Chapter 101


    Chapter 101 False usation


    CAS SANDRA


    When I arrived at my chamber, I was surprised to see it waspletely empty.


    “Erika?” I called out anyway, and when no answer came in response, I frowned and shook my head.


    Where was she? And where were Adalyn and Margaret?


    Knowing how spiteful and petty the two women were, I’d assumed that they’d remain in my room until I


    was finished with work, just to incite a bigger emotional response in me. Perhaps they’d even gone as


    far as sending Finnick my way to hasten the process. Yet, they weren’t here.


    So where had they gone?


    I considered all of the options andnded on one in particr. I would go to every inch of the pce if I


    had to, but before I began checking every room, I decided I would start with Margaret’s.


    Asher’s wicked stepmother’s chamber was a likely ce for them to convene, as her win of Merliscire


    was tucked away from everyone else’s. She’d given up therger chamber to Asher when his father


    had passed all of those years ago and moved into the South Wing. It was forbidden to most, which


    would make it a prime ce to take Erika.


    So I took a deep breath. I would remain calm even though every ounce of me wanted vengeance.


    I took off down the hall and headed to the South wing.


    The hallways were empty, and as I got closer, my heart pounded. I had no ideal what I was going to


    say once I got there, but I was ready to go to war for my beloved Erika. I would do anything in my


    power to make sure she was okay.


    Much to my surprise, Margaret’s chamber doors were unguarded. I supposed


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    that now that the imposter guard had been seized, the vile woman had no one stationed here. I briefly


    thought about the implications of that and couldn’t help but wonder how involved Margaret was with


    any of this.


    But I shoved those thoughts aside, took a deep breath, and opened the door.


    When I rushed into the chamber, I was unsurprised to see Margaret and Adalyn standing there talking.


    The room itself was spa cious andvishly decorated with gorgeous furnishings and lovely tapestries,


    but there was a strong smell of staleness that verged on decay. My nose crinkled and I fought back the


    sick feeling in my stomach.


    The two women giggled and then nced over at me.


    “Oh, Healer Cas sandra,” Margaret greeted me, and she covered her mouth in faux-surprise.


    “Goodness, you surprised me. What brings you here, dear girl? Would you like to sit down and enjoy


    some tea with us?”


    When her hand came back down to her side, the woman gave me a sickly, disgusting smile. She knew


    exactly what she was doing, and anger swelled within me, but I managed to stay calm.


    “Where is Erika?” I asked slowly.


    “Erika?” Margaret repeated back, and she blinked her eyes deliberately as if she didn’t unde stand. She


    turned to Adalyn. “Dear, do you know who Erika is?”


    Adalyn didn’t answer for a moment, and then pursed her lips slightly, feigning innocence.


    “Erika is Healer Cas sandra’s maid, Margaret,” she exined. Her tone was kind, but her amber eyes


    were cold and cruel as they bore into mine.


    “Oh, please forgive my bad memory,” Margaret said, and then her overexaggerated expression settled


    into her normal, calcted stare as she dropped the act. “Your malicious maid tried to poison Lady


    Adalyn and Prince Marco. She needed to be punished, Healer Cas s andra. Surely you understand


    that-


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    “It wasn’t her fault!” I interrupted as I seethed with anger. “The man behind it all has already been


    caught.”


    Margaretughed and shook her head. “What makes you so certain that Erika wasn’t involved? For all


    we know, she was his aplice.”


    “She wasn’t,” I practically snarled.


    Asher’s stepmother’s eyebrow raised in surprise and then she tilted her head slightly.


    “I find it rather… suspicious, that you would care so much about some maid,” she mused, and then her


    eyes narrowed. “I can’t help but consider how much you’re involved in all of this, Healer Cas sandra.


    Perhaps you need to be investigated as an aplice as well.”


    Anyone else would have been chilled by an usation like that. But I wasn’t afraid of Margaret. Any


    excuse would serve a tyrant.


    “What do you want, Margaret?” I asked.


    She scoffed. “I didn’t realize we were on a first-name basis. You should mind


    your attitude, girl. I’m just trying to figure out the truth of the matter.”


    I knew then that I wasn’t going to get any real answer from her. If Margaret wasn’t going to tell me


    where Erika was, I would find out myself.


    Looking around, I deduced that she wasn’t in this room, but I remembered that Margaret had a small


    study she used to use when she was this Pack’s Luna. She used to deal with “Pack business” there,


    whatever that entailed. I wasn’t sure where


    it was located, but I’d figure it out.


    I immediately turned on my heels and was about to leave when a guard stepped out of the shadows.


    “Seize her,” Margaret ordered.


    The guard took a step toward me, but before he coulde any closer, a voice


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    interrupted us.


    ‘What are you trying to do this time, Mother?”


    I recognized the voice at once.


    It was Kane.


    Sure enough, Margaret’s handsome son crossed into the room. His nearly violet eyes were wide with


    concern as they surveyed the room, but narrowed at the sight. of the guards.


    “Kane-” Margaret began to say, but her son raised his hand.


    “Step a away from Healer Cas sa ndra at once,” he addressed the guards. The men stared at one


    another for a second and then nodded and walked out of the chamber. Kane then turned back to his


    mother. “What’s going on in here?”


    “Nothing, my love,” Margaret insisted. “We were just talking.”


    “I think there’s more to it than that,” Kane retorted, and then he turned to me. “Healer Cas sandra, your


    maid is outside the door with a few se rvants.”


    My eyebrows knitted together and I blinked at him in surprise. I was abt to ask him how this was


    possible, but before I could ask, he walked past me and gently brushed my shoulder.


    “Your maid might need some treatment,” he whispered as he passed.


    I didn’t hesitate for a single second. I rushed out of the chamber without a second thought.


    As I stepped out of the room, I heard Margaret’s angry voice hiss at her son.


    “How dare you help that filthy healer!” she demanded.


    Kane’sughter filtered out into the hall. I heard him say something more, but I


    couldn’t make sense of his words.


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    But then, I heard Margaret raise her voice and call out to me.


    “Remember this well, Healer Cas s andra,” her cruel words reached my ears and made my skin crawl.


    “Let this instance serve as your first and only warning.”


    I paused for a moment as a lump formed in my throat. Her threat was enough to set my entire body on


    edge, but I didn’t have a second more to linger on Margaret. I stepped away from the chamber, and


    once I turned the corner, I spotted Erika.


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