Chapter 4 She's got a bone to pick

Zephyra

The pain in my head had dulled to a persistent ache, a dull echo of the chaos that had brought me here. Days had passed since that jarring introduction to Inferno, and true to what Malachi said after that incident, he hasn't sent anyone to tell me to go to work.

I wonder how many days before he subjects me to the hell that is waiting around the corner...

A soft knock interrupted my quiet musings.

"Come in," I stood up, fixing myself up with the set of white shirt and gray sweatpants that I was given as part of my whole week wardrobe. Apparently, 'uniforms' will be delivered when I am officially a maid.

The door creaked open, revealing Maria, her kind eyes crinkling at the corners in a gentle smile. "Hello, good morning, Zeph." She wore plain, practical clothes, her blonde highlights catching the faint light from the corridor.

"His Majesty's doctor, Blake Hemsworth, said you're feeling better and will most definitely be back in shape in two days. I can show you around if you like, before he... needs you." The last words were said quickly, almost apologetically.

"Thank you, Maria," I replied, pushing myself off the cot. My legs still felt a little unsteady, but the bruises were fading, and the stiffness in my face had lessened.

***

Maria led me through the maze of caverns. Inferno was vast, far more than just a hidden hideout. It hummed with activity. Rogues-men and women of all ages, some scarred, some surprisingly ordinary-moved with purpose.

There were bustling kitchens, roaring forges where iron glowed, training areas where the clash of practice weapons echoed, and even what looked like crude marketplaces carved into the rock. If this is an official habitat, this is a successful pack, undeniably. Rougher, less polished than Moonstone, but organized in its brutal way.

"We're self-sufficient here," Maria explained, gesturing to a group of rogues hauling sacks of grain.

"Everyone has a role. No one is left idle." Her voice was soft, devoid of Deliah's sharp edge. It was almost... peaceful.

But then, as we rounded a corner into a more open, communal area, a shrill voice cut through the background hum.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Or should I say, the king dragged in."

My blood ran cold. The voice was sharp, laced with venom. I looked up to see a woman standing with a group of other rogues, her arms crossed, a sneer twisting her lips.

She was tall, with fiery red hair pulled back in a severe braid, and eyes that blazed with undisguised fury as they fixed on me. Beside her, two younger rogues snickered, their gaze flicking between her and Maria.

Maria flinched, her usual gentle smile faltering. "G-good morning, Carina," Her body language shifted, becoming smaller, more hesitant.

It was then that I recognized the woman-she was the girl I saw with Malachi, moments before he'd dismissed her because I accidentally wandered in.

"Still got the member-of-a-loser's-pack stink on her, I see," Carina spat, stepping closer. Her eyes raked over my bandaged torso.

"Figured the King would at least clean up his trash before dragging it back to base. Or is this what passes for a prize these days?" She laughed, a harsh, grating sound, and her companions joined in, though less boisterously.

Maria's face flushed. "Carina, please. She's injured. And His Majesty has given her the full capacity to recover." Her voice was barely above a whisper, her hands clenching at her sides.

Carina's sneer sharpened, now directed at Maria. "Oh, little Maria, always sticking up for the strays. Your sister not around to hold your hand today? You're awfully dumb, trying to sound brave when Deliah's not here, aren't you?"

The other rogues chuckled, nudging each other.

My own shame and fury ignited. It was the same familiar feeling. The same public shaming. The same mockery. The only difference was the faces. The names.

Here, I wasn't Zephyra the 'false luck,' I was Zephyra the unwanted King's toy.'

"No one here is asking for your opinion," I said, my voice steadier than I felt, cutting through Carina's taunts. "You could've just peacefully passed by and let Maria and I go in peace."

Carina's eyes widened, then narrowed into slits of pure rage. "Oh, the little Moonstone princess has a tongue! Don't you know where you are, girl? You're nothing here. Just another mouth to feed, another warm body for the King's passing fancy." Her gaze dropped to my bandaged body, a malicious glint in her eyes.

"He'll discard you just as easily as he picked you up. Sooner, once he realizes he traded a loyal servant like me for a weakling like you."

"I know my place, Carina. You don't have to show off as if everyone here is no better than you."

The air crackled with tension. Maria put a hesitant hand on my arm, her eyes wide with fear, not for herself, but for me.

"Zeph," Maria called, shaking her head no as if warning me to let this matter go and save ourselves.

I looked at Carina's hate-filled face, then at the indifferent or amused faces of the surrounding rogues, and finally at Maria's trembling compassion. It was a mirror, reflecting a chilling truth.

Sighing, I took Maria's hand. "We're out of here. It was nice meeting you, Carina." We passed by her group, but before we could even leave the scene for good, a hand yanked my hair back, instinctively making me turn and grab whoever is the closest.

"Look! A cat fight!"

"Damn, that new girl's got spunk!"

While Carina and I are stuck pulling each other's hair, the dirt is clinging on our clothes as we rolled over, kicking and scratching and doing whatever our legs and hands could allow us to. Instead of stopping us, a crowd gathered and they began shouting their bets, insults, and amusement-as if seeing random fights like this are normal in the base.

"Let go, b*tch!" Carina called, pushing me down and wrapping her hand on my neck, causing me gasp for air as I felt her sharp nails dig in.

Not giving up, I pulled her hair harder, making her head tilt back and use it as an opportunity to tangle my leg with hers to switch out position. "No! YOU let go!" Mirroring her movements, I strangl*d her back, my barely recovered hand fighting for its grip.

As we continued being the eyes of the show, my head ran with various thoughts.

Inferno was no different. It wasn't the Moonstone Pack, but the same cruel hierarchy existed. The same belittlement. The same judging eyes.

"60 on the newbie!"

"Sh*t, add 30 more to Carina!"

"Zeph! Please, let go so we can run away!"

Here, I was not wanted, not truly, by many. I was just another outsider, another target for the pack's resentment, just as I had been before. My chest tightened, a familiar despair coiling in my gut. I had traded one cage for another, only to find the same old monsters waiting.