Chapter 32

Without a word, she crossed the room to the corner where the bath stood. She began to pour the hot water, the steam rising in soft clouds. The scent of lavender filled the room, a brief escape from the reality of where I was. I watched her as she worked, her movements careful and precise. Claire was always so quiet, speaking only when necessary. But I noticed that when I spoke to her, she’d sometimes open up, just a little, like she was desperate for someone to talk to, yet terrified of the consequences.

“ Claire,” I said softly, as she finished with the bath.

She looked up, startled, as if she hadn’t expected me to speak. “ Yes, my lady?”

I managed a small smile, despite the pain. “ Thank you.”

Her eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face.

“ For what?”

“ For everything,” I replied. “ If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how I’d keep my hopes up. You’ve been taking care of me, cleaning my wounds, helping me get cleaned up... I just want you to know that I’m grateful.”

Claire’s cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, but I could see the small smile tugging at her lips. “ It’s nothing, my lady,” she murmured. “ I’m just doing my job.”

“ It’s more than that,” I insisted. “ You’re kind to me, even when you don’t have to be. That means more to me than you know.”

She didn’t reply, but the tension in her shoulders seemed to ease slightly. For a moment, I thought she might say something more, but then she simply nodded and turned back to her task.

I leaned back against the pillows, watching her work in silence. I knew Claire was scared, probably terrified that Madam Windfield would find out she was talking to me like this. The help and the king’s mistresses weren’t supposed to communicate. But in this place, Claire was the only person I could count on. And for that, I was more grateful than words could express.

Claire helped me undress and guided me into the warm bath. The hot water stung as it met the cuts and bruises on my skin, but I bit my lip to keep from wincing. I needed this—needed to feel clean again, to wash away the remnants of the horrors I’d been through. As Claire turned away, her hands pausing mid-motion, she suddenly spoke, her voice soft but laced with
something more—curiosity, maybe concern.

“ You’re not from here, are you?” she asked.

Her words sent a chill down my spine, despite the heat of the bathwater. My mind raced, searching for a way to deflect her question, but it was too late. Claire wasn’t easily fooled. I had noticed her sharpness, how she picked up on the smallest details.

“ Why do you say that?” I replied, trying to sound casual, but the tremor in my voice gave me away.

Claire turned to face me, her brown eyes studying mine. “ Because the day of the Harvesting, you asked me about it. Everyone who is from Dravonia knows what the Harvesting is from a very young age. And you didn’t.”

I sighed, realizing that I couldn’t keep the truth from her any longer. She had helped me, cared for me in ways I never expected from anyone in this cursed place. I owed her that much.
“ You’re right,” I admitted. “I’m not from here.”

Claire’s eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t say anything. She waited, giving me the space to continue.

“ I’m from Valtor,” I said, watching for her reaction. Her expression remained calm, though her brow furrowed in thought. “ I passed through the barrier without knowing how. I didn’t even know there was a barrier.”

Claire slowly nodded, absorbing what I had just told her. “ That explains a lot,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“ What do you mean?” I asked, curious about her thoughts.

“ I’ve heard stories about the barrier, how it’s supposed to keep people out. Or in,” she added, her voice dropping even lower. “ But you… you must be different. Special, somehow.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Special was the last thing I felt right now. “ Or just unlucky,” I muttered.

Claire gave me a small, sad smile. “ Maybe. But if you got through the barrier, there’s got to be a reason.”

I didn’t know if she was right or if she was just trying to give me some hope. But her words did make me think. How had I gotten through the barrier? And more importantly, what did it mean for my chances of getting out?

As she began washing my hair, her hands gentle and careful, I felt a wave of gratitude toward her. “ Thank you, Claire,” I said, my voice barely audible over the splashing of the water.
“ For what?” she asked, genuinely surprised.

“ For everything,” I replied. “ For helping me, for being here when I needed someone. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

She smiled again, this time a little brighter. “ You’d do just fine,” she said softly. “ But I’m glad I could help.”

For the first time since I’d arrived here, I felt a tiny flicker of warmth in my chest—a small ember of hope that maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t as alone as I thought.

Claire’s words hung in the air between us, their weight sinking into my chest. “ I’m going to help you,” she had said, with a calm resolve that I hadn’t expected.

“ Help me with what?” I asked, confusion clouding my thoughts.

“ To escape,” she replied, her voice steady and sure.

Escape. The idea of it made my heart race. But as much as I wanted to hold onto that hope, doubt crept in. “ But I don’t even know how I got through the barrier in the first place,” I said, shaking my head. “ And what if I can’t pass through it again?”

Claire fell silent, her brow furrowed as if she was deep in thought. The room was quiet, save for the faint dripping of water as I shifted slightly in the bath. She finally spoke, her voice soft but determined.

“ There must be a way,” she said, more to herself than to me. “ I’ve heard stories, whispers among the servants, about the barrier and how it’s supposed to work. It’s meant to keep people in, yes, but if you managed to get through it once, maybe there’s something about you—something special—that allowed it.”

I looked at her, trying to read her expression. She seemed so certain, but I wasn’t sure if it was enough.

“ You don’t understand,” I said, the words tumbling out.

“ I’m not… I’m not special. I’ve been trying to figure this out, trying to remember how I got here, but it’s all a blur. What if I can’t do it again?”

Claire reached out, taking my hand in hers. Her touch was warm, grounding me in the moment. “ You are special, Meara. You’ve survived this long; you’ve fought through everything that’s happened to you. And you got through that barrier once, didn’t you? That’s something no one else has done, at least not that I’ve heard of.”

Her words stirred something inside me—a flicker of hope that I had almost forgotten. But even so, the doubt lingered. I shook my head, trying to dispel the fear that gripped me.
“ That’s just the thing, Claire,” I said, my voice trembling. “ Your people did find a way through the barrier. That’s how I ended up here. I was running away. They attacked us in the Air Kingdom during the Elemental Games.”

Claire’s eyes widened; shock evident on her face. “ The Elemental Games?” she repeated, almost in disbelief.

I nodded, the memories flooding back with painful clarity. “ We were there, all of us—Seth, Mike, Deon, Zaden, and I. I thought we were safe, but then… they came. Your people, Dravonian’s. They tore through the kingdom like a storm. I don’t even know how I escaped, how I crossed the barrier. I was just running, trying to survive.”

Claire’s grip on my hand tightened, her expression a mix of concern and determination. “ I had no idea,” she whispered. “ I’ve only heard rumors about the outside world, about the other kingdoms. But I didn’t know we had attacked anyone.”

“ They did,” I confirmed, my voice tinged with bitterness. “ And now I’m stuck here, with no idea how to get out. If I couldn’t even control how I got through the barrier the first time, how can I hope to do it again?”

Claire stayed quiet for a moment, her eyes searching mine. Then, with a deep breath, she said, “ There has to be a way. We’ll figure it out, Meara. We’ll find a way to get you back home.”