The Blood Moon Awakens
840 Words
My ears rang. Malachar's words echoed in my mind.
«He promised your mother... that if she died... he would become your mate.»
I looked at Lucien. We kept looking at one another, though neither of us spoke.
I wanted answers. I wanted to demand the truth.
Instead, the earth started trembling once more. An deafening roar rolled across the sky.
I looked up just as the clouds split apart. An enormous beast decended from the blood-red skies. Its wings covered the moon and its scales were as black as obsidian, veined with crimson light. It was about twice Vaeros' size.
My breath caught. Yet another dragon.
"No..." Vaeros' voice rang in my head. "That's not possible at all."
The black dragon landed outside the castle walls. It's roar shook all the towers. Soldiers tripped as the ground shook beneath their feet.
The creature lowered its head toward Malachar. Not to attack, but to honor him.
My stomach hardened.
"Does that dragon obey him?"
Lucien moved closer to me.
"It does not obey. It serves."
Malachar laughed.
"Meet Nythros. The very last Blood Dragon."
The black dragon opened one crimson eye. It stared right straight at me with hatred, unadulterated hatred.
For reasons I couldn't explain, my heart started beating more quickly. It knew me, or perhaps, it knew my bloodline.
Malachar slowly climbed onto the neck of the dragon's.
"I will give one chance, Aria."
His voice echoed across the courtyard.
"Come with me willingly. And no one here dies."
There was silence. Every soldier looked at me.
I gulped heavily.
"And if I decline?
He stopped smiling.
"I destroy this kingdom."
The words struck me like a blade. I looked around. I looked at the terrified servants, the injured soldiers and children tucked behind their parents, all because of me.
My fists clenched. Maybe I ought to leave. One life, in exchange for thousands.
I took one step forward. A hand wrapped around mine. It was that of Lucien.
"No."
He had a firm voice.
"If you go with him... You will never return."
"But innocent people will die."
He turned to face me entirely.
"And if today you give yourself up... Tomorrow he will still kill more.
I studied his face.
"How can you be quite certain?"
"Because I know him."
There was no doubt or hesitation in his answer. Lucien stepped in front of me and his golden aura burst out. The pressure alone forced nearby soldiers to protect their faces.
Malachar sighed.
"I was hoping you would choose the easy way."
Lucien's eyes glowed brighter.
"I never do."
The Blood Dragon roared. Vaeros responded with a roar of his own. The sound shook the mountains. Two ancient dragons face to face. Enemies.
Then suddenly everything happened at once. Nythros launched into the air and Vaeros confronted him directly. The collision shook the sky itself.
Flames exploded above. Black fire and silver fire. The heavens turned into a warzone.
I watched in stunned silence. I never imagined creatures so powerful could exist.
A shadow suddenly appeared beside me. Too late, I saw someone had sneaked past the chaos. A masked assassin.
His sword flew toward my back. I turned, but my speed wasn't enough. The dagger ripped my shoulder and my body erupted with pain.
I screamed and the assassin smiled beneath his mask.
"I found you."
Before he could strike once more, I felt a burst of anger. It wasn't fear or panic, it was something ancient. Something that had been sleeping within me.
Instead of blood, silver light burst from my cut. The assassin's eyes opened wide.
"What––"
He never finished. The light threw him across the courtyard and he crashed into a stone column with a terrible thud.
Everything went silent. I gazed at my own hands. The silver markings covered both arms. They spread across my neck and face also. Every part of me seemed to be driven by power and it terrified me.
"Lucien..."
He turned around. When he saw me, his expression changed. He looked shocked, very shocked.
"What is it?" I asked.
He did not respond immediately. Instead, he slowly dropped to one knee. Not out of fear, but out of respect.
My heart skipped a beat.
"What are you doing?"
Lucien raised his head. His golden eyes never turned from mine.
"The Blood Moon has accepted you."
"I don't understand."
"You are no longer just the heir," he said, his voice almost a whisper.
A cold wind blew across the ruined courtyard. Even the dragons stopped battling. Every eye was toward me.
Lucien finished his sentence.
"You've become the first Moon Queen in a thousand years."
Before I could process his words, a voice echoed within me. It wasn't that of my mother or that of Vaeros. It was a different voice, older and colder.
"Wake me..."
I froze. The voice came again.
"I'm waiting beneath the mountain..."
My knees weakened.
"Who are you?" I asked.
The response sent a chill through my veins.
"Your father."
- Writer
