Chapter 11: Mission Impossible

Charlotte.

I was in the middle of washing dishes when I heard Iris scream my name from her room. Her voice echoed through the hallway like a thunderous wave, and I immediately dropped the plates into the sink. Racing to her room like a cheetah, I knew the consequences that awaited me if I didn't make it within five minutes. Breathing heavily, I burst into the room. Iris smiled, clearly pleased with my speed. I held back any visible relief, knowing that even the slightest reaction could result in punishment from her.

Iris was sitting on the large bed, casually flipping through a book with her legs crossed. She didn't bother to spare me a glance as she spoke, "I have a task for you. Go into the forest and find a blora for me. You're not allowed to come back unless you find it."

A blora is a rare herb that can enhance one's strength, but I had heard that it only appears once every ten years. I had no idea what it looked like, or where to even find one. I knew that what she was asking of me was nearly impossible, but I couldn't refuse. "Understood," I replied with a bow.

"You may leave now," she dismissed me, and I hurried out of the room before she changed her mind and inflicted something more terrible upon me.

Upon learning that I was unable to shift, the Queen insisted that I be thrown into the dungeons. However, I managed to persuade her by preparing a single meal that I had learned to cook from Kiana. It was a talent she possessed naturally, and I spent a lot of time watching her not knowing that it would one day save my life. When the Queen tasted my cooking for the first time, she was blown away and decided to spare me from the dungeon, appointing me as the pack cook instead. Although I appeared to be a chef on the surface, in reality, I was nothing more than a slave under Iris' command. Everyone bullied me, and my life here was no better than when I was in Adonis' Pack. However, I was grateful that nobody physically harmed me. Despite enduring silly pranks and being assigned impossible tasks that left me stranded in the forest for days, there was an unspoken rule among the pack members not to physically harm one another.

 "And where do you think you're going?" I turned around to find Bay standing in front of me with a frown. I quickly remembered that she had asked me to wash some clothes for her this morning. However, with Iris' new demand, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to fulfill Bay's request. It was difficult for me to break the news to her, so I searched my mind for a suitable excuse as she eyed me from head to toe eagerly awaiting my response.

Unable to find an answer, I decided to be honest. "I'm sorry, I was planning to do it after I finished washing the dishes. But Iris has given me a new task, and I'm afraid I cannot disobey."

Bay's eyebrows raised in surprise. "So you can't disobey Iris, but you can ignore my request, is that it?"

She was well aware that Iris came after the Queen, so there was no way I could prioritize her first. She was intentionally causing trouble, and I had no choice but to stand there and listen to her nonsense.

"I apologize, I won't take long. Once I'm back, I'll wash the clothes right away," I said, but she didn't seem pleased with my response and said. "And what am I supposed to wear? Don't you know that all my clothes are dirty? I have to wait for you to have clean clothes?"

"How about you keep quiet and wash those clothes yourself," a voice I recognized as Kalis’ interjected. My head snapped towards her, and I met her eyes. A smile crept onto my lips as she came to my rescue.

Bay was rendered speechless before Kali; she trembled as if she had seen a ghost.

"Answer me!" Kali demanded, but the girl was too terrified to utter a word. "I'm sorry, I was a bit impatient. I'll take care of it myself," she suddenly regained her voice and hurried off. As soon as she disappeared down the corridors, I embraced Kali in a hug. "Once again, you have saved me," I whispered while she gently rubbed my back. "You don't have to mention it."

Kali is the only member of the pack who looks out for me. Without her, I might have died from exhaustion by now. Whenever the others bullied me, she would quickly come to my rescue. Sometimes, I wondered if she was following me because she always appeared at the perfect time. The only person she avoided was Iris, but occasionally, when she had enough, she would stand up to her. Unfortunately, it always ended with Kali being badly beaten, and I hate to witness that. So, I told her to step back and save herself.

"Has Iris sent you on another ridiculous task?" She asked. I nodded my head in agreement.

"She's demanding a blora, which is nearly impossible to find. I mean, where do I even begin?" I replied, feeling defeated.

Kali looked like she wanted to confront Iris, but I held her back, preventing her from turning around. "Don't. This is my destiny, and I can't escape it. I appreciate everything you do for me, but I can't bear to see you get hurt. I'll go to the forest and search for it. Hopefully, I'll find one. And if I don't, I'll return to the pack and let her do whatever she wants to me. After all, I can't grow such precious herbs from my own hands."

Running her fingers through my face, she gazed at me softly. "Don't worry, from now on, you and I are best friends. If it ever comes to that, I'll be here to protect you."