Rise of the Eclipse
604 Words
Chapter Forty-Eight: Rise of the Eclipse
Elara's POV
The beast roared.
The sound shook the mountains.
Its crimson eyes locked onto me as black smoke poured from its body. Each step it took split the earth beneath its massive claws.
"It wants her!" Ryder shouted.
"Protect Elara!"
Nightshade wolves immediately formed a wall around me.
Shadowmoon warriors rushed to reinforce them.
The Royal Vampire Guard moved into formation without a single spoken command.
King Cassian's Blood Link pulsed across the battlefield.
"Protect the future."
Every royal vampire obeyed instantly.
The beast laughed.
Actually laughed.
"You think they can stop me?"
It slammed one enormous fist into the ground.
Dark energy erupted outward.
Nightshade wolves were thrown through the air.
Shadowmoon warriors crashed into shattered stone.
Even the Royal Guard staggered backward.
Draven shifted fully into Orion.
His enormous black wolf launched at the creature.
Alpha Alaric's silver wolf joined him.
Two Alphas.
One monster.
The impact echoed through the valley.
For a moment...
The beast didn't move.
Then it grabbed Orion by the throat.
"No!"
My scream tore across the battlefield.
The beast threw Orion through three stone pillars.
Draven's body crashed into the ruins before shifting back into human form.
He struggled to stand.
Blood covered one side of his face.
Lunara cried out inside me.
"Our mate!"
Vespera's voice turned ice cold.
"It hurt him."
Something inside me snapped.
---
King Cassian appeared before the beast in a blur of crimson.
His sword struck faster than lightning.
One s***h.
Two.
Ten.
Twenty.
The monster barely flinched.
It backhanded the Vampire King across the battlefield.
He crashed through a castle wall.
The Royal Guard gasped.
"My King!"
Alpha Alaric charged again.
His silver wolf clamped onto the beast's arm.
The monster roared and hurled him into the mountainside.
Even the great Alpha couldn't stop it.
The battlefield grew silent.
One by one...
The strongest warriors had fallen.
The beast slowly turned back toward me.
"You..."
It smiled.
"...are alone."
I looked around.
Draven struggled to rise.
King Cassian pushed himself from the rubble.
Alpha Alaric limped to his feet.
Every one of them...
Had stood between me and death.
Now it was my turn.
I stepped forward.
"No."
My voice echoed across the valley.
"I'm not alone."
Lunara stepped beside me within my soul.
Her white fur glowed beneath the eclipse.
"Never."
Vespera appeared on my other side.
Crimson light danced in her eyes.
"We are one."
The three of us reached for each other.
The world disappeared.
---
The battlefield watched in stunned silence.
Silver light poured from my heart.
Crimson light followed.
The two powers spiraled together around my body.
The wind howled.
Lightning struck the earth around me.
My black hair lifted into the air, streaked with silver and crimson.
Ancient runes appeared across my arms.
My eyes opened.
One silver.
One crimson.
Sharp black claws extended from my fingertips.
Wolf ears appeared through my hair.
My vampire fangs lengthened.
A black wolf's tail tipped in silver emerged behind me.
An aura of silver moonlight and crimson bloodfire surrounded me.
Every supernatural creature on the battlefield froze.
The Council Elder whispered in disbelief.
"The Eclipse Form..."
King Cassian stared at me with tears in his eyes.
"No..."
His voice broke.
"She's..."
Luna Seraphina covered her mouth.
"Beautiful."
The beast took one uncertain step backward.
For the first time...
It looked afraid.
I lifted my head.
When I spoke...
Three voices echoed as one.
Mine.
Lunara's.
Vespera's.
"You came..."
"...for the wrong daughter."
The silver-masked leader's smile disappeared.
For the first time since the battle began...
Fear entered his crimson eyes.
- Writer
