The Quarter Moon (Afterlife saga)

by Hudson, Stephanie

  Even one more time, giving in and healing her had been my breaking point. When she had begged me I had nearly wept like the adolescent I was never given that chance to be. But when she put all that fear aside just to bring peace back to two arguing brothers, I could no longer deny her for what she asked, no matter the sweet pain she would bring me in reclaiming her soul.

  As soon as I bit into her and the first drop of her life had coated my tongue, I had to close my eyes against the emotion that was ripping its way out of me. For someone who kept such a tight control over their human side, it was astounding to me that one small girl could shred that control like a paper man.

  To her hear beg for me, beg for things only I knew I could give her was a cruel bliss that rendered me solely in her control. Not that she knew any of this. Not that she knew all the supernatural effort it took in holding myself back, holding off just to drag a few more of those breathy moans from her. A few more moments to see her straining body as I took and took, her never knowing just how much she gave and gave back in return.

  My beautiful girl.

  I had to tear my gaze from her pictures. The memories still so fresh in my mind, that the Demon in me pounded inside my host to go and reclaim her…again and again. So, with an angry scowl for being so weak, I turned back to my room. One that I would not taint by being the place that took me back to Hell each night. I would not let another soul into this space, let alone the female hands it took each time to send me back to Tartarus.

  To know how Keira had first found me, just before Aurora sent me back to the abyss, was just another cruelty I had inflicted upon her. If she only knew the real depth of disdain I had for the Angel in her given task, she would have curled her lip in disgust for what I had to endure, not for what she had seen.

  Aurora meant nothing to me other than a torturer’s means to an end. And if it wasn’t for her Heavenly connections to those who controlled Tartarus, then she would be the very last being I would have ordered to help. The fact that she would insist every night dressing like a harem girl only made the process more infuriating to bear.

  I couldn’t help the growl that rumbled up from a beast of anger, one that had lived inside me for so long now it was getting harder to find the man within. But turning to what Keira’s fair hands had created for me had me calming.

  The only other colour in my space, other than my beautiful girl, was from the beautiful paintings that she had given to me. One of which I headed to now. This one painting was one she always wanted me to get rid of as it reminded her of foolish times. It was one she painted whilst under the influence of alcohol, which was testament alone in how much my little vixen could consume.

  By the Gods, I had seen warriors consume less and not be able to put two coherent sentences together, let alone fight, but my little love could not only hold her poison but paint an exquisite masterpiece after this fact.

  By the memory of Zeus, I would even find myself getting hard at the thought, yet the woman had little idea at just how weak she made me! Me…the King of all my kind, strong enough to bring even some Gods to their knees and this little innocent lamb could click her fingers and have me dance naked at her feet for her amusement…And Holy Hell wouldn’t I just get off on it!

  But this was what my days had become. Mental ramblings over a girl I obsessed over every minute the day passed and every extended one in Tartarus through the nights. Which made the picture I touched now even more significant to our forced parting.

  It was of a pulsating heart, one not painted like that of the organ. It was suspended in a dark forest as though locked there. It glowed though the dangerous night, despite its looming surroundings and the way she had added depth to the simple shape brought it out on the canvas.

  But this wasn’t the part that felt like it mirrored my own, that beat desperately to get back to its true owner. It was the huge, jagged lightning bolt that came from above and struck the heart’s core, splitting it in two. And seeing as that bolt came from above where the fates resided and played their games of chance with little regard for which of the strings they pulled and were attached to whom, I would say it was more than a little fitting.

  I remember Keira telling me the large side was my heart as I was the stronger one in the relationship. I had given her a look at the time she couldn’t read, but I refused to say where that look was really born from. It only proved what little she really knew when it came to my love for her, but one thing was certain, now there was no taking back the chance to ever prove it.

  On closing my eyes for a moment to try and not think about the level of hurt I had to act on just to get her to leave, but it helped little. I opened my eyes the same time as I opened the picture door that hid the safe behind. I put in Keira’s birthday as the combination along with my thumb print in the middle console. The door clicked open and in it I placed her necklace along with the other treasures that lay there, all from my girl.

  My most prized possession, other than Keira, was the collection of diaries she had given me of her life before the one I knew. I had read every word written and had them branded to my memory so that I didn’t miss a thing.

  Everything from the day she didn’t get picked on the school team for netball, to the times she saw Demons and Angels in her day to day life. It was amazing, even at such a young age, the strength she displayed and the courage she not only possessed but conveyed onto others around her. She was a creature to be worshiped, admired and adored just for being her. And in every way she was my Chosen One, my Electus, but other than to risk her life, which I was never going to be prepared to do, I had no choice than to let her live a life without me in it.

  The thought always turned me murderous.

  I heard my brother coming, but seeing that I allowed no-one into this room, that I considered for my eyes only, he waited by the door, knowing I would come out when ready. I slammed the safe door shut hearing the beep, but keeping my anger in check long enough to be careful in closing the hinged painting.

  I was across the room taking no care in travelling at a human’s pace as I wanted to get this meeting over with as soon as I could, having enough time to come back here before starting my nightly sentence. It was the only comfort I had and as little as it did to soothe back the pain, it was something.

  This time between my brother and I had been building since the day I announced my plans to leave Keira. The fight went on for hours until even our hosts had long since given up. As always no one won the fight, but when Vincent had crossed the line by declaring his love for my Keira, a fact I knew long ago, I had almost gone too far with a blade at my brother’s neck.

  Since that day we refused to talk about the reasons why. Only parts of it Vincent actually knew, but what he didn’t was about to come to light today. Something else in my life I had to look forward to, I thought with a sarcasm I normally couldn’t abide.

  “Vincent.” I said trying my best not to sound as aggressive as I almost always did. The only one these days who didn’t get this venomous side of me was my little sister, although she could more than hold her own.

  “I have something for you.” I knew he did as Ragnar would have no doubt opted to avoid me at all costs at this moment. I knew he had disobeyed me, but how could I punish the demon that passed on a life debt just to continue to protect my human, where I had failed. If anything, I owed my chief of security my very life in return!

  “I know, follow me to the roof.” I said needing the air before my time in Tartarus. Hell, who was I kidding, I only wanted to see if I could catch her scent on the wind one last time. The fact that I hadn’t been able to scent her or feel a connection just proved how damn arrogant I had become. When she had whispered my very words back to me about presumption, I knew then and there her powers had grown incredibly strong and in such a short time, even without the proper guidance.

  I didn’t look behind me to see Vincent following, as I knew my brother would have followed me into Tartarus every night, if I would only l
et him. I walked to the nearest balcony and without much thought put into the action, I jumped first to the railing and off it straight up until coming to the rooftop garden Sophia had insisted on. I landed, using a little too much force needed, which ended up with me fixing the cracked Italian stone my feet had destroyed.

  Vincent’s more graceful landing was something that made me want to growl, but I managed to control it by grinding my teeth instead.

  “You know what this is?” Vincent asked as he handed the small piece of paper over. I knew what it was and how much control she must be able to wield over the book of Ouroboros to tear from its bindings. My girl was becoming more impressive by the day. What I didn’t know was what it contained, although given how well I knew Keira’s heart, I could easily guess.

  Draven,

  This is not a letter of goodbye or sweet sentiments like the lies you wrote to me. I think everything that needed to be said (or more like heard on my part) was completely understood.

  So I am writing to you now to ask but two things of you, in hopes you feel enough guilt to grant them to me.

  All the people involved in helping me mainly did so for risk of their life to save my own. Therefore I can only hope you will keep this in mind so as to prevent any punishment you feel the need to inflict.

  Try to remember your actions are the sole reason behind what I did and without first the lies, then the truth would have lived without danger. I hate to point the blame here but it’s hard not to when I am given no reasons behind your actions other than cryptic sentences that you know will drive me crazy! But you and your kind were always good at that one, so I guess I should not be surprised.

  But this is not all I ask. In choosing to be with you I therefore gained a family and as much as you don’t like it, I ask for you not to keep them from me, or me from them. I love them all and just because of us breaking up, I do not need you breaking my heart further by taking them away from me…again. Please, this is all I ask of you and if it’s begging you want to hear then consider this letter just that.

  Well that’s it I guess, nothing more to say between us than a painful hope that the decisions you made bring you a happiness, for I know they will not for me.

  But I guess you already knew that.

  Take care of my family

  Keira.

  No being on earth or beyond had the power to stop the roar that erupted out of me as I fell to my knees and cursed the fates. I felt Vincent near me which offered me a fraction of comfort, but it was not enough…it would never be enough!

  “Why brother…just tell me why?” He asked of me and this time I broke. I could feel the tears falling with no way to stop them. The pain that each one represented was immeasurable! My heart was fucking breaking and one girl held all the pieces and what had I done…

  Broke her.

  “Dom, please just say the words…” Vincent begged me and I wanted to bitterly laugh at the irony her words had meant, that were now reminded by my own kin. He wanted to know the level of misery I lived in then so be it. I would tell him and then he would finally know what I would eventually become if I stayed with the girl I loved.

  “If I stay, then the fates say I will…” I broke on a sob I was not proud of but knew couldn’t be stopped as the words of realisation were finally heard for the first time…

  “You will what brother….you will what?!” Vincent’s desperate plea to know would also break him, as how could it not? But no matter now as my mouth opened to say the words…

  “I will kill her.”

  Epilogue

  In Everyone’s Eye, There’s an Apple

  The flight back to Portland from New York was, thankfully, a quiet one. Most people on the plane were asleep and I wish I was ready to join them. You could almost tell what people were doing on this flight, whether it be for business, or coming back from seeing family and vice versa. Either way I doubted anyone could guess the same for me.

  At the airport back in Milan I had the emotional task of saying goodbye to Sigurd, really not knowing this time if I would see him again. I pulled the book from my bag and passed it to him, which felt as if he was also taking a piece of me on his next journey, wherever that may lead him.

  “I think there might be one more thing for you to see, øjesten.” He said holding the book out and as he placed one hand over the injured snake, I saw under his hood the serpent in his eye start to spin and glow. I waited until I watched a shadowed tattoo appear under the cuff of his jacket. It snaked round his hand and onto the book so that when he moved his hand the Ouroboros was back.

  He gave me back the book and my hands shook as I opened its pages.

  The fourth Quarter Moon - The Rainbow moonstone. To aid those that feel alone, lost or Vulnerable. It helps those that need emotional healing and acts like a prism, diffusing the energy throughout the aura. It provides deep psychic protection and senses emotional trauma. This stone is aligned with the Goddess needed in your aid if the fates feel it is permitted to act justly so. But to gain their help, you must first act justly so.

  “And now…? What of the bracelet now?” I asked out loud hoping the book was in the giving mood.

  The New Moon - The Grey Moonstone represents new potential to the Goddess, which is needed as an offering. This stone will aid in the new gifts handed to the one chosen by the Electus. Useful in all unseen realms but more so to the shadowed lands, ruled by the Ouroboros King. In doing so you will find him his future and with it whosoever carries the mysteries and powers of the new moon, where all things that exist in his world are hers to potentially foresee. Choose wisely and be granted favour with the fates you seek.

  So, in a nut shell, I had to pass on the bracelet when the time came to the right girl. One I would unknowingly be condemning her life to this unseen world in which I lived. But the part about Sigurd meeting this girl added a massive weight to an already pair of weighty shoulders. And how would I know who the right girl was?

  I almost threw the book back at Sigurd who had not seen what had been foretold to come. The words in fact were already bleeding from the page but wait…they were reforming something else.

  “I think this is your reply just coming in.” Sigurd said dryly just as the single line holding my answer started to become legible. It simply said,

  Consider Your Terms

  My Undying Promise

  To You

  Draven

  After this, my last goodbye of the day was given as a silent embrace and a single tear falling, telling him all he needed to know.

  Mine from him however was a lesson to be learned. I was just about to cross the road to hear him call my given nickname one more time. I turned to look back at my shadowed knight sat atop his steel steed to hear him say,

  “Lille øjesten means ‘Little Apple’, it’s what my father always called you…the only other person he called that was my sister. It means…The apple of her father’s eye, she who is greatly loved…I just thought you should know the level of our love, Keira.” And then, without another word, he fired up his bike and left me stood silently sobbing as the tears couldn’t be helped.

  Suddenly, being someone’s apple was no longer a bad thing.

  “Are you alright?” A young girl I sat next to asked me. She could be no more than about fifteen, but the depth of knowledge behind those chocolate eyes was startling. She was thin and looked to be still in the awkward growing stage, having no breasts or no hips to speak of. She wore big baggy clothes like she was unsure of herself and wanted to keep her slight frame under the protection of a rock band hoodie and baggy trousers.

  But the beauty in her face was remarkable and angelic in an innocent kind of way. Oh, she was going to be a real beauty alright and just wait till my world got their first look at her! Large eyes, satiny dark hair and naturally red lips…she was stunning.

  “Uh…yeah…actually no.” I answered honestly.

  “I didn’t think so.” She said and before she continued, she looked to the
woman sound asleep next to her.

  “This time next year things will be different you know.” She informed me as if she knew this with absolute certainty.

  “But when the time comes, I wouldn’t lift up your skirts and walk up those steps if I were you.” I frowned and then said,

  “Who are you?” In a whisper.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to freak you out or anything…it’s just, sometimes I can’t help it you know…” She looked over her shoulder at the woman asleep again and when she was satisfied said,

  “…it’s why I have been passed around so much…makes me wonder if this next family will want me or for how long.”

  “You’re an orphan?” I knew I guessed right when I saw her wince.

  “Yep, that’s me, I’m without a family and everyone else is without a clue.” She looked sideways at me and then said,

  “Sorry.” I couldn’t help but give her a small laugh.

  “Oh, trust me on this one honey, when I say I know how you feel, I know how you feel…I may not be an orphan, but trust me I know what it’s like to be something that people would never understand.” The look she gave me was priceless, one of pure shock and if I wasn’t mistaken, also fear.

  “You’re different too?” The girl looked as if she was close to sitting on my lap.

  “Yeah, since I was seven, although I don’t think it’s the same thing you have…you’re clairvoyant right?” She nodded and kept looking round as if she would soon be found out.