Chapter 9: The Beast Beneath Blackwood
349 Words
The earth exploded.
A roar unlike anything human — or vampire — shook the valley.
A creature the size of a cathedral clawed its way from beneath the crypt.
Its wings blotted out the moon.
Its eyes burned silver and gold.
Every vampire, including Lucien, stared in disbelief.
"The Guardian..." Devin whispered.
The beast lowered its enormous head toward Nina.
Instead of attacking...
...it bowed.
A single tear rolled down Queen Seraphina's translucent face.
"It remembers."
The Guardian spoke, its voice like thunder.
"The Moon Heir has returned."
It looked directly at Nina.
"My Queen."
"I-I'm not a queen."
"Not yet."
After the Guardian carried them safely into the mountains, Queen Seraphina revealed the final truth.
"The Blood Moon Prophecy was never about Devin."
Both Nina and Devin stared at her.
"It was about you, Catrina."
"You possess both human compassion and the blood of the Moon Line."
"You alone can untie our worlds."
Lucien cannot be defeated by strength alone. Every time he is wounded, he steals life from those around him to restore himself.
The only way to stop him forever is to bind his soul to the Moon Crystal.
"There is one problem."
Seraphina looked at Devin.
"The binding requires two hearts willingly joined."
Devin understood immediately.
"No."
Nina looked from one to the other.
"What does that mean?"
The Queen hesitated.
"If the ritual succeeds..."
"...one of you will lose your mortality."
"And if it fails…"
Seraphina's voice barely rose above a whisper.
"You will both die."
Silence settled over the mountain.
The Guardian spread its wings against the rising sun.
Devin took Nina's hands in his.
"I have lived for centuries."
"If one of us has to pay the price..."
"It should be me."
Nina shook her head, tears filling her eyes.
"No."
"I'm not losing you."
For the first time since they met, Devin allowed himself to cry.
Their foreheads touched as dawn painted the sky in shades of gold and crimson.
Far below, Blackwood's church bells began to ring.
Lucien had launched his attack on the town.
The final battle had begun.
- Writer
