WONDERLAND

Chapter 12

I don't sleep at night. At all. Every time I close my eyes the picture of a dead body with its head cut off comes to haunt me. It's like a nightmare. But I'm not asleep.

This place is not a joke.

I get up from the bed around seven, because I can already hear someone moving around downstairs. I think Reginald is supposed to be at work today, so I'm guessing it's Finley, but of course, his dad could just have not left yet.

I dress quickly, putting on a light sweater, since it's still a little chilly at this hour, and then make my way downstairs.

I tip toe quietly into the kitchen, seeing Finley's back as he's doing something on the counter, probably cutting something. He doesn't hear me over the sizzling of the pan, so I just watch him for a minute.

I don't hate him. I never did. Okay, maybe at first when I though he was going to kidnap and murder me. And even though he has his own reasons for being mostly nice to me, I appreaciate it. I appreaciate him. I'm still a little guarded from him, because at the end of the day, we haven't known each other that long. But the moments when he has been kind to me and helped me, have definitely sparked something in me.

"Good morning." I sit behind the table as he turns around.

"Oh, good morning. You're up early," he says and then turns back to cut some vegetables.

"So are you."

Finley shrugs. "Couldn't really sleep."

"Me neither. Can I also have what you're making?" I ask, hoping I can taste Finley's wonderful cooking again.

"Well, I didn't take six eggs out of the fridge for no reason," he smiles, looking back at me.

So he already thought about me.

"Hey, Finley?" I ask, watching him add cut up bell peppers to the pan.

"Yeah?"

"I thought about going out today. Alone."

He doesn't say anything for a seconds, only watches me.

"Oh."

I bite the inside of my cheek. I don't know what kind of an answer I was waiting from him, but it definitely wasn't just a simple and short "oh".

He clears his throat. Thankfully.

"Why?" He asks, completely forgetting about the breakfast he is making. He leans back against the counter, supporting himself with his hands.

I shrug. "I just thought it would be a good idea to go look around on my own. Since I don't know how long I'll have to be here, it might come handy to learn surviving on my own."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble in any way." He tilts his head. "And ruin our plan," he adds.

I furrow my brows. "I'm not going to ruin our plan. We don't even have a plan."

He rolls his eyes. "You know what I mean. It can be dangerous for you, you know?"

"Finley, I'll be fine. I promise."

"Fine, whatever. But it's not my fault if you accidentally reveal that you're not a wonderblood and get killed." He raises his hands in defense and turns around again, stirring the vegetables on the pan.

"I promise I won't blame you if I get killed," I try to smile.

* * *

I look down at my feet and count my steps. Something inside me is telling me to keep my eyes down. Just so I wouldn't accidentally make contact with anyone.

I finally enter the government house and sit down on one of the wooden benches, shiny and polished under my butt. I'm nervous, yes, but I know what I have to do.

My heart is beating abnormally fast when it's finally my turn.

"Twenty minutes, no more," the guard tells me before opening the big doors for me. It's a different guard, though.

I take slow steps, trying to adjust my eyes to the surroundings. It's a big room, like very big, reminding me of a castle ball room. The red carpet is lining the floor, making a path to a table and the person sitting behind it.

The King.

When our eyes meet, every single hair on my body stands up.

William One.

William.

"Hello. Please, take a seat," he points to a chair opposites of him.

I stare at him for a moment. He seems so... familiar?

I finally sit down, but something makes me do it vastly slow.

"How can I help you, young lady?" he asks. His hair is mostly gray and so is his beard, but he doesn't seem very old. There aren't many wrinkels on the man's face either.

"Oh, um..."

It only strikes me now that I have no idea what to say to him. Clearly, I didn't think this through.

"What's your name?" The King asks instead, probably sensing my distress.

"Harriet," I answer quickly, realising I can't tell him my last name. It makes me even more nervous than I already am.

"Okay, Harriet, what brought you here today?"

I hate how nice and kind he seems, as if he doesn't chop people's heads off in his spare time.

"I...I guess I just wanted to talk..."

I immidiately cringe at myself. It sounded like the conversation I had with Finley in his room.

"Sure. Do you have any complaints?" The King asks, but I can't even think of what to answer when a man bursts through the door.

"King, there's an urgent matter that has to be taken care of!" The man is quite frantic, but wants to seem collected. He hands a scroll to The King and he reads it quickly.

Then he turns to the man. "Give an order to make an announcment-"

"What's going on?" I can't hold myself back.

The King looks at me. "I'm very sorry, we have to continue our talk another time."

As I'm sent out, I see all the people, who were waiting, start to leave too. Honestly, I'm very confused but also curious.

And nervous.

Suddenly, I start to feel like I need Finley. Maybe coming out alone wasn't such a good idea.

And when I see what's going on outside, I wish that I was anywhere but here.