CHAPTER FOUR
1527 Words
Ziaani's POV
As I ran through the forest, trying to find my way, it hit me—I was lost.
"f**k," I muttered under my breath, sitting down and leaning my head against a tree.
"You're the chosen one."
The voice echoed in my mind. I opened my eyes and looked around, scanning the woods, but saw nothing. It was eerily quiet. I shrugged it off, pushing the thought aside, and closed my eyes again.
"You're the chosen one," the voice repeated, louder this time. The force of it shocked me awake.
"Oh, f**k. It was a dream."
I sat up, rubbing my face, trying to shake the lingering confusion. My hand hovered over the bedcovers as I saw Proteus was still asleep then steadied myself. I turned around, and the door to my room door was slightly ajar.
I stood up and walked toward it, my heart picking up speed as I pushed it open and stepped into the corridor. The castle was still, quiet, like it always was at this hour.
As I wandered through the halls, I noticed a sliver of light coming from behind a door. Curiosity pulled me closer.
"Does she know?" a voice whispered from inside the room.
"No, she can't find out. At least, not yet," another voice responded.
It was the queen’s voice, but who was she talking to?
I took a step closer, trying to listen more clearly, but my foot landed on something that creaked loudly. The sound startled me—and the queen—inside the room. I immediately ran back to my room, jumping into bed and pretending to be asleep.
The door creaked open slowly, and I heard muffled voices. Then it closed again.
Queen Nikita's POV
"Does she know?" the Royal Advisor asked, handing me a drink.
"No," I replied, staring into my glass. I suddenly heard a noise at the door and spun around. There was nothing there. I walked over and opened it, but the corridor was empty.
I had to check on Ziaani to make sure she was still asleep. I opened her door slowly, peeking inside. She was still in bed, breathing steadily. I closed the door just as quietly.
"So, does she know?" the advisor asked again.
"No," I answered firmly. "She can't find out. Not yet. Where am I supposed to begin?" I ran my fingers through my hair, frustration building.
"From the beginning," the advisor suggested.
"I can't tell her. Not yet. I can’t tell her she’s my mate... or that she’s the chosen one." My mind raced as I set my glass down. "You know what? I’ll think of something."
I walked out of the room, my thoughts tangled, as the weight of the secret I carried pressed down on me.
I woke up the next morning, looking around for Proteus, but he was nowhere to be found. I got out of bed and noticed a beautiful dress at the end of the bed. After taking a quick shower, I slipped into the dress. A few minutes later, I found myself staring at my reflection in the mirror, feeling self-conscious about how I looked.
Suddenly, there was a knock on my door.
"Go away," I muttered, still gazing at myself.
The door swung open, and the Queen entered. "You're beautiful in that," she said, looking me up and down.
When I didn't respond, it was as though she noticed my discomfort. She gently took my hand in hers and looked me in the eye. "You're beautiful. Don't ever doubt that."
I felt a warmth rise in my stomach, and my face flushed crimson. Embarrassed, I quickly pulled my hand back and turned away.
"Ever," she added, her voice soft, her gaze unwavering as she turned my face toward her.
Her eyes were so gentle, yet there was something about them I couldn’t quite understand. What was this feeling? I had felt it every time she was around.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, I’m—" I started to say, but before I could finish, the Queen’s guard burst into the room.
We both turned toward her, confusion written on our faces. She was out of breath.
“There’s been another attack, my Queen,” she said, kneeling.
"What?" The Queen’s face darkened, anger flashing across it. "I have to go," she added, letting go of my hand—which I hadn’t even realized she was still holding.
In the blink of an eye, they were gone.
Queen Nikita's POV
“Should I get your pack ready?” Lucy asked as we walked out of the castle.
“Make it sharper,” the Queen replied.
“Yes, my Queen,” Lucy answered, bowing as she went off to give instructions to the bow maker.
The Queen’s mind was racing. We had to be ready for another attack. We couldn’t just strike back blindly—they’d be expecting that. But we had her, and with her on our side, we would surely win this, wouldn’t we?
“She’s not ready yet. She doesn’t know,” Lucy said, raising an eyebrow.
“No,” the Queen responded firmly. “It’s not the time. Not yet. She has to know.”
Lucy paused, then nodded in understanding. “Like I said, I’ll handle this. You focus on getting my pack ready for battle. Understood?”
“Yes, my Queen,” Lucy said, bowing.
What’s happening? I asked myself after the Queen left. I was confused but pushed the thought aside when I noticed my door was open—meaning it wasn’t locked. I stepped into the hallway, momentarily forgetting how massive this place was.
Sunlight poured in through an open door at the end of the hall, drawing me toward it. As I stepped outside, I found myself in a breathtaking garden. It was enormous—not that I was surprised. Everything in this place was. Flowers I'd never seen before covered the space, their colors more vibrant than anything I had ever encountered.
One flower, in particular, caught my eye. It was rainbow-colored, each petal a different shade.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" the Queen’s voice came from behind me.
"Yeah," I replied, my eyes still locked on the flower. "What’s it called?"
"Prism flower," she answered.
"Prism?" I repeated. And then it clicked. "Ohhh… that makes sense."
Before I could say anything else, one of her guards approached.
"Oh God," I heard the Queen mutter under her breath. "Again?" She turned to the guard.
"No, my Queen," the guard responded. "I just came to tell you we’re ready to attack. My team is prepared."
"Good," the Queen said. "Thank you, Rose."
"Rose?" I repeated the name, glancing at the guard. She turned to look at me, her piercing eyes filled with both curiosity and danger. I immediately hid behind the Queen. I didn’t know why, but being near her made me feel safe. That feeling was only growing stronger.
"You said my name," the guard noted, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Yeah… umm… wait, how did you hear me? I barely whispered it."
"I’m a vampire, remember?" she said, tapping her ear. "Super hearing is one of my abilities."
"Oh, right… vampires," I mumbled under my breath.
"I heard that," she said, tilting her head slightly to look at me. I quickly hid again.
The Queen chuckled before switching to another language as she spoke with Rose.
"Again with the different language… What are they saying?" I wondered, this time keeping the thought to myself.
After a moment, the Queen patted my back. "She’s gone."
I stepped away.
"You don’t have to be scared of her," the Queen assured me.
"Wait, are we forgetting the time she nearly killed me? Because I can’t. She may not have actually touched me, but she was coming for me—so, nope. Nuh-uh. Not happening," I said firmly.
"She won’t hurt you. She knows I’d kill her if she did."
Her words stunned me.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I don’t want you hurt."
"No, I mean… why would you protect me? Why would you kill your own kind for me? A human?"
She hesitated, locking eyes with me. "It’s… complicated. You won’t understand yet."
"Yet?" I repeated, confused. "If you’re going to tell me one day, what’s the difference between now and then?"
"Because…" She trailed off. "Just trust me." Then, without another word, she turned and walked back toward the castle.
"Why am I here?!" I shouted after her.
She didn’t answer. She just kept walking.
"I hate this place! I hate you!" I yelled, sinking onto the grass. Tears pricked my eyes. "I just want to go home."
A moment passed in silence before she finally spoke. "Okay. You want to leave so badly? Give me three months. If you still want to leave by February, you can go. But for now, I need you to trust me."
"Why?!" I demanded. "Why do you keep saying that? What am I supposed to be trusting you with? What exactly am I getting myself into?"
She said nothing. Just turned and walked away.
- Writer
