Chapter 236
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Dora?” Levina asked softly as we stood right outside the thick forest that seemed to be calling to me, if the deep humming in my blood and the sharp craving to walk into its embrace were any indication.
“This is a place forbidden to us as students. It is forbidden to members of the community, only allowed to a select few for certain occasions…so what are we doing here? I thought we were going on a tour of the palace She continued, her grip on my arm tightening as she feasted her eyes on the thick vegetation ahead of us.
“So, what do you guys think?” Rachel asked in a chirpy tone, gazing at us with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
I glanced down at Diana, who was clutching my right hand, hoping to see some fear in her eyes so that I could convince her to go home, but the stiff-necked girl was smiling.
Why couldn’t she be like her fellow age mates? I wondered for the umpteenth time, looking away from her to the forest again, exhaling softly when the craving got bigger.
Aren’t we going in already?
I looked at Raul and his sister. They were staring at me. What? Were they waiting for my permission? They would wait forever!
As much as I was eager to see what lay in the forest, I wasn’t ready to be in the bad books of the community or enter the court with the Queen.
As if hearing my thoughts, Sinclair echoed them. “Did you both bring us here to exact revenge? You mentioned that you were bringing us to some beautiful part of the palace… are you hoping to get us into trouble?” Content originally comes from.net
Raul chuckled softly, causing me to raise an eyebrow, wondering again how the two males had gotten over their differences so quickly.
“Not at all. And I didn’t lie. This forest belongs to the royal family p>
It was on the tip of my tongue to refute that, to ask if the Queen had planted all these trees herself, but then I saw there was no need. It was just the same theory that had applied to the beasts. Some things were just for the enjoyment of the royals.
“Well, since this is an excursion then… can we get on with it? I am getting impatient.” Diana spoke up for the first time since we had embarked on this trip, causing the royal twins to laugh.
Levina grimaced, just like Sinclair, as if they were twins too.
Me? I just shrugged my shoulders when Raul met my gaze again. If we were going to bend the law, we might as well get on with it.
“But we didn’t come with any food or water… this place looks like one where we could spend hours without knowing it, or where we could get lost… what do we do then?” Levina asked, still hesitant about getting into the wagon.
I could understand her, of course, but I wished she had Diana’s spirit of adventure. I wished their roles were reversed, so that I could send the little one back home. Alas! Nothing of such happened.
“Fret not, Levina. We’ve got you covered.” Rachel spoke calmly before turning toward the forest. “Let’s go p>
The forest was thick. The light struggled to penetrate the dense canopy, casting shadows that danced with the movement of the leaves. Vines twisted and climbed up the trunks of ancient trees, their spirals a testament to years of growth, while colorful flowers peeked through the foliage, each bloom vibrant and alive.
The air was filled with the earthy scent of damp soil and the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers. I could hear even the spluttering of wings and the rustle of leaves in response to the soft whispers of the wind. My enhanced hearing allowed me to perceive even the slightest movements—the distant roar of animals, the scurrying of insects, the flutter of wings—all creating a symphony of sounds that spoke of life in the forest.
With each breath in, I felt the greenness of the forest wrap around my senses—the lushness of ferns, the delicate patterns on the leaves, and even the microscopic insects moving on their tiny pathways, as if each detail was magnified.
But apart from all these, the forest seemed alive, as if it were breathing, as if it were aware of our presence.
“Am I the only one, or does it seem like we are being watched by the trees?” Levina pointed out, still grasping my arm.
“No.” I muttered, withdrawing in my mind to question El about the state of things. ’Do you think this is a good idea p>
’You should have asked me this before you embarked on the journey p>
’I didn’t know we would be coming to the forest. I thought we would be exploring the palace p>
A disbelieving chuckle erupted in my mind immediately. ’You seem to forget sometimes that I am not human, that I can tell when you are lying. Did you forget that I know you can read minds at will now, and that you can sense intentions as if they are tangible? You knew you were not going to the palace today; you knew you were going somewhere else, somewhere dark. But you were just too curious about what the twins had to offer, that you didn’t seek my opinion p>
I sighed softly. ’I am sorry about that p>
’That’s okay. As for your earlier question, you shouldn’t be here; it’s not time yet. But all the same, you will find some answers to some of your lingering questions p>
I was okay with that. As a matter of fact, I was long overdue. Over the past couple of weeks, I had paid more visits to the library to make sense of certain terms and situations, but to no avail. I didn’t find any ancient book like the previous ones I had stolen from the place.
“So, you think we should return?” Levina whispered hopefully.
I shook my head, at the same time as Diana. “Let’s just forge ahead. What’s the worst that could go wrong? After all, we are with two royals… surely the forest can recognize them. It can also recognize that they aren’t bringing us here out of duress p>
Ten minutes of walking in the dense forest, or so I thought, following Raul and Rachel, we burst into a wide clearing that had footprints leading to an ancient wall coated with flowers and green leaves.
“Is that what we are here to see p>