Chapter 165

Chapter 165
Ximena

I closed my eyes, bowing my head lightly, biting down on my lips, trying really hard to control my emotions as I turned my gaze back to Mom.

“Carmine… Please, say something,” Mom begged as she stared at him.

I turned my gaze to him, but he just stood there frozen in one spot. We locked eyes for a split second before he shifted his gaze away from me. “What am I supposed to say, Ma’am Lia?” He began with a trembling voice. “That I'm tired of losing people, or what?” He added, pausing for a while as he took a deep breath, batting his eyelids.

The air around us became thick with tension as silence filled the room.

“Somehow I've always known this day would come, Ma’am Lia, but I never imagined it to be this soon, or like this…” He paused. “First it was my own mother who did me dirty by murdering my father; next it was Gamma Jayden, the one who stood with me through all that, and now you?” He said, “What else should I say, Ma’am Lia? Should I question the goddess, or your decision?” He added sternly.

“How could she just let you guys come into someone's life only to leave when things are starting to get better, Ma’am Lia? How?” He stuttered, “I'm done with the tears, Ma’am Lia; I'm done with the numerous questions that end up with no answers. So like you said, I'll continue from where you stopped - I'll stay with Ximena through all of this, protect and guide her until my last breath, in honor of you.” He said, making me stare at him with tears in my eyes.

“Ximena?” Mom called out softly, making me turn my gaze to her. “Please, baby, you have to tell me that you aren't angry at me and that you forgive me… All of this will be a waste knowing that I left with you still mad at me, please…” she said.

I closed my eyes, as the tears in my eyes came pouring down even more. “Mother,” I cried out.

“Please, my child, tell me you're not mad at me…” she pleaded.

Just then I felt a warm hand on my shoulders; I looked up only to see Carmine's eyes staring down at me as he curled his lips in a smile. “We have to let her go at some point, Ximena,” he muttered softly.

“But Carmine, she's all I have…” I whined in pain.

“That's not true, Ximena; you still have your pack, Carmine's pack, and Sylphrena, plus you can always reach out to me whenever you want, just like you do with your father; we'd both be there waiting for you… Your Aunt Ava can teach you how to navigate through it all; you've never been alone, Ximena, and it's not going to start now,” she said, her voice decreasing as she spoke.

“Oh, Mother, please,” I begged.

“Here, give this to your Aunt Ava; help me tell her she'll never be alone. Make her understand, Carmine, please,” she begged, stretching a small bracelet to him.

Carmine received the bracelet from her as we both watched her take her last breath.

“No… No… No… No… No… Mother, please… No…” I yelled at the top of my lungs, shaking her profusely, pleading for her to wake up, “please don't go.”

“Ximena,” Carmine called out softly, reaching out for my shoulders as he tried to comfort me, but I just shoved his hands off me, my skin lighting up in its colors as droplets of tears frozen like ice began to fall from me.

The air around me changed; my blood boiled, and I could feel my world around me frozen as everything suddenly stood still. “Ahhhhh!!!!” I yelled in pain, my hands clutching to my mom’s as I felt her whole body grow cold right in front of me. “Mother!!!” I cried again, this time my eyes lit up in fury as an unusual breeze took over the room, which sent everything of light weight flying in the air. My world came crumbling down in just a few seconds.

“Ximena, please you have to calm down… Pull yourself together and run this stop, please!!” Carmine yelled at the top of his lungs, but at this point, I didn't want to hear or know what anyone was saying as I drowned myself in my own world.

Just then, the door flung open, revealing Rogan and his mate, together with the spy girl and a strange face.

“What's going on here?” Rogan asked with creased brows as his gaze moved from Carmine to me and then back. “What have you done to her, man?!” He snarled in anger as he rushed towards Carmine, grabbing him by his collar. “I swear I'm gonna kill you!!” He sneered.

“Cut that crap, man! Look around you!” Carmine fired at him, pushing him off as he freed himself from his grip, pointing towards the bed.

“What happened here?” Rogan muttered, his voice barely audible. “Aunt Xylonia?” He called out, rushing towards Mom with tears in his eyes. “Someone say something?!” He snarled, but all he got was a deafening silence.

Just then, the strange lady they came in with walked towards Mom, and with a calm voice, she announced, “She's dead.”

“What? What are you talking about? What do you mean dead? She can't be dead, do something! Aren't you a healer?!” Rogan fired at her.

“I'm sorry, sir, but I can't bring a dead one back to life… I didn't say I was a healer… I just stayed with one… I really wish I could help, I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do,” she explained. “Excuse me,” she added softly before walking out of the room.

“What? This can't be, this can't be possible,” Rogan stuttered as he staggered backwards.

“Come on now, Rogan, you have to pull your shit together,” Carly, his mate, said, holding him down as he just stared into thin air.

“Come on, man, again, your mate is right… You have to pull yourself together and help me bring Ximena down; she's refused to calm down.” Carmine’s voice echoed softly.

“Aunt Xylonia,” Rogan called out again, but still got no response.

“I'm sorry, man, but she's gone. The fate of Sylphrena and the wolves lies in all of our hands now, but first you have to help me get Ximena down so we can pull through and keep moving forward,” Carmine said. “Here, she wanted this to be given to your mom,” he added softly, stretching the bracelet to Rogan, which he collected.

Rogan received the bracelet with a stern look on his face before shifting his gaze back to me as I hung in the air. Just then, his wings sprouted as he flew to where I was, grabbing me by my hands with tears in my eyes. I turned to him.

“Come on, Ximena, using your powers like this isn't good… You might end up destroying the castle,” he said.

“Would that bring back my mother?” I asked softly.

“Certainly not,” he replied softly.

“Then let me destroy it, Rogan, allow me; destroy it so I can join her wherever she is. I can't do life without her, Rogan... I can't,” I mumbled.

“Please, Ximena, you have to listen to him. If something happens to you, I won't be able to live with myself, please, I beg of you,” Carmine chimed.

“I won't be able to live with myself now that my mom is gone too, Carmine; have you thought about that?” I fired back at him.

“Come on, Ximena, that's not true… I know you can - I know we can… so please come back down and let's sail through this,” he pleaded.

“Uhm… Your Majesty, I know we've just met but I really think you should listen to your mate and mine. You don't have to be so hard on yourself; I'm sure we'll be able to figure this out,” Carly’s voice echoed in my ears.

I turned my gaze to her as the fury inside me increased. “Carly, right?” I said, my voice laced with venom.

“Yes…” She mumbled under her breath.

“Have you ever lost someone so precious to you before? Ever?” I spat at her.

She heaved a deep sigh before continuing, “Yes, Your Majesty, I lost my parents at birth in the hands of Queen Aruka, and right after she killed them, she took me in as a soldier and made me do despicable things which I still regret. So with all due respect, right here in this room, if there's anyone who's lost a lot of things, I think I should be counted among them and be on the top list. At least you got a second chance to know your mother - but me, I didn't even get to know her name or my father's,” she said.

Her words made my heart bleed as I looked at Rogan, who by this time had gone down to comfort his mate as her eyes were already filled with unshed tears. “So with that said, I really think you can pull through this, Your Majesty,” she added, her voice calm and soothing.