Chapter 183: Ash Was Distraught
Violet had been missing for a week.
It had been one week since she fought with the Leviathan and ran away.
It had been one week since Ash learned the truth of what was happening to his wife.
One week since he last smelled her, heard her voice, felt her touch. It had been months since he heard her laughter. Saw her smile or clearly saw the gentle pink that always graced her eyes when she looked out at the world.
Ash’s whole world had crumbled in under a year. The life he carefully built was broken leaving him a shell of his former self.
He wanted her back.
He wanted his Violet, his wife, his best friend. He wanted his daughter, his Odette, his little princess back in his arms.
To hold his little girl and his wife, the emptiness in his chest had made itself a permanent home there. With no intention of leaving.
Ash had restlessly paced the camp; they would be leaving for Romania tomorrow. Preparing for whatever plan the Leviathan was cooking up.
Everyone felt the heavy cloud hanging over them. Jeremy and Rosa were taking Delilah back to their own home before returning to Romania a few days after Ash, Oliver, Gabriel, and Vlad. Arya would return to the coven with Roland and Kalvin. The army would return home as well before being flown out too Romania.
Everything just kept moving forward, while Ash felt like his world had stilled. Time seemed to freeze since the moment Violet left. He couldn’t break free from whatever alternate universe he feels like he fell into.
Lilith and the Leviathan would leave tonight, in a few hours.
It was just Ash, alone with his thoughts being destroyed by his feelings.
His wife was the DarkChild, the DarkSon. Possessed by a god. A god his own daughter would be fighting against.
The crippling burden of his new reality was too much for him. Too much to deal with alone.
He didn’t want to return to the empty manner. Not without Violet. The idea was breaking him piece by piece.
He decided he would go with the Leviathan and Lilith. He would have his brothers bring his things, and he’d just purchase what was needed when he got there.
He left his tent and met up with his brothers and told them his plan.
"I don’t want to return to the manner either. Not without our girls." Oliver whined.
"I have to return and handle some of the business matters before I join you all at the main palace." Gabriel informed them.
"I’m staying behind as well to manage the military and get things organized here to bring the army to Romania." Vlad announced before looking to Ash, "Ash, go to Romania, get things set up and in order there in preparation for the arrival of our massive military, and assemble the ranks, summon the rest of our army."
"Yes, I will prepare when I get there." Ash confirmed. Anything to distract him from his pain. Anything to get him to his goal sooner.
As much as he wanted to save Violet, he had to focus his efforts on finding Odette, not only was that Violet’s goal, but it’s what she would want. If it was between finding her or finding their daughter. She’d want him to pick Odette, so he did.
He couldn’t save Violet. Not this time. He had to leave the saving to the women this time.
He wished he had trained Odette harder, fought harder for her. Maybe not put her in the mixed school, like Violet insisted.
Ash was scared he didn’t do enough for her; he wasn’t a strong enough father, he didn’t push her harder. He only hoped his incompetence didn’t fail her.
He hoped she was okay, that she was safe. He had been so focused on finding her he never took the time to reflect on what put all this in motion. Ash had been putting off but now, being faced with a long flight, he’d have plenty of time.
When Ash found Lilith and the Leviathan in a lengthy discussion about history.
"Ezelreth, who is he exactly?" Lilith asked the Leviathan.
"That is something I cannot answer, my love, it is a truth you must uncover on your own. Plus, we have someone listening to things he shouldn’t be outside our tent." The Leviathan grinned. Lilith didn’t like being told no, especially about things involved her.
"Asher. Come in. Stop hiding and eavesdropping like a little boy, you’re a damn king, act like it." Lilith sneered at him.
Ash rolled his eyes. Lilith was one scary woman. She hated men, why was she so absorbed by one now? Did he have her under some kind of spell?
Lilith found herself questioning the same thing often, what about him was drawing her in so deeply. She’d figure it out.
"Grandmother." Ash said bowing his head slightly.
"Leviathan." He shot him a glare but nodded, not wanting to piss off Lilith.
"What?" She asked flatly.
"I’m coming with you on the plane, make the arrangements." Ash demanded before he turned away and walked out. Stopping at the entrance without looking back he said "Thank you."
Even after everything they’ve been through, she still treated him like she hated him. Though he knew that wasn’t true, it always felt like that, ever since she reentered their lives.
It didn’t used to bother him, so why did it sit wrong with him this time?
After Ash left she looked at the Leviathan and said "That was weird."
"What?" He asked.
"Asher, he’s usually, I don’t know, different somehow. But just now, he was different. Do you think I should be worried?" She asked aloud.
"He’s got a lot going on in his mind. Some demons he’s about to confront. He’s hurting and sensitive. You being snappy might have made his sadness hurt more." The Leviathan didn’t hold back.
Lilith huffed and then admits "I should be a little more sympathetic, he did lose both his wife and daughter in such a short span of time."
"You don’t say?" The Leviathan raised an eyebrow joking with her.
"Shut up, I don’t like men, you barely count. You can transition into different species and sexes. You just pick men to trap me." Lilith scoffed rolling her eyes at him.
"You have some packing to do, don’t you."