Chapter 155 - 0155
Lorelei POV
The second Maya confirmed my absolute worst fear, it felt as though the floor beneath me had split wide open, tossing me into a dark, suffocating abyss.
The rest of the world faded into meaningless static around me.
My legs moved on instinct as I sprinted down the corridors toward the familiar lower halls of the servant quarters, a place I hadn’t stepped foot in since Kaelen had moved me into the room he had given me.
The maids working along the hallway shot me startled, confused looks as I rushed past them, but I didn’t care enough to slow down. Thanks to my connection with the Alpha King, no one dared step into my path or try to stop me.
I finally burst into the room, only for my knees to nearly give out at the horrific sight waiting for me.
Skye was lying barely conscious on the cold floor, her entire body trembling as a pool of dark blood stained the ground beneath her. A thin crimson trail still trickled from the corner of her mouth, staining her chin.
A crushing wave of guilt immediately suffocated me.
This was my fault.
That poison had been meant for me, and now Skye was dying because she had eaten my breakfast tray.
I scrambled across the floor and frantically gathered her pale, limp body into my arms.
"Skye..." I whispered, my voice breaking as I pulled her against my chest, barely aware of the guards and everyone else gathering at the doorway behind me.
Hearing me call her, she released a weak, barely audible groan, her eyelids fluttering as though even keeping them open required more strength than she had left.
That tiny sign of life filled me with a desperate flicker of hope, but it also brought a sharp, unbearable ache to my chest. Hot tears spilled from my eyes and blurred my vision as they dripped onto her pale face. I tried to speak to her, to tell her that she was going to be okay, but every word caught painfully in my throat.
I couldn’t lose her.
Not like this.
Not because someone had been trying to kill me.
I looked up through my tear-filled eyes, my gaze finally locking with Kaelen’s dark amber eyes.
"Please..." I sobbed, my voice raw with desperation. "Get the healer!"
Skye had told me before that servants didn’t receive proper medical treatment here, but I didn’t care about any of that anymore. She was slipping away right in front of me, and I couldn’t just sit there and watch her die.
Thankfully, Kaelen didn’t hesitate.
"Take her to the medical wing and fetch the healer immediately," he barked coldly at the nearest guard, who bowed sharply before carefully scooping Skye’s fragile body into his arms.
Then he turned his lethal gaze toward Isaac.
"Have Chelsea dragged to the cells too," he ordered, his voice dangerously calm. "Since they love each other so much, I’m sure they’ll enjoy spending the night together. We’ll deal with her properly after this."
The moment the guards carried Skye out of the room, the last bit of strength left my body. I completely broke down, burying my face in my hands as sobs tore through me while I desperately prayed that she would hold on just a little longer.
I refused to leave her side.
My hands remained tightly wrapped around the edge of her gurney as the guards wheeled her straight into the medical ward. I didn’t even realize I hadn’t eaten a single bite all day. I couldn’t think about food when Skye was lying there fighting for her life. All I could do was pace frantically around the room, my breathing shallow and uneven as I watched the head healer work on her.
The more grim his expression became, the further my heart sank into my stomach.
"Is she going to be okay?" I blurted out the moment the healer finished examining her and injected a thick liquid into her IV line. "Please, tell me she’s going to be okay. She won’t die, right? Right?!"
The healer released a heavy sigh before reaching for my trembling hands and gently holding them between his.
"The poison is a sophisticated and highly volatile toxin," he explained solemnly. "The antidote I just administered should temporarily halt its spread through her organs, but the main toxin is still circulating through her bloodstream. I’ve done everything within my medical power, but..." His expression tightened as he glanced at Skye. "There is almost nothing else I can do."
"No..." I sobbed, frantically shaking my head. "No, no, no! Skye can’t die! She can’t! Isn’t there anything else we can try? Please, there has to be something!"
This was all my fault.
This was all my fucking fault.
Skye was dying because of me.
"Well..." The healer hesitated, his eyes dropping toward the floor.
I immediately latched onto that hesitation like a drowning person grabbing onto a lifeline.
"Well, what?" I demanded, my fingers tightening around his forearms until my knuckles turned stark white. "Tell me!"
"I once read something in an old text..." he murmured cautiously, lowering his voice as though he wasn’t entirely certain about what he was about to suggest. "It stated that witches possess the rare ability to draw toxic substances directly out of the bloodstream using blood magic. So perhaps..."
His voice trailed off, but the unspoken meaning behind his words was crystal clear.
He was talking about Princess Nala and Prince Kalu.
Without another second of hesitation, I gave a sharp nod, spun on my heel, and rushed out of the medical ward.
I needed to find Nala.
We hadn’t spoken a single word to each other since the violent incident at the bar. I didn’t even know whether it was dangerous or outright foolish to ask her for such a massive favor without Kaelen’s permission.
But right now, Kaelen, Raven, and Darius were locked away in another room, furiously interrogating suspects and trying to uncover every person involved in the trafficking ring. Going to him first would only cost us precious minutes, and time was the one thing Skye couldn’t afford to lose.
Thankfully, Paul, who had been following closely behind me, didn’t try to stop me. If anything, he looked just as pale and worried as I felt. He immediately took the lead and guided me toward the eastern courtyard, where he said he had last seen the witch princess.
When we rounded the corner, we found Nala sitting beside the stone fountain, peacefully tending to a collection of strange-looking leaves spread across a wooden table while one of her guards stood nearby, watching the surroundings with quiet vigilance.
The moment her eyes landed on me, her lips curved into a faint, polite smile.
But as I drew closer, that smile quickly disappeared.
Her brows pulled together in concern as her gaze traveled over my tear-streaked face and disheveled appearance.
"Sit yourself. Quickly," she instructed gently, rising from her seat as I frantically wiped at the fresh tears spilling down my cheeks.
I shook my head vigorously before dropping to my knees in front of her.
"Please... I know this might be asking for too much," I sobbed, my voice muffled as I practically lowered my forehead to the cold stone beneath me. "I know we barely know each other, and I know I shouldn’t even be asking you for something like this, but I need your help."
Nala’s expression immediately fell, the faint concern in her eyes deepening as she stared down at me.
"Why is this?" she asked, her voice suddenly serious. "What has happened to you?"
"My friend..." I struggled to speak between ragged gasps and suffocating sobs. "She was poisoned. Someone put poison in my food, but she ate it instead."
Nala’s brows furrowed sharply. "The poison meant for you... she is the one who ate it?"
I nodded frantically, fresh tears spilling down my cheeks.
"The healer said he can only stop it from spreading. He said he can’t get the rest of it out of her," I choked out, my voice trembling, but I forced myself to go on. "Please, Princess Nala. He said witches might be able to draw toxins directly out of someone’s bloodstream using blood magic. If that’s true, then maybe you can save her."
For several seconds, Nala remained completely silent.
Then she released a soft breath, her golden eyes narrowing as she glanced toward the estate.
"So this is why the air across this estate has been carrying such heavy darkness since the afternoon," she murmured while my heart clenched as I stared up at her.
"Then you’ll help me?" I dared to ask, but Nala didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, she turned toward her personal guards and made a quick hand signal. They immediately straightened, their attention snapping toward her as she gave them a silent command.
She then turned back to me and extended her hand.
"I will not promise you what is not yet mine to promise," she said firmly. "But because it is you who asks this of me, my hands will do all they are able to."
I stared at her hand for a second before grabbing it with both of mine.
"Thank you," I sobbed.
"Keep your thanks with you until my eyes have looked upon her," Nala replied, pulling me to my feet. "Now... take my steps to her."