Hazel's POV
"It's bitter, I know," she murmured when she noticed my reaction to the potion. "That's because of the herbs mixed in it. But I'm sure it'll help you."
"I could already smell it," I said quickly, and she nodded.
"How do you feel? This is the only way we can rescue them. Remember, he can easily detect your scent, and if he does, our whole plan will be ruined. So you must first imagine the risk of getting caught," she encouraged, though her tone sent chills down my spine.
"There will always be risk when Liam is involved. He'll stop at nothing to find me by hook or by crook. There's no escaping him entirely. I just hope it takes him a while to catch up," I replied, and she sighed heavily.
"Don't worry. This potion is powerful he won't be able to track your scent," she said, glancing around the room.
"Is Colton around?" she suddenly asked. Her voice held something sharp that made me freeze before I slowly shook my head.
"Why would you think that? He should be anywhere but here," I answered quickly, and she shrugged.
"Sorry, it just felt like he was here. Liam has been searching for him ever since you left, and the longer he waits, the more unstable he becomes. Forgive me for assuming you two were together," she explained, though her words didn't convince me. I knew rumors about Colton helping me escape must have spread, but I couldn't confirm it yet.
"I just saw my chance and took it. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I'm no damsel in distress," I said, noticing how she tried not to smirk.
"Oh, I see. I only thought he might be here because you seemed hesitant to open the door earlier. My mistake. I'll be more careful next time. You're lucky, though—getting the chance to escape," she said, and I could hear the jealousy behind her words.
I quickly changed the subject, feeling uneasy. "How long do we have to wait before we move?" I asked.
"I'm not sure," she said after a pause. "But we should wait a bit. Some guards might still be awake. By midnight, most of them will be asleep or drunk. That's when we can sneak in unnoticed. Darkness will be our best cover."
She was right. The dungeon guards often got careless at night, believing no one could escape the locked cells.
"It's already late. Maybe we should start now. The kingdom's far, and by the time we get there, it'll already be midnight," I insisted. I needed to go and return before Colton came back—he'd insist on coming along if he found out.
"What are you doing?" I asked when I saw her scribbling on a piece of paper.
"I'm trying to remember the easiest route from the dungeon," she replied.
That caught me off guard. If she didn't even know that, what was her plan? Shouldn't she already know the routes and shortcuts?
Colton had known exactly what he was doing during my escape. He was calm, confident, and prepared it made me trust him. I didn't regret that trust, not even once. But Skyler's uncertainty now made me uneasy.
Getting into the kingdom wasn't the problem. Getting out was. And she clearly hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Where did you pass through when you escaped? Maybe we could use the same route," she asked thoughtfully, making me almost choke.
"I don't remember clearly it all happened so fast. Besides, didn't you say you had everything planned out? Why do you sound unsure?" I questioned.
Her eyes widened briefly before she smiled. "Of course I do. I just wanted to be extra prepared, that's all. Liam has doubled security getting in and out won't be easy," she said as she stood up.
"Then let's go," I said, standing too. "Since there's no plan B, we might as well move now."
She nodded.
"Excuse me for a moment," I said and went into the bathroom. Quickly, I called Colton.
"Hello? Where are you? Skyler's here—she came to tell me about my family's situation. We're leaving for the kingdom soon," I said hurriedly.
"Wait—what? Skyler's there? Why would you let her in?" Colton's voice was tense. "Okay, just wait for me. Don't do anything until I get there."
"There's no time to explain," I said, exhaling. "We're leaving now. I just wanted to let you know."
Before he could respond, I ended the call.
I leaned against the wall, thinking for a moment, then gathered my resolve
and stepped back into the room.
"Let's go," I said firmly.