Chapter 40
Back at The Central, the hospital room smelled of antiseptic and faint lavender from the diffuser on the windowsill. Kira woke with a violent start, her stomach lurching before her eyes were fully open. Nausea surged up her throat like a fist. She clapped a hand over her mouth, breathing hard through her nose.
A pair of hands pressed her shoulders back against the pillows. “Easy, K. Lie down. Don’t move yet p>
Jessica’s face swam into view, pale and worried, her eyes wide and her curls a bit frizzy from stress.
“Jessica?” Kira called softly, her voice coming out hoarse. She blinked against the fluorescent lights, the white walls, the beeping monitor, the IV line taped to the back of her hand, and realised she was in a hospital. “What… happened? Why am I in a hospital p>
Jessica opened her mouth, but before she could answer, the memories flooded back to Kira. The morning at the palace. The pink dress that looked like a doll’s outfit. The urgent, terrifying text from Jessica saying she was in trouble. Her panic. The empty hallway. No Connor. Sneaking out through the side gate. Flagging a cab. The phone booth. Calling Jessica. Hearing her friend’s normal, cheerful voice saying she hadn’t sent any text. The sudden cramp. The dizziness. The world tilting sideways. Darkness.
Kira’s eyes went wide. “Oh, goddess. The Blessing Ceremony!” She tried to swing her legs off the bed. Jessica pushed her back down, gentle but firm. “I have to go. I have to get back to Dravengard p>
“Kira, stop it!” Jessica hissed, grabbing Kira’s knees to keep her still. “You aren’t going anywhere. You can barely sit up without puking p>
“You don’t understand,” Kira pleaded, her heart starting to race. “What time is it? Tell me the time p>
Jessica sighed, checking her watch. “It’s four-thirty in the afternoon. Now, will you please p>
“Four-thirty?” Kira’s breath hitched. Ruby’s text had said the ceremony would begin at four o’clock. She was so late. “I’m late. I’m so late. They’re going to kill me p>
“Kira, listen to me!” Jessica’s voice was stern now. She sat on the edge of the bed, forcing Kira to look at her. “Whatever ceremony you’re talking about doesn’t matter right now. You were poisoned p>
The room went still. Kira’s panic froze mid-air, and she stared at her best friend. “Poisoned? What are you talking about p>
“The doctor said it was a concentrated toxin,” Jessica explained, her voice dropping. “He had to flush your system completely. If I hadn’t found you when I did, I don’t know what would have happened p>
Kira sank back into the pillows, her mind spinning. Poison. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, trying to process it all. Her mind spun backwards. The calming herbal tea the maid had brought that morning. The floral, sweet smell. The warmth that spread through her chest. She had gulped it down without a second thought.
Someone had poisoned her.
And they had cloned Jessica’s number and sent that fake text to lure her out of Dravengard. Away from the ceremony. Away from Derek. Her chest tightened. “Someone wanted me gone today. Specifically today. They cloned your number p>
“But who?” Jessica asked. “And how did they get to me? I didn’t even know you were having a ceremony today p>
Kira shook her head. “I don’t know either. I don’t know how—” She looked at her friend. “Jess, think. Who have you given your phone to since yesterday? Anyone at all p>
Jessica shrugged, looking frustrated. “No one! I’ve had it on me the whole time.” She paused, her expression shifting as a memory surfaced. “Wait. Yesterday, as I was leaving campus… there was this guy. Tall, handsome, he said he was new on campus. He invited me to a funfair and asked for my number. I handed him my phone so he could type his in. I didn’t think… I mean, he was just standing there. I turned away for maybe ten seconds to wave at someone p>
Kira closed her eyes. “That was enough p>
The door pushed open, and a middle-aged human doctor in pale blue scrubs walked in, flipping through a clipboard. He looked at Kira with kind eyes over his glasses. “Ah, you’re awake. How are we feeling? Any more blurred vision p>
“I’m fine,” Kira said quickly, her voice stronger now that anger was replacing the fear. “I need to leave. Can you discharge me p>
The doctor raised a brow. “Technically, your vitals are stable, but you’ve had a significant shock to your system. I’d prefer to keep you overnight for observation p>
“I can’t.” She sat up straighter, ignoring the wave of dizziness. “I have somewhere I need to be. It’s a… family emergency p>
He studied her for a long moment, then sighed. “You’re an adult. I can’t hold you against your will. But you need rest and plenty of fluids. No heavy meals for twenty-four hours. I’ll write you a prescription for anti-nausea meds and something to settle your stomach p>
He scribbled on the clipboard, tore off the sheet, and handed it to her. “Soup. Broth. Nothing solid yet. And if the nausea comes back, come straight back here p>
“Thank you,” Kira said quietly.
He left. Jessica helped her stand. The room tilted once, then steadied.
“You sure you’re okay?” Jessica asked, concerned.
Kira squeezed her hand. “I’m fine. Really. I just… I need to get back p>
Jessica booked the ride on her phone while Kira signed the discharge papers. They walked out together into the late-afternoon sun. The ride-share was already waiting.
At the kerb, Jessica pulled Kira into a fierce hug. “Be careful, okay? Text me when you get there. And if anything feels off, you call me. I don’t care what time p>
“I will.” Kira hugged her back, then stepped into the car.
The drive to Dravengard felt endless. She stared out the window, watching the city fade into the countryside, the sky turning orange and pink. Her stomach still churned, but not from the poison anymore. From dread.
Meanwhile, back in Dravengard, the living room of the royal residence felt too small for the tension inside it.
Derek stood by the tall windows, arms crossed, staring out at the darkening gardens. Nana sat in the high-backed armchair, hands folded in her lap, face unreadable. Ruby leaned against the far wall, arms folded, expression carefully worried. Declan paced near the fireplace. Kai sat at the low table, laptop open, his eyes glued to the screen. Connor and a dozen Gammas had been scouring the territory for hours, but they were keeping the search quiet. If word got out that the Queen had vanished on the day of the blessing, it would be a scandal.
The silence was thick. Dusk had bled into the room, turning everything soft grey.
The home phone rang. Derek answered on the first ring. “So, no sign of Kira Thornclaw or Kira Wolfe crossing the borders?” His voice was flat and controlled.
A pause. A low voice on the other end answered.
“No? Fine.” Derek’s jaw tightened. “Thank you.” He slammed the receiver down.
“Anything?” Nana asked, sitting up.
Derek shook his head, his jaw ticking. “Nothing. No record of her leaving Aethelwulf.” He turned to Kai. “What about the phone? Tell me you found something p>
Kai sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. “It’s not good, Your Grace. The phone took a serious dip in water. I’ve managed to dry out the board, but the data is corrupted. I’m trying to pull the last received messages, but it’s taking forever to bypass the encryption p>
“It’s a plan,” Declan barked from the window. “It’s so obvious. She waited for the perfect moment, trashed her phone so we couldn’t track her, and finished whatever mission her father sent her here to do. We should have known better p>
Derek’s growl was low, almost inaudible. “She better not p>
In the corner, Ruby kept her face neutral, but her heart was singing. Everything had gone according to plan. The text had worked, the “unwell” excuse had been bought by the pack, and she had stood on that dais and received the farmers’ praise. It had felt right. But now Kira was missing. Really missing. What if she had been hurt? Part of her wondered if Kira was lying dead in some alleyway in the city. A small, dark part of Ruby whispered that it would be convenient. No more queen. No more threat. The King’s tragic, runaway bride found dead. Such a shame.
But another part, the careful, calculating part, knew a dead queen would raise too many questions. Too much scrutiny. She needed Kira alive. Disgraced and discredited. Not gone, yet.
“We can’t keep this a secret forever,” Nana said softly. “We need to let the pack know about this, despite anything p>
Derek didn’t answer. He felt like he was vibrating with a mix of betrayal and a strange, sharp anxiety he couldn’t name. He wanted to break something. He wanted to find her and demand to know why she would throw everything away for a tantrum about a dress.
The front door opened.
Everyone turned towards it.
A gamma stepped inside, bowing low. “Your Grace,” he announced, his voice echoing in the silent room.
He stepped aside, and Kira walked in, looking perfectly fine.