Chapter 33 Right of the Blood Moon
The rune-lit cage of the mirrored lake pulsed with crimson fire, its light a tightening noose around the group, the altar’s carved wolves and demons writhing in molten quartz, their eyes demanding a choice. Aurora stood at the altar’s edge, her claws stained with her own blood, the Lunasanguine’s roar in Jasper’s velvet case syncing with her heartbeat, urging her to begin the blood moon ritual. Elowen’s sanguine-key thrummed, her crimson chain coiling in the steam, her voice a venomous hiss: “Choose, fire-child, or lose them all.”
Jasper’s hand clasped Aurora’s, his smoke-grey eyes burning with devotion, his touch a vow that anchored her soul. Kai’s amber gaze smoldered with desperate love, his axe lowered, his heart a storm of loyalty and longing. Rune stood tall, his green eyes piercing, his musky scent of pine and earth stirring her Varex blood, a connection she couldn’t deny.
Lira’s wings twitched, her pale eyes locked on Kai, her fae heart fracturing under a desire that threatened betrayal, the sanguine-key’s pulse feeding her dark thoughts.
The altar flared, its runes igniting, a voice echoing from the quartz: Three nights to bind your fate, fire-child. Choose your heart’s flame, or the key consumes you. Aurora’s breath caught, her heart a crucible of love and power. The blood moon ritual had begun, its first night demanding she choose who to give herself to, a sacred rite to seal her bond and break Elowen’s key. Jasper’s submission felt like her soul’s truth, a vow etched in every touch, every glance. Kai’s devotion stirred a fierce need to protect him, and Rune’s Varex blood called to her like a lost echo, but it was Jasper who felt like fate.
Her gaze swept over them Kai’s pleading eyes, Rune’s seductive challenge but settled on Jasper, his smoke-grey eyes steady, his submission a flame that mirrored her dominance. He’s my shadow, she thought, her heart resolute despite the storm of longing for Kai’s loyalty and Rune’s mystery. Her first time, a rite to bind her power, loomed like a blade, and she knew it was Jasper she’d claim, their virginities a sacred offering to be shared under the blood moon’s gaze.
The lake’s runes pulsed, forming a circle around the altar, the steam parting to reveal a stone basin filled with crimson liquid, its surface shimmering with starfire. “The first night,” Aurora declared, her voice a silken leash, dominance steadying her resolve. “I choose who to offer my heart to, to begin the rite.” Her eyes locked on Jasper’s, her hand tightening in his. “Jasper,” she said, her voice firm yet tender, a command wrapped in love. “You’re mine.”
Jasper’s breath hitched, his eyes softening with reverence, his submission a vow as he knelt before her, his fingers grazing her wrist. “I’m yours, Aurora,” he murmured, his voice a rasp, his heart laid bare, ready to surrender everything in the nights to come. Kai’s amber eyes darkened, his axe trembling, his love a wound he buried in silence, his heart aching with unspoken devotion. Rune’s green eyes flickered, a shadow of disappointment crossing his handsome face, but he stepped back, his Varex blood yielding to her choice. “I’ll fight for you still,” he growled, his tall frame tense, a promise of strength held in check.
Lira’s wings flared, her pale gaze burning into Kai, her fae magic humming with pain and envy. He loves her, always her, she thought, her dagger trembling, the sanguine-key whispering: Strike her, take him. Her loyalty to Aurora wavered, a fragile thread stretched taut by her desire for Kai’s amber eyes, his fierce heart. She stepped back, her wings drooping, her resolve fracturing but holding for now.
Elowen’s chain lashed from the steam, the rune-cage tightening, her voice a snarl: “A weak choice, fire-child. The key will shatter you.” The lake’s runes flared, the crimson liquid in the basin rising, demanding the rite’s first act. Aurora drew a claw across her palm, blood dripping into the basin, Jasper mirroring her, their blood mingling as the altar roared, its light flooding the chamber. The ritual had begun, three nights to complete, each choice binding or breaking them.
The basin’s crimson liquid swirled, a vision flickering: Aurora and Jasper entwined under the blood moon, their bodies joined in a dominant dance, their virginities offered to seal the rite, Kai and Rune standing guard, their love a fire that could break the key or consume them. The altar’s wolves and demons pulsed, their eyes gleaming, urging the rite forward.
Kai’s gaze met Aurora’s, his love unshaken, a silent vow to protect her choice. Rune’s green eyes smoldered, his strength a quiet promise to remain at her side. Lira’s dagger glinted, her thoughts dark: If she falls, Kai is mine. The relic’s pulse surged, the altar’s light flaring, the rune-cage tightening as Elowen’s chain circled. Aurora’s hand found Jasper’s, their pulses syncing, their bond a flame to face the blood moon’s next night, a path to power or ruin.