Chapter Twenty-Three

The Dark Wolf that Gwyneth had imprisoned stood ominously at the end of the hallway, its eyes glowing and blood dripping from its mouth. With a fierce growl, it started chasing after her, forcing Gwyneth to sprint toward the ballroom.

“Kiran!” she cried out in desperation.

The wolf tackled her from behind, and they both tumbled to the ground. The guests in the ballroom screamed in terror as they witnessed the menacing creature. Kiran and the guards reacted swiftly, closing in on the wolf as it neared Gwyneth. She raised her head, locking eyes with the beast’s fiery red gaze.

Without hesitation, Kiran seized a sword from one of the guards and struck down the wolf in front of Gwyneth. Blood spattered on her face, leaving her in a state of shock.

“Gwyn!” Kiran exclaimed as he helped her to her feet. She was trembling, her mind struggling to comprehend what had just occurred.

“Gwyn! Are you okay?” he anxiously inquired.

“How… is he free?” she asked, still stunned. Kiran and Gwyneth exchanged a lingering look before heading out of the ballroom, making their way to the dungeon. To her astonishment, two dead guards lay dead on the floor, and the cell was unlocked.

“How is this possible?” Gwyneth pondered aloud.

“I don’t know,” Kiran admitted, scanning the area. “But someone set him free.”

“Who?”

“Whoever created him.”

“How can you be certain?” she asked.

“I’m not, but who else would have the motive?”

“But why exactly? He could be a mere foot soldier, and he can’t speak!”

“But he can create chaos. Or maybe his creator knew that, with time, you might have been able to get answers.”

“But if someone feared he could provide answers, then maybe there is a person here at this party who could as well,” Gwyneth mused aloud.

Kiran, however, seemed distracted, his senses heightened as he sniffed the air.

“What is it?” Gwyneth asked.

“I can smell her.”

“Her?”

“It’s a woman. Human.”

“Human?”

“Yes. You return to our room. I’ll search the castle to see if we can find her.”

“I’m not a damsel in distress. I’ll help search.”

“Gwyn!”

“No, I won’t stay in our room. This one is human, so I can defend myself.”

Kiran shook his head, obviously reluctant about letting her go, but she wouldn’t let him stop her. Gwyneth spun on her heel and walked away, instructing him to search the eastern wing while she explored the west.

“Gwyn!” he called after her, but she had already made up her mind.

Gwyneth reached their room to grab her sword and change into more suitable attire before commencing her search within the castle.

Gwyneth meticulously searched room after room, clutching her sword tightly as she moved stealthily. When she reached the end of a hallway without finding any clues, she muttered in frustration, “Shit…”

About to descend to a lower floor, she caught a glimpse of movement through a window in her peripheral vision. A shadow was moving across the vast grassy area leading toward the distant forest. She couldn’t be certain, but she needed to eliminate any doubt that it might be the woman they were seeking.

Gwyneth hurried down the stairs and outside, her determination propelling her forward. She was close enough now that she wouldn’t lose sight of the figure ahead. As she closed in, she reached out and caught hold of the woman’s cape. The woman gasped, choking as the hood around her neck tightened. She stumbled backward, and Gwyneth swiftly moved on top of her, pressing her sword against her throat and gripping her jacket.

In the dim light, Gwyneth could barely make out the woman’s face, but it was indeed a woman.

“Who are you?” Gwyneth demanded, her voice filled with anger. “How did you get inside?”

The woman chuckled, seemingly unperturbed by the dire situation. “Oh, look who it is. The new queen. Queen Gwyneth.”

“Don’t mock me. Who the hell are you?”

“You speak in such an intriguing way,” the woman replied.

“I don’t have time for your games. Tell me who you are. How are you here?”

“How?” she repeated cryptically.

“What?” Gwyneth inquired, confused, not understanding why that was the word she latched on to.

“You asked how, not why.”

Gwyneth stared at the woman incredulously, her patience wearing thin. She pulled her closer, causing the sharp blade of the sword to graze her skin. The woman gasped in pain.

“How?” Gwyneth growled.

“It’s different here, isn’t it? Like nothing else we’ve ever seen before.”

“I’m done playing. Now this is the last time I repeat this: how?”

“The same way you got here. Traveler,” the woman finally responded.

“I wasn’t supposed to be here.”

“No?”

“No!”

“We weren’t either,” the woman revealed with a laugh.

Gwyneth was taken aback by the woman’s nonchalant demeanor. She put away her sword, and the woman observed her with a perplexed look, clearly not understanding Gwyneth’s plan. Gwyneth smiled, then, with one swift move, she knocked the woman out cold. She was petite and easily carried, so Gwyneth slung her over her shoulder as she headed back to the safety of the castle.