His Forbidden Mate
Part 51

The way all parts of her body burnt as if set on fire and how she couldn’t turn it out felt like a strange dream but also so much like reality. The longer her eyes stayed shut, trying to figure out what was happening, the more the pain in her skin grew and became unbearable. Her breathing also became restricted, as if the air was cut out and every intake became a battle and she choked. Her eyes snapped open to see thick, blinding smoke covering up her chambers. The smoke had cut out her vision, so she didn’t see anything a few feet away even if she tried. It wasn’t a dream, she soon realised, and she felt trapped.

Confusion and question filled her head as she wondered what could have started this great choking smoke. It wasn’t an ordinary smoke. She wouldn’t feel so weak and tired if it was. The smell and the pain it caused when breathing told her this was wolfsbane. This wasn’t just a random happening, this was an attack on the parlour.

She got up and race to the bathroom and threw a towel into the clean water in the bucket, bringing it to her nose to cover and protect herself from choking out. This helped relieve her breathing, but she knew safety wasn’t near. She rented the towel in her hand into pieces and tossed them into the bucket and wrapped her hands around it. The smoke meant there was fire and almost all the workers were staying at the parlour.

This attack was well planned out and executed. They planned to take them all out, and they were winning because they had trapped them inside the parlour. Whoever did this knew the running of the parlour well and knew their vulnerable side. She was certain that, just like herself, a lot would be trapped in their room and unable to get out.

She walked to the door and opened it. Despite barely seeing her way, she marched to the door of Jane and pushed it open. She found her already up with a damp towel to her nose. Just like her, Jane had figured out what was happening and already took preventive measures to protect herself.

She nodded at Jane. “We need to find the others,” she told her and she agreed, picking up the iron bucket having pieces of towel which she had already rented and water.

Moving from door to door wasn’t very easy. The smoke of wolfsbane, although it affected the lungs more, also affected the eyes and skin and burnt it badly.

They both went separate ways to find the workers and send them out of the parlour before the building would finally come on fire. She opened the door and showed a few the way out and also attended to those who had gone unconscious because of the smoke. As time passed, the smoke increased, but more than that; it became hotter and with every room she went; the hotter it got, and she knew it was only a matter of minutes before the fire would start and if it did, they would not survive it.

The further she went, the harder it was to breathe and the more the smoke was. She could tell it was where the smoke started from. Weak and worn, she dragged her legs to the door leading to the last few ones and opened it, but it was empty.

Her ear picked up a rush sound, and she knew it was fire. Her instinct was to run, but there were still doors she hadn’t opened and she couldn’t leave without at least getting them out in one piece. She couldn’t leave them. The parlour promised to protect them when they took them in. She couldn’t abandon that promise because it felt difficult.

She turned open the second to the last door and found Kyra on the floor, unconscious. She hurried over to her and turned her around to feel her heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there and she placed the towel over her nose before taking a handful of water and splashing it over her face. She dragged a deep breath and her eyes fluttered to see her.

A smile came onto Kailani’s face, knowing she was still with them. “Come on, get up. Let’s go.” She helped her up, and once up, she showed her the way to go.

“Are you coming?” she turned to her with a confused look on her face.

“I have to make sure everyone is out first, then I’ll leave.”

Kyra’s eyes flashed with fear. “You might not make it.”

She smiled painfully, knowing that was a probability for her. “Yes, but let’s pray that I do. Now go.”

Kyra nodded and ran toward the path she pointed out while she headed for the last two doors.

She got to the first and opened it up, but found no one. Then she ran to the second door and opened it up and she found Cynthia standing inside, unaffected.

It felt as if Cynthia knew she’d come and look. She had a mask over her face, but Kailani could tell her eyes and hair from a mile away. Her eyes narrowed at her because she remember telling her the parlour couldn’t keep her any longer than it had months ago. That was after she blatantly ignored her warnings to protect herself and the rest workers of the parlour.

“Cynthia…” she called out before stopping in her tracks, realising what her presence meant. She should not be here because she no longer worked here and seeing her meant the attack in this parlour was started by her. She also started the threats the parlour received. She betrayed them and this was her way of taking revenge for being let go, and Kailani was certain she wasn’t alone. “You did this,” she accused.

Cynthia shook her head. “No, you did when you sent me away.”

Kailani could not believe she was shifting the blame instead of taking responsibility for her careless action, which led to her dismissal. “You brought that on yourself when you did whatever it was you like damming the rules that have kept this place safe for the longest of time. You were selfish, arrogant and rude and you endangered the life of many. Now you have ripped the haven of dozens of young maiden and men away from them because you only think about yourself and your feelings. I created this parlour to save people from the cruel fate in the world. I did the same for you, and this is your payment to every one of us.”

“No, just you.”

“Who made you do this?” Cynthia sounded tough and capable, but Kailani knew she wasn’t alone. She couldn’t have done all this herself.

Cynthia ignored her question. “You should never have come back to the parlour,” she said and drove a dagger into her chest, right below her heart.

She gasped out and pain shot through her to the rest of her body. She knew that just like the smoke; Cynthia had soaked the dagger with wolfsbane.

“I will not kill you because you do not get to die a quick death,” she seethed before yanking the dagger out and Kailani lost balance and fell to the floor feeling cold.

Her nostril got covered up with the burning smoke without a towel covering her.

She writhed on the cold floor, with many thoughts racing through her head as she counted down the last few moments she had left before the smoke or the poison takes her out completely. She thought back to her life and every decision she’d made that led up to this point. Every good thing that had happened to her. She had had terrible memories, but for this moment she wanted to focus on only the good. She remembered Bruce Zaine, the first man that loved her and treated her like a being worthy of respect. She thought to Jane, the first woman that told her she wasn’t alone. Rue made her believe there was still good in the world and Edward was the saviours of her heart, her soul and her body. He made it all worth it. She remembered how fiercely he loved, how fiercely he gave himself, how fiercely he was in showing those around him the side of her he saw and loved. She remembered his smile, his laughter, his craziness, his tenderness.

She remembers the last time she saw him. She promised to wait for him. She waited… If only she could see his face one last time…