Page 22 of The Onyx Covenant (The Lunaterra Chronicles #2)

Chapter Eighteen

LYRA

T he Moonstone gleams in its prison of thorns and metallic branches, suspended in the center of the chamber like a captured fragment of night sky.

I step forward, drawn to it. The intricate cage of interwoven branches looks both beautiful and deadly. Dozens of thorns jut from the metallic arms, promising to draw blood from anyone foolish enough to reach directly for the treasure they protect.

“Gods above,” I breathe, circling the structure slowly. The air feels charged, heavy with the weight of centuries.

Theron moves silently beside me, his presence solid and reassuring despite everything between us. He studies the pedestal.

“What do you make of these?” he asks, gesturing toward the markings etched into the stone base.

I kneel before the pedestal. The stone feels cool against my knees. I study the markings. “They’re celestial runes,” I say. “Similar to what we use in the Elios Temple.”

Kieran whistles low, crouching on the other side of the Throne. His reddish hair falls across his face as he examines the intricate cage.

“Lucky for us, we’ve got someone who can actually read this cryptic nonsense,” he says with a grin. “I’d be trying to poke everything in sight by now.”

“And you’d be full of thorns like a pincushion,” Theron replies. He turns to me, his expression growing serious again. “Can you translate them?”

I trace my fingers just above the surface of the runes. They form two overlapping circles around the base of the pedestal, with intricate lines connecting various points.

“Give me a moment,” I murmur, focusing intently. “They’re dialect variants... older than what I’m used to seeing.”

“Take your time,” Theron says, leaning in closer to me. “We’ve come too far to rush now.”

His closeness sends welcome warmth spreading through me.

“Hey,” Kieran says suddenly, moving to the wall of the chamber to our left. “Anyone else hear that?”

We fall silent, listening. Faint voices echo from somewhere beyond the wall, muffled but drawing closer.

“Someone’s coming,” Theron confirms, straightening to his full height. The transformation is immediate—the relaxed posture vanishes, replaced by the coiled readiness of a predator.

“I count two distinct voices,” he continues, head tilted slightly. “Moving parallel to us.”

Kieran presses his ear against the wall. “Definitely getting closer.”

The voices suddenly become clearer, as if they’ve turned down a corridor that brings them alongside our chamber.

“…should be around here somewhere,” a female voice says, frustration evident. “The clues pointed in this direction.”

“We’ll find it before they do,” a deeper voice replies with smug confidence.

I exchange glances with Theron. “Selene and Erebus,” I mouth silently.

He nods, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

That bitch who attacked me in the sleeping quarters, trying to kill me.

“Oh, perfect,” Kieran mutters.

Theron gestures for us to return to the pedestal. “They don’t know we’re here yet,” he whispers. “Let’s keep our advantage.”

“Hello?” Selene’s voice calls out, closer now. “Is someone there?”

We freeze, exchanging glances.

Kieran raises his eyebrows in silent question. Theron shakes his head fractionally—a command to remain quiet that Kieran accepts with a slight nod. The wordless communication between them speaks of years fighting side by side, trusting each other with their lives.

“I could’ve sworn I heard voices,” Selene says, her words clear enough now that she must be just on the other side of the wall.

“Your imagination again,” Erebus replies dismissively. “Come on, this passage loops around. I think I see a chamber entrance ahead.”

The urgency crystallizes my focus. I turn back to the runes, pushing all else from my mind.

“The markings are a celestial map,” I say quietly, tracing the flowing script. “It references our two moons and their alignment during what it calls… the Blood Harmony.”

“The Bloodstone Moons,” Theron translates, his eyes lighting with recognition. “That’s what my people call them when both moons take on the reddish hue during harvest season.”

Kieran runs a hand through his hair. “How does that help us get the shiny rock without becoming thorn decorations?”

I continue studying the runes, translating fragments. “There’s something here about five points and a crown of night .”

“The Hunter’s Crown,” Theron says immediately. “It’s a constellation visible only during the Blood Moon alignment—five stars that form a crescent. My people use it for navigation during the hunts.”

I look up at him, surprised by the connection between our packs’ astronomical systems.

“We call it the Reaper’s Sickle in Elios,” I say. “But yes, the same formation.”

“Touching cultural exchange,” Kieran interjects, “but those two assholes out there might be finding the Moonstone any moment now, and I’d rather not share our prize.”

He’s right. The sounds of footsteps and voices have faded slightly as Selene and Erebus moved around the curve of the maze, but they’ll find their way to us soon enough.

I refocus on the pedestal and notice something I missed before—five small indentations arranged in a crescent pattern among the runes, each one the size of a fingertip.

“Look,” I say, pointing them out. “These match the pattern of the Hunter’s Crown—the Reaper’s Sickle.”

Theron kneels beside me, examining them closely. “Pressure points,” he suggests.

Kieran leans over from the other side. “So, we press them, and the cage opens? Seems too simple.”

“No,” I say, continuing to translate. “There’s more here. When crowns of night align, five points of power must awaken.. .” I pause, struggling with the next symbols. “ In the order of their birth. ”

“The order of their birth?” Kieran echoes. “What does that even mean?”

Theron’s eyes meet mine, and I see the same realization dawning in their gray depths. “The stars appear in sequence when the constellation rises,” he says.

I nod. “The first star appears in the east, then the next, until all five form the crown—or sickle. They’re born in sequence across the night sky.”

“So, we press them in the same order they appear in the sky,” Kieran surmises, looking between us. “East to west.”

“That’s my interpretation,” I agree.

Kieran raises his hand to the sun and quickly says, “Northeast. The energy flow begins there.”

Theron nods. “So, the sequence starts with this one.” He indicates the indentation closest to the northeast corner.

“I think so,” I explain, but doubt niggles at the edges of my mind. If we’re wrong, who knows what might happen? The thorns could be venomous, the entire apparatus could collapse, or—worse—we could damage the Moonstone itself.

“Wait,” Kieran says, frowning. “How do we know the indentations correspond exactly to the stars? What if this one—” he points to the smallest indentation, “—is actually the first star?”

It’s a good question. I reexamine the runes, searching for more clues. “There’s something here about size… The smallest light first breaks the darkness .”

“That settles it,” Theron says, identifying the smallest of the five indentations. “We start with this one, then follow in increasing size.”

“Hold on,” I say, noticing yet another layer to the runes. “There’s a warning here. False steps wake the thorns .”

Kieran grimaces. “Wonderful. Get it wrong, and we get skewered.”

“Footsteps,” Theron hisses suddenly, his head turning toward the chamber entrance. “They’ve found the right corridor.”

My heart pounds against my ribs.

“I’ll do it,” I say, positioning my finger above the smallest indentation.

Theron’s hand covers mine, gently but firmly moving it aside. “No,” he says, his voice allowing no argument. “My responsibility.”

“This isn’t about protection, Theron,” I snap, irritated by his assumption. “I can read the runes. I know what I’m doing.”

His eyes harden, not with anger but with determination. “This isn’t protection, Lyra. It’s strategy. You’re the only one who can read these markings. If something goes wrong, you need to be uninjured to figure out the next step.”

Put that way, his logic is sound. Kieran watches our exchange with poorly concealed impatience.

“Fine,” I concede. “But be careful.”

Theron nods once, then presses his index finger firmly against the smallest indentation.

For a heartbeat, nothing happens. Then, a soft click resonates through the chamber, and one of the silver branches shifts slightly, rotating a few degrees clockwise. The thorns along that branch retract into the metal with tiny mechanical whispers.

“It worked,” Kieran whispers, eyes wide.

“One down,” Theron says, not celebrating yet. “Which next?”

I identify the second-smallest indentation. “This one should represent the second star—it appears slightly higher in the formation.”

Theron presses it. Another click, another branch shifting, more thorns retracting.

We continue through the sequence, each press followed by mechanical movement within the cage. With the fourth indentation, a narrow path opens through the structure of metal and thorns—not enough to reach the Moonstone, but close.

“Last one,” I say, indicating the final, largest indentation.

Theron presses it without hesitation.

Nothing happens.

“That can’t be right,” I mutter, frustration building inside me. “We followed the sequence perfectly.”

“Maybe there’s a timing element?” Kieran suggests, shifting nervously. “The voices are getting closer.”

Indeed, I can now hear Selene and Erebus clearly, their footsteps echoing just outside the chamber entrance.

“There’s nothing about timing in the runes,” I say, scanning them again frantically. “There must be something we missed.”

That’s when I notice a smaller set of symbols beneath the main inscription, partially obscured by years of dust. I brush it away carefully.

“ As above, so below ,” I translate. “ The reflection reveals the path. ”

“Reflection?” Kieran looks around wildly. “I don’t see any mirrors in here.”

“Not literal reflection,” Theron states, his eyes fixed on the pedestal. “The stars’ reflection. The Hunter’s Crown is mirrored in the waters below it in the ancient sky charts.”

Understanding washes over me. “It’s a test of knowledge,” I breathe. “The final step isn’t the fifth star—it’s the sequence in reverse, reflecting the original pattern!”

“So, we press them backward? Fifth to first?” Kieran asks, confusion evident.

“No,” Theron says. “We completed the forward sequence, which opened the path. Now we need to complete the reflecting sequence to reach the prize.”

“Starting with the fifth indentation again, then the fourth, and so on,” I confirm, excitement building.

Theron positions his finger over the largest indentation once more. “Here we go.”

He presses the fifth indentation again, then the fourth, third, and second in rapid succession. With each press, the path through the thorns widens slightly.

Then, just as he’s about to press the first indentation again, voices echo from the chamber entrance.

“Well, well. Looks like we found the right place after all.”

We turn to see Selene and Erebus standing in the arched doorway, their expressions a mixture of triumph and displeasure at finding us here first.

Selene steps forward, her dark hair gleaming in the chamber’s strange light. Her eyes fix on the Moonstone, then narrow at the sight of us around the pedestal.

“The Moonstone,” she breathes. “And you haven’t claimed it yet.”

“We’re in the middle of something,” Kieran says with false cheerfulness. “Mind waiting outside?”

Erebus laughs, the sound echoing harshly. “And let you take the glory? I don’t think so.” He steps further into the chamber, his muscular frame tense with anticipation. “The Harvest Ritual prize belongs to the worthiest competitor.”

“We solved the puzzle,” Theron says, his voice low and dangerous. “Back off.”

“You haven’t claimed it yet,” Selene points out, edging closer. “The competition continues until someone holds the Moonstone.”

I meet Theron’s eyes, a silent message passing between us. He understands immediately, subtly repositioning to block Selene’s view of the pedestal.

“You’re right,” he says, drawing their attention. “But we’re one step ahead.”

While he speaks, I quickly press the final indentation—the first in the reversed sequence. There’s a louder click this time, and the remaining branches retract fully, leaving the Moonstone suspended in the air, accessible at last.

The movement draws everyone’s attention. Selene lunges forward, but Kieran intercepts her, his lanky frame surprisingly solid as he blocks her path.

“Sorry,” he says with a grin that’s all teeth. “Finders keepers.”

Erebus moves to assist his partner, but Theron steps between them, his presence alone halting the larger man in his tracks.

“Fuck off,” Theron growls.

I seize the moment, reaching through the now-open cage for the Moonstone. The instant my fingers touch its surface, a jolt of energy races up my arm—a cold fire that burns through my veins, awakening something primal within me. The stone feels both freezing and vibrant, humming with power against my palm as I carefully lift it from its cradle.

“HOLY SHIT, SHE GOT IT!” Kieran explodes, his voice echoing off the chamber walls as he throws both arms into the air. “WE FUCKING DID IT!”

I barely have time to absorb his outburst before Theron’s arms encircle my waist from behind, lifting me clear off the ground in a spinning embrace that makes the Moonstone’s light dance across the walls.

“That’s my girl,” he growls into my ear, his voice thick with pride and something deeper that sends shivers down my spine.

I can’t help it—a wild laugh escapes me, the sound so foreign after weeks of tension and danger that it startles even me. I clutch the Moonstone to my chest with one hand and reach back to tangle my fingers in Theron’s hair with the other.

“We won,” I manage between breathless laughs as he sets me down. “We actually won.”

“Did you ever doubt?” Theron’s eyes blaze with intensity as he spins me to face him, his hands still possessive on my hips. Gone is the careful distance he’s maintained in public—this is the Theron I know in private moments, fierce and unguarded.

Kieran is dancing across the chamber in a ridiculous victory jig that would mortify him in front of his warrior brethren. “Moon-blessed magic fingers solving ancient puzzles! They’re all going to lose their minds!”

“An Elios priestess claiming the prize meant for Umbra,” Selene spits from the entrance, her beautiful face contorted with anger. “You sure as fuck don’t deserve it!”

Kieran spins toward her, still mid-dance. “Too late! You snooze, you lose, sweetheart!”

“Back off, Selene,” Theron growls, not bothering to hide his triumph as he keeps one arm firmly around my waist. “The alliance was sanctioned by the competition rules.”

“Rules,” Erebus scoffs. “As if Umbra ever cared about rules.”

“Rich coming from you,” Kieran retorts, bouncing on his toes with excess energy. “Wasn’t it your sister who got disqualified at the last Harvest Ritual for poisoning her opponent’s water?”

Erebus lunges forward, but Theron intercepts him, one hand on the larger man’s chest, holding him back with seemingly minimal effort.

“Enough,” Theron barks, his quiet authority filling the chamber. “We’ve won. Accept it, or we’ll make you bleed.”

Before Erebus can respond, a deep rumbling fills the chamber, the stone floor vibrating beneath our feet. The pedestal begins to sink into the ground, disappearing inch by inch into the floor.

“What the hell?” Selene gasps, fear replacing anger as she backs toward the entrance.

I clutch the moonstone tighter, its energy pulsating intensely now. “What’s happening?” I breathe, watching as cracks appear in the floor around us.

“The walls!” Kieran shouts, pointing wildly. “Look!”

They begin to sink, descending slowly into the ground with a grinding noise that sets my teeth on edge. Beyond them, the maze walls do the same—the entire labyrinth folding itself back into the earth.

Within moments, where there were once high walls surrounding us, there is now open space. The vast expanse of the competition grounds stretches out in all directions, revealing its true scale for the first time.

In the distance, I spot other competitors frozen in mid-motion, staring as their sections of the maze melt away around them.

“LOOK UPON US AND WEEP, LOSERS!” Kieran bellows at the top of his lungs.

His ridiculous showboating breaks the tension, and a scattered cheer rises from various parts of the field—not everyone is disappointed in our victory.

“Aria!” Kieran suddenly shouts, his theatrics forgotten as he spots a lithe figure in the distance.

My heart dances to see she’s unharmed.

Kieran is suddenly running to my best friend across the exposed field, her light chestnut hair flying behind her as she does the same.

Erebus steps back, jaw tight with disappointment. He and Selene begin to withdraw.

“No need to stick around,” Theron calls after them, his dismissal carrying a victorious edge. “We know how to celebrate properly.”

As they slink away, Theron turns to me with a ferocity that takes my breath away. His eyes, which have haunted my dreams since we parted, are blazing with more than just the thrill of victory.

“Lyra,” he murmurs my name like a prayer on his lips as he cups my face. The public mask is completely gone now, replaced by the man I fell for. “My beautiful, brilliant little moon.”

Then he’s kissing me. His lips are fierce and familiar against mine, his hands sliding into my hair with the confidence of someone who knows exactly how to make me melt.

I respond instantly, the moonstone clutched between us as I press against him. This is raw and real.

When we break apart, I’m breathless, my head spinning with more than just the power of the stone I hold.

Theron doesn’t release me. Instead, he lifts me into his arms in one fluid motion, spinning me around as if I weigh nothing.

“This is the beginning,” he says, his voice rough with emotion. “Something new, something terrifying… but it will be beautiful, Lyra.” He presses his forehead to mine. “You by my side, in the Onyx Covenant, where you’ve always belonged.”

“You’re so sure?” I challenge, though my smile betrays me.

“No,” he admits, setting me gently on my feet but keeping me close. “But I’m sure I’ll spend every day making it worth your while as we make all the wrongs right.”

I glance down at the moonstone in my hand and notice something concerning. The pulsating light within it is dimming, the swirling energy inside growing sluggish rather than intensifying as I expected.

“Wait,” I say, my smile fading. “Something’s wrong.”

Theron follows my gaze to the stone. His brow furrows. “What is it?”

“It’s not… it shouldn’t be—” My words are cut off by another rumbling beneath our feet, different from before. Not the walls descending, but something else—something changing.

In the middle of the now-exposed field, the ground shifts and rises. Earth and stone rearrange themselves, forming a perfect circle approximately thirty feet in diameter. And at its center, a stone dais emerges from below, rising to waist height.

“The Sacred Circle,” Theron breathes, his body tensing against mine.

Kieran, who had been halfway to Aria, stops in his tracks and looks back at us. “Wait, what’s happening?” he calls, confusion clear on his face.

“We’re not done,” I whisper, horror dawning. “Tarek said the first team to retrieve the stone and return it to the Sacred Circle would win.”

“Melian’s warning,” Theron says urgently. “The stone must be freely given to the Sacred Circle.”

As if in response to his words, every competitor still on the field turns toward us—toward the stone in my hand. The celebration dies in an instant, replaced by a predatory stillness that makes my skin crawl.

“Oh, fuck,” I breathe. “They all know.”

“Lyra!” Aria shouts from across the field, pointing frantically at the Sacred Circle. “The ritual’s not complete!”

Without warning, Selene and Erebus turn back toward us, their expressions transformed from defeat to renewed determination. Selene’s eyes lock on the moonstone, calculating the distance between us.

“We have to get to the circle,” Theron says, his voice tight. “Now.”

“Run,” I gasp, clutching the stone tighter. “We need to run!”

We break into a sprint toward the Sacred Circle, but we’re not the only ones. The field erupts into chaos as every remaining competitor makes a desperate dash toward either us or the circle itself.

“Don’t let them take it!” Theron shouts as a pair of competitors cut across our path. He barrels into them without slowing, clearing our way.

My lungs burn as I push myself faster, the moonstone clutched in my fist. From the corner of my eye, I spot Selene gaining on us, her face twisted with determination. Behind her, Erebus is plowing through anyone who gets in his way.

“They’re gaining!” I yell to Theron, who glances back and curses.

Ahead of us, I see Aria purposefully place herself in the path of an opponent rushing toward us. She feigns a stumble, crashing into her legs and sending her sprawling.

“Go, Lyra!” she shouts as she scrambles to her feet.

Kieran appears at our flank, intercepting Erebus with a shoulder check that sends them both tumbling across the dirt. “Get to the circle!” he roars as he grapples with the larger man.

We’re close now—twenty feet, fifteen, ten. The symbols around the Sacred Circle come into view and begin to glow.

“Almost there,” Theron pants beside me.

A flash of movement to our right—Selene lunging toward us, fingers outstretched for the stone. Theron shoves me forward, placing his body between us as he collides with her.

I stumble the final few steps into the Sacred Circle alone, its perimeter tingling against my skin as I cross it. The dais at the center beckons, a small hollow carved into its top—perfectly sized for the Onyx Moonstone.

My hands shake as I place the stone on the dais, expecting it to fit seamlessly into the hollow.

Nothing happens.

“No,” I gasp, pressing harder. The stone refuses to settle, rolling slightly to one side. “No, no, no!”

Theron vaults into the circle behind me, his breathing ragged. “What’s wrong?”

“It won’t fit!” Panic rises in my throat as I hear the sounds of others approaching. “The stone won’t go in!”

Theron’s hands join mine on the moonstone, both of us trying desperately to position it correctly. The stone grows warmer between our palms, the energy inside swirling faster.

“Remember what Melian said,” Theron says urgently. “It must be freely given in true harmony.”

Our eyes lock as understanding passes between us. Not one of us placing it, but both—together perhaps.

As Selene and some others reach the edge of the circle, Theron and I position the stone above the hollow, our fingers intertwined around its smooth surface.

“Together,” I say, and we both release it at the same moment.

The moonstone drops into place with a sound like a distant bell. For a heartbeat, nothing happens. Then light erupts from the dais, shooting skyward in a brilliant column that illuminates the entire field.

The symbols around the circle flare to life, creating a barrier that ripples like water. Those rushing toward us hit it and rebound, unable to cross.

The moonstone itself transforms, its dark surface becoming translucent, revealing what looks like swirling galaxies within its depths. The ground trembles once more, but gently this time, like a contented sigh.

Tarek’s voice booms across the field, magically amplified: “The Onyx Moonstone has chosen! The ritual is complete!”

Theron pulls me against him, his heart pounding against mine. “We did it,” he whispers fiercely into my hair. “We actually did it.”

The barrier around the Sacred Circle dissolves, allowing Kieran and Aria to join us. They crash into us in an exhausted relief.

“That,” Kieran breaths, “was entirely too dramatic.”

Aria punches his arm. “You loved every second of it.”

Beyond the circle, Selene watches us with cold hatred, Erebus a stone-faced sentinel beside her. But they can do nothing now. The ritual has spoken.

“We did,” I confirm, feeling lighter than I have in months, despite the bone-deep weariness.

“The pack Alphas will be losing their collective minds right about now,” Aria says with a wicked grin. “An Elios priestess and an Umbra Alpha claiming the prize? Historical.”

“Revolutionary,” Theron corrects, his hand finding the small of my back. “This changes everything.”

“It’d better,” I say, meeting his gaze. “After what we went through to get this damn rock.”

Kieran throws his arms around all three of us, creating an awkward group hug that somehow feels exactly right. “Onward to glory and free drinks!” he declares. “The tale of how we conquered the Harvest Ritual will be told for generations!”

As we break apart, laughing, I look across the now-open competition grounds toward the gates where we started the trials. Tarek and Melian await, their expressions difficult to read at this distance. The impossible task is complete, but the real challenge is just beginning.

And as Theron’s fingers lace with mine, I know with absolute certainty that whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.

I look down at our interlaced fingers, then up at his face—the face I once knew better than my own, the face I trained myself to hate after he broke my heart. Now, I see neither the man I loved nor the enemy I forced myself to despise, but a man standing at the same crossroads as me, facing the same impossible choice.

Together, we turn toward the entrance. Behind us, Kieran falls into step with Aria.

Around us, the last of the maze walls sink into the earth, leaving the competition grounds open and exposed. Other competitors make their way forward as well, their challenges ended with our victory.