Free Web NovelChapter 90: Do Not Chase Me Away!
The cool, quiet wind of the spirit realm rustled through the forest clearing, carrying a profound stillness beneath the brilliant illumination of the full moon. Odesse stood firm before the towering form of the Moon Spirit, her silver eyes fixed on the celestial entity.
"Azure is a total psychopath," Odesse said, her voice flat and unyielding against the dead air. freeweɓnøvel.com
The Moon Spirit lowered her luminous gaze, her voice echoing with ancient solemnity. "Her destiny, right from the moment of her birth, was always to be doomed, moon child."
Odesse looked down at the pale earth beneath her feet before raising her eyes once more. "I need her to remain sane while she plays out whatever hand she wishes to deal next. A sane person has something to lose. But a person who has completely lost their sanity... they can destroy the world and even kill themselves in the process without a single shred of regret."
The celestial entity hovered lower, the ambient light flaring gently around them. "So, what is it you want, moon child?"
"I need your help," Odesse requested, her posture rigid with purpose. "I need you to help me protect the Hispo Pack."
The Moon Spirit remained entirely calm. "And why is that?"
"Because Azure will do absolutely anything just to ensure she hurts me deeply," Odesse explained, her jaw setting. "If she discovers the location of the Hispo Pack, she will certainly perpetrate something entirely evil against them just to break me. I need you to shield them from her malice. She must not be able to perceive them, no matter how far her supernatural sight reaches."
The spirit ascended slightly, her ethereal form shifting against the starlight. "What about this pack? Why should I protect the Hispo region when you have nothing to do with it? The only pack I am bound to safeguard is this one, because you are currently within its borders, Odesse."
A worried, pleading expression broke through Odesse’s regal facade. "I know. I know. But please, the Hisponians helped me when I had nothing. If something terrible happens to their pack because of me, I will never be able to forgive myself. If you do this for me, I shall owe you."
The Moon Spirit paused, tilting her head toward the expansive celestial sky before looking back down at the Queen. "Alright then. I shall create a permanent illusion within the kingdom map of the spirit world. Azure will be unable to sense the Hispo region, no matter how deeply she searches. It will appear as though it has been completely wiped from existence. Even you will not be able to sense it—no living soul will."
A warm, genuine smile graced Odesse’s lips. "Thank you. Thank you."
The spirit surveyed her with a low, measuring tone. "You have become stern, moon child. You are no longer that shy, soft girl who acts out of pressure. Your calculated spirit has finally come to light."
"Thank you," Odesse replied quietly. "After everything that has transpired, I can trust no one now. Not even myself." She clenched her fist, her expression turning cool. "I just want to make Azure pay. I want her to give up and come begging me on her knees." She folded her arms across her chest, a confident smirk settling on her face. "Not that I would ever spare or forgive her, but it is an excellent ego booster."
"And what about Valex?" the Moon Spirit asked.
Odesse’s smirk widened as she looked back up. "Since Azure thinks things are moving far too slowly, how about I make them move incredibly fast for her?"
"What exactly are you planning, child?"
Odesse touched the silk ribbon in her silver hair. "You will find out very soon. If we are lucky, perhaps even tonight."
A heavy silence settled over the clearing. Odesse lowered herself into a disciplined meditative stance on the forest floor, looking up at the glowing crescent. "How shall I know for certain that the Hispo Pack has been protected?"
"Meditate when you return to your physical bedchamber," the Moon Spirit instructed. "If you cannot sense the Hispo Pack, that means they are securely protected."
Odesse nodded happily, closing her eyes as she inhaled a slow, deep breath.
Without warning, the physical earth dragged her back with a sudden, violent force. Odesse jolted awake on her mattress, her chest heaving as her eyes snapped open to survey the familiar carvings of her bedchamber. She pressed a hand against her collarbone, steadying her erratic breathing. "I still have not gotten used to the feeling of being dragged back," she muttered softly.
The air inside her room was soft and thin, a gentle night breeze rustling the curtains as the moonlight streamed across the wooden floorboards. Moving deliberately to the center of the bed, Odesse crossed her legs into a meditative posture and closed her eyes once more. Within moments, her eyelids began to move rapidly as she extended her consciousness across the spiritual network.
Her eyes snapped open, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. "Amazing," she whispered. "If I cannot sense them, then Azure surely cannot."
As she spoke, she noticed a thick, dark liquid substance flowing sluggishly down her cheek and from her nose. She reached up, wiping the dark fluid away with her fingers, and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "When will I ever get used to this? I should really ask the spirit when this black blood will stop appearing. I didn’t even perform any trivial magic."
Shifting her legs to the edge of the bed, she dragged herself up to a standing position. The moment her feet hit the floor, she staggered slightly, a sharp pain throbbing behind her temples. "A headache," she groaned, rubbing her forehead. "This is getting stressful."
Glancing toward the bedside table, she walked over and picked up her ceramic cup. It was completely empty. "Dear heavens, Cara must have forgotten to pour extra before going to bed."
Turning toward the exit, she carried the cup with her. "I’ll go get myself more."
She gripped the heavy iron handle gently, twisting it to push the door open. As she looked up into the dim corridor, her eyes widened—not in shock, but in genuine amusement.
Standing directly in front of her threshold was Valex. His massive head was lowered slightly, his eyes heavy and draggy, and the unmistakable scent of strong alcohol rolled off his broad shoulders. He looked entirely wasted, a man who had tried to drown his thoughts in a bottle.
He looked down at her, his voice rough and gentle. "Where are you going to?"
Odesse stuttered for a fraction of a second, unable to entirely hide the confident smile that was creeping onto her face. "My king... I was simply going to get some water." She raised the empty ceramic cup slightly to emphasize her point.
Valex tracked the movement of the cup before his eyes returned to her face. Step by slow step, he closed the distance between them. Suddenly, his rigid posture collapsed, and he lunged his massive body forward, burying his face directly into the crook of her neck, his forehead resting heavily against her shoulder.
Odesse staggered back a half-step under his weight, her hands automatically steadying his frame. "My king, what is wrong?"
"Don’t leave," Valex murmured softly, his hot breath fanning directly against her bare skin. The sudden warmth sent a bright crimson flush straight to Odesse’s ears as she stared past his shoulder into the long, silent hallway.
Valex forced himself to stand slightly straighter, his large frame staggering marginally as he looked down at her features. He raised his hands, his rough palms gently framing her jawline. His green eyes were completely fractured, screaming with a deep, subdued yearning that he could no longer keep under lock and key.
Odesse looked directly into his gaze, her voice soft but grounding. "My king, you are not yourself at the moment. You should get some rest."
Valex’s face turned a deep, flushed red as he gripped her jaw just a fraction tighter. "Do not chase me away. I am so confused with everything that is happening in this palace. I do not know what is right or wrong anymore, but for some reason, my body keeps wanting to come to you. I have tried to subdue the urge for it, but I cannot anymore." He stepped closer, his chest nearly brushing her tunic. "Odesse, I want to be close to you. In every waking moment. Even though I remember nothing of you... I most certainly can no longer trust Azure. She is a liar, and nothing more."
Odesse looked past his shoulder, her sharp gaze cutting through the shadows of the far end of the corridor. Standing in the gloom was Azure.
A triumphant smirk played on Odesse’s lips. She looked back up at the drunken King, her voice dropping into a sweet, welcoming cadence. "My king, why don’t you come inside? That way, we can both talk comfortably."
Valex looked down at her, the tension draining from his shoulders as a warm, compliant smile touched his lips. He lowered his hands from her face and walked past her, stepping directly into the safety of her private chambers. Odesse reached out, grasping the heavy iron handle, and slowly, deliberately, pulled the oak door closed until the latch clicked into place.
Far down the gloomy hallway, Azure stood entirely frozen. Her long hair was loose and untidy, hanging around her face like a maniac as she glared at the solid wood of the closed door. Her hands tightened into white-knuckled fists, her mind spinning into absolute chaos.
"Why is his highness going into her room so late at night?" her thoughts screamed relentlessly against her skull. "What are they doing in there together? Odesse... she is trying to take him away from me. Why is she doing this?"
Her knees gave out beneath the weight of her panic, and she collapsed heavily onto the cold stone floorboards. She covered her face with her trembling hands, her shoulders shaking violently. freeweɓnøvel.com
"All I wanted was Valex," she wept bitterly into her palms, her voice cracking in the empty corridor. "Only him. But she is taking him away. Father told me Valex would never love me, but that is a lie. He loves me. Odesse... she is the only one in the way."
The tears flowed freely now, tracking through the dirt on her face as she rocked back and forth on the stones. "Why does everything get taken away from me?" she thought frantically. "Why can’t I just have the one thing I desperately want? I never wanted to hurt anyone. I was always the victim. All of them... that servant girl, the king, my father, my ex-husband, Eryx, that unborn child, Odesse... all of them, they..."
She stopped mid-thought, her hands slowly dropping from her face. Her swollen, bloodshot eyes narrowed as she stared straight ahead into the darkness of the hall, her grief instantly turning back into a sharp, jagged needle of focus.
"Even those soldiers," she whispered aloud, her breathing turning shallow and deliberate as she gripped the fabric of her skirt. She forced her mind back to the terrifying vanguard waiting at the borders. "Those soldiers... what region are they from?"
