Episode 16 — The Blood Moon
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The scratching continued.
Slow.
Steady.
Patient.
Silas stared at the stone door.
The silver eyes beneath it did not blink.
Clara whispered, “Silas, we need to go.”
Elena shook her head.
“It's too late.”
Silas looked at her.
“What do you mean?”
“The wolves have found us.”
Mara stepped closer.
“How many?”
Elena listened.
Her expression changed.
“Too many.”
A violent impact struck the door.
The entire chamber shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Silas tightened his grip around his knife.
“Then we fight.”
Elena grabbed his arm.
“You don't understand. They're not here to kill us.”
“Then what do they want?”
“They want us alive.”
Silas frowned.
“Why?”
Elena looked at the book.
“Because tomorrow night is the blood moon.”
Another impact struck the door.
A crack appeared across the stone.
Clara stepped backward.
“What happens tomorrow?”
Elena looked at Silas.
“The two vessels unite.”
Silas remembered the words in the book.
“One to contain the wolf.”
“And one to contain the hunger.”
Elena nodded.
“If we become one, the First will be reborn.”
Silas stared at her.
“Then we don't unite.”
Elena's eyes hardened.
“We don't get to choose.”
A third impact shattered part of the door.
A wolf's claw pushed through.
Clara screamed.
Silas grabbed the silver key.
“Find another way.”
Elena shook her head.
“There may not be one.”
Silas looked at the book.
“Then we make one.”
The door exploded inward.
Three wolves rushed into the chamber.
They were smaller than the Black Wolf, but still enormous.
Silas raised his knife.
The nearest wolf lunged.
Before it reached him, Elena stepped forward.
Her eyes flashed silver.
The wolf stopped.
It lowered its head.
Silas stared.
“You can control them.”
“Not control.”
Elena placed her hand against the wolf's head.
“Command.”
The other wolves backed away.
Silas watched carefully.
“Why do they obey you?”
Elena looked at him.
“Because I'm the vessel of hunger.”
The wolf beside her growled softly.
“They recognize what lives inside me.”
Silas looked at his own hands.
“And what lives inside me?”
“The wolf.”
A sudden pain struck Silas's chest.
He dropped to one knee.
The silver pendant burned against his skin.
Clara rushed toward him.
“Silas!”
He pushed himself upright.
“I’m fine.”
Elena stared at the pendant.
“Take it off.”
Silas touched it.
“My father told me to break it.”
“Then do it.”
Silas pulled the chain from around his neck.
For a moment, he hesitated.
It was the last thing his father had given him.
The only object that had survived the fire.
The only thing connecting him to his childhood.
Then he remembered his father's words.
It isn't protecting you.
Silas closed his fist.
The pendant cracked.
A flash of silver light filled the chamber.
Every wolf began howling.
Silas screamed.
Something rushed through his body.
He saw his mother.
He saw his father.
He saw the fire.
He saw himself standing before the First.
Then he saw something else.
A woman standing beside his grandfather.
A woman holding a newborn child.
Elena.
Silas opened his eyes.
He looked at her.
“You were there.”
Elena's face went pale.
“You remembered.”
“You were at the fire.”
“Yes.”
“You were a child.”
“Yes.”
Silas stepped closer.
“You knew my family.”
Elena nodded.
“I knew your mother.”
“What did she tell you?”
Elena looked down.
“She told me to protect you.”
Silas's voice softened.
“Why didn't you?”
“I tried.”
“What happened?”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“Viktor found me first.”
Outside the chamber, Viktor waited.
He could hear the wolves howling.
He smiled.
“They've broken the pendant.”
Father Matthias stood beside him.
“You shouldn't have brought her here.”
“I didn't.”
Viktor looked toward the stairs.
“She came willingly.”
Matthias shook his head.
“You don't understand what you're awakening.”
Viktor laughed.
“I understand perfectly.”
“You're going to kill them.”
“No.”
Viktor looked toward the mountain.
“I'm going to make them choose.”
Inside the chamber, Silas looked at Elena.
“Viktor knew about you.”
“Yes.”
“He found you before my father could.”
“Yes.”
“What did he do?”
Elena's expression hardened.
“He took me to the mountain.”
Clara looked horrified.
“You were a prisoner?”
“For twelve years.”
Silas clenched his fists.
“And you escaped.”
“I didn't.”
Elena looked toward the wolves.
“They let me go.”
Silas frowned.
“Who?”
“The First.”
Silence.
Elena continued.
“It wanted me to grow up outside the mountain.”
“Why?”
“So the hunger would grow with me.”
Silas stared.
“The First planned this.”
“Yes.”
“It wanted you to meet me.”
“Yes.”
“And tomorrow night…”
Elena nodded.
“We become one.”
Silas looked toward the wolves.
“Then why haven't they forced us together?”
Elena answered:
“Because the First needs us to choose each other.”
Silas understood.
“The sacrifice must be willing.”
“Yes.”
Clara stepped forward.
“Then we refuse.”
Elena looked at her.
“You don't understand what happens if we refuse.”
“What?”
“The First will use the village instead.”
Silas's expression changed.
“How many people?”
Elena shook her head.
“Everyone.”
A bell rang above them.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Silas looked upward.
“The church.”
Mara suddenly appeared at the entrance.
“Silas!”
He turned.
“What happened?”
“The villagers are gathering at the square.”
“Why?”
“Viktor told them the only way to save Blackpine is to sacrifice you.”
Silas's face hardened.
“He's turning them against me.”
Mara nodded.
“He's afraid you won't choose the sacrifice.”
Silas looked at Elena.
“Can he force the ritual?”
“No.”
“Then why does he need the villagers?”
“To make you surrender.”
Silas understood.
Viktor was going to use Blackpine as leverage.
Silas walked toward the exit.
Elena followed.
“Where are you going?”
“To Viktor.”
Elena grabbed his arm.
“That's exactly what he wants.”
Silas looked at her.
“He already has the village.”
“And if you go to him?”
“He gets me.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Silas frowned.
“You said the sacrifice has to be willing.”
“Yes.”
“Then I'll make him believe I'm willing.”
Elena stared at him.
“What are you planning?”
Silas smiled faintly.
“I'm going to give Viktor what he wants.”
Clara immediately understood.
“And take it away.”
Silas nodded.
They returned to the village.
Hundreds of villagers stood outside the church.
Viktor stood on the church steps.
When he saw Silas, he smiled.
“You came.”
Silas walked toward him.
“You wanted me.”
“Yes.”
“Then let the villagers go.”
Viktor laughed.
“You think you can negotiate?”
Silas looked around.
Children.
Families.
Old men.
Women.
Everyone was frightened.
Silas turned back to Viktor.
“What do you want?”
Viktor raised his voice.
“I want the Vane blood to restore the seal.”
The crowd began murmuring.
Silas nodded.
“Fine.”
Clara grabbed his arm.
“Silas…”
He looked at her.
“Trust me.”
Then he faced Viktor.
“I'll do it.”
Silence.
Viktor smiled.
“Tomorrow night.”
“No.”
Silas shook his head.
“Tonight.”
Viktor's smile disappeared.
“You're serious?”
“Yes.”
Silas stepped toward him.
“But I have one condition.”
“What?”
“You come with me.”
Viktor stared at him.
Silas smiled.
“After all, you've spent twenty years wanting the wolf.”
His eyes flashed silver.
“Now you can meet it.”
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