“This room is sacred. It has been blessed by Diana and it contains all four elements we need to channel the power of the Sang Magi. I must warn you, however, that only light magic can be accessed here. Your intentions must be pure or the spell will not work.”
I let his words sink in as we walked back to the study. Were my intentions pure? I intended to destroy the Consilium. To kill them. I intended to link with Aldric. His blood would give me a fighting chance.
In the beginning, Aldric had been a means to an end, but things were different now. I felt connected to him. In such a short time, he had become much more than a pawn to me. He was the light. I just hoped he had enough light for the both of us.
Aldric was waiting for us in the study. Our eyes locked. A surge of electricity shot up my spine. His skin glowed, smelling of sea salt and sandalwood. I wanted to bury my head in his neck and breathe in nothing else. I was so intoxicated, I didn’t notice what was in his hand.
The Keeper took the carafe of blood from Aldric. “There are decisions that need to be made.”
Aldric gazed into the fire, his eyes a million miles away.
The Keeper hovered next to him. “Aldric, your family is the oldest coven. Direct descendants of the gods. With that comes great power, but also a great burden. The Consilium have abused that power. Family or not, they must be stopped. Otherwise, you too will pay the price your parents did.”
Aldric jolted out of his chair. “My parents? What do they have to do with this? They died in a fire when I was a baby.”
The Keeper sighed. “Ah yes, a fire. Like the one at Gray’s villa? Or at the Wolf and Crescent? Maybe it was just a coincidence. Or maybe not. Elemi only had time to save one of you. Your parents begged her to choose you. She has been protecting you ever since.”
The color drained from his face as he ran a trembling hand through his hair. He swallowed hard, grasping for words. “So, they tried to kill me too? When I was just a baby? What threat could I have been to them? I couldn’t even crawl yet.”
“It is hard to say. They may have thought you would grow up to seek revenge. Perhaps they didn’t know you were inside. Either way, the Consilium will stop at nothing to get their way. Even if it means killing their own.”
Aldric’s eyes watered as he cleared his throat. “I’ve been living a normal life for twenty-five years. Why now? Why is everything changing?”
The Keeper looked over at me. “Because of her. They tried to stop Gray from finding you, but they failed. The Consilium fears nothing…except…the two of you. Together you will be the first true link.”
My pulse raced. “The first? But the Consilium has been linking people left and right.”
The Keeper’s eyes darkened. “Yes, but they’ve been using dark magic. A true link, the way it was intended, can only be forged with light magic and Diana’s blessing. That exists only here. And it has never been done before.”
Aldric gazed into the fire. “What if I’m not cut out for this life?”
The Keeper smiled. “You wouldn’t be here if you believed that. You’re just afraid to let go. You wrestle with your desires. Your demons. The more you resist, the more it hurts. Surrender and let go.”
I suddenly felt like I was intruding on a private moment. Aldric was in turmoil. As if he was in physical pain. It hit me.
Every Witch inherits a unique ability. When they’re human it manifests from time to time, but it’s triggered, heightened, when they awaken their magic.
It was so obvious. “He’s a sensitive, isn’t he?”
The Keeper nodded. “Yes. He feels everything. Love, fear, hate, sadness. All at the same time. It’s consuming him.”
Aldric sighed and put his head in his hands. This was why he was being so distant. His emotions were amplified, and he didn’t know how to control them.
The Keeper placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I will teach you how to use this power to your advantage. How to manage it. Turn it on and off. But you must let go.”
Aldric nodded. “Tell me what I have to do.”
Eleven
Whenever I wanted to find Valentina, I just had to follow the sweet scent of whiskey. As I suspected, she was drowning herself in a bottle down in the catacombs. She sat on the ground, legs crossed, pouting like a child with the bottle half empty. I swiped it from her hand before she could protest.
“They say you should never drink alone.” Valentina chuckled as I took a swig.
I sat down across from her. Tension still laced the air between us. I was no longer upset with her, but something still wasn’t right.
“Val, are we okay?”
She hugged her arms to her chest and took a deep breath. “I need you to promise me that you won’t kill my brother.”
My stomach dropped and I nearly choked on a swig of whiskey.
“What would you have me to do with him? He betrayed us. He’s probably conspiring against us right now.”
Valentina flinched. “I agree he needs to be dealt with, but he is still my brother. I don’t want him to die.”
There was a time when I would have shared her sentiment. Dragos and I were like two runaway trains heading toward each other, determined to crash and burn. We were on two separate tracks, always missing our destination.
It hadn’t occurred to me that she would still feel something for him. Right before his betrayal, we had learned that Dragos was the reason why Valentina was turned. He brought the Consilium into their lives, and they never gave her a choice.
My blood pressure was rising. “I can’t believe that after everything he’s done, you still want to save him?”
Valentina stifled a sob. “Not save him. Spare him. There’s a difference. I will always love him. And you’re lying to yourself if you can’t admit that you still love him too. I remember what he meant to you.”
“You’re wrong. I have no love left for him. He made sure of that. If you want to keep Dragos on a pedestal, that’s your business. But don’t expect me to do the same.”
Valentina’s lower lip quivered. “Promise me, Gray. Please.”
A knot formed in my chest. Feelings of guilt, anger, and sorrow trickled out like spilled ink. “Fine, but make no mistake, I will put him in chains.”
Her eyes blinked back tears
“I’m glad you’re making yourself comfortable down here, Val. I suggest you get used to it because this is going to be Dragos’s new home.”
A whimper escaped her lips as I stormed out.
I’d been sulking in the garden for hours when The Keeper found me. “Aldric isn’t the only one who needs to let go. Something is troubling you.”
He had no idea. It gnawed at me like an itch that I refused to scratch for fear that I wouldn’t ever stop. Love swallows you whole. It consumes you. Like darkness, it can disorient you. I needed my thoughts to be clear right now. Thinking about Dragos was not an option.
The Keeper studied me. “You’re different, Gray. You have a purity inside you that the others do not.”
“I’m full of vengeance and hate. I fantasize about spilling their blood out into the streets. Decapitation, torture, death. These are the things I dream about. I’m not as pure as you would like to believe.” I couldn’t hide the bitterness in my voice.
He touched his hand to my cheek. “You have every right to be angry. I know it haunts you night and day. But it won’t always be so. Your journey will twist and turn like branches in Diana’s Forest. You will feel rage and you will feel joy. In the end, I have faith that you will do what is right. There is nothing purer than that.”
Would I, though? When I come face to face with my nightmare, would I do what’s right? I feared I was just as monstrous as my enemies. We all had our demons. Even the purest of souls.
“Why do you do this? You are more powerful than all of us. You could leave at any time. Why do you stay here, guarding our secrets?”
His eyes burned into mine, flickering like flames. “It’s my duty. We all have a destiny
, Gray. I cannot fulfill mine unless I help you fulfill yours.”
“What if I can’t be helped? I fear that I am already lost.” A sinking sensation formed in the pit of my stomach. Despair and desperation wrestled within.
The Keeper smiled. “You will not be lost forever.”
His words stung. I wasn’t just lost. I was broken.
“Have you ever been…lost?”
Something flickered in his eyes. “Once. Many moons ago. But the light brought me back. My path was then clear.”
Sadness covered him. A weariness behind the gentle smile. I felt a pang of guilt. I wasn’t the only one being haunted by demons. He just kept his further away.
“Tell me, what is your true name?”
The Keeper’s eyes lit up. “No one has asked me that in a very long time.” His smile was full of warmth and surprise. “I used to be called Gabriel.”
“Like the angel.”
The Keeper sighed. “I’m no angel. More like a guardian.”
I wasn’t an angel either. That much I knew. He was right, though. There were many things I needed to face. But tonight, all I wanted to do was forget. I excused myself from the garden in search of the means to do just that.
It was late and I was drunk when I knocked on Aldric’s door.
He stood in the doorway, shirtless. The firelight flickered across his chest. My heartbeat quickened. I wanted him more than I wanted blood. I put my hand to his mouth before he could speak, caressing his lips with my fingers. Our eyes locked, and the rest of the world faded away.
Aldric took my face in his hands, pulling me toward him. His hands slid down my shoulders and found the small of my back. I arched toward him, pressing my hips into his. That was all it took. His lips came down hard on mine.
His body was warm and strong as he pressed me up against the wall. We tore at each other’s clothes, shredding them to pieces around us. With my legs wrapped around his waist, he lowered me to the ground.
He let out a deep moan as we rocked back and forth. I cried out as we exploded into each other. The ground shook, and we collapsed in each other’s arms.
Aldric looked at me. His lips curled into a boyish grin.
My heart raced as he stroked my cheek. “What are you smiling about?”
“You. You’re…beautiful.”
My cheeks flushed. “So are you.”
Aldric tilted my chin toward him. “I want to be with you in every way.”
I sat up and looked hard into his eyes. My heart fluttered. I never knew how bad I wanted it until I heard him say it. “Are you sure? There’s no going back, you know.”
His eyes lit up. “I’m more than sure. This is what I want. I’m ready.”
His arms wrapped around me tight, safe and comforting. I didn’t want to leave the warmth of his embrace, but it was time to get back to reality.
We still had a war ahead of us. We had to link, but it was more than that. More than my desire for revenge. I needed to link with Aldric. I needed it like blood. And soon, I would no longer have to thirst for either.
Twelve
The Keeper was in his chair in the study. His eyes lit up when Aldric and I entered the room. We stood before him, hands clasped.
He nodded and smiled. “I see. I will begin the ceremonial preparations. Gray, you know what you must do next.”
Aldric swallowed hard as The Keeper made himself scarce.
His heart beat out of control. I squeezed his hand. “This is going to hurt a little.”
Aldric chuckled, but underneath his casual exterior, I sensed his apprehension. “Just make it quick.”
Aldric tilted his head, exposing his neck. I moved with caution, apprehensive myself. There was no going back from this. He would never be human again. If one day he regretted this, I would be the one he blamed.
“Gray, it’s all right.” Sensing my hesitation, his voice was soft and soothing.
Pain shot through my fingers. I had been digging them into my palms so hard, they were covered in blood. Was I doing the right thing? If he hated it, would he ever forgive me?
Aldric moved closer, arching his neck toward my lips. My hunger rose toward the blue vein throbbing inside his flesh, drawing me in. I inched closer. The scent of blood and sandalwood filled my nose.
My head spun. His fingers tangled in my hair, nudging my head further down. His skin was soft and smooth against my lips. Like butter. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and sank my teeth in.
Aldric’s blood exploded into me like wildfire. It tasted warm and sweet, sticky like molasses. It filled my loins, my veins, and every crevice with urgency. His grip tightened, and his knees shook. I wrapped my arm around his waist and lowered him to the floor.
We both gasped as I pulled up for air. My body tingled. The color was draining from his face. Focus. I bit into my wrist and pressed it to his mouth. He flinched, pulling away. I held his head, pressing down harder. His eyes widened, but he gave in and began to drink.
His heartbeat slowed as the venom entered his bloodstream. His body twitched and convulsed. A knot formed in my chest as he writhed around on the ground, his life force leaving him. His eyes rolled back and then forward again. His body went limp. Still. Dead.
I held my breath. Time seemed to stand still. Every second was an eternity. On the brink of madness, panic rose in my chest. I touched his face, my hands trembling. He was ice cold.
“Aldric?” No response. No. I had to get help. I had to find The Keeper. No, there wasn’t time for that. My eyes darted around the room, searching for something that might help. Anything. “Aldric, please.”
Without warning, Aldric’s lips parted. He shot up and drew in a sharp breath. I threw my arms around him, choking back sobs of relief. He took my face in his hands. He was beautiful. The color had returned to his cheeks and his eyes were clear and bright blue.
“How do you feel?”
Aldric smirked. “Better. Stronger. Alive.”
I pressed my lips against his. His tongue danced with mine. My body shivered, aching for more. He kissed my neck, my fingers, every inch of my face. His lips caressed the base of my throat.
His voice was low and raspy. “You’re mine now, and I’m yours.”
I let out a soft moan as the tip of his tongue moved down my chest. “Always.”
The ceremony room was more magnificent than I remembered. The ceiling was wide open this time to allow the night air in around us. Thousands of fireflies danced around the room, twinkling like the stars above us.
The Keeper stood at the base of the great oak tree, dressed in all white. He beckoned for us to stand in front of him. He reached for our hands and cut a tiny incision into each of our palms with a steel dagger. Clasping our bloodied hands together, he wrapped them tight with muslin cloth that had been soaked in herbs and tinctures. The wound stung as the mixture seeped into my skin. Aromas of sage and lavender wafted through the air.
The Keeper fastened a crescent moon necklace around my neck. It matched the one Aldric wore. He closed his eyes and raised his hands toward the sky, chanting in Latin as the wind howled around us. The water rippled and the ground shook.
My head began to spin. I closed my eyes to steady myself. Bile climbed up my throat. I choked it back. Aldric gripped my hand tight. We leaned into each other to keep our knees from buckling. It was like being caught in a hurricane.
The fireflies swarmed us. They dove in and out, buzzing in my ears and tugging at my clothes. It took everything I had to not swat them away. The chanting grew louder, faster, until the words became a blur. I was close to passing out. Everything came down at once and swirled around us. Rain, wind, hail, dirt, and ash. Elemental magic.
A familiar sensation filled me. A warmth radiated below our hands. It was getting hotter by the second. I swallowed hard and opened my eyes. The Keeper held out a branch from the oak tree, underneath our hands. I gasped. The branch was on fire.
A wave of panic and nausea rushed through me. Just br
eath, Gray. Aldric tensed and tugged his hand away. I tightened my grip and kept him in it. I imagined all the horrors that must be running through his mind as the flames engulfed us.
The Keeper shouted over the wind, waving his hands around like a symphony conductor. The force whipped through my hair, drowning out the sound of my own heartbeat. The room swelled and rocked. Just when I thought my head would explode, he plunged our hands into the water.
A burst of energy shot through my body. It spread into every vein and muscle, pushing through my blood. Its fibers threaded in and out, etching an invisible shell. Like a shield beneath my skin. Sparks of light flickered behind my closed eyelids.
Everything went dark and still. I was on my knees, our hands still clasped together. I opened my eyes to a very different room.
The wind had stopped, the fireflies were gone, and the oak tree had bent over with the strength and grace of a ballerina. A single golden leaf fluttered to the ground. The ceremony was complete.
Thirteen
Magic flooded my veins like a river. It pulsed and vibrated like electricity. Tiny fibers with Aldric’s imprint rippled through me. They twisted and turned inside me. Every cell in my body arched toward it. My heart swelled to the brink of bursting.
Aldric looked at me, wide-eyed. “I feel so close to you. I can hear your voice in my head. Not the words, but…the intention. I can’t explain it.”
He didn’t have to. I gave his hand a light squeeze. Here in this room we had become something more together than we could ever be apart. We were linked to each other for eternity. An unbreakable bond.
“So…did it work?” Valentina poked her head around the corner. She lingered in the doorway, wringing her hands together.
Aldric flashed her a grin. “Yep. She owns me now.”
Valentina chuckled. “Good. We should celebrate.”
I had known Valentina long enough to know when she was putting on airs. She was trying her best to be happy, but her resolve was crumbling.
Blood and Magic (Blood and Darkness Book 1) Page 8