16. Timeline Change #3
The cashier smiles at me as I enter the central area of the café. She hands me another coffee and apologises profusely, but I wave off her apology and leave. Taking a sip, I notice the lip gloss stains around the cup. When I’m near the castle, I take a few more swigs.
The trees cluster on one side. Dust, dry dirt, and ash lift, misting in the air with every step until the brittle, charred trees consume me.
Out of sight from peering eyes, I press myself against the tree and rummage around in my purse.
There’s a biodegradable bag with melatonin crushed inside.
I pour the contents into the coffee cup and swirl it until the mixture dissolves.
If he drinks enough—when I offer it to the water elemny—there’s a high chance he may drop and fall asleep instead of me using my body to get what I need. And I need a way into the castle without a hint of suspicion on anyone’s face.
There are four entry points, but only three entrances are used. Nancy told me they no longer use the back entrance since King Ragan set fire to the ships, boats, and dock, leaving it a crumbling, charred mess. Elemny still guard the back, in case an air elemny slips through the skies.
That leaves the front entrance—the hardest to sneak through, unless with an invitation. But who’d invite a stranger to the castle? A prince?
Unlikely.
The right entrance is guarded by two elemny—air and earth. From a young age, my parents warned me never to trust an air elemny enough to reveal my full name. Therefore, it’s wise to head to the left entrance, where the fire and water elementals are stationed.
Ash falls onto my hair the longer I huddle behind the cluster of burnt trees. The anxiety and adrenaline coursing through me made me stay hidden longer than I expected. So I take deep breaths in and out until my shoulders relax.
After taking off the summer yellow dress, the sleek blue dress with purple flowers is underneath it.
Pinching between my legs, I free the dress from my underwear until it cascades to my ankles.
Then, I grab the green wig stashed in my satchel and press it between my legs while I secure the hairnet and clips over my hair.
The wig goes on, and I release the tight curls until ringlets flow down elegantly.
Okay. You got this.
A pathway leads to the side entrance. Workers avoid tourists by using the left entrance, so my attention shifts to the fire elemny before the water elemny. A prickle of heat swells across my waist and grips my hip.
My thumb taps the send button. The water elemny looks at his phone before snapping his dark blue gaze back onto me. He smiles, and it beams from ear to ear as his eyes travel up and down my body, stripping me of my dignity.
Every conversation with him felt strained, as he spoke mainly of his desires—fucking someone while he was at work.
The fire elemny nudges toward me and says, “Is this the woman?”
Of course, they spoke of the ordeal.
I flutter my lashes, and with a shy smile and meek, soft voice, I say, “Is he joining?”
The fire elemny barks a laugh, but the water elemny shoots him a warning look. The fire elemental raises his hands and backs down. “Do what you’ve gotta do, Caleb. I’ll check the left wing while you enjoy yourself.”
With a quick nod between them, the fire elemny pushes off from the wall and makes his way through the brittle trees. I hand Caleb the coffee after he’s gone and say, “I thought you might be thirsty. I know I am.”
“Thanks.” He takes the cup, glimpses the gloss smearing it, and then takes three full swigs. It’s not enough at this stage. Sadly, I need to work him until the blood rushes to his head and he passes out.
He takes my hand, and I urge myself not to cringe and stick the nail file into his neck and be done with him. Big and robust hands grip my hips and push me against the brick exterior of the estate. His mouth finds mine, and he lets out a moan as my body shuts down.
But I can’t shut down.
I’m not sure what to do, so I let him make most of the moves and do the kissing. Disgust courses through my body, and a constricting, tightening sensation wraps around my throat like a noose when his tongue pries my mouth open.
It would be different if I were with someone I wanted to kiss. Whenever Desmond was around, I’d wrap my legs around his waist and pleasure myself while he watched with desperate, sexually deprived eyes. Our chemistry was strong, and we yearned for each other every day.
Here, though, there’s nothing but a bottomless pit as I wait for—
His body flops to the ground, hitting his head on the ashen cement.
He’s heavy, so dragging him into the bushes along the wall takes every ounce of strength.
But when he’s out of sight from anyone, I enter his pockets until my fingers hook around the key card they use to get in and out of the castle.
Undressing once more, I take off the green wig, slip on the short blue bob, and fasten the black-and-white maid outfit with the blue tie as I stare at the back entrance. The gun strapped to my thigh moves smoothly along the small of my back.
The door buzzes when the key card taps against it, and dark shadows ooze out when the door opens. With a deep breath, I enter the castle.