Chapter 204

Chapter 204 Mysterious woman

● 25%

&

CA SSANDRA

I blinked in confusion and tried to gather myself, but my heart raced, and my head felt as if it were drowning in a sea of thoughts.

Beams of sunlight filtered in through the window, which told me it was already morning. That dream had felt so short, but hours had pa*sed by like minutes.

“I’m sorry to wake you,” Erika apologized when I met her eyes again. “I found you shaking and grew worried. Your teeth were clenched, and you were whimpering. Did you have a nightmare, honey?”

I shook my head, but only a little. It wasn’t exactly a nightmare, though it had been unpleasant. I wondered if “Emmett” would have told me something useful if my dream hadn’t been interrupted. I didn’t believe the dream would have been prophetic, but I wondered if my late husband had indeed left me something like he’d said.

He must have because otherwise, why was Kaleb so determined to bring me to the North? But what could it be? Emmett hadn’t left me anything besides thick medical tomes and some of his notebooks. Nothing in those books seemed suspicious… but had I missed something?

Part of me wanted to scream in frustration. This was all such a tangled mess. All I wanted was to go back to my life at Kellers and divide my time between patients, Finnick, and Asher. I dreamed of a world that didn’t involve warring Packs, military coups, mysterious illnesses, and hidden identities. I just yearned for a

normal life.

But I knew that wasn’t possible. I was too deep in it now to go back to living a normal, carefree life.

I managed to gather myself and convince Erika that I was fine, and though the maid didn’t seem all that convinced, she let the subject go. We woke Finnick up a bit

1/5

III

O

Sat, 6 Jan

Chapter 204 Mysterious woman.

later, and soon after, a guard arrived at our door and informed us it was time to

leave.

25%L

We tidied the room quickly, left the inn, and filed back into the car. Just like last. night, we remained silent, and once Kaleb was seated in the pa*senger seat, the driver started the car, and we resumed our journey.

I stared out the window the entire time and admired the snow on the ground. It wasn’t a thick layer, but it was enough to make me stare in wonder. Though Yurene thus far was different than Wegalla, it reminded me a lot of Wild Crawler in the winter. It was full of forests and wildlife, something that was wholly absent in the bustling city of Anemond.

It was already noon when we finally arrived to a place Kaleb informed me was called Vlokwell. It was a large city, resembling Anemond, but with much fewer people. The streets weren’t even remotely bustling, and there were half as many tall buildings. I was taken aback by the architecture. Everything was all white and gray brick, giving it a sort of gloomy, wintery feeling.

Eventually, the car stopped at a palace, or rather, a large structure more like a castle or fortress. The white brick walls were very high, with towers rising into the sky and a large, s piked gate surrounding it. The many windows of the palace were covered by thin black bars, and I noted that the structure’s stone sparkled in the sunlight. It was beautiful but strange to see.

The gate was patrolled by several guards outfitted in heavy silver armor, and as they let us through and into the palace grounds, I wondered if Yurene was at war. I wasn’t sure if they had any conflicts with any of the surrounding countries or Pack s at the present, but the security here was obviously strict. We had pa*sed quite a few sentries after entering Vlokwell, and I had the feeling that once we entered the palace, there would be many more security checks.

When the car stopped, Kaleb turned around to face us.

“Welcome to my palace,” he said, and though he still appeared tired, there was a glint in his dark blue eyes.

We got out of the car, and as we followed the king into the castle, he spoke

|||

O

<

2/5

at, 6 Jan

Chapter 204 Mysterious woman

again.

25%B

“I have a meeting with all of the diplomats, so I’ll be indisposed for a while,” he announced, and he ran his hand over his golden brown hair to smooth it. “I trust you can handle yourselves in my absence.”

He introduced us to the head ser ant, a woman named Ms. Benn. She was a serious woman with pale blue eyes, a slightly pinched mouth, and blonde hair that was pulled back into a neat bun. She greeted us simply, and then Kaleb turned to

me.

“Ms. Benn will take you to your room,” he said. “I’ll visit you when I have the

time.”

I nodded and shoved down the lump in my throat. When the king left us, Ms. Benn escorted us to our room, which was located in the side building. She didn’t speak much, but I was alright with that.

The room was clean and large, though somewhat sterile and plain. Like the rest of the palace, the walls and floors were white, and while there was a little color from the pale blue bedspreads, it wasn’t enough to feel comfortable. Though it had many amenities, like the enormous beds, a desk, a small dining area, and a sitting room, this place was akin to an ice palace. Cold and uninviting.

“If you need anything else, come visit me in my parlor,” Ms. Benn announced after she finished the tour of the room. “It’s located at the left corner of the first

floor.”

us.

“Thank you,” I replied, and after she gave me a slight nod, the head se rvant left

Once we were alone, Erika and I exchanged a glance, and then she offered me

a bitter smile.

“It feels like a prison,” she commented, and I nodded. She was right. The whole castle felt like a well-guarded prison. There weren’t any guards inside because there was no need for them. The walls surrounding the place were thick and high. Looking through the window, I could see nothing but the gate.

|||

3/5

Chapter 204 Mysterious woman.

Strange.

25%

As we began to unpack, I realized Finnick had been quiet since our arrival. While normally, that wasn’t too unusual, I noticed that his face and l*ps were pale. Since our departure from the inn this morning, he had been sleeping in Erika’s arms, but I hadn’t thought much about it.

When I placed my hand on his forehead, I realized he had a fever.

Erika laid him on the bed, and I checked his temperature to confirm my suspicions. I supposed it could be a cold due to the quick weather change.

I tried to keep him warm and wrapped a thick blanket around him. I held his hand and rubbed his back with the other gently.

He didn’t say anything; just closed his eyes and shivered

After a couple of hours, I began to wonder if it was more than just a cold. Despite the heavy blanket, Finnick wasn’t sweating at all, and his fever persisted. His l*ps were not only pale but had started to turn purple.

I knew I needed to seek help at once.

“Can you keep an eye on him?” I asked Erika, and once she nodded, I swiftly left the room and hurried down the winding staircase to the first floor. I followed Ms. Benn’s instructions and found the parlor, but it was locked. I glanced at the clock. It was 3:00 PM, yet the space seemed rather empty, with no se rvants in the long, white marble hallway.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I needed help, but no one was around. I wondered if I should yell and call out for someone. But I heard a woman’s voice behind me before I could do so.

“What are you doing here?”

I turned around to find a young woman standing there. She was beautiful, with high cheekbones, large, curious greenish-blue eyes, tanned skin, and shoulder-length wavy black hair. She was quite tall and had a thin but subtly

|||

4/5

Chapter 204 Mysterious woman

muscular build. She wasn’t wearing armor or a se rvant’s attire, so I wasn’t sure what her station was, nor her identity.

“I’m looking for Ms. Benn,” I explained.

“Ms. Benn is usually busy at this time and is probably in the kitchen overseeing dinner preparations,” the young woman explained, her voice heavily accented like Kaleb’s. “What do you need?”

Her tone was polite and hospitable enough, so I quickly explained Finnick’s

current condition and asked if there was a healer in the castle.

The woman nodded thoughtfully. “There isn’t a healer here, but I know what you’re talking about. It sounds like a poison, but don’t be worried. I can help.”