Velia

Velia wished she knew what time it was. As hard as it had been to be in her room, it was infinitely harder to be down here in the hole of a dungeon. There were no windows, and because she was in the most secure part of the prison, there was not even the sound of other inmates to help her with how long had passed.

Yet she was sure it was the middle of the night. Hopefully her rescue would come soon.

When her brother had gotten her the position at the palace eight months before, she was overjoyed at her luck. The man had promised her that he would take care of her, and that he would eventually recommend her to their father to be accepted into the family. At that moment, it seemed like Velia's life was finally about to take a turn for the better.

And all was well for the first month. Then a nobleman passed her a note when she was removing the young prince from a royal function after he had eaten. Velia was confused, but kept the paper crumpled in her hand until she reached the nursery.

Although her reading skills were not what she thought they should be, the note was simple enough to understand. It was from her brother, and he wanted to establish a way for them to communicate covertly. Not wanting to ruin the friendly relationship, the nursemaid complied and eventually found her friend Kym to be the go-between.

However, this is when Velia's nightmare began. Her brother would lure the mention of her father in front of her and then ask for a favor. At first the favors were harmless, but she realized belatedly that they had been a test. The more her brother requested, no--demanded, the deeper her hole became.

Velia tried to become numb to the guilt she felt. She had a nice enough life and nothing that she was doing seemed to be a huge problem. It wasn't like she was hurting anyone, right? She was merely passing along information and completing small tasks that did not seem important.

So when the perfume came with instructions on what to do and where to be, the nursemaid merely took it in stride. What harm could a little scent do?

However she had not gotten anywhere near the Empress with the bottle to spray her covertly with it, and had settled for spilling it on the floor and bed after letting Colvyr wander off into the Empress's bedroom. Thankfully, Lady Anna had been understanding, saying that children have a mind of their own. Otherwise, Velia could have gotten in serious trouble for her actions.

Velia had gone to bed that night wondering what the point of such a pointless task might be. She did not have to wait long. When the wolves attacked, Velia was the nurse on duty. The rest were down the hall in the room where those not working could reside in peace. At first she panicked, not realizing who was attacking.

Hearing the commotion between Nanny and the canine creature, Velia had toward the crib and covered up the child so that she could scoop him up and run. However, the door splintered open before she had the chance.

The beast caught her by the leg and lifted her up into the air, his hot breath blowing her hair from her upside-down face. He sniffed at her, his wild eyes coming into focus. A small spark of recognition showed in his eyes as he tossed the woman toward the wall.

"Where is he?" the creature growled.

"I can't," Velia had pleaded, yet her eyes betrayed her as she glanced toward the crib.

The wolf's growl became more menacing as he neared her "This will only hurt a little," he said, though it sounded like he would take pleasure in whatever he was about to do.

As the wolf pressed his massive foot against Velia's outstretched leg, the woman screamed. Her bones groaned and cracked against the pressure, threatening to break altogether. In response to he cry, Colvyr let out a wail of his own, drawing the wolf's attention.

"No!" Velia tried to stop him, but her leg was swollen and nearly useless. Had Hanna not appeared, it all would have been over right then and there...

In the dungeon now, the nursemaid wished she had died that night. It would have been easier. But now she was a traitor, and the only way out of this was to move forward. Velia had done everything asked of her, and continuing to do so seemed the only possible way to secure her freedom.

The nursemaid could not come clean about her involvement. No one would believe her anyway, and with the part she played, a death sentence would be almost certain. That left her with no choice.

Knowing now that the perfume was what guided the wolves to their locations, Velia had dumped the remainder on herself and waited for them to find her. And they would find her, even in the depths of the palace. She only needed to wait.

A muffled cry sounded outside her door followed by a thud. For a moment, Velia's blood ran cold. She tried to remain calm as the door opened, yet the frightened woman could feel her stomach churn.

In stalked two wolfish creatures, one brown, skittish and wiry, the other imposing, grey and fierce.

"I've been expecting you," the nursemaid said tilting up her quivering chin defiantly.

"Why have you brought us down here, nursemaid?" the larger creature growled. His mismatched eyes glared down at her as if she were a speck.

"If you know who I am then you know I am valuable to your boss. I need you to get me out of here," Velia walked to the door, and tried not to think about the limp figure she could see just outside. She hoped that he was only unconscious.

The skittish monster pressed Velia to the wall and wrapped his hand around her neck. "I don't like the way she is talking to us, do you?" he asked. Velia gasped, fear evident in her eyes.

"You think you are better than us. You have no idea." The fiercer creature snarled. "Now, tell us where the Empress and Prince are so we can finish our mission."

"I will tell you when you get me out. I want to tell my brother directly," Velia rasped.

"Brother? Oh yes, forgive us." The wolfish creature with the mismatched eyes pushed the other wolf aside. "Move it, Millard, let the woman speak."

Millard released Velia, and she heaved in lungfuls of air. "You're no fun, Collyn," he grumbled.

"Please direct us in the right direction to take care of the Empress and her heir, then I can get you to your brother," the wolfish grin of Collyn made the woman want to run.

"I tell you where they have gone and you'll get me out?" her voice was so thin that even a slight wind would have obliterated it.

"I will make sure you are well taken care of. In fact, your brother has finally told your father everything. I am supposed to bring you to them both. I am honored to be part of this family reunion," Collyn coaxed her.

The mention of her father caused Velia to lose her guard. She would trade most anything for a chance to be recognized by a man she had never even met.

"The Empress and Prince Colvyr have gone to Oblivion," she announced. "Now, take me to my father, please." The hope in her voice was pitiful to the wolves.

"Very good, but you are not going anywhere." Collyn grabbed the lady forcibly as Millard had done before. Her face contorted in pain as she saw stars.

"But you said..."

Collyn's face darkened as he grinned evilly. "I was repeating what the boss told me he thought you would want to hear."

"I haven't betrayed him or any of you. I did not tell them anything I know," Velia begged, tears running down her face.

"And now you never will. You can die knowing you did it for the cause." Collyn looked at her with disdain. With his finger-long, razor sharp claws, the creature stabbed Velia's belly. She cried out knowing there was no one who could help. He drew his bloodied hand away and shook it off before releasing her neck. "The boss thanks you for your loyalty."

Velia dropped to the ground, the life draining out of her. She could feel the poison of his claws adding extra pain to her demise. But the most painful stab of all is that she would not ever meet her father face to face. All of it had been for nothing.

Collyn stepped past her and motioned to Millard. "Let's get out of here. Looks like we will be making a trip to Oblivion."

"For a vacation?" The brown mutt asked brainlessly as they entered the hall and joined the others.

The grey monster went to thwack his companion but paused. "Of sorts," he answers evenly. "We will give the Empress a permanent vacation from her royal duties."

Millard's yipped as he chuckled. "Very nice of us! Though I don't think she will thank us."

Collyn sighed, "Doubtful. Some people are just ungrateful."