Chapter Eighty-Four

Ozul watched Ellie and Avery disappear into the hidden cave with narrowed eyes. He could barely contain his rage at the thought of them being alone in there. A few moments after they had entered, he began slinking his way to the opening. He paused just outside the entrance, then slowly raised a hand out, keeping his palm flat but upright.

“It’s disgusting, isn’t it?” Xenos whispered softly from behind him.

“Well… that’s *one* word you could use to describe it,” Ozul replied, scrunching his nose disdainfully.

Avery had taken Ellie into a place that he couldn’t enter. He could feel the love and peace radiating from cave, making his stomach roil. This place – and all places like it – were physically repelling to him. He wasn’t sure why, but ever since he’d found his first holy place as a child, he’d been unable to enter it. Not only did it make him sick, but it was as if a barrier prevented him from moving forward. It only fueled his rage at the holy beings.

“Are we going in after them? We’ll never have a better chance than we do now,” Xenos said eagerly. His eyes shone with excitement, and while Ozul admired his enthusiasm, he also felt a sliver of fear.

Xenos was a psychopath. He felt no fear and no pain. He thrived on causing harm to others, lived for chaos and torment. His ability to drive a person mad was both admirable and terrifying. Ozul had seen Xenos’ potential when they were children, and he’d spent their entire lives cultivating him, creating the perfect weapon. His loyalty to Ozul was unbreakable, his thirst for carnage insatiable.

Still, Ozul knew better than to let his guard down around him. Though he needn’t worry about his own health and wellbeing, he had to work incredibly hard to keep Xenos in check. This was one of those times.

“While I love your enthusiasm for violence, we can’t follow them in there. The vines would strangle us before we could enter,” Ozul said darkly. He moved his hand closer and the vines and ivy hiding the cave moved gently at his words, sending a clear warning to both him and Xenos. Ozul laughed and lowered his hand. He turned and faced Xenos, looking at him thoughtfully for a moment.

“So, this really is the place then, isn’t it?” Xenos asked curiously. His eyes studied the giant rock wall for a moment before he looked back at Ozul. “Oh, it looks like you’re coming up with a plan... Care to share the details?” he asked with a smirk. He followed Ozul closely as he headed back into the dark, chilly forest.

“Something occurred to me just a moment ago. Our plan, while guaranteed to work, is far too obvious. I’m sure that Avery will be anticipating us at the upcoming festival. Ellie is going to be heavily guarded, and it’s highly unlikely that he will even leave her side.”

“Okay… And how is any of this knowledge supposed to be used to our advantage?” Xenos was quickly becoming bored with conversation, but he listened nonetheless.

“It’s simple, really. We’re going to drive a wedge between them at the festival. And when she runs away crying, we’ll swoop in and take her before he can figure out what’s even going on. After all, if she runs back to the castle, she’ll be less likely to be guarded. We can have our plant whisk her away without her even knowing what’s happening.”

“Hm. That’s not a bad idea,” Xenos said thoughtfully, regaining his interest in the conversation. “How are you going to drive a wedge between them, though? Not to rub salt into the wound, but they seem to be inseparable.” Ozul gritted his teeth and stopped abruptly.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” he said sharply. “You just be ready when I tell you. I’ve got everything all planned out.” He resumed walking, trying his hardest to contain his rage.

It wouldn’t be easy, but he had an idea. He’d hoped that the whores in the Pale Seas would have weakened their bond, but clearly, they’d all been useless. They seemed closer than ever after Ellie had regained consciousness. However, if Ellie heard tales of his escapades directly from him, then perhaps the impact of the stories would be greater…

Yes, the more he thought on the, the clearer it became. He would simply trick Avery into bragging about the women he’d bedded… But would that itself be enough?

“If you’re going to do what I’m thinking about, then why not have him compare her to his former lovers?” Xenos offered. It was as if he’d read Ozul’s mind, and while it was a bit unsettling, Ozul loved the idea. He laughed cruelly and grabbed Xenos’ shoulders excitedly.

“What a magnificent idea! What woman wants to hear stories of her lover’s previous whores straight from their partner? And if we can get him to compare her to them… Well, I don’t imagine that she would want to be anywhere near him after that.” Xenos laughed gleefully, only too happy to help cause someone pain.

“This is going to be such fun! Shall I inform the Mistress of your plans?” Ozul released Xenos’ shoulders and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He nodded after a moment and Xenos bounced on his heels, unable to contain his joy. “I’ll see that it’s done.” He bowed respectfully and stepped back, melting into the dark forest. Ozul turned and resumed his leisurely stroll through the forest.

Excitement bubbled beneath his skin. He’d wanted Ellie from the moment he’d laid eyes on her, and soon he would have her. There was no way that Avery wouldn’t take the bait – one thing about him that hadn’t changed in him was his need to boast, to be better than Ozul.

You could call it sibling rivalry, but it ran deeper than that for Ozul. He’d always been second best – never good enough for King Eldred. Of course, he understood why. His mother had the opportunity to be rid of him before he was born, and while Eldred begged her to do so, she couldn’t find it in heart to do it. She'd told him she loved her unborn child, regardless of how he came to be.

Still, Ozul would sometimes catch her staring at him with the strangest look in her eyes. He could never quite place his finger on it, but what else could it be other than hatred? He knew that as much as she claimed to love him, as much as she doted on him, there was no way that she could care about him.

He shook his head vigorously, chasing away his negative thoughts. There was no room for that right now. He had better, more exciting things to focus on.

“Don’t worry, sweet Ellie. We’ll be together soon enough.” He smiled, a dark, sinister thing that distorted his face in the worst way possible. *Yes, we will be together* very *soon...*