“I’m not pregnant...no.”

I clutched my head again. All I wanted was a clear moment to think. And now the Salma was gone. I was weak, fragile. “That can’t be. It’s impossible...”

Emely looked at me. “Are you on medication?”

I paused.

Of course I wasn’t on medication, but something else. I opened my eyes.

Salma.

Emely sighed, overwhelmed. “Maybe you should take a pregnancy test,” she said.

“Lucky, I’d say.”

Emely looked down at the pregnancy test in her hands.

I wasn’t sure where she had dug it out, but she had brought it to me within seconds. I had somehow managed to get it done and had survived the longest ten minutes of my life. The next moment, Emely was back in the bathroom holding it out to me.

At the moment, she didn’t seem like she hated me, almost as if she had momentarily forgotten about our family rivalry.

I was surprised, but panic had been gnawing at me until a few seconds ago, so I couldn’t think about it any further.

Hesitantly, I picked it up and stared at the single red line.

I hadn’t felt so relieved in a long time.

Emely took it out of my hand and threw it in the garbage can. “And best you stay away from my food. I don’t know what’s going on with you when you smell that, but it doesn’t seem to be doing you any good.”

“I’ll try” I sighed, still shaking with my whole body.

A shiver ran down my spine.

I could have been pregnant. But no... It had only been a week since I’d slept with Erik, and I was also on the pill. Once again, I’d been unnecessarily paranoid.

“Are all Quatura like this?”

I turned to Emely and brushed my completely disheveled hair behind my ear.

What did she mean by that?

“Whatever. Stay out of the kitchen when I’m cooking,” Emely sighed when I didn’t answer.

I nodded and she turned away from me.

Chapter 24

Bayla

Max&Chlo;é

DOLKINS

Alarik had given me the herbal mixture, and now I drank it every day. The downside: headaches. Similar to the ones I had been having until a week ago.

By now, the herbal mixture had run out. Perhaps I had used too much per cup, but who could I ask besides Alarik when no one but the two of us knew of my apparent true identity?

Denial didn’t help at all, except that I managed to read through the books that were on my reading list for the semester.