CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38

It won’t be long now. Soon, soon, Pumpkin.

The cold shower did little to numb the ache in his bones or the thrumming in his waist. With his eyes closed, he saw her face, her flushed cheeks, the soft flicker of her lashes.

Her terror was a bitter wine on his tongue, but her curiosity was an intoxicating perfume. He had to be ruthless. He had to be the villain. It was the only way to break through her walls, to make her take him seriously, to push her toward the one thing that could save her.

I would ruin myself a thousand times over if it meant saving you from this curse.

A pang of pain shot through him, a ghost of the agony he had endured in the pool. The curse wasn’t just on her; it was a constant drain on him.

Each time she died, a piece of his essence was lost, only to be painfully reformed. He had to break this cycle, not just for her, but for them both.

He leaned his head against the tile, letting the water run over him. His eyes opened and stared into the steam.

You think you’re making a deal, Rhea, but you have no idea what you’ve just agreed to. This isn’t about carnal indulgence. This is about us.

Zeenare stepped out of the bathroom, well-dressed when Othimise walked into the room after a soft knock.

"Master, your sister, Princess Xozo, is here." He informed.

Why is she here? Of all the time that Rhea had to be here.

"Okay, tell her I’d be with her shortly."

But before he could finish his sentence, she barged into his room.

"Oh, brother. How have you been? I’ve missed you so much. wasn’t it yesterday I last saw you." She said throwing herself at him.

"That was a century ago, Xozo." Zeenare pushed her back on her feet.

"Oh has it now?" She muttered, tucking her loose hair behind her ears, placing one palm on the other, her lips protruding.

Zeenare dismissed Othimise, striding to his desk. "Why are you even here? You hate any idea that is related to human."

"That is an accusatory speech." She lifted her hands to her face, checking her fingers.

Flickering her nails, she continued, "Even though I don’t like it, they are not that bad, at least they know how to evolve."

"Be that as it may. I’m not here for these mundane things." She rolled her eyes, " Mother sent me, she said I should tell you that the gem is glowing stronger than before, that things will begin to change now, and you should be prepared."

"What does she mean by that?" Zeenare asked confusion etched on his face.

"How would I know what that Omega female is thinking, she’s full of mystery. And that is your task to handle." She tagged along with him.

Reaching his study, Zeenare scrutinised his sister, "Shield your look." Zeenare instructed pulling out a scroll.

Zeenare gave a strained look, "Rhea is around."

"And who could that be?" Xozo’s brow furrowed, her eyes almost blazing.

Zeenare said nothing gave her a dead stare.

"Ugh," she said in disgust. "Why should I care?" She questioned visibly offended.

Seeing that his sister is angry, he muttered, "What if she sees you?"

"It’s not my problem."

Xozo!! He called authority in is voice.

Xozo pure white hair colour adjusted to grey, her brows turned black, enhancing her translucent eyes, and her luminous pale skin darkened by two shades.

"Happy now?" She batted her eyes but not at him.

"Thank you." He said with an approving smile.

Xozo stared at her brother for a beat, then spoke. "Brother, why don’t you just hold her captive at Ockonayia, and use her as a reliever instead of going through this dreadful pain every time?"

Zeenare’s eyes flickered towards her, "No! I can’t do that."

"Why because you love her?" Her nose wrinkled her voice over-enunciation

He said nothing but turned his head to the side looking through the window into the green field far towards the ocean, confirming her question positively.

With a throaty scoff she added, "But she doesn’t love you, and you are the only one suffering."

"She does too." His voiced firmly

"Doesn’t she just die away like a seasonal flower. I don’t know why that queen had to take this so seriously she had to rob you with that curse of a human, disrupting your life. You are the prince of our empire for god sake." Her eyes dilated pupils with a fixed stare, letting out a nasal sneer.

"Xozo, don’t!" He roared, glaring at her.

"It’s only when it comes to her that you forget your reason. We can always go to war against Mavenixa if their queen refuse to break the curse. We even have strong sorcerers and witches; with their knowledge combined, we can remove that leech from you."

"And besides that fucking princess of Mavenixa is already married and in these 300 years you have been stuck with that thing she has birthed 2 sirelings and she’d be singing a song soon."

"While you’re still here chasing that same creature that almost wiped out the entire Tidehold."

"Xozo, if you continue speaking like this, I will throw you out," Zeenare warned sternly.

"I’m leaving, so you don’t have to do that. Do keep what your mother said in mind."

Xozo walked to the door, meeting Othimise at the entrance. "Othimise, it’s been a while."

"Princess." Othimise gave a slight nod. "It truly has."

She stared at him for a while, "Is my brother treating you well? If not I’m always open." She said with a smile, her eyes slit, housing a mischievous grin.

"Xozo, get away from my butler with that seductive gland of yours," Zeenare said lazily.

"Oh, come on, brother." She threw her hands into the air.

"No. Not him. Go and look for a man in Ockonayia."

Xozo sighed and walked outside, leaving Zeenare with his thoughts.

Throughout the night, Zeenare was pondering the message given to him, but couldn’t piece anything together.

The early hours of the next morning, he drafted a message to his mother.

"What is Rhea doing?" Zeenare asked Aluna who was arranging a shelf.

"She’s still in her room sir." He swiftly turned.

He glanced at his time and it was late noon, "Why? Has no maid tended to her?"

"The thing is the madam has not called for anyone since she entered her room yesterday." He informed.

"So she hasn’t taken her potion?" Zeenare enquired.

"None that I’m aware of."

"And why is that?" He placed his pen down.

That is unlike her, she doesn’t like being in one place.

Something is not right.

"Tell Othimise to get Ravira," Zeenare ordered, and urgency in his tone.

Immediately Zeenare reached Rhea’s door, he blew it open with a wave of his hands.

And there Rhea lay, limping, paralysed, the veins around her head had turned green, with blood gushing out of her nose, ears and mouth.

"Get Ravira now. " He roared, scooping Rhea’s bloody form from the soaked bed.

Zeenare dashed through the hallway into the blue water chamber, his eyes clouded with terror boring into his soul, his head filled with lots of random thoughts but empty.

With each slumpy bounce of Rhea’s limbs, his chest ached, his gilded fortress crumbled.

*

Zeenare paced the room, one hand on his waist, the other covering his mouth.

After the discussion with Xozo, I didn’t check on her. This is my fault, I should have checked to be sure. I should have checked.

"Sir, the madam has calmed down," Ravira murmured stepping out of the room into his study

"Why...why is she suddenly like this? The potion was working fine." Zeenare’s voice was utterly agitated, his eyes blank, his back contorted with a frown.

"It’s a revert, Sir. The medicine stopped working, and the curse affected multiply."

"What?" His brow furrowed, his expression scattered. "That is not possible. This has never happened before. Why is she getting seriously ill when she’s not even 24 yet?"

"TideAlpha," Ravira’s soft voice snapped Zeenare from his falling mind.

Zeenare glanced at the door, then back at Ravira before walking towards it.

I thought I couldn’t nurse her a little bit stronger before we do anything but we don’t have that leisure anymore.

Then he dismissed every person in the room.

"Rhea?" He called his voice quite.

Rhea slowly tilted her head to him, her complexion pale, her eyes weak.

He knelt at her side, took her palms, "You don’t seem to have much time left, and not strong enough to take me yet. But this is our only option now."

"Will you do it?" He asked.

Rhea trembly nodded.

"I need your full consent on this, I don’t want you to be scared and start running again after."

"So do you want this?"

"I want it." She replied her voice a contrast to her determined eyes.

"So know this there’s no going back from this." His voice was low and rough.