Page 46

Blood Moon

Grace

Thunder booms outside as lighting cracks, the flashes pulsing through the windows. I hear wind howling outside and the crashing sounds of buildings collapsing. The sensations shaking the earth under me, vibrations racking my body. Acteem holds me close, front and center, with a dagger to my throat. His breathing has quickened since hearing the commotion outside, he is afraid.

“He is going to kill you.” I snicker.

“Shut up.” Acteem snarls, pulling the blade closer to my neck. I feel warmth drip down my throat as the sharp blade stings on my skin.

The walls before us start to crack and pop. The windows chink with veins running through them. Shadows stretch across the floor, silhouetting a large figure with massive spread wings. His shadow reaches through the hall, the air turning ice cold around us. I see my breath fog, its billows puffing as I pant. In an instant, the front half of the estate crashes to the ground, ripped out like a beast lassoed by a giant. We crouch as rocks fall from the ceiling. A large plume of dust clouds into the air.

Acteem pulls me closer to him, practically hiding behind me as heavy footsteps sound through the cloud, crushing the gravel underneath them. Large, towering figures step from the darkness of outside through the dust, illuminated by the warm glow of lanterns inside. I see Ro clearly in front of the pack. He clears the dust to stand before us. His eyes are centered on the dagger on my throat. His jaw is so tight I think I hear its crack echo in the tense silence. Ro’s face holds fury while his black-iced eyes hold only malice. They redirect to Acteem behind me, a snarl escaping his throat in the tense silence.

My heart thunders as I look at him, tears welling in my eyes. “Ro,” I shout, a sob catching in my throat.

Six other figures walk into the room from the depthless night behind them. I cry in happiness as I see them all. Some I know dearly, some are new.

“You have made a grave mistake, Acteem. I thought you were a smart man,” Ro rumbles from across the room, his voice like fire.

“I think I made quite a powerful move. I have the King’s mate. I do believe you would do anything to get her back, wouldn’t you, Ro?” Acteem’s voice is shaky.

Ro takes a sure step forward.

“Do not get any closer, or I’ll kill her,” Acteem warns. “I do not need her alive to fulfill my quest.”

“You think that is a good idea, Acteem? She is your only leverage. You kill her and what?” Tai calls out.

“I kill her, he goes insane,” he says simply.

“Yeah, because that is a good idea. Imagine, an insane God who is very angry with you. Surely that would end well.” Tai’s voice rings with reason.

“The mortal is not yours to kill,” Chaos mutters angrily. “She belongs to Death and me. She belongs to H?l. She is ours . If you spill her blood, I will skin you alive. What shape, I wonder, will you take when I cut you into pieces?” I watch with bated breath as Chaos smiles frantically, running his fingers down his face, gouging his skin. Blood drips down his jaw as his red eyes are focused intensely on Acteem .

Acteem laughs nervously. “Oh, come on, she must have some good pussy to have all the shadow brothers pawning after her. Too bad I didn’t get to try it out. I was more focused on tasting her.”

The world shudders around me as Ro takes another step forward.

“Not another fucking step!” Acteem shouts.

There is a long pause as the warring Gods stare at each other, testing their limits.

Finally, Ro speaks, “Ask.”

Another long pause.

“Take down the wall,” Acteem demands.

Ro lets loose a breath, his eyes moving to me.

“It’s ok, Ro,” I say softly. “I love you. It’s ok.”

His face is pained as he looks at me, his black eyes full of agony.

“You need to protect it,” I tell him.

Tai comes close to Ro and puts a blackened hand on his shoulder. Ro turns his head to him slowly, unable to speak.

Tai simply nods to him.

“What’s it going to be, King?” Acteem shouts.

Ro takes a shuddering breath and looks to me one more time before closing his eyes painfully.

I knew he wouldn’t do it. My life isn’t the same as protecting millions of others. He is a great King and a better God. Ro is a protector of souls. I stare at him, trying to engrave my last images of him into my mind before I die. I admire the way he stands strong, the grooves of his chest are cut to perfection on his tall body. I look at his graceful wings and remember the softness as they cocoon me in my sleep. I will always love the smell of his scent when he embraces me, earthy with a hint of smoke. But his deep laugh as he teases me and the mirth in his eyes will always fill my heart. I just wish I could have kissed him one more time.

I watch him with focused eyes as shadows start to swarm him. They extract from the walls like water drops and seep down from the ceiling. Some look dense like black goo while others look lighter like a fine mist. They swirl around him, gathering around his hands into a dense tar-like substance. The rest of it gathers before him into a large mirror of black fog and ice. The glass substance reflects our world as it glimmers. It’s strangely beautiful. I watch entranced as the cold depths call to me.

He falls to his knees, one at a time before the midnight ice. Ro takes a deep breath, looking to me once more, before his eyes close. Suddenly, he slams a fist into the massive black mirror. The earth shudders wildly in response, and we’re thrown to the ground from the impact. As he delivers each pounding fist, we shake violently. Sharp shards of obsidian ice fly through the air as he cleaves through the mirror. Acteem falls on top of me, laughing crazily. Golden rocks crumble from the ceiling, landing in heavy thuds, cracking the floors. I hear the other Gods cheering happily behind us over the chaos.

Ro delivers one final blow into the depthless glacier of shadow, and the mirror shatters. A massive wind flurry roars through us as if we were thrown into the middle of a raging storm. I wrap my arms around my face, trying to take shelter, but I find that this current is different than usual. It’s warm and cold at the same time and distinctly tastes of raspberries yet smells of jasmine. I take a deep breath, savoring the beautiful wind as it caresses my skin.

“I told you he would do it,” Acteem whispers to me. “Sorry about this, kitten. I need time to get away. Think of it as retribution for the other day.” I feel a sudden sharp pain in my side, burning me as warmth starts to seep into my shirt. I look down to see a dagger striking my stomach.

“Grace!” Ro shouts as I collapse onto the ground. He rushes to my side, his eyes frantically assessing me, and sees the bloody dagger protruding from my side. Ro has always stood strong, a giant among mankind, but I have never seen the man look so lost as he does now.

I glance behind him and watch as a battle among Gods unfolds. Water is getting thrown like spears and wind is tunneling outside. I watch roaring fire spit from Fyor’s hands and shields of boulders form. I cannot see Acteem in the chaos; where did he go?

A warm hand caresses my arm, my eyes dart back to Ro. I watch his concerned stare assess my body, noting the many cuts and bruises dotting me. A muscle twitches in his jaw as his hand very lightly moves down to the dagger embedded inside me.

“I’m ok,” I whisper, grabbing his large hand with my small bloody fingers.

I ignore the pain in my gut and give him a small smile. I gaze into his despair-filled eyes and notice he has changed. His grey eye has evolved into a shining silver. I watch mesmerized as it swirls into a never-ending vortex. I inspect him closer and notice small wisps of darkness floating off him like steam while strands of his hair move like smoke. Upon his head lays a midnight crown made of shadows, its elegance only visible at the right angle. He has become otherworldly. I clasp onto his hands and notice some of the symbols on his skin moving. A few go up while others twist around his arm like a never-ending puzzle. His gaze falls down to our hands, his eyes wide as he stares at the blood.

“Little creature.” His voice is a pained gravel.

“Ro, I need you to focus. Acteem is getting away.” The mention of the disgraced God pulls him back into focus as I watch his dark eyes narrow with a snarl on his face. “Go help them fight. I will be fine,” I promise with a small smile. “Find him, Ro.”

“I need you to stay out of sight. Focus on your healing, please.” He kisses my forehead and squeezes my hands gently before standing and prowling into the fight amongst Gods.

Madness breaks into the broken room as they tumble inside. The God’s wrath is unleashed, walls are being broken down as they are used to slam one another, and the ceiling is starting to topple. I pull myself up, wincing in pain. I need to get out of here before I’m crushed. I need a safe place to pull this dagger out so I can heal. I stagger past the golden throne and hide behind it.

I grip the hilt of the jeweled dagger, the slight movement jostling the blade and making me grit my teeth. I take a steadying breath and rip out the weapon. Dark blood runs from the wound in rivers. I drop the blade, the clink ringing in my ears as it hits the gold-marbled floors. In a shaky hand, I clasp the wound and apply pressure. I pant, pain and anxiety racking my body. My head rests against the back of the metal chair, and I listen to the commotion behind me.

Grunts and screams, crashing and thunder. They reverberate in the once grand room. I can smell my blood on the ground, the sweet metal staining my nose. I am starting to taste it even. I spit onto the ground and see blood-soaked spit decorate the golden tiles. I start to panic. I’m not healing nearly fast enough.

I glance from my hiding spot, turning my head around the tarnished throne. Ro is fighting Silus and Aine. I watch their careful dance, each one being careful to avoid each other’s deadly touch. Ro once told me he couldn’t die, but I can’t imagine being poisoned a great thing to experience. And, if Aine was able to gather her influence over him, this battle would surely be over. Ro is a deadly fighter, I watch him in awe as he crashes his beautiful axe into Silus’ arm and breaks it. Silus’ scream is guttural as Aine has to cover for the loss of her partner’s arm.

I smile, my chest filling with pride. I glance to the War God, and he is also fighting two Gods. He is matched with Saji and Megala. Saji is matched well as he foretells every move Tai will make, while Tai does the same to him. Megala is ruining Tai’s weapons with her gleam, rusting them and making them unusable. He holds them off with hand-to-hand combat. Tai has the strength and conditioning. He throws Megala back with ease, but Saji is an admirable foe.

I look around for Kai, but I do not see him. He must be outside still fighting with the others.

I wish I could help them. I don’t think I could hold my own against a God. Not to mention, I am still bleeding quite a bit, but it’s slowing down now. My body still feels so tired, I’ve lost a lot of blood. I am practically useless here. I would only get in the way. I turn back around and sigh, but movement above me catches my eye.

Velaya is on the crumbling upper story of the room, stalking slowly with an arrow pulled taut. I look around, but everyone is too busy in their own fight. I look back to Velaya, she has her arrow nocked and pointed. I follow her gaze and see it locked on Pearl.

I look over to Pearl. She is one-on-one with Meadow and has no idea Velaya is above her. My heart thunders as my body tenses. I watch as if time itself has slowed down. I scream to Pearl, desperately trying to get her attention, but she is distracted with Meadow.

“Pearl! Look out!” I scream again, my heart thundering in my chest. I hear Ro call for me, but my gaze is on my friend. I struggle to get up, pulling myself using the decaying throne and clutching my side as I start to stagger to her. I am not nearly quick enough. I watch in horror as the arrow pierces Pearl through her chest. She cries out in sudden pain as she drops to the ground.

I hear Tai roar in anguish. “No! Pearl!”

My head cuts to him; he is trying desperately to fight off the Gods attacking him to get to his injured mate.

“Pearl!” Tai screams madly.

My vision blurs from tears as I bite back the pain and run to her, re-opening the healing of my wound. I feel new blood burst down my hip as I stagger to Pearl. She lies there, a wooden arrow protruding from her chest. Dark blood bubbles and pours around the wooden shaft. She starts to gasp as the thick blood begins to infiltrate her lungs and choke her from within. Pearl looks at me with fear in her eyes, grasping for my hand frantically as she wheezes. I clutch it tight, tears welling in my eyes.

“No!” Tai is roaring, throwing the Gods off of him, trying desperately to get to his dying mate. He throws a laughing Megala off his back, heartbreak clear on his face, while Saji blocks him. The earth rumbles as I crouch, keeping a weak hold on Pearl. I glance at him as soldiers made of shadows start to crawl out of the cracks in the tarnished floor. Tai bellows in anger, calling the shadows to assist him. My gaze falls back to Pearl.

They won’t be quick enough.

I admire her, her golden hair glows like literal flames, splayed on the floor. I squeeze her cold hands as tears run down our cheeks. I glimpse at Ro. He is fighting with increased fervor as he glances at me. We lock eyes, and I smile sadly.

These people have come to be my best friends and family. They had taken me in and loved me when I was broken with nowhere to go. Love isn’t always just a feeling, but sometimes, it can be a series of actions. Love is being there for someone in their time of need. It’s being brave for a person, even if you’re scared. Love can be sacrifice.

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “It’s ok, Pearl,” I tell her calmly. I grab hold of the arrow with a new purpose and quickly yank it through. She gasps from the pain as I put pressure on her wound. Pearl starts to bleed profusely under me, but I focus on her face, grabbing her gently. “Just look at me, Pearl.” I gaze into her eyes, tears dropping onto my hands. “I never thanked you guys. You, Ro, Tai, and Kai.” I chuckle. “Kai and Chaos, two of a kind in the same body, always bringing me fun and mayhem. Kai always cared for me so deeply, telling me made-up stories and bringing me cake for every meal. He is a sensitive soul; even Chaos came out to save me. I love them so much, they are one-of-a-kind friends.

“Our dear Tai, he was an older brother to me when I had lost mine. He took care of me and taught me how to live again. He taught me to face my fears and helped me find an outlet to heal. He was such a big softie, we stayed up with each other just making one another laugh until we fell asleep. I am whole again, thanks to him.”

“Grace!” Ro yells to me, his voice becoming desperate.

I speak to my mate next. “Ro, I will never love anyone the same way I have loved you. You helped me grow into a more confident woman and embraced it fully. You challenged me always with your snarky remarks, yet tender love. I watched you become more loving and filled with happiness as we grew together. I thought we would have more time. Together, we were best friends, and I will miss you.”

A worried voice rings in my head. “ Grace, whatever you’re doing, stop it now .”

I smile at Pearl, tears flowing freely down both of our faces now.

“Pearl, you have taught me to embrace myself. You were a great friend that helped me face my trauma, and you were there when I really needed you. We had so many fun times in training, even if you were a hard ass that beat me at everything. You are a strong woman, and I admire you greatly. Thanks to you, I’ve finally found my strength.” I look at her one more time, embracing all of her features before I close my eyes. I think of her and the sunny outdoors, the wind in her golden fur as she ran. I think of her as the protector on the black Infernal Mountains, guarding the souls with ferocity. I think of her with Tai and their unconditional love. I think of the stupid smile he gets around her.

“There are so many reasons I need you to live, Pearl, so live.”

I gasp as I feel a sudden sharp pain spear my chest. It radiates into my lungs as I try to breathe. My heart seizes from the hot fire lashing through me. I clutch my chest, trying to desperately soothe the pain, but it only gets worse. It’s as if I can feel the arrow shaft stuck in my body, radiating fire. The pain increases in intensity until suddenly, I feel a tear rip from my back and into my chest, warmth pouring down my body.

“Grace!” Ro roars behind me, the walls of the battered palace shake around me.

I open my eyes to see blood spurting from a hole in my chest, the deep red soaking into the little white I had left in my shirt. I look to Pearl as her eyes flutter open, shock clear on her face as she looks to me. The room swirls as I become dizzy and collapse onto the ground, but instead of hard stone, I fall into warm arms. I look up to see a beautiful sad God, looking down at me with anguish on his face.

“Grace, what did you do?” Ro whispers in disbelief as his hand shakes, hovering over my wound.

I taste metal in my mouth as blood starts to pool. I have already lost too much blood, there will be no healing from this.

“You took down the Veil for me,” I say softly, my legs feeling cold and fuzzy.

Ro’s eyes well with tears as he focuses on my face. “Sometimes, it’s necessary to make sacrifices for the people you love. Your soul is more valuable to me than any other life out there.”

“You love me?” My hands slide from my stomach to the ground. I cannot keep them up any longer .

“Love is not an accurate enough of a word, Grace Teller.” Ro grabs my face gently as tears spill on me. “I have been through hundreds of realms and seen millions of souls. I have lived for eons, through the stars and seas. I have waited millennia for you to come into my life. Your soul is the one I have been waiting for. You are worth everything to me.”

I smile at him weakly with a tear slipping down my face. I can’t feel my body anymore. I am cold. Everything seems so far away as I focus on Ro. My breathing becoming ragged and harsh.

He shakes his head. “I have watched stars die and civilizations collapse, but never have I seen something as tragic as your life fading before my eyes.” He kisses me softly on my lips, brushing my hair gently with his fingers. Tears run down his cheeks. Ro’s face twists into anger. “You cannot leave me, little creature. You cannot come into my life, demanding me to feel for you, to love you with all abandon. You cannot just give me your breath of life and leave, taking it with you as you go.”

I smile up at him. I had a mate, and he loved me with his entirety. I could not think of a better way to die than in his arms. I am too tired to talk, but I am not scared to die. My beloved is Death itself, and I know he will be there to welcome me to my forever home.

I am not afraid of the darkness anymore.

“Please, Grace, I beg you. I cannot live without you,” he cries, cradling my face.

I start to feel warmth tingling in my body and fullness in my heart.

“Stay,” Ro begs into my mouth, giving me one final kiss as I float gently into the sweet embrace of darkness.