Chapter 20


    “I guess you now know my predicament as to why I can’t wear dresses?” she nods her eyes wide as


    she takes in the runes, covering my arms. Her lips tug up in the corners and she lets out a breath.


    “On your chest?”


    “Nobody knows, only thete Queen. Your secret is safe with me.”


    “As yours is with me. Mchi said the Kings hate witches. Somehow, I think your dresses will get me


    killed long before I can escape here.”


    “You want to run? You’ll do it?”


    “Well, I am certainly not marrying one of them.” Her brows furrow and she slowly nods, her eyes darting


    to Hunter at my feet.


    “The King is going away soon…” she peers back at the closed door. “That will be your only chance, if


    you are taken to one of the three kingdoms…” she looks down at Hunter once more. “You won’t return.


    They’ll kill you the moment their father’s back is turned. If you’re going to run, do it then, I will try to help


    anyway I can.”


    I brush Hunter’s fur and nod my head before looking back at her. “Shouldn’t you be telling me not to run


    since you are the King’s maid?” I question.


    “I may be the King’s maid, but that doesn’t mean I have forgotten what his sons did to my sister, and I


    certainly haven’t forgetten what they did to my coven. None of them deserve the throne, and right now


    you are the only person standing in the way of them getting it. If one of them doesn’t marry, the King


    will name someone else as his sessor. He told me he has a backup n but didn’t tell me who.”


    “He can do that?”


    “He can do what he wants, he’s the King,” Shelley says and I chew my lip, pondering her words.


    “I will find you some clothes that will cover those. I heard the whispers of the staff in the stables, even


    overheard Mchi tell King, yet I thought he lost his marbles, the Kings sought out every witch and


    killed them.”


    “The King knows what I am?”


    “Yes, he ordered Mchi to tell everyone not to tell his sons. The King was secretly hoping you would


    win. Apparently, you left quite the impression on him when he saw you. Though even he didn’t look like


    he believed Mchi’s ims, so I hope he doesn’t see those before you escape.”


    “Why would he hope I would win?”


    “He said you were tougher than the others, that maybe you would survive his sons.”


    “Survive them?” I scoff.


    “King Regan wasn’t lying when he said you’d be lucky tost a week, this isn’t the first time their father


    has fiddled with their loves lives. The other girls barelysted a week before they killed themselves, or


    worse, they killed them,” Shelley tells me and a shudder runs through me.


    That leaves little hope for me, yet enforces my need to escape. And I have the added bonus of being


    covered in witch runes, which now puts mes at my feet and a stake at my back. Yep, life just keeps


    looking more promising by the second.


    “Does the King hate witches?”


    “Yes, No. I’m not sure any more. He used to. They helped kill his mate and wife. However, things have


    changed for the King. He doesn’t harbor the same hate anymore. But still, it is best that you not let him


    see those unless he questions you about them. His mind is quite fragile these days. He can be


    unpredictable at the best of times. I really must go.” She says and I nod watching as she leaves.


    I wonder if the maze trials were one of those unpredictable, fragile moments because everything I have


    endured and learned sounds insane. Thankfully, Shelley gave me a little insight, yet it left me with more


    questions than it did answers.


    Turning to the shower, I press the green light-up button, turn the shower on, and hold my hand under


    the water. It is barely tepid, yet still warmer than the river. Hunter moves to lie next to the shower


    screen door as I step in and grab the soap. All while hissing as the water stings the cuts and grazes,


    covering my body.


    Washing quickly with the lemon-smelling soap, I rush to hop out, only to remember my dilemma with


    theck of clothes. I grab the white fluffy robe hanging on the back of the door after drying myself and


    slip it on. When I am done, I move back to the main room, Hunter following me to the gigantic firece.


    He lies on the rug in front of it, and I sit next to him as we wait for Shelley to return.


    However, we aren’t waiting long when I hear a knock on the door, followed by Zeke’s voice, which


    makes my stomach drop.


    “I will take them in to her, Shelley; you can go.”


    “The King said I was–” I hear Shelley answer


    “I said you can go! You dare to question me. My father may tolerate you talking back to him, but I, for


    one, won’t. You are dismissed.” Zeke snarls at her.


    ncing at Hunter, I get to my feet and Hunter instantly follows, too. The moment he steps into the


    room, my entire body goes tense. His eyes peer around and Hunter growls at him, drawing his


    attention to us standing by the firece.


    “Settle boy, I am not here to hurt the wench,” he growls back at his wolf. In his hands is a white bag. He


    tosses onto the bed, before slowly moving toward me. My eyes go to the open door before moving


    back to him as I pull the robe covering me a little tighter.


    “I want my wolf back and you’re going to give him to me.” Zeke states sauntering over and falling onto


    the armchair by the fire.


    “And if I don’t?”


    “You don’t want the answer to that question, and I won’t like having to kill Hunter, but I will if he gets in


    the way.”


    “Give him back and all shall be forgotten, we can start out fresh.” he offers.


    I move further away from him as he leans forward, clicking his fingers at his wolf. Hunter looks at me


    and Zeke growls, but I can see the slight twitch in Hunter’s tail. He may fear his master’s wrath, yet I


    can see he does love him, his aura edged in pink and blue now that Zeke seems calmer.


    I nod to Hunter, who quickly rushes over to his owner. He jumps onto hisp, making Zeke grunt before


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    the huge wolf mauls him with his tongue and rubs his face against Zeke’s chest.


    “Oh, you’ve been a naughty boy, but I shall forgive you,” Zeke speaks to his wolf, grabbing fistfuls of his


    fur and rubbing his wolf’s huge face. Yet remembering Shelley’s words earlier, I know my safety


    depends on having Hunter near. But before I tell Zeke he isn’t getting him back I would much prefer


    being clothed so I move back to the bathroom and lock the door.