Chapter 11 Meeting The Moon Goddess
Evelyn’s POV
My folds were soaked in a way that made every breath feel heavy. Walking became impossible, each step sent a tremor spiraling up my spine. I had to press my thighs together just to ground myself.
Never in my life had I even dreamt of this. The feeling…. it was beyond anything I had a name for.
The ground tilted beneath me, giving way under my knees. It was as if I was drowning in dizziness.
“Just stay beside me. Don’t say a word to anyone.” Lorenzo’s voice came out sharp and commanding.
I nodded faintly, walking beside him like a child escorting her mother to a market, each step quicker than the last, trying to catch up with him.
The structured building stood at the center of the middle forest, its marble pillars reaching toward the heavens as though a supernatural force rained down on it.
At the entrance, two enormous statues of moon guardians, half wolf, half ethereal spirit, guarded the doorway.
Once we reached closer, they bowed to Lorenzo and pushed open the heavy wooden doors.
“The Moon Goddess will soon be here. Exercise some patience,” the lady that saw us in said, her appearance suggesting she was a servant. With just a faint nod from Lorenzo, she disappeared, leaving just the two of us in this strange room.
Lorenzo’s face was too serious for someone who had been teasing me a while ago in the car. It was as if something was eating him up, like he was scared of losing something.
Could it really be his power, the one he claimed I took?
The next moment, the room shifted.
The warmth vanished, replaced by cold that crawled across my skin. A violent shiver trembled through my spine, and every hair on my body stood erect.
Then it appeared.
On the massive throne, a figure sat with a stillness that commanded silence itself.
“Oh my God!” The words stumbled out before I even realized I had spoken. My heart lunged into my throat.
Without thinking, I coiled into Lorenzo’s arms, seeking his protection.
My voice trembled. “Lorenzo… who is that?”
But Lorenzo didn’t move.
He didn’t flinch.
He didn’t breathe.
His grip tightened around me, not in fear, but in recognition.
His eyes, normally a deep storm, now burned with an otherworldly glow…. as if the being on that throne wasn’t a stranger, but a part of him.
A reflection.
Or something far more dangerous.
He bent his head to my ear, his breath steady and powerful.
“You don’t have to be scared. I’m right here with you,” he spoke with a tenderness I had never seen in him.
My fear didn’t vanish, it transformed into something deeper.
A realization that what was about to happen here now was not ordinary. It was something beyond me.
But I still had to stay brave. For Daisy.
A guttural laughter filled the room, mocking.
“The devil himself, it is good to have you here again.” The voice hailed Lorenzo.
I turned toward the direction that had just spoken, and what I saw stole my breath.
It wasn’t human.
It was ancient.
She looked old. Too old to be real. Her eyes beamed with joy, like a mother who had just found her long-lost child.
Finally, Lorenzo’s warm smile lingered in the air. “Emiliana.”
He stood up, turned to me, and stretched out his hand as a gesture. At first, I didn’t move, my body was too heavy, too scared, torn between trust and hesitation.
“Trust me,” he said softly.
My gaze searched for him, and for the first time, I saw a reason to believe him.
I gave in. His large hand swallowed mine, and without hesitation, he led me closer to the chair now a few inches from the throne where the woman sat.
“She is mortal?” the woman asked, nuzzling the air as though my existence was a flavor she was trying to breathe in.
Lorenzo’s shoulders tensed. “Yes, she is.”
Then he turned to me. “Evelyn, this is Emeliana, the Moon Goddess. She is my old-time friend.”
His head turned back toward her. “This is Evelyn.”
He didn’t go further. There was no better explanation for what we were. I expected him to say something, maybe tell her how he broke into our hospital, threatened people’s life, and then kidnapped me for a stupid reason I still don’t understand.
Emiliana did not move. Her eyes roamed over my body, assessing, judging every single part of me.
Lorenzo caught the tension and broke it at once.
He cleared his throat. “Emiliana,” he said, letting silence stretch before continuing, “I came before you today because something bigger than me is troubling me. Something I have never seen.”
They both looked at me, an invisible thread snapping into place between them.
They didn’t use words, yet I felt it.
It was as if they were communicating through their minds.
My throat tightened.
What were they saying? Was it about me? About what I am?
“We will have to take it easy, there is something different about her.” Emiliana finally broke the silence.
Lorenzo’s expression hardened, his jaw a line of simmering warning, as though he didn’t like what she was suggesting.
“I don’t care about what she is,” he said, hands buried in his pockets. “I just need to get back my powers.”
Emiliana smiled faintly. “I don’t think it will be that easy.”
Lorenzo’s head shot up, fury burning inside him. “What do you mean? I’m slowly turning mortal, and you’re sitting there acting like it’s normal!”
“Relax, Lorenzo,” Emeliana said, her tone eerily calm. “I didn’t say it wouldn’t be possible to reverse. I’m only saying it will take time to recover what she has taken from you.”
I forced down a lump.
It will take time?
The words struck me like a physical blow.
From what I could gather, it didn’t sound like I was going to be set free anytime soon.
“We may have to perform certain rituals,” she continued, turning her gaze toward me now. “Her presence has already altered your essence. Your energy is entangled with hers now.”
A force pushed my head higher.
Rituals? His energy entangled with mine?
None of this was making sense.
“Then let’s start right away,” Lorenzo cut in.
My lashes fluttered. “Excuse me…..?”
He didn’t spare a glance.
Not even a word.
Like I was supposed to be a statue.
I stood to face him. “I’m still here, remember?”
Then he turned to me, his voice low and edged. “Your opinion isn’t valid here.”
A sorrowful chuckle slipped past my lips. “Really? Then why did you bring me here?”
He didn’t answer. His molars locked together, grinding too loud.
“Answer me!”
Before I could even realize it, he was already standing before me. His hands clasped my neck, fingers digging into my skin so tightly one would think his intention was to strangle me.
“Lo…. Lorenzo.” I forced out his name. “Get your hands off me. I’m choking.”
His face lit up with a dangerous smile. “Maybe that’s what I want.” His breath brushed my skin, awakening fear in me.
“Maybe killing you might be the best option….. and believe me, if the ritual involves that, I won’t hesitate.”
This time, I could barely feel the floor. My legs kicked in the air as he jerked me up like I weighed nothing. I struggled to break free, but it was useless, his grip was as strong as iron.
“That’s enough, Lorenzo.” Emiliana’s voice came from behind.
Lorenzo didn’t let go, at least not immediately. But after a moment, his squared shoulders loosened, and slowly, he dropped me.
I fell back, my fingers flying to my neck, massaging the sore spot. A dry cough slipped past my throat like dust.
“You two, follow me,” Emiliana spoke again.
“Where?” I asked before I could even think to hold my tongue.
“It’s time,” she answered.
Wait….time for what exactly?
I wanted to ask out loud, but my eyes found Lorenzo’s strong face, so I stayed still.
I knew better than to act out of line again.