Chapter 32
TESSA’S POV
The scratchy sheets felt like sandpaper against my skin, a stark contrast compared to the cold floor. I had collapsed on earlier. My eyelids remained stubbornly shut, the words of Adrian ringing in my head, I had been awake as a matter of fact when he came. I had gained consciousness about 30 minutes ago but I felt content with just lying there and pretending to still be out cold.
My mind went back to the events of the meeting hall, Adrian’s face etched with disbelief and may I say…. fear, Giselle’s gaze and her snarky comments, the effects of the poison overwhelming me before I succumbed to the effects of the gloom (Or rather, what I hoped was a convincing imitation of how someone poisoned with Gloom would have done)
Perhaps I had been dramatic but I really hoped I had succeeded in planting that seed of doubt in everyone’s mind about Giselle but what if no one believed my claims? Adrian did, he believed me but I needed everyone to trust me. Adrian’s words replayed in my head again, did he truly mean it?.
A soft sigh escaped my lips and I winced at the dryness in my throat, opening my eyes felt like lifting heavy stones so I kept them shut.
The door to my ward creaked open and a familiar scoff cut through the silence.
“Still playing dead? The show’s over, Tessa. Open your eyes” Gabe’s voice laced with a hint of amusement filled the room.
I opened an eye and looked at him.
“Just 5 more minutes” I groaned feeling lazy.
“Tessa..!” He said, his voice stern.
I opened my eyes and looked at him fully.
“Yes, Gabe?” I asked, my voice was weak after being knocked out for 7 hours.
“Don’t you think you owe me an explanation for what happened?” He asked crossing his arms.
I gave a goofy grin and sat up on the bed.
He leaned on the doorway, a smirk playing on his upturned lips. “Took you long enough, I thought you were aiming for a role in sleeping beauty” he teased.
“Haha,” I said rolling my eyes.
“Why was Adrian here, why’d you let him in?” I asked pushing my hair back.
“So
- me.
you were awake, just how/long have you regained consciousness?” He asked shaking his head at
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Chapter 32
The door was pushed open again and Zed and Eva rushed in, their faces a mixture of relief and
worry.
“Oh my goodness, you’re awake!” Eva exclaimed, her eyes misted with tears.
“Why did you do that, Tessa? I was really worried.” Zed reprimanded.
“I’m sorry if I scared you all, I just… I was just trying to expose the truth ” I said feigning a weak voice while Gabe watched me from behind them with a jaw–dropping expression at the way I was acting. Hey! You couldn’t blame me, I didn’t want anyone else to know that I hadn’t actually taken. gloom, it was all pretend.
“Well, there’s gossip around the palace now, apparently the Alpha locked the Luna up in the meeting hall while an investigation was conducted in her room,” Zed said, his voice a low whisper
I felt
my
heart skip a beat. Was I too late?
“Did they find anything?” I asked, my breath caught in my throat.
“No, apparently there was nothing to be found so they released her,” Zed said shrugging.
I feigned a look of defeat and shattered hope.
“But I did see a gloom flower in her room, right beside her mirror, I’m not seeing things,” I said
you’re right but don’t stress yourself, you should try to get some rest,” Zed said.
Gabe shook his head at me discreetly.
“Zed, Eva. Why don’t you both go do a general checkup on the patients and see to Heather, she should be conscious soon” Gabe said to them.
Eva and Zed nodded and left.
“Who’s Heather?” I asked.
“She’s our miracle. She’s showing signs of recovery and I expect her to be awake soon, she’ll be quarantined for a while if she recovers before she is sent back to her family”
I smiled and lay back down on the bed.
“Get up, Tessa,” Gabe said. I sprang up at his words.
“Yes sir,” I said looking down at my feet.
“You almost got me fooled with what you displayed to Eva and Zed,” Gabe said locking the ward door to avoid distraction.
I kept mute.
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Tessa, what did you actually do?” He asked.
I looked up at him.
FLASHBACK TO THAT MORNING
Golden sunlight filtered through the window pane, I stood before my vanity mirror, carefully lacing my boots. Today was the day of the meeting and I was nervous. I had a plan, a risky one but it was my only chance to try to expose Giselle. I had thought everything through including what I would have to do when things threatened to go down south.
Glancing over my shoulder, I looked at the small vial on my table containing a clear liquid, a concoction I had painstakingly created the night before. It wasn’t gloom extract, of course. No, that would be a guaranteed death sentence, instead I had brewed an herb that would make me exhibit symptoms of a dying person but it would just make me unconscious for a long time. It was my last resort. It had to work
I emptied the contents of the goblet, washed it, and filled it with fresh wine. I hesitated and poured the contents of the vial, I wanted no one to know about what I wanted to do, Gabe would know that I hadn’t ingested gloom and I hoped that he would play along
I looked at myself in the mirror, my heart pounding in my chest and a steely glint in my eyes.
She wanted a game and today, I would play my next move.
BACK TO THE PRESENT.
“Wow, you thought that through, Tessa. Immediately I looked at you, I knew that you hadn’t taken gloom but I suspected that you had something in mind so I played along” Gabe said.
I felt relief, things were going my way….for now. Giselle was the primary suspect now I just hoped that my next move was also successful.
“Where’s Gia?” I asked.
Gabe shrugged
“She’s been out all day….did you give her a task? I’ve never seen her so serious when she left the med bay hours ago” He noted
I shrugged and kept silent. I had in fact actually sent Gia on an errand, she knew people around the palace and that was to my advantage, I had played my card and I hoped Gia would be able to execute it.
“Tessa, I actually found out something” Gabe finally said.
I furrowed my brows, now what?
“I found something about Giselle” He began, his voice laced with caution.
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Where was he heading?
“There has been… discrepancies in the monthly supply deliveries to the Med bay,” He said. solemnly.
A jolt of electricity shot inwards me.
“What’s missing?” I asked leaning closer.
“Tessa, it’s…..vials that aren’t really on your list of normal herbs and household stuff,” He said shaking his head.
“There are things that aren’t just readily available to anyone, things that even a medic should be wary of using”
The more he spoke, the more I felt fear inside me.
“She’s been smuggling things?” I asked.
“Not her but Will was in charge of the med bay and I suspect that the both of them are in this together, I think he and Giselle are doing things with what they smuggle,” Gabe said.
“Do
you know what kind of things are missing?” I asked curiously.
“Blackshade, Belladonna, Wolfsbane. Each of these possesses potent properties and can be lethal” He said, his face contorted in a weird expression
Something clicked in my head.
“Do you think she used any of those to kill Addison?” I asked getting excited that we may be getting to something.
“If any of them was used against her then I suspect wolfsbane, there are no sym it’s equally as lethal” Gabe confirmed.
I blew out a deep breath.
“Now what?” I asked.
is shown and
“Now, you get some rest so that we can think of what next to do,” he said looking at me
I nodded and he opened the door and left. I lay back down on the bed.
There were a lot of things to think about, Giselle, will, Adrian, and the children but I found myself thinking of Adrian’s words. Did he mean it? He sounded genuine. I know he still felt something for me and he blamed himself for everything and I found myself having pity for him and getting a soft spot for him again. The thought sent a feeling of confusion and longing washing over me. No, I couldn’t afford to get tangled up in those feelings again, not if I wanted to survive this.
Enough about Adrian, I had Giselle to think about. She and Will made the perfect villain match,
Chapter 32
they both fit the role and I had goosebumps thinking of how tough it would be to expose both of
them.
The exhaustion from the “poison“, combined with the emotional rollercoaster of the day, was catching up to me. With a defeated sigh, I sat back up in bed with my face in my hands, my stomach rumbled and I realized that I hadn’t eaten breakfast and lunch.
The door to my ward was pushed open and my heart skipped a beat, it was just Gia.
“Medic Tessa. You’re awake, I was so worried” Gia exclaimed hugging me tightly.
“Don’t suffocate me” I joked at the tight bear hug she had enveloped
me in.
She pulled away flustered.
“My bad, I was just really happy to see you awake, you gave us quite a scare,” she said.
“What about Eva and Zed? Are they still in the med bay?” I asked clutching my chest.
“No, Medic Gabe said that they had gone to get lunch,” She said.
There was a long stretch of silence and I was looking at her expectantly.
“Oh, sorry. I almost forgot that you told me to do something” she exclaimed.
I forced a smile at her.
It’s no problem so how’d it go?” I asked.
Her eyes brightened
“It was crazy. I had to literally beg her to do it for me, the maid at the door was skeptical about
lly played her letting Cassandra who is the maid I spoke to by the way, into the room but Cass part well and was able to get in, I was watching from behind a pillar and would yo…elieve the shock I felt when I saw the royal guards also heading for her chambers? I thought we’d be caught but just as they barged in, Cassy came out and bam! They didn’t even spare her a second glance so we weren’t caught thankfully” She said breathlessly.
I nodded several times through her story.
“How much did she do it for?” I asked scratching my neck.
Gia shrugged.
“Not a dime! She said she would be honored to risk her life for you, she is loyal to you as you were the former Luna” Gia said matter of factly.
Wow, that’s something that would be hard for others to do. Bless her soul.
“Gia, you once told me that Giselle and Will were usually together, have you ever heard their
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conversation?” I asked.
“No, apart from when they were speaking about your arrival in the pack but usually Gabe left the med bay by 8 midnight and went to Giselle’s chambers. I followed him discreetly a couple of times. but their voice was always muffled” she said.
Of course, she wouldn’t know. I would have to figure out their topic of discussion myself
“But Gia, the most important thing right now is…did she retrieve it and is it safe?” I asked my eyes. wide with expectation.
Gia smirked and pulled a wooden box out of her cloak. My eyes went to the box, my heart pounding in
my chest.
“Yes. We were successful and it’s right here” Gia said smiling.
I heaved a heavy sigh of relief. Awesome!
