Chapter Seventy-Eight
Ozul paced back and forth, unable to sit still for even a moment. News of the assassination attempt on Ellie had spread quickly within his network, and he was furious. He’d been waiting anxiously for Ellie and Avery to return from their trip to the Pale Seas, bothered by the fact that he couldn’t monitor her every move. And when he heard of the attack, well... The bitch was lucky that she had been killed. If he'd gotten his hands on her...
Still, Ozul couldn’t get Ellie off his mind. The way she laughed, her smile, how her head tilted defiantly away from him when she did her best to hide her fear of him… He gazed down at the drawings before him, his excitement temporarily overriding his anger. She was made for *him*. She belonged to *him*. She might now want him at first, but that was fine -- he was a patient man when he needed to be.
He glanced at the table in front of him, skimming his fingers around its corners. The drawings he'd collected there were blueprints -- layouts of the surrounding tunnels. He picked one up at random and studied it intently. This tunnel in particular branched off from the dungeons, delving deeper into the earth than all the rest. No one knew about these hidden passages anymore.
Most of the fae had been too frightened to stray away from the Moon Goddess’ light, so ‘officially,’ the tunnels stopped at the dungeon. However, Ozul and a select few of his associates knew otherwise.
Not long after the realms had been split, while several of the goddess’ children fought amongst themselves, some had decided to abandon Her. They couldn’t understand why She would choose to let the humans live instead of wiping them out for Her children. Hurt, they did the only thing they could think of and tried to escape Her light.
Deeper and deeper they dug, desperately clinging to the thought that the darkness would be their salvation. Ozul smirked and tossed the paper back onto the table.
The fools didn’t realize that She is the darkness, just as she is the cool light of the night. Many who pushed further into the earth’s depths never returned, and those who did agree that there was a limit to which they could descend. The tunnel that he had chosen seemed to be right at the line – a perfect place for him to keep his pet until the search inevitably moved to the other kingdoms.
A sharp knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
“Enter.” He turned slowly to see Xenos glaring at the ground -- not a good sign. “What news have you brought?”
“She has returned, Master. However, it seems as though the attack had done far more damage than we'd originally thought."
Damn the stupid woman that attacked her!
“And?” he urged.
“It seems that your pet was lucky to have survived. When she arrived, Doctor Zephyr spent half the night working on her…”
Rage boiled beneath Ozul’s skin. He had given specific instruction for Ellie not to be harmed while she was there! Clearly, his servants in the Pale Seas needed to be disciplined. Different forms of punishment raced through his head, but he was brought back when Xenos cleared his throat awkwardly.
“What is it?” Ozul ground out.
“Master… It appears that she was… pregnant… when the attack occurred.” He fell silent, waiting for the outburst that he knew was coming.
“PREGNANT? BY THAT WHORE OF A MAN?” Ozul screamed. He grabbed the edge of the table before him and flipped it, sending papers flying everywhere.
“What did you expect, darling?” a feminine voice asked coldly from the doorway. “The two have been fucking like rabbits since she arrived.”
The Mistress sauntered in, her long black cloak trailing the ground behind her. She had wrapped herself in it tightly, shielding her identity from any potential onlookers. Ozul spun toward her, his lilac eyes glaring daggers at her.
“I want her, *now*,” he hissed. The Mistress waved a gloved hand dismissively and walked over to Xenos. She wrapped her arms seductively around his torso, resting her chin on his shoulder. Ozul grimaced but remained in her arms.
“Calm down, darling. You’ll have her soon enough. I have a plan worked out.” She brought her dark-painted lips to Xenos’ ear, her breath rustling his bright orange hair. “Xenos here is the only person competent enough to get her… Oh, to see the look on her face when she sees you again.” The Mistress kissed the nape of his neck, leaving a dark stain where her lips touched his skin.
“Just tell me what the plan is,” Ozul said, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. The Mistress huffed and released Xenos.
“All in good time, my dear. For now, play the part of the supportive brother-in-law. Gain her trust and confidence. Let her feel *loved* and *appreciated*.” The last few words were uttered coldly, mockingly.
“And when she finds out who you really are, it’ll make her pain all the sweeter,” Xenos chuckled.
“Fine,” Ozul grumbled. “Go and do what you must, but make it quick. I can’t stand the thought of him playing with my pet.”
“As you wish, darling.” The Mistress bowed her head respectfully and backed out of the room, vanishing into the darkness behind her.
“How do you stand that woman?” Xenos asked, disgusted. He rubbed the lipstick off his neck and frowned.
Ozul ignored him, still lost in his anger. This was all too much for him. The longer Ellie spent with Avery, the more his hatred for his half-brother grew. He needed her. He needed to watch the fight leave her eyes as she bent to his will. He needed to taste her fear in the air around him.
She would be his – and once she gave herself to him, he would claim her fully. There would be no going back to Avery, no being with anyone else, for that matter.
“Xenos,” Ozul said suddenly. “I want you to do something for me.”
“Anything, Master,” Xenos replied.
“First, I want you to pay a visit to Doctor Zephyr’s office. Bring me what you brought me the first time. I’ll fill you in on the rest when you return.”
Ozul bowed his head and strode from the room, disappearing into the darkness beyond.
It was so clear now! He knew what needed to be done!
*Be patient, my pet. I’ll have you soon enough. Don’t you worry.*