Page 18 of Vampire Solstice
“I need some fresh air,” I murmur, rising from my seat.
The snow crunchesunder our boots as I guide us to the dying Mythos tree and the statue of my predecessor. Up close, its details are even more striking. The Midnight Star stands tall and proud, her features serene yet commanding. Her hand points toward the dark woods, her expression resolute.
I run my fingers over the cold stone, desperate for answers, for guidance, for the wisdom to end this.
Fen stands beside me, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. The sun sets, golden torches and pale moonlight lighting the village. The cold grows colder. Another blizzard is coming.
A chilling howl echoes through the village, sending a shiver down my spine. It’s closer than I expected—closer than it should be.
“It’s here,” Fen says, his voice low and tense. His hand goes to his sword, his body coiled and ready for a fight.
The villagers’ shouts ring out moments later, followed by the unmistakable sound of chaos—screams, the clash of metal, the thud of bodies hitting the ground. The beast has arrived, and it’s wasting no time.
The burly man who challenged me before is the first to flee, screams tearing from his throat.
The rest follow, and the beast gives chase.
Their torches light the night, snuffed out as they fall to the snow one by one.
“We have to stop this,”I say, turning to Fen. My heart pounds in my chest, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. “Before anyone else gets hurt.”
We rush forward, placing ourselves in front of the beast. I notice the young boy, Micas, stumble past us, and gesture for him to hide. He runs to the meeting hall.
Fen’s voice cuts through the growing blizzard. “Ari, look out–
The creature leaps at me, and Fen lunges between me and the creature.
The beast runs straight toward us, leaping into the air as Fen places himself between me and the creature.
My magic crackles from my hands, ready to fight. But our intent isn't to kill, though the beast's surely is.
That puts us at a disadvantage.
Releasing short bursts of my magic, I keep the beast at bay as I try to figure out what to do.
It isn't until the creature breaks through Fen and slashes at me, clawing crimson lines into my flesh, that I realize what I must do.
Chapter 9
The Battle
As the beast’s claws rake across my side, pain explodes through me. My blood sprays against the cold, weathered stone of the Midnight Star statue, and for a moment, the world narrows to that single, crimson splash. The statue begins to glow faintly, a flicker of light in the darkness. My breath catches as I realize what it means.
“Ari!” Fen’s shout pulls me back, his sword flashing as he parries a blow from the beast. His movements are fluid and deadly, but the creature is relentless, its primal fury impossible to contain.
“It’s not the beast,” I whisper, the realization sinking in. My blood pulses with magic, and the statue’s glow responds. “It’s the statue. The tree. I have to…”
Fen doesn’t hear me over the beast’s roar, but it doesn’t matter. I press my hands to the stone, ignoring the searing pain in my side, and let my magic flow into it. The warmth beneath my palms intensifies, spreading through the statue like fire through dry tinder. The light grows stronger, illuminating the square in golden radiance.
“Ari, stop!” Fen’s voice is filled with panic as he fights to keep the beast at bay. “You’re draining yourself!”
“I have to,” I say, my voice trembling but resolute. “This is the only way.”
The glow envelops the statue, and I feel it pulling at me, demanding more. My magic pours out, faster and faster, until it feels like I’m being hollowed out. My vision blurs, my knees weaken, but I don’t let go.
Fen’s sword clashes against the beast’s claws, his frustration and fear evident in every movement. “Damn it, Ari, hold on!” he shouts, but he can’t leave the fight to help me. The beast is too strong, too close to breaking through.
I sag against the statue, my strength nearly gone, when a voice cuts through the chaos—sharp, angry, and ancient.