Song for the start of the chapter!!! 

Stella POV

I opened my eyes to see that I was in the same bed as I was when I fell asleep. As sleep slowly seeped away from my body, I took a deep breath of fresh air. This time, it didn't feel like my lungs or body were burning. I stared at the white ceiling above me and noticed that my pain was nothing but mild aches now.

Bravely, I stretched, then propped myself up in bed with some struggle. Every moment made me realize that even though the pain had subsided, my strength hadn't returned yet. Sleep was all but far away from me as I scanned the room, hoping to see Grayson near, instead the room was empty. I couldn't help but frown in disappointment as seconds ticked by and he still hadn't shown up.

The memory of the last time I saw him popped into my mind like a fuzzy radio signal. He woke me from my deep slumber. His blurred face was hard to remember, but he sounded worried as he asked me to drink something that tasted bitter. I remembered the liquid burning my throat as I swallowed, but he said it would make me feel better.

I didn't believe him at first because I was in so much pain; I was sure nothing could take it away. But as I sat in this bed, the pain throughout my body was now only isolated in my shoulder. Whatever Gray gave me worked, and he was right, that drink did take away the pain.

Minutes passed as I waited for him to show, but the emptiness of the room was deafening. In the silence, I rose my hand to the light to see that it wasn't blackened anymore. My normal skin tone had returned to its formal glory, which brought a smile to my face as I realized they must have done it. I was sure they would eventually do it. Gray was more capable than anyone realized. I was cured because of him.

Quickly, I pushed my sweater off my shoulder to see that my shoulder was still blackened with flaking black skin, which meant the scratch was still healing. But I knew that soon enough I would be back to normal.

"It's going to take another day or two for it to go away," Else's voice rang out, breaking me from my self-examination.

I looked up to see her walking into the room with a bowl in her hand. She looked the same as she always did with her business-like clothing wrapped around her curvy body. But this time, her makeup wasn't done and there was something in her eyes that said she wasn't as together as she wanted people to believe she was.

Looking at Else made me realize I had never seen her without a drop of makeup on before. Her milky complexion hidden behind her black, straight hair was something so beautiful to me. It took me a second to look away from her.

"Hungry?"

I nodded as she handed me a bowl of soup. "Thank you," I said as I took a drink to the broth soup that warmed me instantly, like a sauna on a snowy day.

"Of course. You have eaten little in the last 24 hours, so you are probably starving," she said with a heavy sigh and sat down in an empty chair. She rubbed her hands on her dress slacks and stared at her many rings on her hands for a moment before looking back at me. Her eyes were distance as she met my eyes, making me wonder what she was thinking about. "How do you feel?"

Though I wasn't back to my normal self, I didn't feel back to that, but I at least wasn't in extreme pain any more. "Better," I stated as I downed the soup, quickly realizing how hungry I actually was.

She nodded in silence as she looked at the clock around her wrist like this was the most taxing thing she would have to do all day. I knew she didn't like me, but she wasn't obligated to be here if Gray wasn't beside me. Soon enough, Gray would be back with me and I would reassure him that none of this was his fault. I didn't like her anyhow, so the feeling was mutual and it was ok if she left me in the silent room. "Good."

There was a few awkward silent moments shared between us until I asked the only important question out there. "Where is Gray?"

She frowned, but remained silent as she stared at me as if not knowing what to tell me.

Her frown and silence made me worry Gray did something wrong. He was desperate for a cure and sometimes, in that desperation, it forces people to do extreme things. The silence was crushing, only allowing for my mind to plunge into the dark depths of fear. I wanted answers no matter how hard they were to share and I wanted her to tell them to me. "Please tell me what happened," I begged as I pushed myself up in the bed a little higher to show that I could take it.

She shook her head, as if not wanting to share, not only for my sake but for her own. I always thought she didn't care about Gray, but her reaction was making me think otherwise. Maybe she did have a little heart for Gray.

In the room's silence, I drew lines in my mind. She didn't want to talk about it; he wasn't here. He sounded so worried last time I talked to him. Maybe he broke some kind of rule. But he did it for me, so he shouldn't be in too much trouble if they knew he cured me. "He broke some rules, didn't he? Otherwise, he would be here with me. Else, please tell me what happened. The silence is not the best option."

"He's in questioning right now."

Questioning didn't sound too bad, but her eyes made me think otherwise, making wonder what he actually did to save my life and what he would have to face as reparations. "When will he get out?"

She frowned again. "I'm not sure if he ever will. The Royal Family will have to judge his crimes."

Judge for his crimes? Those words were sharp and brash. Panic filled me as her words fell heavy on me like a tree falling to the forest ground. I worried about what he did for me. No doubt he broke the rules to get the cure, but if this was the consequence for him, it wasn't worth it. "What did he do?"

"He let out his imprisoned father for the cure and he killed someone to let him out."

I shook my head, not believing that. That didn't sound like Gray. He wasn't like that. Gray told me he hated his father so why would he let him out even in my life was on the line. And he wouldn't kill anyone. Gray wasn't a killer, he never had been. He wasn't capable of such a thing.

"It's hard to believe, but he did all of that," she said as she stood up from her chair as if not wanting to fight me on the topic any longer. "I did let your father know you were on a school trip, but it's time for us to get you back to Jackson. Your wound should heal up completely within the next hour. In the meantime, I just need to do one thing before we leave."

I paid little attention to her words as she continued to talk. She wanted me gone, but she didn't address what would happen to Grayson next. She didn't want to address it herself by the conversation, as if she couldn't come to terms with it. If he really killed someone, what would happen to him? "What will happen to Grayson?"

Else frowned as she turned to face me again. I wasn't sure if she was concerned about him or just concerned about my reaction, but for a second, she made be believe she was concerned about him. "I have no idea, but he will not be going to Jackson again. I think the Royal Family will never let him leave this castle again, to be honest."

Her honesty caused worry to fill me. He would be a prisoner here, where no one cared or wanted him. No one would be on his side to help him from this mess. Maybe Else cared about him, but she didn't care enough to get him out, that was for sure.

He fit in to Jackson more than he fit in here. He belonged in Jackson with me, but she didn't realize that, nor did she care. She didn't care about Grayson like I did. I don't think anyone did, to be honest. But Else didn't want to help him. That just meant I needed to.

"I'll be back soon." With that, Else left the room to deal with something else, allowing me to have privacy in the room with my thoughts.

I looked around the empty room and stood up from the bed, feeling shaky on my legs. Quickly, I slipped on my shoes, wasting no time. I knew what I had to do, and I had to act now. I didn't know this castle or this land at all, but no one seemed to be on Grayson's side. Once again, I would be the only one to help. Grayson was someone to risk it all for.

Without thinking about it any further, I walked out of the small living space that was Else's then walked down the hall praying that no one would catch me.

Looking down the long corridor, I wondered where I should go. I didn't know where Grayson was but Else did say he wouldn't leave the castle, so that meant somewhere within the massive space, he was here. I just had to find him and find a way to get both of us out of here.