Bound To The Goddess

The First Blood

Chapter 8: The First Blood

Night came too fast.

Lithia didn’t sleep. She couldn’t.

Every creak in the house made her jump.

Every shadow looked like Veyron.

"Don’t open the door to anyone," Drayk had said.

But what if he came through the window?

She sat under the stairs with a knife from the kitchen. Her hands were shaking.

2AM came and went.

No Drayk.

Her chest felt tight.

Where is he? Did Veyron get to him?

3AM.

The window was still closed.

The house was too quiet.

Then she heard it.

Footsteps. Outside.

Lithia held her breath.

The footsteps stopped under her window.

A whisper. "Lithia."

Not Drayk’s voice.

Sweeter. Colder.

"Lithia," Veyron called again. "I know you’re in there, little light. Open up."

Lithia didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

"Don’t be shy," he said. "I just want to talk."

Glass cracked.

Lithia scrambled back as the window exploded inward.

Veyron climbed through like it was nothing.

Black robes. Black eyes. And a smile.

"There you are," he said. "You’ve been avoiding me."

Lithia held up the knife. Her arm was shaking so bad she could barely hold it.

"Don’t come near me."

Veyron laughed. "Oh, Goddess. That’s cute."

He took one step. The floorboards didn’t even creak under him.

"Where’s my brother? Hiding? Scared?"

He tilted his head. "He should’ve come. You’re bleeding."

Lithia frowned. "I’m not—"

She looked down.

Her palm was cut. From gripping the knife too hard.

A single drop of gold blood hit the floor.

Veyron’s eyes went wide. Hungry.

"There it is," he whispered. "Goddess blood."

He lunged.

Lithia screamed.

The door burst open.

Drayk.

He was a blur of black and fury.

He hit Veyron mid-air and slammed him through the wall.

Wood and plaster exploded.

"Lithia!" Drayk roared, turning to her. "Are you hurt?"

"I—I’m okay," she stammered. "My hand—"

Drayk grabbed her hand. His eyes went black when he saw the gold blood.

"s**t," he hissed.

Before she could ask why, Veyron was back.

The two of them crashed together.

It wasn’t a fight. It was a war.

Black energy and red eyes vs black eyes and smoke.

They moved too fast for Lithia to see.

Furniture shattered. The wall caved in.

"She’s mine, Drayk!" Veyron snarled, clawing at him. "You were supposed to deliver her!"

"She’s not property," Drayk growled, and punched him through the ceiling.

Dust fell everywhere.

Lithia was pressed against the wall, covering her head.

Then she saw it.

Veyron had a knife. Black. Dripping with something dark.

And he was aiming it at Drayk’s back.

"NO!" Lithia screamed.

Time slowed.

She didn’t think.

Gold light exploded from her hands.

It wasn’t a spark this time. It was a wave.

It hit Veyron and threw him back.

He hit the far wall and didn’t get up.

Silence.

Lithia was on her knees, panting. Her hands were glowing so bright it hurt to look.

"Drayk?" she whispered.

Drayk was standing. Staring at her.

Then he looked down.

There was a black knife in his side.

Blood. Black blood.

"Drayk!" Lithia scrambled to him. "No no no—"

He caught her wrists. "I’m okay," he said. But his voice was strained. "It’s not deep."

"Liar," she choked. "You’re bleeding—"

"Because of you," he said. Then he smiled. Small. Tired. "You saved me."

Veyron groaned from the rubble. "This isn’t over, brother..."

Then he was smoke again. Gone.

Drayk swayed.

Lithia grabbed him before he fell. "Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare leave me."

Tears were running down her face.

"Help me," she begged her hands. "Please."

She pressed her glowing palms to his wound.

The gold sank in. Warm. Desperate.

Drayk hissed in pain, then exhaled.

The black blood stopped. The wound closed.

Lithia collapsed against him.

Drayk wrapped an arm around her. "You did good," he whispered in her hair. "You did so good."

Outside, the sky was turning gray. Dawn.

"I have to go," Drayk said. "Before the sun."

"Don’t leave me," Lithia said. "Please."

"I won’t," he promised. "Not again."

He kissed her forehead. Cold lips.

Then he was gone.

Lithia sat alone in the wreckage of her room.

Her hands were still glowing.

And for the first time, she wasn’t afraid of the light.

To be continued...