Chapter 95: Chapter Ninety Five

Keira's Pov

I woke up, my eyes wet with tears that had rolled downwards.

I continued to sniff, wiping my tears as they rolled down continuously.

‘What just happened?’ Maini asked, dazed just like I was.

“I’m going home.” I sniffed again, sitting up gently, leaning against the dirty wall.

‘It was real. I felt it.’ Maini whispered, sounding near to tears.

“I know it was real, and we only have to do what she says. It would be fine. I've never felt freer to tell everything to someone. Finally, I feel less hopeless, but first, I'll need to do something about this situation.”

I skidded around the halls, looking for doors, trapdoors, and ways to get out. And luck found me.

Instead of finding a trapdoor, I found a door, with light peeking out at the edges. Running to it, I pulled, hoping against hope that it would be open, and I'd be able to come out safely.

The door came out freely and lots of air gushed in freely, slapping my face like a flood.

For how long was I out in my head? It was evening already!

I stepped out, hearing the rush of water. Before me in the distance, there was a large water fountain, spilling out water amazingly. This was the back of the Palace.

I closed the door gently, and made my way out, and when I looked back, I couldn't find the door anymore.

It was nothing but a solid wall.

‘This is how nobody finds it. The door looks like a wall on the outside.’ Maini said, and for some reason, I felt a little terrified. What if I needed to run, and couldn't get back in?

I stole across the distance, walking quickly in the direction of Valerie’s place. Would they save me, or would they only be too happy to give me up to Zane?

I didn't know what exactly I would do if they pushed me out, but the end was in sight already. I had to hang on even though it was with my pinky.

I got to Valerie's place without much stress or needing to hide. She was outside, pacing with her maids.

“Valerie!”

She turned sharply immediately she saw me, before looking left and right frantically.

“You fool!” She shouted, grabbing my arm. She pulled me into the house, and led me to the living room where Damien was seated on a sofa, tapping his feet endlessly on the ground.

Damn, I was in trouble.

“Luna is coming. The witch said so. Keira, we will have to discuss other strategies,” Damien said, without looking at me, “This is a sure sign. The Alphas finding out that you're not Luna can only mean Luna has found a way to reach out to them. We will have to kill the Alphas faster.”

Wait… what? They thought Luna reached out to the Alphas?

They didn't know that I was the one who told them myself, and about a witch he mentioned. Was he using dark magic? If Zane figured out about this, it would be a living nightmare for Damien!

“First, we will have to stop Luna from coming. We have placed guards all around the border, and around the Palace. If they see her, they will murder her immediately.” Damien said, and my brain went all fuzzy. They weren't talking about me going back.

Clearly, they would use me and dump me when they were done.

“How would we identify the guards that are ours? What if there's a mixup somewhere?” I asked, and Valerie snorted.

“What crazy mixup? The guards know themselves. We don't need any crazy means of identifying them.”

Damn, this was a problem!

“And me? If the Alphas find me now, they'll kill me. Are you going to throw me at them?”

“No, silly. They mustn't kill you yet. If they kill you, and the real Luna miraculously gets past our barriers and guards, then they would know she's the real one. We can't afford that, so you will stay hidden till the real Luna is dead.” Valerie said, and I realized I'd entered a trap.

I couldn't stay with them when the end of all this was in sight! No, I couldn't.

“I understand. I will be here.” I replied, even though my brain was working as quickly as it could, so I could find a way to escape my predicament.

~

Valerie's maids assigned me a room, and I pretended to be obedient. However, that night, I took out my hair dye, after searching through the room for cosmetics. I dyed my hair a rich red, before painting my lips in the same way, and making my eyes and brows look darker.

I let my hair fall over my face to lessen the risk of recognition before finding my way to the maid's quarters by following two maids who were busy discussing in low voices.

In the maid’s quarters, I was in extreme luck as maid uniforms were everywhere. It wasn't so hard to snatch one, go into the restroom and tug the gray uniform on.

When I saw myself in the mirror, I was barely recognizable. This was something I had to do, I told myself.

And I would do it.

After dressing like a maid, it was easier to slip out of the house, with no one paying me any attention. I'd already gotten a little piece of paper with me on which I'd scribbled letters.

My heart thrummed as I approached the Palace door.

The guards there…

Were they for Damien, or for Zane?

It was so hard to guess, but I decided to ditch it.

So I went to one of the guards, with my head bowed low. “Who are you?” He growled.

“I am Sarah Welfield.” I said, extending the note to him.

I could see him studying the uniform, but he didn't say anything.

As soon as he took the note, I walked away from him, finding my way out of the Palace, walking quickly.

The noise of my breathing increased, and my heart pounded silly like it was demanding to get out of my chest, but I stayed sane.

My note had read, SHE HAS ARRIVED. SHE IS IN THE FOREST.

If they were Valerie's men, they would come prepared. If they weren't, they would come out of curiosity, or try to reach Valerie first.

Either outcome was risky, but I was willing to take it.