Chapter 15 Attempted Escape
Vanessa
Three days.
It's been three long, painful and agonizing days in this dingy cell. It's a miracle I'm even allowed to have one bath per day, and fed three meals a day. I was almost sure they would just jump straight to "off with her head!" after all the theatrics Melissa had displayed at my questioning yesterday.
Just thinking about it makes me clench both of my hands in front of me, wishing it's her neck between them as I squeeze so hard her face turns tomato red.
Vanessa's questioning. A day earlier
"Get up," the guard barks, his face stern with frown lines on the corners of his lips which makes me wonder if he's ever smiled in his life.
He grabs my arm roughly and shoves me a little as he leads me to the Royal Court room.
As soon as we enter, my body tenses up when I see Melissa. She has a faux fearful expression on her face when she sees me - her eyes goes comically wide and I almost laugh at the irony.
Wade, the Grand Marshal speaks up. "Now, Melissa, can you repeat what you told us before?"
She stands to her feet slowly, carefully avoiding my eyes and starts to 'recount' her tale. "Well, um, on the day Vanessa tried to have a combat with me, I went to visit her later that night, wanting to apologize for my actions. She was asleep and so I decided to not disturb her and let her rest, that's when I saw it," her voice starts to become unsteady. I marvel at her talent and almost tempted to grab a chair and some popcorns, wanting to see how this beautiful show ends.
"It was sitting on her dresser. I couldn't believe it. It was just there like it wasn't a forbidden object. I got scared and wondered why she had it. I couldn't tell anyone that day but somehow found the courage to tell a friend who encouraged me to report immediately," she finishes.
If my hands hadn't been tied behind my back, I would be clapping right now. Wow! She deserves an Oscar!
Wade turns to me, "Is this true?"
"No, sir. I don't know what else she might've told you but I assure you everything she has just said now is false." Then I turn to her. "It's shocking how it was conveniently sitting there for you to find it. Tell me how did you figure out it was a rune and a forbidden one at that?"
Her mask falters but she covers it up fast. "Well, I've made research on things like this before. Everyone in this pack knows enough to know when a certain object doesn't belong."
Wade nods. "True. Vanessa, since you still insist on denying, until proven not guilty, you will remain in confinement as we try to get to the bottom of this and how the object came into your possession."
"Oh, please sir, do not be harsh on her. She must not even have enough knowledge on what having something like that means. So even if she's found guilty, please lighten her punishment," Melissa pleads, tears springing to her eyes.
"We will consider your request. Thank you, Melissa," Wade replies.
I look to Elias again but this time, he doesn't look away, instead, he looks at me with a pained expression. His eyes telling me he knows I'm innocent and will help me get out of this situation. I give him a subtle nod.
I've only known him for a short while, but he's been like a father to me ever since meeting him at the library.
I sneak a glance at Elda, the Seer who's always quiet and seems to always talk in cryptic messages and shiver. Her white eyes staring intently at me - like she's looking right through me, then it lowers. I wonder what she sees everywhere she looks.
Wade signals for the guard to take me back.
Melissa passes by us, the corner of her lips curl into a triumphant smirk. Got you, it seems to say, and I get locked up. Again.
Presently
"I'll get you out of here. I promise." I hug my knees tighter as I remember his last words to me a few hours ago.
I wonder how and when, because Melissa seems to have sunken her claws deep into the Royal Council, ensuring I'm not getting out of here anytime soon.
There's only one way...
Thankfully, I'm not chained up, which gives me the freedom to stand and look up at the moonlight shining it's light between the cold bars of the window which was only one inch higher than my height.
Sneaking a look through cells bars, I notice there were no guards stationed at the moment, probably retired for the night and confident that a human isn't strong enough to pull the bars off their hinges.
Well, you'd be surprised.
Walking back to the windows, I grip the bars, giving it a little shake but it won't budge. I try again but it's still the same thing, and I groan in frustration.
I start to pace, trying to think of something - anything to get me out of here.
Then my eyes catch onto something. I go to pick it up. It's a small piece of rusted nail, and I turn to the window again. I notice the small cracks hidden between the stone hold the bars together.
With determined concentration, I start to chip it away slowly until all that left is the window bars attached to nothing.
Immediately, I climb up, using the rough, protruding rocks on the wall for support. Once I'm halfway out of the cell, I push my body all the way forward until I'm falling on hard rocks down below.
I groan, a flood of pain washing over my body, but I don't stop, I keep moving.
My foot must have stepped on something because in the wnt instant, an alarm blares out, a deafening cry throughout the pack.
With my heart beating erratically in my chest, I run, picking up speed and tripping over myself as I go.
I have no choice, I need to prove it wasn't me. That's all.
My foot gets caught on a small rock and I go down face first, but I'm saved from the impact when a strong arm wraps itself around my waist and I'm pressed against a rock hard chest that vibrates at the closeness.
Then he growls, low and dangerous into my ear, "You're in big trouble, Firecracker."