The Moon's Daughter

Chapter 20

“Brayan”, I spat and both Aodin and Zahruk grunted as they struggled to move as well. 

“Glad to know you know my name, cousin. You know”, he knelt down in front of me as he yanked my hair up further so that my back was arched painfully. 

“Mmph!”, a silent scream escapes me. 

“It took me a really long time to find you. s**t, let me see, I think about ten years maybe longer?” He pondered. “Definitely longer because I am older than you”, he smirked as he tilted his head to look at me. “Too bad we’re related. I would’ve taken you in as a bride and we could rule this world together. Although that wouldn’t be such a bad idea, since the Gods love incests and all that”, he laughed. 

I looked past him at my fallen parents and Pumi, hoping that they would wake soon. 

“Don’t bother”, he snapped my attention back to him. “They’ll be out for a while. I could kill them but I think imprisoning them would be more fun!” He stood, pulling me up with him and this time I let out a sharp cry. 

“What are you planning on doing with them?” I gritted through my teeth. 

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out. That council meeting with the leaders was supposed to be for today, right? Why not pay them a little visit. Igna! Take the rest back to my place and lock them up, except for those two – you know what to do”. He ordered and a woman in a black dress appeared next to him. 

She was beautiful with her fair skin and deep set almond brown eyes. Her lips were painted with a dark red that resembled blood and hair fell down in waves. “Yes, My Lord”, she bowed before disappearing with the rest. 

“Where–”. 

“You’ll find out soon enough. We have a meeting to attend”. His power engulfed me and the forest around me started to warp before changing into Zahruk’s office. 

“Why are we back at the Moon?” I asked and the hold on the back of my head tightened. 

“Didn’t they teach you s**t?” He grumbled as he moved papers around Zahruk’s desk to look for something. He turned towards the bookcase and walked over, pulling me with him. My hands shot up to release his hold but he pushed them back down with his power. 

Brayan’s power felt dark and demonic. He was stronger and darker than I am, making it harder for me to fight back even though I had just gone through an awakening. He grabbed a clear crystal as big as his palm and tossed it onto the desk. His hand hovered over the crystal as he pushed his power into it, making it glow. The office grew dark and the leaders from each supernatural faction began to project out from the crystal like a hologram. 

“It took you long enough, brother…” Said Zakeem but stops himself short when he realized that it wasn’t Zahruk on this end of the line. 

“Sorry to break the family reunion but I’m here to advocate our freedom, isn’t that right Elira?” He announced as his fingers tightened around my hair once more. I held in a wince and stood tall, sending a signal with my eyes, hoping that one of the people in this meeting would catch my message. 

“Isn’t that the daughter of the former Beta of the moon?” One of the Alphas asked and they all squinted before nodding. 

“That’s right, that’s her! But who is he?” 

“Brayan”, Zakeem answered with disdain. “What did you do to my brother?!” He shouted which alarmed everyone else. 

Brayan chuckled as he looked over at Zakeem. “Which one?” He taunted and Zakeem looked horrified. He immediately left the meeting and Brayan finally let go of my hair, blood rushed out of my head and I was finally able to breathe. “Now that he’s out of the way let’s get down to business”, Brayan started as he walked around the desk to stand in the middle of the room. 

“I want to give our kind the freedom that we deserve. To live in a world where humans are no longer a threat to our existence. A place where our children could run free and not get killed when their powers accidentally let loose”. 

“And how do you proclaim we get this freedom?”, asked Vant, the head vampire. 

“Simple, we destroy man-kind”, Brayan replied nonchalantly and the whole room erupted in an uproar. 

“Nonsense!” Said the High Priestess. 

“Oops, I forgot that your kind are humans”, he squinted and waved her out of the meeting. 

“She’s as much of a supernatural as we are!” Defended the Alpha of Blood Moon Clan. 

“Yes, but anyone can be a ‘witch’ if they wanted to”, he replied back with air quotes around the word ‘witch’.  “The time of man is reaching its end. They have ruled over this world for far too long while we live in the shadows and in fear of what would happen to us. Aren’t you tired of it all?”

“It was with reason and purpose that we closed ourselves off from the world”, said Vant. 

“And how is that going? A decline in your species? Children being starved and dying because they couldn’t handle the blood of a pig?” Brayan roared at Vant who’s face contorted in anger. “You know I’m right. And with her by my side, I can end all of man-kind without a single blood being shed”, he boasted. 

“How so?” Vant asked more intrigued in the conversation now. 

“By releasing Chaos into this world”, he turned to look at me. “Light and Dark”. 

I shook with anger as he smiled joyfully at me. He had completely won Vant over and managed to boot off the two beings that have the most vote on this council. The Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack will resist but the other shifters and demons in this meeting wouldn’t. 

I tried moving my mouth but it wouldn’t and a single tear fell down my cheek from frustration. I took a deep breath in and feel for my newfound power. It’s there but the darkness that’s holding me in is too strong for me to break through. 

Control the Chaos. 

The voice rang inside my head. I dug deeper inside of me and skimmed the edges of Chaos. I control the Chaos and not it. I wield this power. My power. I submerge myself into it as I felt it’s powers wrap around me. It felt different from Brayan. It didn’t feel dark but light as the power of the Moon. 

I opened my eyes as Brayan turned to look at me as I glowed with a new sense of purpose and power. 

“Oh cousin, how clueless you are”, he laughed and the room changed into a place I’ve never been to before. The walls were made of gray cinder block, and the stench of death and rotted flesh was fresh in the air. I couldn’t help but gag as soon as we arrived. 

“Where are we?” I asked as I looked around when my eyes landed on both Aodin and Zahruk chained to a wall. I rushed over towards them, kneeling down to examine them as blood dripped down their noses. 

“The home of your loved ones of course. Igna here has bound the use of your powers to them and every time you try to use your light against me, it takes a bit of their mortality away”, he warned. “So if you want them to live, I suggest you stow that power of yours away”. 

Both Aodin and Zahruk shook their heads, not wanting Brayan to win but I couldn’t do that to them. “Okay”, I told him. “I won’t use it”. 

“Elira, don’t do this. Brayan must be stopped”, Aodin whispered hoarsely as he looked at me dotingly. “I can give my life for this”. I placed my hand onto his cheek and shook my head as tears fell. 

“I told you before, didn't I? I bound myself to you so that you could live. I can’t lose the two of you”, I sobbed. 

“Elira, we’ll be fine. Use that power to stop him”, Zahruk added, weakly. 

“What was the thing that Charles said? Oh, right. Don’t you want your child to live in a world where they’re free to do what they want?” Brayan chuckled. “You are with child, cousin. Or did you not know?” He strode over towards me and moved his hand up, lifting me up into the air. 

“Put her down, Brayan!” Zahruk yelled. 

“Are you the father?” He asked Zahruk as he took the air out of him. Zahruk’s face turned blue as Brayan placed the palm of his hand onto my belly. “Maybe the Dragon is the father?” He asked as he studied Aodin’s face. He dropped me and released his hold on Zahruk as he walked to stand in front of Aodin. 

Zahruk inhaled the air greedily and I struggled to push myself off the ground. He knelt down in front of Aodin and gripped his chin with his fingers, studying him. Aodin’s eyes were fierce as they stared deep into his Brayan’s eyes. 

“Let him go, Brayan! You don’t need him”, I pleaded with him. 

“Did you know that pure Dragon’s blood was supposed to stabilize the Chaos within us? Their magic is so pure that even a single touch of it can erase all the darkness in the world. Is that why your mother made you his mate?” He took a sharp breath in as he looked over at me before his eyes widened in realization. “No, I get it. There was no way you could’ve controlled the Chaos inside of you after all the s**t you’ve been through and there’s only one explanation to that”. He got up and clapped his hands. 

“You’re pregnant with the Dragon’s child”, he smirked against my ear. “Oh how exciting!” Brayan grabbed onto my face hard making it feel painful and uncomfortable before kissing me on the forehead. “Thank the Goddess. She did me a solid”, he laughed before warping us out of the prison cell.