Chapter 2.17: Prologue to Departure

The day of the brunch with Liliko'i was uneventful. Leila stood in her bedroom wearing a petticoat to combat the sudden change in weather and fur boots. A shaky iron heater moved back and forth across from her, loudly warming up the large space. Before the two women embarked on their winter adventure, the gods of the book world abruptly made it cold at the estate. Gone were the days of feeling the crisp autumn air on your sweat-dampened skin. Now, you had to be covered from head to toe in the thickest clothes you had. The heiress liked the Frigid weather that followed her around the manor as she got ready. Momentarily, she found herself hesitating to leave. This was, of course, due to the elephant in the room that sat snug on her wrist.

Leila had decided to wear the bracelet and see what happened when Liliko'i saw it. The girl had a replica of it, and she wanted answers. Even if she wasn't able to get the whole truth, just knowing the blonde did recognize it would be enough. The piece of jewelry was something that honestly had been bugging her since the festival. Finding out there was more in this world that wasn't a part of the books was annoying. It left her with less information to use to her advantage. The playing field was being leveled, and she hated being unaware. But goosebumps sat on her arms as the beads made contact with her delicate skin. Whatever this bracelet really was, it definitely had some connection with that saintess. The thought of the mysterious woman also gave her bad vibes. Being in ownership of something with so much unknown about it left an awful feeling in her head. She really didn't know what she'd find out.

'In the worst-case scenario, this could contain a tracker, or it might be like a brand to symbolize being a part of that cult.' The teenager wrinkled her nose as she thought about it.

If the cult had recruited Liliko'i, that could mean that her engagement to Cale was planned. They could be trying to recruit the green-eyed assassin by using a pregnant woman as bait. If Liliko'i was even really pregnant as no one provided her any hard evidence. Leila frowned and sat down on her bed for a moment. She had thought of this over a thousand times already and always came up with the same result. When the truth is revealed and Lili is a lying spy, she'd get rid of her with ease. If the girl was just an unknowing cult member, she'd use her powers to mess with her head. Memories shouldn't be too hard to toy with, and getting rid of any association with lunatics might make Lili safer. And if it was none of the above, then she would simply move on to find who had planted the bracelet in the blonde's bedroom. Someone obviously put there it on purpose for one of them to come across.

'Could they have gotten in the room when Liliko'i fell down the stairs? If so, anyone could have slipped in and out as she left her door unlocked. Meaning it isn't just possible for the rat to be a maid with a key.' Leila let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed at her sore forehead.

Cleo's gift was leaving her feeling dizzy and exhausted all morning. The dark-haired nymphette was lost on what to do, as constant headaches weren't a thing here. All the maids could do was hot honey tea, cold baths, and pain pills that reminded her of weak Tylenol. She assumed this was just something the books never covered, so everyone was at a loss. Leila was going to have to grit her teeth through every wave of pain until she found some answers. There had to be an old newspaper article or a dusty journal that described a way to stop it all. And if there wasn't, maybe she could create some sort of relief or antidote that worked long-term. All of this made the jade-eyed woman tremble in rage when thinking about the writer who made this happen. Having power scaling be so imbalanced and awfully excruciating was infuriating when you were the one experiencing it.

The teenager stretched out her arms and heard her knuckles before getting up. The lanky woman got up onto her feet and relaxed her body. 'Let's do this.'

"Lili, you really fit cream-colored fabrics! You should wear them more. I have some dresses you can borrow." Thirty minutes later, with a fake grin on her face, the heiress waved her sister-in-law over. She was sitting by a tall, thick orange tree that had failed to bloom.

The blonde nervously pulled at her dress and walked over. It was clear that it was something her mother had bought for the pregnant girl. The design showed way more skin than Liliko'i ever had and it looked really heavy. To help her with her anxiety, Leila reached over the table where she sat and held her hand. Her skin was awfully soft, with her nails also looking perfect. They had washed any bruising and blemishes away with makeup and healing tonics. Knowing that they had been there, however, was enough for the pair. She could feel that the younger girl was trembling already. Her mind must have been racing, most likely from whatever Cale had done to her the night before. Leila gave her a gentle smile before speaking her mind. If she came off too aggressive, the blonde might shut down.

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"I can get you away from him," her sister-in-law's eyes widened as the heiress gave her hand a squeeze. "I spoke to my father about taking you out of the country. We'll be going to a resort to stay with other noblewomen."

Liliko'i hesitated in her response. Under all that fear, the assassin could hear she was hopeful. "Out of the country? Cale would never allow that. He'd lose his mind about missing out on some of the pregnancy."

"Yes, he will because my father gave me the okay, and he's never going to speak out against him." Leila came to a stop as a servant came over with their food. No one needed to hear what she was going to say besides Lili.

The servant put the tray down and began to place down the numerous items she requested. Leila knew she had asked for a lot, so she personally helped cook a portion. This was the roasted ham that had been sliced for a dozen sandwiches and a small meat pie. The heiress also baked a large pan of lemon squares. This was a dessert she ate often as a child in the real world. Besides these options, there are a dozen others that vary in their portion size and sweetness. They made all of it with Lili and her morning sickness in mind. The smells of the desserts did seem to be getting to her with the blonde wrinkling her nose and paling. Quickly, the heiress handed her a warm cup of rooibos tea that was given honey and ginger to sweeten it. The jade-eyed woman had done her research and this was popular with women going through an intense pregnancy.

"Drink up. It'll help your stomach settle." She patted Lili's back as she nervously than graciously drank the entire cup. Leila continued to reassure her. "It will all be okay, we're going to leave soon and travel first class."

Liliko'i swallowed a mouthful of tea, gawking at the heiress as she began to process everything. "First class? But for a week's long trip that will cost a fortune. I don't have the money to pay you back for that."

With a playful snicker, the jade-eyed heiress waved away her worries and picked up a piece of cake. One of the various cakes she had watched bake in the mayor's humongous ovens. Its creamy frosting was whipped and looked delectable. She took a large bite, immediately moaning at how good it tasted. Every minute had gone into making the best-tasting dessert she had eaten in a while. They made the inside out of a dozen berries and strawberry-flavored filling. The teen finished her bite before calming the naïve blonde down. Out of the corner of Leila’s eye, she could see the poor girl shaking.

"You never have to worry about money anymore. You're marrying into one of the nation's richest families. And besides, this is like a penny to me cost-wise." God, the teenager felt so snobby saying that. But she had to say the quiet part out loud to help cool the blonde down.

Liliko'i looked like she wanted to protest, but her mouth dropped open. Almost immediately, Leila noticed she was looking at her wrist. Right where her bracelet sat on the assassin's wrist. Leila had almost forgotten that she had been wearing it. Satisfaction filled her as she realized Liliko'i recognized it. The sudden appearance of the jewelry scared Lili shitless. She tipped the cup of rooibos tea in her hand over and both women jumped. Its hot contents spilled all over the poor pregnant woman's knees. Without a second thought, Leila jumped at the chance to dig for the truth. She got up and hurried to help the blonde clean up the mess.

"What happened? You froze and suddenly started shaking like a leaf. Was it smothering I said?" The green-eyed heiress helped her up. She noted that Lili was doing everything she could to not touch the bracelet.

With a panicked expression, she shook her head rapidly and gripped the table. "No! No, I just thought I just felt a little sick from all the food. Morning sickness has made me a soup and cracker type of girl." It was clear as day she was lying, but Leila couldn't push. They had all the time in the world to do so on the trip.

"That's alright. You should go lie down. The trip is days away, so we have plenty of time to talk." The blonde looked like she had been given a miracle. She hurried off while Leila stared after her with curiosity.