The Moon's Daughter

Chapter 15 ELIRA

Power beyond my imagination surged through my body like an untapped power line and I'm honestly afraid of myself. I felt… pleasure as I almost killed Aodin and Zahruk and that's what terrified me the most. The tiny taste of what I could do and how much power I hold was like a drug. Calling me to use it again, but this time from somewhere deep within me. Somewhere darker. Somewhere I don't want to tap into.

"Are you okay?" Aodin waved his bloodstained hand in front of me, pulling out of my thoughts.

"Yea", I nodded as my brows furrowed.

He let out a heavy sigh as we walked slowly back to my place. "You know, I can literally tell what you're feeling?"

"I know", I said without a care in the world. It bothered me that he knows what my deepest desires are and what I'm thinking. He was a part of me, a link that had been made through dark magic and something that's hard to break.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I rolled my eyes, knowing that he's just trying to make me feel better but nothing he says or does can make me feel like I've won the lottery. Not even Zahruk. And at this point, I don't even think I want to associate myself with any of them unless I have to.

"Not really", I replied irritatedly. One thing that Aodin was good at was always making me feel irritated.

I'm not going to lie and say I didn't feel an attraction to him, I did but sometimes the things he says were enough to irk me. Maybe it's because he's really good at getting under my skin or under me.

I shook my head and he laughed as he looked away from me. I let out a small groan and walked a little faster. I looked back to see if he was keeping up but instead saw him smirking at me. I rolled my eyes and brought them back onto the road.

It wasn't long until we got to the house. I went straight up the stairs and walked towards the linen closet, pulling out two towels. Then I pulled the string that brought the ladder to the attic down and went up.

Nostalgia hits me as boxes with the year written on them are stacked atop one another. Ornaments from when I was a kid were set to the side and my old toys were still in their chests, peeking out from having no room to settle.

I walked past the Halloween and Christmas decorations, stopping at boxes and things that once belonged to Hadik. Opening up a box, I pulled out a sweater and sniffed. His scent was still faintly there and tears welled in my eyes.

I thought I could keep my emotions hidden but a sobbed racked out of me when the watch he had always worn caught the light, shining up at me. The face of the watch was scratched and dusty. The white background had turned yellow over the years and the brown leather was worn and cracked. My hands trembled as it made its way over to pick it up and another sob left me.

I gently picked it up, afraid that if I squeezed it too hard or moved too fast, it'd break. The leather still held the curve of his wrist and the underside of the watch was worn from daily use. I never noticed it before but there was a button on the side that seemed too big to be a dial to move the hands.

My thumb brushed against it and a click could be heard. The face slightly popped open and I let out an audible gasp as it surprised me. I blinked, letting the tears fall which allowed me to see clearly. I used my fingers to gently open the face of the watch and a picture of me as a baby and of me weeks before he was murdered was inside of it.

The back of my hand flew into my mouth and I bit down on it as I tried to cry silently. Underneath my baby picture was a small metal plate that had words engraved into it. "My Moon", it read.

"He loved you more than the world", my mother's voice jumped through and I flinched as she caught me off guard. "He wanted another but I just couldn't give it to him. So he cherished you like his own". I cried even more upon hearing those words.

I felt her hands wrap around me from behind, comforting me. She hummed the song that he'd sing for me to sleep when I was little. Memories of him flooded through my head before the image of him strung up onto a tree flashed and I screamed.

Loud footsteps could be heard running up the hairs and Aodin’s head perked up from the floor. His brows knitted together in worry as he silently cried with me.

"Shh, darling", my mom soothed as I slowly slid down to my knees. Her hold on me became tighter as she rocked me back and forth. My hands reached for his clothes in the box, pulling them towards me.

"I miss him", I told her.

"I know, I miss him too", as she ran her fingers through my hair. "He's up there with the Moon Goddess watching over you, honey. He's always with you".

I looked over towards Aodin who's emotions were going wild. He felt my pain, sadness and grief but I could feel his worry and need to comfort me. It was eating him alive that he couldn't come close to me. He didn't want to force himself onto me. He wanted me to come to him on his own.

My heart warmed at his respectful behaviour. We may not have met in the most respectful way but he's trying to amend that by doing what he thinks is right.

I opened my arms towards him, and he immediately came and tackled both me and my mom in a hug. I couldn't help but laugh a little and pulled both of them closer into me. We all cried, ugly with snot dripping down our noses. We also just sat there until everyone was calm, telling memories of Hadik.

"I think that's enough tears for one day?" She said as she wiped away my tears with her thumb. I nodded and smiled at her.

I grabbed one of Hadik's dress shirts and black chinos from the box and handed it to Aodin along with the towel. "I think these will fit you, and you kinda smell", I scrunched up my nose.

He looked down and laughed as he examined himself. "I do, don't I?" His eyes gleamed with a slight playfulness and I took a deep breath in, taking it in. His eyes when he's not using his gifts are gorgeous. They were deep set and chocolate brown, full of life and light.

I jut my chin out, asking him to follow me as we climb down the ladder and into the bathroom that's in the hallway.

"So, the soap for your body is in that white bottle. Shampoo is the one in the pink and conditioner next to it. The water has a hot and cold function on it and--".

"Elira", he said my name with a slight annoyance in his tone. "I know what goes in the bathroom and how to clean myself". My face flushed red with embarrassment and I covered it with my hands.

"Oh Gods, I'm so sorry. I just assumed you haven't been in a bathroom before". He chuckled and used his finger to lift my chin up to look at him.

"Just because I've lived closed off from the world doesn't mean we don't have necessities like a bathroom or shampoo bottles. Some of my men are able to get past the barrier with a fire stone. If you had stayed on the island with me, you'd have known. Not to brag or anything, but my bathroom was amazing, or so I've heard", he winked at me.

A hint of jealousy passed through me and I hiked a brow at him but quickly shook it off. I knew he had slept with multiple women, it was no secret. Aodin is a really attractive man and I wouldn’t be surprised that women would throw themselves at him.

I smacked my hands on my thighs and began walking towards the door. "Well, I'm going to take a shower in the other bathroom. I'll meet you downstairs after I'm done".

I left him in the bathroom to shower, alone, and went into my parents bedroom to use their master bath.

I twisted the knob and tested the water with my hand before jumping in. The white tile turned a mucky brown as I washed the crusted blood off me. I watched as the color swirled down into the drain, leaving me in a trance.

Loud screams could be heard and the smell of ash and fire filled my nostrils. I looked around as the fire spread through my town and I stumbled back, tripping over something. Burnt bodies laid stack on top of one another and I closed my eyes. The sound of wood creaking caught my attention and I turned to the source. Two bodies hung above me, swaying in the tree. Both males. Tears streamed down my face as I realized who they were. Aodin's and Zahruk’s blood dripped down onto my cheek and I quickly wiped them away, but the more I wiped, the more their blood came pouring down on me, showering me in them.

My hands shook and I turned around in circles looking for an escape but there was none when a black shadowy figure jumped in front of me.

"You're next, b***h", it growled at me and I was brought back to my shower. I looked around nervously, as if that shadow would pop out anytime soon. I quickly washed my body of the filth, dirt and my time with Zahruk before washing my hair.

I rinsed, turned the water off and wrapped the toilet around me, not bothering to wring my hair out. Running to my room, I quickly looked for my scrubs and threw them onto the bed. I needed a distraction and what better way to distract myself than to keep myself busy.

Bending over, I tossed my hair over and wrapped it in the towel. I grabbed a sports bra to wear and then spread the deodorant stick onto both my armpits. I dressed myself in my navy blue scrubs, pulled some socks over my feet and shrugged at the fact they were unmatching. Then I walked over towards my dresser and took two hair ties that were sitting on top and went down the stairs to meet with Aodin.

"Hey", he said in a gruff voice. I took my last step off the stairs and turned to look at Aodin who was leaning against the frame of the hallway.

He looked different, as if there was a glow to him. His hair was neatly parted and his face was shaven cleaned. There was a prominent jawline now, sharp and defined. My eyes caught sight of his Adam's Apple as it bobbed up and down with anxiousness. The shirt I had given him fit a little snug on him and the buttons were screaming to keep the shirt together. The pants were much tighter than I expected. I hadn’t even realized his ass could look nice in pants due to the loose jeans he’d always wear.

"H-hey", I stuttered back as I finished checking him out. “Do the clothes fit okay?” I asked as I awkwardly rubbed my nose like a coke addict.

“It’s a little tight, but I guess you can already see that”, he teased and I scoffed. I grabbed the keys from the side table by the door and headed out with Aodin following close behind me.

The lights to my car blinked, greeting me as I unlocked it. I took my place in the driver's seat and Aodin sat down among the passengers. I took my phone out of my pocket and placed it onto the holder, punching in the code as I started my key with its push-start system. The engine hummed to life and I scrolled through my music option. I looked for something to pump me up for the shift and decided to play Savage by Bahari. The bass boomed inside, vibrating through my chest and seat. Putting the car in reverse, I adjusted my mirrors and went on my way.

Five songs later, we pulled up into the parking lot of the hospital and my phone rang. “Hello?” I answered.

“Hey, it’s me Charles. Do you know what time you’ll be coming in? We’re drowning out here”, my charge nurse asked.

“I just parked, I’ll be in shortly”. I turned the car off and placed the phone to my ear. I reached my arm behind Aodin’s seat for my bag that held my badge and snacks that would last me the entire shift.

“Okay, don’t take too long!” Charles said over the phone before hanging up on me, which I found odd. He’d usually lecture me about team work when it’s busy but he just hung up. It must be really busy for him to do just that.

“Alright, Aodin, I’m going to go inside now. You can stay here if you want or you can go do whatever you need”. I said as I bit my bottom lip. The shadow from the tree looked like a man and I quickly looked away, afraid that it was the shadow I had seen when I was in the shower today.

“I can help”, he offered and my ears perked as I looked at him with my head tilted. “I don’t look like it but I am one of the best healers our people have”.

“Really?” I leaned back into my seat with my arms crossed across my chest.

“I’m serious! Take me with you and I’ll show you”. I eyed him cautiously and thought it over. Having him with me would set my mind at ease but the only problem with the plan is that he’s not a doctor or nurse with any credibility. So how am I supposed to bring him up to my supervisor? I put both my hands onto the steering wheel and leaned my head onto it, thinking.

“I wish it was that simple but you literally don’t have a badge and we can’t just make you one--”. I basically jumped up in my seat as I thought of something. The security office down at the hospital makes badges for new employees. If I could get myself in there and create a fake badge for Aodin, I wouldn’t have to worry about him being around me.

I opened the car door and pulled the strap to my bag over my shoulders and knocked onto the hood of my car, signaling Aodin to get out and follow me. We walked over towards the side entrance where the security office was at. For this plan to work I would need Alec out of his office and for me to get onto his computer. I would also need his badge to get into the system but just how can I get him out of the office and for him not to lock it.

I stood in front of his door contemplating when Aodin opened it for me and strode inside. “Hey! You can’t just--”.

Thwack!

Alec’s body fell to the floor and my mouth was hanging wide open. “What?” Aodin asked as if he didn’t do anything wrong.

“You just punched him!” My hands pointed down towards a knocked out Alec.

“And?” I looked around for a camera and was thankful not to see one in the room. “You needed to get in here right?” I clicked my tongue at him and gave him an irritated look.

“Yeah but now like this!” I whispered, afraid someone was going to hear me.

“But you got it in, right?” I rolled my eyes and took Alec’s badge from his waist. He groaned and I quickly got up to step over him and use the computer.

Swiping the badge over the card reader. I looked down at Alec and randomly typed in the name ‘Alex’ into the computer. Multiple Alex popped up and I scrolled through them all to see if any of them were nurses. Apparently we have over thirty nurses named Alex. I clicked on the first registered nurse I saw and opened up her profile.

“Aodin, take a seat in that chair”, I pointed towards the chair by the wall.

“This one?” He asked clueless.

“Yes! The only chair that is over there!” I pointed again. He took a seat and studied me, curious about what I was doing. My hand clicked onto the keyboard as I gave him access to the areas that I was going to be working in. Apparently this Alex works over at labor and delivery in Silverdale instead of here but that’s about to change. Grabbing the mouse, I hovered over the picture and clicked on it. “Okay, look at that black rectangle and smile”.

“Okay”. He looked into the camera and smiled beautifully into the camera. His smile was all teeth which was contagious that it happened to make me smile.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a pretty smile?”

He smirked as he wiped his hands onto his pants. “All the time. My parents used to tell me that if I smiled at a girl, I’d end up giving them a grandchild”.

“Oh my god they didn’t!” The machine whirred as it got ready to print onto the badge.

“They did”, he chuckled. “I never gave them their grandchild though”, he looked at me as if hurt. I could sense that he wanted a family but it seemed he never found the right person to start one with.

The computer beeped at me and I pulled the badge out of the card reader and handed it to Aodin. He reached out and took the badge in his hands and examined it. “Is that me?” He asked.

“Yup! I have one too, see”, I pointed to the badge that I had just hooked onto my scrubs. “Okay, help me move Alec onto his chair and after this, whatever you do, do not leave my side. Got it?”

“Got it”, he smiled back at me. We placed Alec back onto the chair with his head down onto the table, making it look as if he had knocked himself out while he was sleeping. Aodin followed me to the locker rooms as I put my bag away and headed towards the E.R where Charles was waiting for me.

“Oh thank God! There you are! What took you so long”, Charles sped walk towards me.

“Sorry, I bumped into Alex on my way in. Apparently he’s new?” Charles looked at Aodin up and down before his face turned red.

“New or not, he’s a hunk”.

“Charles!” I pinched his elbow.

“Girl, ow. Because of that, you get to train Mr Hunkerdory here. Start in bay 12. It’s more of your… Expertise”. Charles walked away and went back towards the nurses station, doing whatever Charles does over there.

I made my way towards bay 12 and the smell of iron hit me. Bile rose from the back of my throat and I gagged, which surprised me because I usually do well when it comes to these situations. I pushed the button that allowed me to enter and the smell doubled. Aodin pulled me back and walked in front of me as if something was about to pop out at any time.

He pulled the curtain aside and slowly entered. I grabbed onto the back of his shirt and followed him inside. Squelching noises could be heard and I gagged at the sound. Something was wrong, because there’s no way someone could be bleeding this much and not get medical care. This smells like death and not someone who is in need of stitches.

I stepped to the side to move past Aodin and I held my scream back in horror at the sight. A child no longer than ten was covered in blood from head to toe as she ate from the belly of a woman. Blood dripped all over the floor and I felt my shoe slide. Looking down, the blood had coagulated to where I was. The girl hissed at me and my heart began to race. This was the first time I had ever seen a creature like her and I didn’t know what to do. I stood there like a deer in headlights as she jumped on top of the bed, hovering over the body like a dog territorial over its food.

“Elira, get behind me”, Aodin’s voice is deep and authorative. I slowly backed up and watched as Aodin took a step forward. The girl hisses again and Aodin’s eyes burn a bright red.

“What is she?” I asked with a trembling voice.

“A newly born vampire turned by an impure bloodline”. She tilted her head and looked over towards me, blood dripping out of her mouth and down her chin. Her teeth were sharp and bloody and for once I felt fear for a child.

“Is this what has been going around town? Feeding on people?”.

“I would assume so”. The girl stood up and pounced onto Aodin who managed to throw her off him.

“Aodin!” I screamed, worried.

“Stay back!” He warned me but I couldn't think and I couldn’t breathe. I began to hyperventilate and that power that I had felt earlier today was beginning to surface back up again. “Breathe, Elira!”

I tried gasping for air but all that I could manage was short little bursts. Panic consumed me and my vision turned red as that dark desire I felt slowly began to take over. “Damn it!” I hear Aodin scream in the back. He walked over to me as my power whizzed around me. His hand cupped the back of my neck and his lips were gently placed onto mine. Heat filled the room as his fire circled around us, causing the newly born vampire to scream as his flames burned her.

I could feel my power slowly calming as I continued to kiss him. He pulled onto the raw and terrifying power, manifesting it into fire and then wind. The curtains swooshed around as the bed rattled with the amount of wind Aodin had let out. He slowly began to pull away and I secretly ached for more.

“Better?” He whispered as he tucked the loose hair away from my face.

I nodded, “What did you do?” I asked as I heard my breathing began to even out.

“I channeled your energy into me. I get the feeling that you can’t control your Godly gifts”. His brows furrowed together as he looked at me concerned. I didn’t need to give him an answer, my face had given it away. “What about asking Fenrir to help?”

“I just feel like he wouldn't help".

"Why do you think that?" He asked me as his thumb brushed gently against my cheek.

"I figured he'd have his own problems to deal with and I didn't want to be a bother", I said looking down at my feet.

"Elira--", he started but got cut off when the door to the room opened causing both me and Aodin to look at it.

Charles stood there with his hands on his hips, unimpressed. The fact that he knew I wasn't human puzzled me. I stepped forward wanting to ask him when his dark brown eyes shifted to a deep red. He parted his lips, and fangs longer than canines began to emerge. His eyes went to the burnt swirled ashes on the floor then immediately back to me. “Your shift’s up, girl”, he laughed maniacally.