Chapter 144 The poisoined Blessing
Chapter 144 The poisoined Blessing
Kai's POV.
The silver light that shone in the chamber made it difficult for me to see Ophelia clearly.
Yet somehow, I still felt her.
I lowered my arm to look ahead as the light faded, seeing her stand over Morwen who was on her knees.
Wait, what? Shall I assume she had been able to defeat her?
Morwen tried to lift herself from the ground by using one hand to support her weight, but couldn't. For the first time since we entered the temple, she looked weak.
Really weak…
“Ophelia!” I uttered.
She turned to look at me. And here, I noticed how different her eyes looked. They glowed with an unnatural silver light.
She uttered my name when I moved toward her, “Kai!”
“What happened to you?” I reached for her hand.
“I don't know.” She said,
Morwen interrupted us with a low groan. My wolf stirred inside of me, demanding blood. I wanted to take hers, only for Ophelia's voice to stop me cold, “Don't!”
“After everything she's done?” I stared at her in disbelief. “Don't you think she deserves to die?”
“No, Kai.” She shook her head. “I don't want to kill her.” She said,
“Why not?” My fists tightened. “She deserves to die.”
“Yes, she does.” She responded, looking away from me to look at Morwen. “But that's not what I want.”
I stared at her for long, then finally understood. She didn't want to destroy Morwen, but cut the blood-link that had kept her alive for centuries.
Morwen lifted her head, “What are you trying to do to me?”
Ophelia didn't respond to her. She raised her hand instead, watching the silver light gather around her fingers.
“No!!” Morwen screamed with her eyes wide open.
Ophelia crouched low to place her glowing hand on Morwen's chest, her body starting to change.
Her beautiful, youthful face aged before our eyes, her hair turned white, and skin became thin and fragile.
Centuries seemed to catch up with her in a matter of seconds.
Morwen looked at Ophelia with a defeated expression. “You were meant to rule.”
“I was meant to choose.” Ophelia looked at her coldly, the silver light flashing one last time.
“It's over!” Morwen's body crumbled.
And before our very eyes, her form turned to nothing but dust. Ophelia lowered her hand as silence filled the chamber, then she hit the ground.
“Ophelia!” I quickly got close to her, her body feeling completely weak in my arms.
She tried to speak, but couldn't.
“Hold on!” I urged her.
As the entire temple shook again, a loud crack echoed above us.
Damien looked toward the wide opening above us, “We need to get out now!”
Seraphina rushed toward us, “Can you carry her?”
“Sure!” I responded, lifting Ophelia into my arms.
Eve moved toward the passage, “The entrance is collapsing, c'mon everyone!”
“Move!” Damien shouted, a large piece of stone crashing behind us.
We ran as the ancient temple continued to fall apart around us. Seraphina stayed close to help Damien clear the path, while Eve moved ahead to find a safe way out.
I held Ophelia tightly to my chest, feeling her head rest against my shoulder.
She wasn't moving anymore, and this, I was too late to realize.
“Ophelia, please!” I looked down at her pale face. “Open your eyes, already.”
As I looked back, I noticed something small fall from Morwen's throne. It was a crystal shard, and it rolled across the ground.
Eve noticed it too. And when she did, she stopped to rush over and pick it up to slip into her pocket.
“Eve!!!” Damien shouted her name.
She immediately ran after us. I rushed out with Ophelia still in my arms. Seraphina and Eve followed, while Damien came out last. The moment we escaped, the ruins of the first moon began to collapse. The stone towers disappeared into the earth, and the entire temple sank into the ground with a deafening sound.
I lowered myself to the ground with Ophelia still in my arms. Seraphina moved closer to drop to her knees, placing a finger on Ophelia's neck.
“She's barely breathing.”
“What?!!!” I exclaimed.
“The power drained her too much.” Seraphina added, looking at me helplessly.
“What do we do now? She has to wake up.”I looked away from her to look down at Ophelia.“Ophelia, please wake up.” I urged her, touching her cheek which had become so cold.
My wolf was silent, because it had nothing to say.
If only it knew how terrified I was to watch her die in my arms.
Ophelia's POV.
I floated in a strange silver space, unable to feel the ground beneath me or even tell which way was up.
I looked around in confusion, “Where am I?” My voice echoed softly into the emptiness.
Then I saw someone standing a short distance away.
“Mom?”
It was her, Celeste. She turned toward me, looking exactly as I remembered her from the visions. And this time though, she looked so real.
“Ophelia!” She smiled sadly as she uttered my name.
“Is this real?” I rushed toward her.
And as she stretched her arms wide open, I embraced her without hesitation. I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to let go of her.
“My child.” She caressed my hair.
I pulled back to look at her, then around us, “Where are we?”
“You're standing at the threshold of death, Ophelia.” She said, her expression turning serious.
“Death?”
She nodded slowly, “You used more powers than your body could withstand.”
I looked down at myself, my body surrounded by a faint silver glow.
“So…I'm dying?” I swallowed hard.
“You’re very close.” She said.
For a moment, I couldn't speak. I looked at her again, “Can I stay?”
“You can, my dear!” Her eyes softened. “That's if you choose to.” She added.
For so long, I had imagined what it would feel like to have her by my side.
“I don't want to leave you again, neither do I want you to.” She reached for my hand, tears filling my eyes.
“But Kai..” His face suddenly flashed in my mind. “And Luna…” My voice cracked.
I could almost feel her tiny fingers curling around mine. She was my little princess.
How could I leave her?”
Celeste squeezed my hand gently, “You have a choice to make, my child. Either you choose to stay with me or return to them.”
My chest tightened…
I wanted both. I wanted the mother I had lost, and the family I had built.
“The night I fled from Morwen, I stole a fragment of her original power.” Celeste took a slow breath.
“You stole her power?” My eyes widened.
She nodded, “Yes! And the fragment remained with me for years.”
“But why?” I asked.
“Because I knew one day it might be needed.” She said.
“Could that be the power I used against her?”
“Yes!” She responded. “The fragment became part of your bloodline. It was what allowed your resonance to sever the blood-link that kept Morwen alive.”She added, looking straight into my eyes.
“Mom…”
“There is one more thing you must know.” She said. “Severing Morwen did not end the first light completely.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“One of her children still lives in the shadows. And he will come for the girls, "she said.
“What girls?” I raised a curious brow.
“You don't have much time left, Ophelia.” She only looked at me sadly. “Choose.” She touched my cheek gently.
I looked at her, tears blurring my vision.
I wanted to stay. Oh, the moon goddess knew I wanted to.
But then I thought of my family. I couldn't leave them behind.
“I'll return to my family.” I said.
Celeste smiled, “I knew you would.”
“Will I ever get to see you again?” I grabbed her hands.
“Yes! When the time is right.” She smiled softly, the silver space around us starting to fade.
“Mom!!!” I cried out as she slowly disappeared from my sight.
“Remember what I told you.” Her voice became distant.
I reached for her, but my hand caught nothing. Everything went blank that my chest suddenly burned.
I gasped for air, my eyes snapping open.
“Ophelia?!!!” Kai's voice reached me first.
I coughed, struggling to breathe as I felt his arms tighten around me.
“She’s awake!” Seraphina quickly leaned closer.
I blinked fast, trying to focus on the faces surrounding me. Kai stared down at me, his eyes filled with relief.
“You're alive.” His fingers shook as he touched my cheek.
I stared at him for too long, remembering Morwen and the battle we've just fought.
I swallowed hard, “Did we win?”