Chapter 61 Bloodline Or Bloodshed
Chapter 61 Bloodline Or Bloodshed
Aria woke up with a sharp gasp. Her whole body was slick with cold sweat.
And for a moment, she did not know where she was, she only knew that her heart was racing and her hand was pressed hard against her stomach, as if she were trying to shield something very fragile from the world. That ancient voice still echoes and lingers in her bones.
"Your child is the key." it had said.
Aria sat up slowly in the bed and scanned the entire room. The light from the dawn filtered weakly through the curtains. The shadows always curling around her were quiet now, they were too quiet, but even still, they curled closer to her than usual as if they were guarding her.
'Was it a dream?' she thought to herself. She was quite certain that everything that happened wasn't just a dream and that made her chest to ache.
She swung her legs off the bed and stood up while steadying herself. The pull she was feeling inside her was stronger that morning. It was protective and instinctive. She knew that whatever ancient thing that was sleeping beneath Bookthorn Kingdom had sensed the life growing inside her.
And it wanted it.
Aria quickly dressed up and slipped out of the chamber before Lucian could find her. She knew if she saw him now, if she saw the hope in his eyes again, she feared she would break.
The chamber that was used as the council chamber was empty when she entered, except for Maeve, who stood over a basin of moon water at the far corner of the chamber with her brows drawn tight in concentration.
Maeve looked up sharply when she felt Aria's presence. “You felt it too.”
Aria nodded. “It spoke to me in my dream.”
Maeve exhaled slowly, fear was flashing across her face before she masked it. “Then it has begun.”
“What is it?” Aria demanded. “It's not Alaric. Not Eamon. What did they seal beneath us? Beneath this land?”
Maeve hesitated.
“Maeve answer me, please...” Aria pressed with silver flickering faintly in her eyes. “I’m running out of time.”
The witch straightened. “Before this land was called Bookthorn... before wolves ruled it at all… way before we came here... there was a supreme being worshipped and feared in equal measure. A Sovereign Alpha. Not one chosen by the moon, but a being born of conquest.”
Aria’s stomach tightened.
“He fed on bloodlines,” Maeve continued. “Especially divine ones. Moon descendants. Witches. Kings. Special werewolves. Each child he took made him stronger.”
Aria whispered, “And now my child...”
“Would be irresistible to him,” Maeve finished grimly.
A heavy silence fell.
“So if I keep the baby,” Aria said lowly “That means I paint a target on all of us.”
Maeve did not say anything. She did not deny it. Her silence answers it all.
“And if I don’t keep the baby,” Aria continued with her voice shaking, “That means I've become exactly what he wants me to be—someone who chooses power over the life of her own child.”
Maeve reached out her hands and gripped Aria’s hands tightly. “Listen to me. Whatever choice you decide to make, it has to be kept a secret. It must be protected."
Aria pulled her hands out of Maeve's hand suddenly. “It's too late.”
Maeve stiffened. “What do you mean by it's too late?”
Before Aria could answer, the doors burst open.
Lucian stormed in with his expression dark, his wolf was barely restrained beneath his skin. Behind him were two scouts who were bloodied and shaken.
“We have a problem,” Lucian said tightly.
“What kind of problem?” Aria asked.
“One I should’ve stopped earlier,” he replied and guilt was flickering across his face. “Kael’s kingdom just sent word.”
Aria’s heart dropped. “What word?”
Lucian swallowed. “Kael swears he hasn't been the one attacking our borders. He said his supply routes were burned again, after the truce we made with him.”
Maeve cursed under her breath.
"I did not make any truce with Kael, that's on you. I must surely still have my revenge on Kael. No matter what happens and no matter how long it takes." Aria reminded him.
"Aria... Let's forget about your thirst for revenge on Kael first. We need to fight this common enemy we have first before talking about your revenge." Lucian corrected her.
"I'm just stating my mind," Aria said.
"It's good that you're stating what's on your mind." Lucian paused and then continues. "This unknown being is killing most of our men or injuring them too."
“That’s not all,” one scout added hoarsely. “Kael’s messengers were attacked on the road. And their bodies... were marked.”
“How was their body marked?” Aria asked.
The scout hesitated. “With symbols. Ancient ones.” He signaled for one of the scouts to bring one of the messengers and showed them the mark that was written on him.
Maeve went pale. “No…”
Lucian turned to her sharply. “Do you recognize the mark?”
“This is a Sovereign mark,” Maeve whispered. “A declaration of claim.”
Aria staggered back a step.
Lucian’s gaze snapped to her instinctively. “Aria... what’s wrong?”
She opened her mouth to tell him everything.
About the ancient voice wanting their child. About the warning.
But before she could speak, a violent pain tore through her abdomen.
Aria cried out, doubling over as silver light burst from her mark and ripped across the chamber walls. The shadows screamed, recoiling in terror.
Lucian caught her instantly. “Aria!”
Her vision blurred as a cold presence wrapped around her consciousness.
'Too late,' the voice purred inside her mind. 'I have been invited already.'
The chamber lights exploded.
The floor cracked open in a thin, jagged line that ran straight toward Aria and Lucian’s feet. Dark energy bled upward like smoke.
Maeve shouted a spell with her hands shaking. “Lucian... get her out of here!”
Aria clutched Lucian’s arm as terror and fury burned in her eyes.
“He knows,” she whispered. “About the baby.”
Lucian froze.
“What baby?” he demanded.
The crack widened.
From beneath it came a low, satisfied laugh.
And then a voice that was no longer distant and no longer subtle, rang through the chamber, echoing from the stone itself.
“Bring me the Moonblood heir… or watch this kingdom drocontinued own legacy.”
The ground split open.
And something began to rise.