Chapter 2: A Second Chance To Life
Iris’s POV
A distant voice pierced through the haze in my mind, faint and low at first.
"Iris! Iris!" it called, the voice growing sharper, more insistent. My body felt forgotten, my thoughts sluggish. Then, a rough shake jolted me, my shoulders jerking under the hands. I blinked, regaining my senses, my vision clearing to meet the stern cold glare of the head maid, Maris. One that Darius had employed in his regime and fired every other servant that was against his rule, including Amelia’s mother. But Amelia stayed because of me.
"Where’s your mind, girl?" Maris snapped, her lips pursed into a scowl. "You’ve been there all day! Hurry up!" Her eyes bored into mine. I couldn’t speak. My mind, senses and body stopped working as confusion clouded my mind as I wondered how I found myself scrubbing the floor.
"How dare you daze off while I’m speaking to you? Have you no respect?"
I still couldn’t speak, my heart thudding unevenly in my chest. My surroundings came into focus, this familiar place, the Blackbane Pack’s servant quarters. I am standing in the middle of the hallway, my worn maid’s uniform clinging to my skin, my hands clutching a mop I didn’t even remember picking up. Heavy confusion swirled in my mind. Wasn’t I just... in the town square? The lashes, the silver powder burning my skin, the crowd’s pitying stares, hadn’t I collapsed? My body, broken and lifeless? Hadn’t I heard Alpha Darius’s cold voice ordering my body disposed off?
"Speak, girl!" Maris yelled, her bony finger jabbing towards my hair as she pulled me close. That was the moment I recovered fully.
"I... I’m sorry," I stammered, my voice hoarse. My legs trembled beneath me, and I gripped the broom tighter to steady myself. "I didn’t mean to..."
"Didn’t mean to?" Maris scoffed, folding her arms across her chest now. "You’re always lost in your head, Iris. Useless, distracted thing. Now get moving, you’re needed in the kitchen. Don’t make me drag you there myself."
I opened my mouth to respond, but my mind was still a chaotic whirl. Nothing made sense. I glanced around, half-expecting to see the town square, the whipping post, the crowd. Instead, I was here, standing in here, Maris’s scowl burning into me. My body felt... fine. No pain, no searing burns from silver powder, no weakness. Was it a dream? A hallucination? Or had I somehow survived that brutal punishment?
Before I could stop myself, I turned, walking away, my feet moving on instinct. Maris’s voice chased after me, shrill and indignant. "How dare you walk out on me, you insolent girl! Get back here this instant!"