Chapter 44 - The Eyepatch

LUNA ASTERBELLE'S POV

I continuously gasped for air at the same time that I lost full control over my fragile body. A stinging sensation swarmed through the deepest parts of my muscles, crawling its way up to my brain. I kept my eyes closed, and the only image that I could come up with was Jerome's face.

My bones cracked the same way they did before, and I knew that there were already holes forming on my back where my wings would grow out. There wasn't anything new. I've managed to endure this much before, so I'm sure that there won't be any problems.

Or so I thought.

"Argh... F*ck!" I couldn't help myself from groaning when my hands strangled myself, as if I were being possessed by someone else.

The thought of relying on someone to save me didn't even cross my mind. I can barely reach my pocket to take the gun that my father entrusted me with, knowing that it can calm down my system even for a little bit.

I pressed my back against the ground and forced myself not to release my wings. It was the only possible way for me to lessen the pain I had to endure, aside from the fact that I'm slowly losing oxygen.

"Jerome... Where are you?" My eyes began to get hot even though they were shut.

"Luna!" A man screamed out my name.

His palms pulled my hands away from my neck, which coerced me to release myself. I didn't have the strength left to look anywhere and check who it was, so I let him approach me, and the next thing I knew, the man already had his broad hands carrying my legs and supporting my nape.

"You're bleeding a lot. This is bad," he mumbled to himself.

The cold surroundings made me shiver. He most probably transferred me into Jerome's room in the same house, judging by how our travel wasn't that far. For some unknown reason, the cooling sensation was sufficient to relieve my aching back.

"Jerome..?" I whispered in between my tiny gasps, hoping that it really was him. I attempted to take a short peek to verify his identity, and I was only able to see that he wore an eyepatch.

A second of having my eyes exposed to any source of light seemed to burn them.

"Don't speak; you're going to end up losing your consciousness," he warned me to shut me up, without even confirming if it's him or not.

***

There were numerous people who kept murmuring throughout the space that I was in. I clenched both of my fists, trying to see if I could get up from where I was.

Fortunately, I managed to sit and lean my back on the concrete behind me. It was only then that I also got to open my eyes. I was instantly greeted by a vibrant set of glowing furniture. There were also people inside the same room, which explains why it was quite noisy earlier.

"Ah, Miss Asterbelle, you're awake!" exclaimed one of the maids who held a vacuum. "Hurry, call the king over here," she told her companions, who hastily went out.

"Excuse me..." My voice was hoarse. It was difficult for me to say even those two words, but I had to force myself to ask, "Where am I?"

"You're inside the premises of King Dawn's bedroom. Don't you remember what happened?" the same maid replied.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I only knew that there was someone from yesterday night who came to save me from despair, but I can't recall exactly who it was. It's impossible that it was King Dawn himself, right? There's no reason for him to head all the way to Jerome's house just for my sake.

Just as if to clear my doubts, the entrance of a man with a scent that I could recognize even from afar made its way to the edge of the bed with his eyes fixed on mine.

"What have you been up to? Didn’t I tell you to take extra caution when you’re out of the clan’s turf?" he inquired, sounding like he was infuriated with me.

I blinked consecutively, unsure of the right words I should use. "I’m sorry…"

"Apologizing won’t do! What would’ve happened to you if I didn’t ask Jazpher to go out and search for you?"

Jazpher is one of the purebloods here in his clan. And supposing that he’s the only keeper that King Dawn fully trusts, I’m sure that he’d obey any orders coming from his king.

"T-there wasn’t any need to save me."

King Dawn brushed his hair backward at the same time that he excessively sighed. "No need to save you? Do you even hear what you’re saying?" he questioned in disbelief, but before I could’ve spoken, he continued. "You know what? Nevermind. I totally forgot that you’re one ungrateful being. Having Jazpher rescue you was a waste of time."

It was the last word that the king said before he turned away to leave his room.

I let out a deep breath to release the anxiousness in my chest.

"Don’t worry about him, Miss Asterbelle. He may speak like that, but whatever comes out of his mouth is the exact opposite of what he really wants to convey," said the maid, which was followed by a soft chuckle.

It was a relief to hear that, since I won’t be able to figure out how I'll face him the next time that we stumble upon each other.

I rose up from the bed, and she hurriedly came closer to assist me as I walked out of the room. She tried to push me into the bathroom to wash up and cool my mind, but I told her that I had something important to discuss with that man with an eyepatch, so she let me be and decided to go back to accomplish her chores.

Jazpher…

As far as I can remember, King Dawn mentioned that there wouldn’t be anyone out here who’d know who I was. Jazpher couldn’t even notice my presence when I left this place, right after I was officially announced as one of their new members.