saying anything. After sensing the place was clear, Maria came out of her hiding spot.
She met the prisoner who stuffed the food into her mouth like it was her first meal in days.
"How do I release you?" She asked.
"You can’t. It’s silver. You have to dissolve it with acid."
Maria bit her lip hard, wondering if it was possible to get acid, and wondering if it was a wise thing to trust this stranger.
"I sense you’re from Veilwood. If you help me escape, we can run there together and you’d find out more about yourself."
Maria furrowed her brows and a frown appeared on her face. She hadn’t told this woman that she was suffering from memory loss or that she wanted to know more about herself.
"How do you know that I have memory loss?"
"Your behaviour says it all. You have to leave now and return later with the acid." The woman said weakly. Her plate was already empty.
"What’s your name?" Maria whispered as she was already close to the exit.
"Freye." The woman said in response.
After Maria left the hidden dungeon, she felt too overwhelmed to continue reading in the library. She took the book about mating bonds and headed to her room.
She tried to continue reading it under the faint candlelight, but her thoughts screamed too loudly for the words to make sense. She kept hearing what Freye revealed earlier and it sent shivers down her spine.
There was no way the Trevor who she knew was a tyrant. "Was it safe to trust Freye?" She asked herself multiple times.
She was eager to know about this energy Freye sensed on her. She mentioned Veilwood and how she can take her there to help recover her memory. She wanted to know more about herself more than anything.
Her eyes refused to shut and sleep continued to elude her. The candle light went dimmer and she stared into the darkness, her mind filled with numerous thoughts of who am I? And who is Trevor?
While thinking of this, she wasn’t even aware when she drifted into sleep.
It was a dream. She saw herself standing on a raised platform with people bowing to her. It was out in the open, and she could see the tall trees that surrounded her.
They chorused something that sounded like Gulan, and a crown was placed on her head.
The person who gave her the crown said, "Finally, we’ve found our leader."
While the event was still taking its course, a monster which looked like a wild cat advanced towards her, nearly ripping her throat apart.
A wolf blocked it, and the wild cat bit deep into its neck, then disappeared. The wolf lay on the floor, dead from the bite, and then it transformed into a man—Trevor. She screamed in horror as he lay dead on the floor. The people around her just stood without flinching.
She woke up from the nightmare screaming. The candle had almost melted completely. Her entire body was sweaty. She glanced outside and the sky was still pitch black.
As if on cue, Trevor entered the room. She didn’t know if she should feel terrified or relieved to see him.
"I heard your screams. Is everything okay, Blossom?" He moved closer to her.
She was supposed to move away from him, owing to what Freye revealed, but she found herself leaning into his arms for a hug.
"I was scared." She muttered with her face buried in his chest.
"It’s alright Blossom. Nightmares happen." He patted her back and stroked her hair in a gentle manner.
She had no idea why she clung to him despite the warning from Freye to escape. Maybe it was because she was scared from losing him in the dream, or it could be because of this strange pull she felt in her chest when she woke up. Could it be the mate bond?
His warmth was what calmed her. If the woman’s words were so true, then why did his arms feel safe?