CHAPTER 28 — HOPE IS A DANGEROUS THING
Leona woke before sunrise, the same way she had for the past week — heart pounding, mind foggy, eyes wide open like she'd never slept at all.
The servants' quarters were already stirring with quiet chatter, tired groans, and the clatter of pails. But something was different today. A subtle excitement buzzed beneath the exhaustion, like tiny sparks under cold ash.
As Leona stepped into the hallway, a girl with warm brown skin and bright hazel eyes waved her over.
"Leona! Come here!"
Her name was Talia. One of the younger maids. Soft-spoken. Quick to smile. And the first person in this place who didn't look at Leona like she was prey.
Leona walked toward her, confused. "What's happening?"
Talia's grin could've lit the hallway. "Market day."
Leona blinked. "Market?"
"Mm-hm. Every few weeks, a handful of maids are chosen to go outside the palace gates to collect supplies." Talia leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "Fresh air. Real food. Sunlight."
Leona's chest tightened. Three weeks. Three endless, suffocating weeks trapped in stone walls. She hadn't seen a sky that wasn't shrouded by iron bars since they dragged her here.
"You're on the list today," Talia added with a wink.
Leona's breath caught.
Outside.Out of the castle.Out of this nightmare.
A dangerous, trembling hope slipped into her chest.
Talia touched her arm gently. "You okay? You look pale."
"I just…" Leona swallowed. "I didn't expect this."
Talia squeezed her arm. "It's not as free as it sounds. Guards follow us. And the king's watchers see everything. But still—it helps."
Leona smiled weakly, but inside her pulse was racing.
Back in her cell, Marvin had whispered over and over:"If you ever get a chance to run… RUN."
Maybe today was the chance.
Maybe.
They joined the group of five maids at the entrance gate. Vampire guards stood on each side — tall, stone-faced, gleaming in their dark armor. Their eyes glowed faintly red in the shadows.
Leona kept her gaze low as the gates creaked open.
Sunlight spilled in.
Warm. Bright. Almost painful against her skin.
She inhaled sharply. The scent of pine, earth, and distant market smoke rushed into her chest, making her dizzy.
Three weeks without sunlight.Three weeks without fresh air.Three weeks without freedom.
She wanted to cry.
But she held it in.
The group walked through the forest path toward the marketplace, the guards trailing close behind. Leona memorized every tree, every turn, every sound. Her heart beat faster with every step.
Closer… closer…The path opened onto a bustling market square. Stalls overflowed with bread, fruit, cloth, spices. Vendors called out prices. Children ran past with wooden toys. Laughter mixed with chatter.
Life.Color.Noise.
Everything the castle stole from her.
Talia nudged her with a smile. "Feels good, right?"
Leona nodded, even though her stomach twisted with something sharp and desperate.
They began gathering supplies. The guards watched everything, their red eyes unblinking.
Still… Leona saw small gaps.Moments.Slivers of possibility.
Near the alley behind the grain stalls…The path narrowed…Only two guards stood watching…The forest lay beyond…Deep, wild, dark…
Leona's breath hitched. She stepped back. One step. Two. Talia didn't notice — she was arguing with a vendor about flour prices.
The guards didn't look her way.
Not yet.
Leona's heart hammered painfully.
This is it. This is the chance.
She turned, ready to slip into the alley—
"Where are you going, little one?"
Her blood froze.
A cold voice brushed the back of her neck.
She turned slowly.
A vampire guard stood behind her, one she hadn't noticed. His smile was too sharp, too knowing.
"Lose your way?" he asked softly.
Leona forced her limbs to stay steady. "I—I was looking for the berry seller."
He leaned closer, inhaling her scent like he could drink her fear right out of her lungs.
"Don't wander," he murmured. "Some humans… disappear when they stray too far."
A chill slithered down her spine.
Talia hurried over, grabbing Leona's wrist. "Sorry, sir! She's new. I'll keep her close."
The guard studied Leona for one more heartbeat… then stepped back.
Talia pulled her away immediately.
"What were you thinking?" she whispered harshly. "You almost died."
Leona didn't answer.
Her eyes drifted back to the alley.The path that could've saved her.The freedom she had almost tasted.
Almost.
Her legs felt weak. Her throat tight.
Talia softened when she saw her expression. "…Leona. You can't run. Not here. Not like this."
Leona looked down at the dirt beneath her feet, the sunlight warm but unbearably distant.
She hadn't escaped.
But the desire burned stronger now, hotter than ever.
She might be trapped.
But she wasn't broken.
Not yet.