Chapter 87


    Chapter 87 Caught him


    CA SSANDRA


    Adalyn’s eyes widened at themotion and she sprang into action. She rose from her seat, swept


    Marco into her arms, and backed away from the table.


    “What’s going on?” she demanded, and she looked between Erika and me. “Something doesn’t make


    sense here. Are… are you trying to kill me?” Her tone grew more shrill with every word and her body


    began to tremble. I didn’t know what to say, but I knew I had to say something quickly. Arguing with


    Adalyn didn’t matter. All I wanted was for Lancel to catch whoever was eavesdropping on


    1.


    “Answer me, healer!” Adalyn shouted when I didn’t reply.


    “Lady Adalyn, if I wanted you to die, I wouldn’t have stopped you from drinking that tea,” I pointed out to


    her as I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.


    Adalyn’s face contorted, but she didn’t have any other argument to make She held Marco close and


    rushed out of the room. I had half a mind to stop her and beg her to stay here in the chamber. It could


    be dangerous out there if the guards were trying to catch whoever was spying on us. But it was no use.


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    Adalyn Moses listened to no one.


    My eyes fell on Erika, who appeared as if she were going to faint. All of the color had left her cheeks


    and her chest heaved as she fought to catch her breath. I


    rushed over to her and held my arm out to steady her.


    “Erika!” I gasped as she nearly fell over.


    “Oh, Ca ssandra,” she uttered in shock. “Oh, Ca ssandra… I didn’t… I don’t understand. I… I poured


    the tea myself. I didn’t… I didn’t know…”


    “Erika, breathe,” I insisted. “Please. I know this wasn’t your fault.”


    “Was the tea… was it poisoned?” she asked quietly.


    “It seems that way,” I said. “But Erika, I know it wasn’t your fault or your doing. Something is going on


    here, something bad.”


    As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was terrified. Whoever had put the poison in the tea had been


    skillful. They must have slipped it in when Erika wasn’t looking, or perhaps they’d snuck it into the tea


    leaves that the maid used.


    Either way, I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Adalyn and I had


    drunk it.


    My stomach twisted in knots.


    “Let’s get you to a chair,” I decided, and after Erika nodded, I escorted her over to the table. Once she


    was situated, an idea crossed my mind. I rushed over to my backpack and started to retrieve some of


    my supplies.”


    Erika watched me warily.


    “What are you doing?” she wondered.


    “Taking a sample,” I replied as I walked back over. I wasted no time and emptied the contents of the


    teacup into an empty tube. “I have some testing supplies with me. I’m going to try to figure out what’s


    going on.”


    “Oh,” she breathed, and she nodded her head slowly. “That’s brilliant,


    Ca ssandra.”


    “After you’ve taken a moment to rx, could you carefully pack the teacups into sealed bags?” I


    requested. “I’ll dispose of them in theb binster. They need to stay far away from anyone else. I


    have gloves you can use so you don’t get anything


    on you.”


    is is


    Erika nodded vigorously. “Of course. It’s the least I can do.”


    We got to work right away, and as I took the sample and waited for the results, panic rose with me. This


    situation had escted from bad to dangerous very


    quickly, and the stakes were getting higher the longer and longer that Lancel was


    away.


    I had no doubt that the man was going toe back for me.


    A little whileter, a scream rang out, followed by a series of shouts and growls. Erika nd I nearly


    jumped out of our skins, and after we shared a look, I ran to the door. I tried to get a glimpse of what


    was going on, but I couldn’t see anything through the peephole.


    “Get away from there, Ca ssandra!” Erika hissed, but I didn’t listen. I took a short


    breath and then ran out of the room to find the source of themotion.


    The hallway was packed with people, and I shoved through them until I reached the center of the hall.


    There, standing in the center of the corridor, was a group of guards packed into a circle, led by Lancel. I


    couldn’t see who they were surrounding, even on my tiptoes, but I still tried to do so anyway.


    Beyond me, Prince Marco stood crying.


    “I want my mommy!” he sobbed as tears streamed down his cheeks, and he tried to thrash, but he was


    being held tightly by one of the guards. If he was there, where was Adalyn? I searched the crowd but


    didn’t see her. I considered running over to Marco, but I didn’t daree close, not when I had no idea


    what was


    happening.


    Suddenly, I heard Lancel’s unmistakable voice.


    “You must surrender,” the older guard said firmly. “More guards are on the way, and there’s no chance


    you’re going to make it out of here unless you give in.”


    The sound of another man’s voice reached my ears.


    He wasughing, cruelughter that made my entire body shudder. It was a terrible, terrible sound.


    “Don’t you care about the king’s wife?” the voice asked, and suddenly, my heart. dropped.


    I walked closer, and a gasp escaped me. Though I couldn’t see the man’s face, I could see his frame,


    and he wasn’t alone.


    There, at the center of the circle of guards, he stood, holding Adalyn in his arms. He had a firm grip


    around her neck, and his razor-sharp ws were pressed against her delicate skin. Little drops of


    blood began to stream from Adalyn’s arm as he dug in further, and she cried out in pain.


    I couldn’t believe my eyes.


    He was holding the Alpha King’s wife hostage.


    Adalyn’s normally tanplexion was pale, and her lip trembled. Her amber eyes were bloodshot with


    tears and she whimpered in pain.


    “Please,” she begged, but it was no use. The man simplyughed and then turned to the crowd again.


    “Take one step forward, and I’ll sh her neck,” the man threatened, and when no one moved, he


    shouted again. “I said move backward! You wretched morons! I’ll kill her! I’ll kill her right now!”


    My chest heaved as I fought to catch my breath.


    I’d known it then just as I knew it now.


    The man in the center of the room was unmistakably the guard Margaret had brought with her to


    capture me just days prior in my chamber.


    The very same soldier who’d tried to kill me five years ago in Rosepetal.


    “Wretched mo ron”.


    I’d never forget that phrase as long as I lived. That vile man had spat the same words at me the day I


    thought I was going to die, just before the inferno had set my home aze.


    Did that mean what I thought it meant?


    Was he also the man from the basement?


    The imposter?