Chapter 83 Forgotten
Keal laid Lila carefully on the bed but didn't linger afterward. He walked out immediately, not waiting for Freya to arrive. His expression remained unreadable as he left.
When Freya finally arrived, she checked Lila's pulse and breathing, examined her eyes and skin. After a thorough inspection, she straightened and looked around the room with disapproval.
"Clear this up and move her back to her initial chambers." She gestured at the ornaments hanging from the ceiling, the bowls of oils, the ritual candles still burning. "You all clearly scared the young woman half to death."
With that simple dismissal, Freya walked out without offering any explanation for what had happened or why Lila had reacted so violently.
Sydney bent over where Lila lay unconscious and gently took her hand. She examined the palm carefully, noting the line where the ritual knife had cut during the rejection ceremony. The wound had healed quickly but remained visible, a thin scar crossing from the base of her thumb to her wrist.
"Why do you seem so attached to this cursed girl?" Aria's voice came from across the room, dripping with disgust. "She's nothing now. Less than nothing."
"She seems to be going through so much." Sydney spoke quietly, still holding Lila's hand with care. "She's so young yet has faced terrible troubles."
"Syd, she killed more than forty people." Aria's voice hardened. "A simple banishment and demotion to servant isn't equivalent to all the souls that died because of her curse."
"Did she literally stab them with a knife?" Sydney looked up, meeting Aria's eyes. "This was a disease that happened before in the exact same pattern. It was treated the same way then as now. Remember how the present Alpha's mother died?"
Aria was quiet for a long moment before waving the argument away dismissively. That outbreak had been nearly a decade ago and yet nothing proved that a forbidden relationship wasn't the cause then too. This curse followed the same pattern, so naturally the same procedures had to be performed.
"That's your problem." Aria's voice turned cold. "Just remember I won't go easy on her just because you feel attached. Servant workload isn't delegated by emotions. Remember your position and keep your distance, or you'll stand to challenge me directly."
Sydney looked up sharply and withdrew her hand from Lila's. It seemed Aria really didn't like her and wasn't going to take it easy now that Lila had been brought low to servant status. Any kindness shown would be seen as defiance.
She watched as Aria observed her responsive action to the threat with clear satisfaction before walking out.
Later, they carefully moved Lila back to her original chambers and removed all the ritual elements that might terrify her further when she woke. They dressed her in a simple gray servant's dress and left her to rest properly.
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Lila opened her eyes feeling more at peace this time. She'd had no dreams, no nightmares of earth swallowing her or Celeste laughing. She found herself in her familiar room, properly clothed in comfortable fabric.
Everything that had happened before felt distant and dreamlike. Her mind brought back fragmented memories of running through cold hallways and colliding with someone who had brown eyes. Strong arms holding her. A warm coat.
She sat up slowly and saw a thick cashmere coat hanging beside her bed. That was when she realized it hadn't been entirely a dream. Some of it had been real.
She remembered scattered scenes but strangely couldn't process the memories properly. They felt like they belonged to someone else, like stories she'd been told rather than experiences she'd lived.
Lila stood in her gray gown, simple and decent, the type she usually wore around the palace. She moved to touch the cashmere coat, running her fingers over the soft material.
As she stood glancing around and trying desperately to piece together her fractured memories, the door burst open. Maya rushed inside, her face lighting up with relief.
On seeing Lila awake and standing, Maya frantically rushed forward and hugged her tight.
But Lila stood completely still, shocked and uncertain. She didn't place her arms around Maya in return.
Maya found this reaction strange and pulled back, confused. "Lady Lila, is something wrong?"
She searched Lila's face, wondering if her lady held a grudge because their escape plan had failed so spectacularly.
"I promise I never told anyone about your escape." Maya's words came rushed and desperate. "I swore I didn't know where you went. I even got locked up and beaten because some guards testified seeing me help you, but I never admitted anything. I protected you as much as I could."
"What are you saying?" Lila asked with raised brows, genuinely confused. This young woman, probably her age or perhaps two years younger, was talking about things Lila had absolutely no memory of doing.
"I mean, I tried to help you run away from here. To save you from the sacrifice." Maya's voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't you remember? You dressed as a servant. I gave you my coat. You rode through the night to Moonstone Province."
"Why would I try to run?" Lila interrupted, her confusion growing deeper. "My sister only got buried yesterday and I tried to abandon her funeral?"
Maya gasped sharply and stepped backward, her hand flying to cover her mouth in horror.