Chapter Nine: Little suspicions

Baila

I groaned into consciousness. The ruffled bed space beside me told me all I needed to know. Sara had spent the night in my room. With a frightfully loud yawn, I jumped out of bed and strecthed. My muscles felt sore from releasing my demon the previous night. Memories came flowing back in and I pieced them together as my back popped and my pain was relieved.

I had rejected Nolan's help the previous night. I felt horrible about it. My rejection must have stung him and hurt his pride. Lycans had a lot of pride.

The sun wasn't shining and I had a feeling that last night's occurrence could be the cause. I wanted to bathe in the river and I wondered if Nolan would allow me to go. With a slight shake of my head, I headed out to find him. I was determined to apologize even if he shut me down.

I found Nolan behind a stack of books piled on the table in his bedroom. He looked up from the books when I stepped in before gulping down the goblet of wine he held. When he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, it did things to me.

"Are my guards incompetent?" Nolan inquired.

"Aaron allowed me to come in?" I replied. I had been surprised when the beta ushered me in without a word. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday"

"It was nothing really," Nolan brushed me off, focusing on an opened book laid out in front of him.

I bowed my head "No. It's not nothing. You offered your help and I refused it. It was rude of me given everything you've done for me so I am truly sorry,"

I looked up to find blue eyes staring at me. My breath caught in her throat as he rounded the table to come to me.

"You have one more day left before you need to leave but you'll be staying until I find out exactly who sent the creatures. I'm sure it's no coincidence that they attacked the night after your arrival." Nolan stepped closer to me until his skin kissed my dress and I could hear his heartbeat.

He bent down to whisper into my ears "If what happened last night has anything to do with you, I will kill you myself,"

I nodded in understanding even though his words ripped my heart apart for some reason.

"Do you understand?" he hissed, "Use your words"

"I understand," I gulped. When Nolan went back to his place behind the table of books, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

I was a witch. Nolan would never trust me.

"I have work to do. You should leave,"

I nodded and proceeded to stumble out of the room. I was a fool. I had thought that somehow, her apology would soften his heart. I was wrong and I would not repeat that mistake again. I also had more pressing matters at hand like the letter I wrote to my mother and how to escape the realm before the high king's guards caught up with me. Still, I wondered why news of my crime had not spread wide and far by now.

I met a guard on my way back to my room and quickly changed my mind, I was not going to spend another day cooped up in my room. Instead, I was going to spendmy day with the physician, Sara.

According to the guard, Sarah was in the apothecary which was a floor above my room. I thanked him for the information and rushed up the first flight of staircase I could find. After running into a few locked rooms, I finally found the apothecary.

Fortunately for me, there were no guards on the floor and I wondered why. Sara's red hair had been held up in a ponytail and she was bent over a small bowl with her back facing me. I smiled giddily as I knocked on the open door.

Sara spun around with a startled look in her green eyes. Her eyes glowed brighter when she recognized me.

"Baila," she greeted warmly.

"There were no guards on the floor. No one to stop me," I chuckled

"I sent them away," Sara responded, swirling the small bowl in her hand without taking her eyes off me.

"Why?" I asked, curious to know what made the physician send away her protection.

"I...I...I needed privacy," Sara stuttered, swirling the bowl more violently. The blue liquid sloshed harder, spilling on Sara's brown apron.

"Jared be cursed!" Sara exclaimed, placing the bowl on the table behind her with trembling hands.

I knew Sara was being dishonest about why she sent the guards away but since Sara was my only friend, I decided not to push her.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course. Of course," Sara responded eagerly as she wiped the blue liquid from her hand with a rag. I stepped in, grateful that someone was excited to see me. It had been a while since anyone had jumped at the chance to spend time with me. Even my mother didn't seem too happy to see me on most days.

"What are you working on?"

"Come closer," Sara beckoned, grabbing my hand and pulling her toward a table of different shades of blue liquid. "Winter will be upon us soon and my uncle was working on a serum before he died. It's supposed to promote the rapid growth of plants. I'm still trying to piece it all together before winter but I'm no genius like my uncle was."

It looked like Sara had big shoes to fill and didn't feel like she was doing her best. I placed my hand on Sara's and smiled at her.

"I know that we don't know each other at all but I think what matters is doing your best and that's all I see you doing,"

Sara's green eyes glowed with unshed tears and as I squeezed her hand comfortingly, I felt a budding friendship start to form.

******************

I didn't spend too long in the apothecary. After Sara had arranged bottles of liquid, herbs and powdered substances that made me dizzy, the duo headed outside the castle. Sara had given me a cloak that she kept in her apothecary for some unknown reason. It was a fine heavy black cloak with dark brown fur stitched to the collar of its hood and a beautiful embroidery of snowflakes.

I thought that the cloak flattered my green dress and made it look prettier. As the royal physician, gamma and member of the blue council, Sara held a lot of power--power that got us out of the castle and into the woods that led to the lake I drowned in.

We walked in silence until I decided to ask a question that popped into my mind.

"Why is it called the blue council?" I asked, referring to the council that ruled the entire kingdom of Kerros alongside the king.

"It is believed that after the first council members were chosen, the king took them to the highest point in Kerros and on a full moon with a witch among them, they worshiped the moon goddess. As a reward for restoring peace and hope, she made their blood blue like the waters in her garden so the council members would forever be distinguished from ordinary people." Sara explained easily.

She shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her dress and glanced at me quickly. I couldn't help but notice the red blood that rushed up the physician's cheek.

"What about you? what really brought you here?" Sara inquired. By now, we had travelled deeper into the forest and I could see the outline of the river from a short distance.

"I did something I shouldn't have. Something terrible and I run," I replied. Even though it wasn't half of the true story, I felt that it was better than a lie. I did not want to lie to Sara.

Sara nodded but I still saw the spark in her eyes. She wanted to know more.

Once we reached the lake, I quickly undressed and dived in. It was ice cold but soothing. When I came up for air, I caught Sara shivering in the water.

"I've never done this before," she said, her lips trembling.

"I did this all the time back at home," I laughed, splashing Sara with the water. Sara squealed and splashed me as I tried to swim away from her.

"I mean, I've swam in this lake several times before but never naked," Sara explained as she wiped down her face.

My face fell and the smile on her face was wiped away quickly. "Oh, I understand. Are you uncomfortable?"

"No. I'm perfect just cold," Sara stammered, clenching her teeth from the cold.

"Don't act like a summer queen. You're a winter wolf. Surely, this is nothing," I teased, floating on my back.

"It is but the goosebumps won't go away," Sara hissed playfully, splashing around in the water.

"I'll have a look to make sure you're not pulling my legs," I rolled my eyes and swam towards Sara. Our legs brushed against each other and it sent a shiver up my spine. It wasn't like any of the ones I had experienced with Nolan but it was close.

My eyes went to the pale white skin of Sara's shoulders. The drops of water on her skin made her look even more alluring. I reached her hand out to trace the goosebumps on her arm. I heard Sara take in a sharp breath. When I looked at Sara's face, her green eyes had a strange golden ring around them. Her lips were pink and rosy with droplets of water.

I drew closer to Sara and focused on her green eyes but those green eyes were staring at my lips. I could hear nothing but our breathing. Our lips had merely brushed together. My eyes fluttered shut and for a second, I was at peace. There was no thought of my mother or the witches or Nolan or how hopeless my situation was. All I could think about was how wrong what I was about to do was.

A menacing growl broke us apart and we stared at the woods with wide eyes as a pair of glowing blue eyes glared at us.