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18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Naya tossed around the bed, not feeling sleeve at all. The night was quiet as everyone had retired to sleep.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t even get an ounce of sleep.
She just couldn’t get comfortable, no matter how she positioned herself. Her mind was racing with thoughts, and she couldn’t seem to calm it down. The silence of the night only made the situation worse, amplifying the sound of her own thoughts.
She had fallen asleep before but was woken up by a very bad dream. It was the day her pack got massacred.
Naya could still hear the screams of her packmates ringing in her ears, and she could see the blood and carnage in her mind’s eye. She could feel the fear and panic that had gripped her in that moment, and it was all coming back to her now. She could feel herself starting to hyperventilate, and she was struggling to control her breathing.
She was starting to feel a bit panicky, and she couldn’t seem to shake the feeling. She tried to focus on her breathing, but it only seemed to make things worse.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
She sat up from the bed letting out a sigh of frustration. She wanted to get that scene out of her head so badly and forget any if it ever happened.
She looked to her side and saw her sister sleeping soundly on the other bed.
Naya envied her sister’s ability to sleep soundly, even in such trauma.
She envied her strength and humor.
Not wanting to disturb it worry her, Naya got up from the bed quietly as she sneaked out of the room to get some fresh air.
Naya tiptoed out of the room, careful not to make any noise that might wake her sister. She made her way out of the room and into hallways, where she could feel the cool night air on her skin. It was a relief after the stuffy, oppressive atmosphere of the bedroom.
She walked over to the window and looked up at the sky. The stars were twinkling brightly, and she felt a sense of calm wash over her. She focused on her breathing, taking slow, deep breaths.
“So peaceful..” Naya muttered to herself as she took it upon herself to take a stroll.
She didn’t even know if it was allowed in the palace, to move around.
She was just a maid and definitely did not want to get scolded for wandering about.
Naya decided to stick to the well-lit areas of the palace, just to be on the safe side. As she walked, she tried to enjoy the beauty of the palace grounds. The gardens were impeccably maintained, and the fountains sparkled in the moonlight. The statues were majestic and impressive, and she felt a sense of awe as she passed by them.
She came to a courtyard that was especially beautiful, with a large fountain in the center and a marble statue of a goddess. She stopped to admire the statue, and she noticed something strange.
This exact statue was also in the courtyard of her palace back in the pack when she was still a princess.
It looked so alike that for a split second, she thought it was the same.
“But how?” Naya mumbled with creased brows. Concluding that it might just be a coincidence, it was a statue, so probably many kinds fancied it and got it for themselves.
As she pondered the statue, she noticed something else that caught her eye. There was a plaque at the base of the statue, and when she looked closer, she saw that it was inscribed with a date. To her shock, the date was from before the destruction of her pack. How could that be? Was it possible that the statue was not a coincidence?
Now she was feeling very scared, it was night time and the only sounds she heard were sounds of crickets and tiny insects, Naya immediately turned and left the courtyard back to the hallways.
She hurried back towards the main hall, and as she did, she noticed that the palace was eerily quiet. All of the other servants had retired for the night, and she was the only one still up and about. She started to feel a little afraid, and she quickened her pace.
She walked over to an open window not too far from her room and then she decided to stay there inside and get some fresh air.
She watched the stars and couldn’t help but admire how beautiful they were.
As she gazed up at the stars, she found herself becoming lost in thought. She began to wonder about the life she had left behind, the family she had lost, and everything.
Then suddenly she saw a shooting star and Naya immediately placed her hands together to make a wish.
Naya closed her eyes and thought of her wish. She wished for a few things, and her main wish was that her sister and she remained happy in life.
She opened her eyes slowly, the wind blowing her long wavy hair.
She was about to leave when a voice suddenly sounded in her ears.
“What are you doing out so late, little minx?”
Naya yelled in fear because of how dangerously low the voice sounded.
She was so scared that she lost her footing and balance and she found herself slipping off the window.
Naya could hear herself screaming as she fell, but it seemed as if the fall was in slow motion. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact, but it never came. Instead, she felt a strong hold on her wrist.
She looked up to see the cunning face of Rhys.
How dare he!!! Naya thought in anger as she dragged her back, preventing her from falling.
“How dare…” Naya was ready to lash out at him, but she accidentally lost her balance yet again and fell on him, pushing him to the ground, Naya on top of Rhys.
Naya felt Rhys’ body tense beneath her as she accidentally pushed him to the ground. She scrambled to get off of him, feeling embarrassed and a bit flustered. But as she tried to get up, he abruptly held her back and her lips accidentally landed on his.