Their hands stayed locked as they fell through darkness. Clara felt Lucien's grip tighten around her fingers, strong and sure. The world spun wildly around them, but somehow, they stayed together.
With a hard thud, they landed on solid ground. Clara opened her eyes to find herself back in the bush near Lucien's castle. The red glow of the Blood Moon filtered through the trees, creating strange shadows everywhere.
"We made it," she gasped, sitting up and looking around. Lucien lay beside her, his silver eyes reflecting the moonlight. "Where are the others?"
Lucien stood slowly, helping Clara to her feet. "I don't know. We must have been separated during the fall."
Clara felt different. The wild power that had surged through her during the Blood Moon was still there, but calmer now, like a river after a storm. She could feel it running just beneath her skin, ready if she needed it.
"We should find shelter," Lucien said, looking at the sky. "The Blood Moon still has power here."
Clara nodded, feeling suddenly tired. Using her new skills had drained her more than she realized. They walked deeper into the forest, Lucien leading the way to a small stone house hidden among the trees.
"One of my safe houses," he explained as they entered. "We'll be protected here until morning."
The house was simple but cozy, with a fireplace, a small bed, and a table with two chairs. Lucien quickly built a fire while Clara sank into one of the chairs, her legs shaking from tiredness.
"Rest," Lucien told her. "I'll keep watch."
Clara wanted to argue but was too tired. Her eyes felt heavy. "Just for a minute," she whispered, letting her head drop to the table.
When she woke, the cottage was dark except for the dying coals in the fireplace. How long had she slept? Hours, by the feel of it. The Blood Moon's light still shone through the window, but it seemed fainter now.
Clara stood, stretching her stiff muscles. "Lucien?" she called softly.
No answer.
Fear pricked at her heart. Where was he? Had the Creator found them? Or Erynn?
She moved to the door and opened it a crack, looking out into the forest. Nothing seemed out of place. Gathering her strength, she stepped outside.
The night air was cool against her skin. Clara followed a narrow path that went away from the cottage, her instincts telling her Lucien had gone this way. The path stopped at a small clearing bathed in red moonlight.
Clara froze at the edge of the trees. There, in the center of the area, stood Lucien. But he wasn't alone.
Erynn was with him. Her real form was hidden again behind her beautiful human disguise. She stood so close to Lucien that their bodies almost touched. And then, as Clara watched in horror, Erynn leaned forward and pressed her lips to Lucien's neck.
Clara's heart cracked. After everything they'd been through, after all his claims to help her, Lucien had betrayed her. He was letting Erynn drink his blood—forming the most sacred tie vampires could share.
A small gasp left Clara's lips. Lucien's head snapped up, his silver eyes finding her in the darkness.
"Clara—" he started, pushing Erynn away.
But Clara couldn't bear to hear his excuses. She turned and ran, tears blinding her as she crashed through the trees. Behind her, she heard Lucien yelling her name, but she ran faster.
Her foot caught on a root, and she fell hard, cutting her hands on the rough ground. The pain sparked something inside her. The power that had been flowing quietly suddenly roared to life, reacting to her broken heart.
The sky darkened as clouds gathered above the trees. Wind whipped through the trees, twisting them like toys. Lightning flashed, striking a tree close and splitting it in two.
Clara stared at her hands in shock. Silver light pulsed from her fingers, spreading outward in waves. She was causing this storm with her feelings.
"Stop," she whispered to herself. "Control it."
But the magic wouldn't listen. It fed on her pain, getting stronger with each tearful breath. Rain began to fall, heavy drops that stung like tiny needles where they hit her skin.
Clara stumbled to her feet and kept running, not knowing where she was going, just knowing she had to get away. The storm followed her, getting more violent with each step. Lightning struck again and again, setting trees ablaze despite the rain.
Her lungs burned. Her legs ached. But still she ran, the magic storm roaring around her.
Finally, her body gave out. Clara fell beside a small stream, her strength gone. The storm howled above her, thunder shaking the ground. She curled into a ball, trying to make herself as small as possible.
"I can't control it," she sobbed. "It's too much."
The silver light around her grew brighter, shooting upward to join the storm clouds. A funnel of wind formed above her, spinning faster and faster. Clara felt her life force being pulled into the magic hole. It was killing her, draining her to feed the storm.
"Clara!"
Through the roaring wind, she heard a voice calling her name. Not Lucien's voice. A woman's.
Isolde appeared through the woods, her white hair whipping wildly around her face. Her golden eyes opened at the sight of Clara lying on the ground.
"What happened?" she yelled over the storm.
"Lucien betrayed me," Clara cried. "With Erynn. I saw them together."
Understanding flashed across Isolde's face. "Oh, child. Is that what you think you saw?"
"I know what I saw!" Clara's anger made the storm surge stronger. A nearby tree cracked and fell, nearly killing them both.
Isolde knelt beside Clara, putting a cool hand on her forehead. "The Blood Moon distorts reality. It shows us our deepest fears."
"It wasn't a trick," Clara insisted, though doubt crept into her thoughts.
"Listen to me," Isolde said quickly. "Your power is consuming you. If we don't stop this storm, you'll die."
Clara looked up at the whirling vortex above them. She could feel her life flowing into it with each passing second. "I don't know how to stop it."
"I do," Isolde said. She pulled a small silver knife from her belt. "But you must trust me."
Clara eyed the knife fearfully. "What are you going to do?"
"The Blood Moon demands sacrifice," Isolde stated. "Blood for blood. It's the only way to calm your power before it kills you."
Another tree fell nearby. The storm was getting worse.
"Do it," Clara whispered.
Isolde nodded grimly. She took Clara's hand and made a small cut across her palm. Blood welled up, glowing silver in the strange light.
"Now mine," Isolde said, cutting her own palm. Golden blood flowed from the wound. She pressed their hands together, mixing their blood.
The result was immediate. The storm began to quiet. The silver light around Clara dimmed.
"It's working," Clara gasped.
Isolde smiled, but there was something wrong with her smile. Something that made Clara suddenly afraid.
"Yes," Isolde said, her golden eyes starting to glow brighter. "It's working perfectly."
Clara tried to pull her hand away, but Isolde held it tight. The golden glow spread from Isolde's body to Clara's, following the way of their mixed blood.
"What are you doing?" Clara asked, fear rising in her throat.
"What I should have done centuries ago," Isolde replied. Her voice had changed, becoming deeper, older.
Clara felt a terrible pulling feeling as her powers began to flow into Isolde. Not just settling, but transferring.
"Stop!" she cried.
Isolde's face changed, becoming more like the Creator's with each passing second. "Thank you for your sacrifice, Clara. Your power will serve a greater purpose."
Clara's vision began to darken at the edges. With her last bit of power, she reached for her locket. Silver light sparked from it, bright as a star.
A figure burst through the trees, moving faster than Clara had ever seen. Lucien.
"Get away from her!" he yelled.
But before he could reach them, Isolde raised her free hand. A golden wall of light emerged between them, stopping Lucien in his tracks.
"Too late, brother," Isolde laughed. "The transfer has begun."
Clara felt herself disappearing. The world tilted sideways as she slumped fully to the ground. Through fading eyes, she saw Lucien throwing himself against the golden barrier again and again.
As darkness closed in, Clara heard a third voice—Erynn's voice—shouting words in a language she didn't understand.
A bright flash of green light was the last thing Clara saw before the world went black.