Chapter 320: Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing
How much Eve wished Ivan were there with her right now. His presence alone had always been so grounding that she now felt herself losing her grip, struggling to hold herself together.
It felt as though a sword hung directly above her throat. One reckless move, one moment of misjudgement, and it would all be over, with Damien paying the price.
Something she could never allow.
He was the brother she had never had. A friend, a protector, a well-wisher, and family to her. In just a few months, his constant presence and his witty, sarcastic way of handling chaos had managed to lighten even the most dire situations.
She remembered every laugh they had shared. Every moment, he stood beside her like a pillar. Even when she felt on the verge of breaking, Damien had always been there.
Her heart ached the more she thought of him, yet with that pain came something stronger.
Resolve.
A fierce, unshakable determination took hold within her that she would save him.
No matter what.
She remembered what the woman had said, ’Someone would come for her.’
She wondered how they could possibly manage it with so many people surrounding her.
Her eyes drifted back to Prince Rowan, who had just finished every single dish on his plate. Her gaze narrowed in suspicion once again.
No, she couldn’t let her guard down, no matter what. All she needed now was to recover quickly so she could heal Damien before anyone else could take advantage of the situation.
Nodding inwardly at her decision, she turned to Cece and Edward. "Has the barrier been restored?"
"Yes, it has. Right after you wiped out the threat, the Lumens went to work to secure the premises once again," Edward updated her.
"I see... that’s good, then. What about the casualties?" Evelyn asked.
"Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. Whoever was in the infirmary before has been treated and sent back to their rooms. Headmaster Charles is furious, though."
Soon, Dr. Zora returned to administer the medicine for the night before heading to another room. Extra beds had been set up on the other side of the infirmary for Cece, Edward, and Rowan to rest.
The surroundings were completely quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos that had consumed the academy earlier. The lights were dimmed, the corridors empty, and the infirmary door was shut tight to allow them to rest for the night.
Dr. Zora had disappeared into an attached room, mentioning she had work to finish, leaving Cece and Edward by Evelyn’s side. Rowan, meanwhile, remained unmoving beside Damien.
When no one made any effort to move, Eve let out a sigh and spoke first. "Cece and Edward, why don’t you both rest a little? It’s been a long day for both of you." She paused before adding softly, "I’ll be right here."
Cece gazed at Eve, then shifted her eyes to the prince seated beside her brother’s still form, her lips pressing into a tight line.
Although in their desperation, they had agreed to use Rowan’s method on Damien because the corruption had been spreading rapidly and Eve had been out of commission, that did not mean she trusted him with her brother or with Eve alone, even while they were all in the same room.
When Cece did not respond, Eve reached out and held her hand. "Please, Cece, you must rest. Otherwise, I will feel terrible for having you exert yourself so much. Do not worry about Damien. I promise you, I will heal him for sure."
Cece saw the determination in Evelyn’s eyes, and slowly, it filled her heart with hope. They had yet to send word to her parents about what happened to Damien, and God only knew if the King’s guards had already leaked the news.
Chaos surely awaited them.
Yet Cece cared about none of it; she only wanted her brother back to his old, annoying self. The brother she loved so much.
Letting out a sigh, she looked at Edward, who gave her a nod in return.
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[Music recommendation: Eternal Eclipse - Forgotten Odes]
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"Alright, we’ll be right here. If you need anything, just call out... I’ll co... to... yo-"
"Cece? What’s wrong?!" Eve and Edward’s voices turned frantic as Cece’s eyelids grew heavy before finally shutting. A second later, she collapsed onto the bed right beside Eve.
Edward was on his feet in an instant, shaking Cece’s shoulders in an attempt to wake her. Another wave of dizziness suddenly washed over him. Strength drained from his limbs, and moments later, he too began to sag, collapsing beside Cece with his hands still wrapped around her.
Panic bubbled through Eve, and she was just about to scream when a cold hand clamped firmly over her mouth, silencing her before a single sound could escape.
Her eyes darted to the person beside her.
Prince Rowan.
He stood there, his face unreadable as he stared down at her. Eve froze as his lips slowly curved into a chilling, insidious smile. Tilting his head slightly, he finally broke the silence.
"Shhh... my beautiful princess. You would not want Damien to die now, would you? Scream, and it will all be over for him in the blink of an eye."
Shock ripped through her body. The very words she had feared all along now echoed in the air between them. It felt as though an invisible noose had tightened around her neck.
Her wide blue eyes flickered towards her friends lying unconscious beside her bed, and Rowan calmly followed her gaze.
"Do not worry, Princess. They are very much alive. Merely asleep, that is all," he replied to her unspoken question with unsettling nonchalance.
"Now....I’ll remove my hand from your mouth only if you promise to be a good girl and cooperate. Will you?" Rowan asked.
He stared deep into her eyes, finally revealing the emotions he had been masking behind his indifferent facade for weeks.
She could see a kind of madness in those steel-grey eyes that made her blood run cold. But it wasn’t just madness.....there was obsession, unbridled lust, and a haunting starvation in them that made her sick to her stomach.
She couldn’t help but glare viciously at him. Her eyes turned golden as the anger rose in her blood once more.
"Uh-uh-uh....use your powers, my Evelyn, and your friend over there won’t see another light of day." Rowan leaned closer to her face, his voice a chilling whisper. "Yes....control it. Taste the bitterness of holding yourself back, unable to do the one thing you want to do so very badly....just like I did."
Evelyn was shaking, her emotions spiralling as she fought the urge to blow his head off right then and there. But her eyes moved to Damien once more, and all she could do was swallow it like a bitter pill before looking back at Rowan with a nod, signalling that she would cooperate.
A satisfied, sinister smile flashed across his face as he slowly straightened and removed his hand from her mouth. He took his time admiring the ethereal woman before him. Even though she was glaring at him as if she might blow him to smithereens, he still found her defiance utterly adorable.
How long had he waited....waited for this moment to have her this close, to finally speak to her, to touch her, to have her subdued all at once. He could not begin to describe the elation blooming within him.
"Now, my princess....time to get moving. Can you use your pretty legs, or shall I carry you in my arms?" Rowan asked, his grin widening as though he thoroughly enjoyed provoking her.
Eve’s knuckles turned white as she continued to glare daggers at him.
"Don’t tease her too much, Rowan. We need to leave before the academy authorities, and Ivan’s dogs outside are alerted," a woman’s voice echoed from behind.
Eve turned towards the sound, only to be struck by another wave of shock.
Dr Zora.
The Lumen stood there, her light brown hair loose around her shoulders, her glasses gone. She now wore a black dress beneath a dark robe, looking nothing like the kind, composed academy doctor they had known.
Instead, she emitted something far more sinister, her lips painted blood red, her eyes gleaming with unmistakable malice.
Eve had never imagined seeing her like this.
"Oh, do not look so shocked, Princess. It truly breaks my heart that you are staring at me as though I were a ghost," Zora said as she walked forward to stand beside Rowan.
"Why..." Eve finally managed, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Zora’s smile deepened.
"Why?" Zora repeated. "You see... this world is a selfish one, and we all have our reasons for what we do. It’s as simple as that."
She tilted her head toward Damien and continued, "Aren’t you also selfish for wanting to save that man over there? That makes you no different from us." Her blood-red lips curled into a devious smirk.
