Chapter 17 Framed
CHAPTER 17: Framed
Seraphine's POV
I didn’t think.. I just ran and Lyrin was beside me instantly. A few lycan soldiers who had been nearby rushed after us with claws already half out and eyes glowing.
“What happened?” one of them barked.
“I don’t know,” I shouted back. “It came from my quarters!”
My heart was racing so fast it hurt and all I could think was, Maya. Please let it not be Maya.
We reached my door and the smell hit me first. It was sharp, bitter and burning and I recognized it immediately as Wolvesbane.
I froze at the doorway.
Inside, the room was a mess, my chair was overturned, ny sheets were half dragged off the bed and in the middle of the room, writhing on the floor was the rude middle-aged maid who had replaced Maya.
Her skin was red and blistering and smoke almost seemed to rise from where the liquid had splashed her arms and neck. She screamed in pain with her body shaking violently.
“Oh goddess…” I whispered.
The moment her eyes locked on me, something snapped and her scream changed. It turned into a snarl.
“You!” she shrieked.
Her fingers twisted with bones cracking as claws forced their way out and her eyes glowed bright gold as she pushed herself up despite the pain.
“She did this!” the maid roared. “She tried to kill me!”
Before I could even open my mouth, she lunged and I barely had time to gasp before Lyrin moved.
“Enough!” Lyrin shouted.
She slammed into the maid from the side, grabbing her arms and forcing them behind her back with shocking strength.
“Hold her!” Lyrin snapped at the soldiers.
Two lycans rushed forward, restraining the maid as she fought and cursed wildly.
“Explain yourself,” Lyrin demanded. “Now.”
The maid laughed harshly with her voice shaking with rage and pain.
“She set a trap!” she spat, glaring at me. “I came in to clean, just like I was told. Just to do my duty and then...” she screamed as the wolvesbane burned her again, “...I walked straight into it!”
“That’s a lie,” I said quickly. “I don’t even know where to get wolvesbane.”
“You’re human!” the maid screamed. “Humans use poison, humans cheat and stab from behind!”
“That doesn’t make it true,” I snapped back.
Lyrin raised a hand sharply.
“Enough of this shit.” She looked down at the maid with hard eyes. “You’re in no state to accuse anyone.”
“She tried to kill me!” the maid insisted. “She wants us dead!”
Lyrin ignored her and turned to the soldiers.
“Take her to the infirmary. Now.”
“But...” one soldier started.
“Now,” Lyrin repeated.
The soldiers dragged the maid away, still screaming curses at me as she went.
“This isn’t over!” she yelled. “I’ll make sure the king knows!”
The moment she was gone, the room felt too quiet and I hugged my arms around myself, the picture of a shaken up human girl.
“I didn’t do this,” I said softly. “I swear.”
Lyrin studied my face for a long second.
“I know,” she said finally.
Before I could thank her, rough hands grabbed my arms.
“What... hey!” I protested.
Two lycan soldiers pulled me away from the doorway.
“She must answer for this,” one of them growled.
“Let go of me!” I snapped.
They didn’t. They dragged me down the halls and straight toward the throne room like I was already guilty.
Great. Just fucking great!
When we burst into the throne room, Aric was already there as usual and he looked tired.. very tired and the moment he saw me, he rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
“By the goddess,” he muttered. “Will I ever have peace with this human in my house?”
My jaw clenched.
“I didn’t do anything.”
The guards shoved me forward.
“My king,” one of them said, “the human poisoned her maid with wolvesbane.”
“What?” I snapped. “That’s not...”
“She laid a trap!” the guard continued. “The maid walked right into it.”
Aric rubbed his temple.
“Of course she did.”
Before I could defend myself, Lyrin stepped forward.
“That’s enough,” she said sharply.
Aric looked up, surprised.
“Lyrin?”
“She didn’t do it,” Lyrin said firmly.
The room went quiet and Aric raised a brow.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes,” Lyrin replied. “For one, she doesn’t have access to wolvesbane. Second, the poison was poorly hidden and too obvious. Seraphine is many things but she isn’t careless and I can tell.”
I blinked in surprise.. Was… was she defending me?
“And third,” Lyrin added, “why would she poison her own maid and draw attention to herself when she already has half the court watching her every breath?”
Aric studied me closely and then he sighed.
“I don’t have time for this,” he said. “I have bigger problems than a squabble between servants.”
My head snapped up.
“So… that’s it?”
“Yes,” he said coldly. “Dismissed.”
The guards hesitated and then released me.
As I walked past Lyrin, she leaned closer and whispered, “You owe me one, human girl.”
I glanced at her.
“I won’t forget.”
She smirked in return.
The days after that fussed together. Nothing happened which somehow felt worse. Life in the pack grew quiet.m too quiet for me. People whispered when I passed and some didn’t even bother lowering their voices.
“Human.”
“Poisoner.”
“Why is she still here?”
I kept my head down because I knew Vespera was behind the wolvesbane attack. I felt it in my bones but I had no proof and without proof, I was nothing but a human making accusations in a lycan court.
So I stayed careful.. very careful. I spoke only when needed and I walked only where allowed but my eyes? My mind? Always working.
Every hall, every door and every guard shift. I memorized it all.. When the time came… I would be ready.
I didn’t sleep in Aric’s room again. I stayed in my room.. or rather my prison cell and on this particular night, I was just about to lie down when a knock came at the door.
“Yes?” I called.
A servant bowed.
“My lady, the king wishes to see you.”
My stomach tightened.
“Now?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I followed the servant through quiet halls until we reached the balcony where the servant bowed and left.
Aric stood with his back to me, staring into the darkness and silence stretched for a while between us and then he spoke.
“Tell me about Red River Village...”