Chapter 17 A Slip of the Tongue

Scarlett wiped the sweat from her face. She stumbled suddenly and nearly fell, catching herself quickly against the wall beside her.

‘Oh, no. That spell drained too much of my energy.’ She stared at her hands, which were still trembling from the exertion.

‘Why is it this bad? Is it because of this new mind reading ability I just gained? No. I have to learn to control it. Especially since I can feel Alea’s power growing weaker by the moment.’

Suddenly, a sharp, distinct scent drifted toward her. Scarlett gasped and forced herself to move toward the hidden doorway behind the Moon Goddess statue. Through the crystal orb held in the statue’s hand, she caught a glimpse of Marcus and several Elders hurrying toward the main hall.

‘This is bad. Did Grandfather sense the energy shift from the sacred scroll because of what I did? I have to get out of here now!’

Her steps were heavy and unsteady, but she reached the passage entrance just as the heavy chains securing the main doors began to rattle and scrape, signaling they were being unlocked from the outside. She stumbled into the corridor and pulled the stone door shut behind her, using the very last of her strength.

She sank to the floor, gasping for breath, just as the door clicked closed. Even through the thick stone, she could hear the echo of hurried footsteps entering the chamber she had just left.

‘That was too close!’

She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her vision blurred and her head spun, but she forced herself to stand up and make her way through the dark, stale corridor until she finally emerged back inside her new chambers.

She was about to collapse onto her bed when she caught her reflection in the large mirror on the far wall. Nearly every inch of her body was covered in dust and cobwebs. Her face, damp with sweat, looked smudged and dirty as well.

‘Oh, no. If Mia finds me looking like this, she will definitely suspect something. And worse, I am supposed to meet Damian later tonight!’ Scarlett panicked inwardly.

She rushed to the bathing chamber attached to her room, stripped off her clothes, and slipped into the stone pool, dipping her whole head beneath the surface.

The cool, fresh water washed over her soft skin, instantly soothing her. For a moment, she let herself enjoy the refreshing chill and the sweet scent of flowers infused in the water, yet soon enough, a crushing exhaustion settled deep in her bones.

Darkness crept in around her. ‘Oh, what is happening...?’

Suddenly, Scarlett woke to a memory of herself as a small child. She was running and chasing a horned deer that had wandered deep into the forest. When the creature vanished behind a cluster of massive trees, she realized she had strayed too far from the path.

Out of nowhere, a rough, sinister-looking man appeared and lunged at her, as if he intended to hurt or even eat her. Terrified, Scarlett ran for her life, whispering every spell she could remember. Several of them took form as small snowballs that struck the man’s face as he chased her relentlessly.

Then her foot caught on a thick root sticking out of the ground, and she fell flat on her face. She cried in fear, chanting spell after spell toward her attacker as his teeth lengthened into sharp fangs and he prepared to pounce.

“GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU WICKED ROGUE!”

A young boy stepped between them, holding a wooden sword pointed straight at the terrifying man.

Scarlett reached out, trying to touch the boy’s small back, but darkness swallowed her again. She felt herself falling back into cold water that rose up and submerged her completely.

‘This... this was the moment right before I died in my past life. I remember the pain so clearly...’

Then she felt strong arms wrap firmly around her waist, pulling her close against a broad chest. But in the next instant, an arrow pierced through both of them at once. Scarlett opened her eyes just enough to see the man’s face clearly before her vision faded forever.

“NO!”

Scarlett jolted awake with a scream.

“My Lady! Oh, thank goodness you are awake!” Mia rushed to her side, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Scarlett touched the dress she was wearing and scanned the room around her. Her gaze finally settled on Mia, whose face was red and swollen from crying for a long time.

“Mia, what happened? The last thing I remember, I was in the bath...” Scarlett asked, her mind hazy as she tried to recall the events leading up to this moment.

“That is right, My Lady. I found you nearly submerged in the pool. Your body was ice cold. I was so terrified something terrible had happened to you.” Mia sobbed harder.

“I wrapped you in wool blankets immediately to warm you up again. It was a miracle I arrived when I did.” Mia paused, grief written all over her face, and quickly wiped her tears away.

“Why did you come back so soon? I told you, you were not to return until dinner time,” Scarlett said, studying the girl closely.

“I came because it is almost evening, Miss. I went to prepare your meal here in the room, but you were nowhere to be found. Then I saw your clothes lying there, so I forced my way into the bathing chamber. Please forgive me, Miss.” Mia trembled and spoke in breathless bursts.

“There is nothing to forgive. You actually saved my life,” Scarlett replied, pushing herself up into a sitting position. “Thank you, Mia.”

She sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at her hands. They felt burning hot, as if she was clutching live embers.

“But my hands feel like they are on fire. What happened to me?”

She looked at Mia, who suddenly looked incredibly nervous and uneasy.

‘Oh, no... what should I do? Should I tell her it was actually Master Damian who pulled her out? And that he...’

Scarlett’s eyes went wide with shock. She grabbed Mia’s shoulders tightly.

“Mia, what do you mean Damian helped me? And what else? What did he do to me?” she demanded, making Mia stare back in utter shock.

Mia stammered in confusion. “Ho-how... how did you know? I-I haven’t even said anything yet...”

Now it was Scarlett’s turn to freeze, stunned by her own careless mistake.

‘Damn it, I slipped up! There is no way I can tell her I can read people’s minds. What am I going to do now?’