Lucy
I didn't want to go back to the Blood Moon Estate. I didn't want David to see me when I wasn't entirely sure that I was moving past the incident with Amelia. Was that silly? Probably, but I couldn't help the way I felt about it.
"To Stacy's building," Duke said, glancing at me. I nodded, sighing with relief. "It's about time I get to see your new digs."
The escort smoothly navigated the streets, and soon, we were pulling up in front of Stacy's building. We thanked the driver and headed upstairs to my apartment. The receptionist, a new girl, looked at me with wide eyes.
"You brought a different man home?"
My face heated as Duke burst into laughter.
"Duke is my cousin!"
"Oh..." she said. "Well... it's good I didn't send this message then."
I shook my head and walked toward the elevator. Duke was still laughing as the door closed behind us.
"Are they always like that? Waiting for you to
LucyIt was Friday, which meant I had algebra again, but I wasn't so worried, given the talisman I'd gotten from David. I frowned at the light coming through the window and turned over, hoping for just a bit more sleep. My alarm hadn't gone off, but then there was knocking on the door. I groaned and slid out of bed, rubbing my eyes and hoping my hair wasn't sticking up everywhere. I opened the door and almost slammed it shut again.David was on the other side, perfectly dressed and ready to start the day in a suit and beaming at me."Slept well?"I was going to strangle Duke. David lifted a small box into view. "Doughnuts?"Duke snickered the entire ride to the college's campus. I couldn't even look at David, too embarrassed. I didn't have anything polished to wear, and what difference would it have made since I had drool on my face and half of my curls were stuck up in every direction.Still, nothing
LucyI met Daedalus' gaze as he leaned on his podium."Why don't you come on down and solve the first problem?"Would the talisman still protect me if I was that close to him? I didn't know, but he probably was expecting his watch to be more effective up close. I didn't want to chance it, but it would be weird to refuse. Most of my classmates were human.Then, there was the chance that I could see through his illusion easier if I was closer."Sure."Sarah pouted beside me as I stood up and headed towards the stairs. I gathered my magic and took deep breaths as I reached the ground floor. He offered the dry-erase marker to me. For a moment, I met his gaze. There was a challenge in his eyes. I took the marker and turned to the board. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him adjust his watch. It started flashing. The talisman warmed against my skin like a warning.The glow grew brighter out of the corner of
LucyThe air in the classroom shifted as Duke reached for me, squeezing my hand. The undercurrent of tension made the atmosphere crackle with energy. What was she doing here? How was she here?Then, I narrowed my eyes and squeezed Duke's hand back.She was dressed in a simple white gown, and though she seemed solid, someone walked right through her.Did that make her just in our imaginations or some sort of ghost? Did it matter? She didn't move or speak. Her gaze bore into us, and I admit that I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. The talisman around my neck warmed again and suddenly felt heavier, like it was grounding me."Lucy," Duke said softly. "I think--""You're wasting time," Selene said, her voice more like a cold whisper from the back of my mind that sent shivers down my spine."The more time you waste, the angrier I'm going to be."I swallowed. My heart felt like it was in my throat.&nbs
LucyI felt a sense of unease wash over me as I caught one of their gazes and quickly looked away. It was the way they were looking at me, with a mix of curiosity and suspicion in their eyes, that made me feel like I was being sized up. It made me feel a bit like I was being sized up for auction again, except they weren't looking to sell me to a man as a sex slave, but a butcher or a potionsmaker for parts.I could almost see it in his eyes. Then, he smirked, and my blood went cold. He leaned over to the man next to him and whispered something. I wish I could hear. I bet David and Duke could. I tore my gaze away, trying to calm myself. I tried to shake off the feeling, telling myself that I had nothing to worry about. David was here. I wasn't that simple orphan girl being stuffed into a trunk. I lifted my gaze and stared back at the one who smirked at me, setting my jaw and glaring. He looked surprised, and his eyes glinted."Glare any harder, and
MattI shuffled through my pocket, looking for my phone. It wasn't ringing, but it was probably a message from Tony."Matt," she said, coming closer, her voice filled with desperation. "Please, you have to see reason."I scoffed and turned. "Leave me alone."She hurried to cut me off. "I'm serious!""So am I."Just when I thought my day couldn't get any more fucked, she had to show up with this again."Have you been following me, or were you just skulking around hoping I'd show up?" I narrowed my eyes. "Hoping that Tony would show up?"Something at the back of my mind was on edge. I glanced around, scanning for the danger, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary.She approached me slowly, her eyes pleading with me. "You know why I'm here. When are you going to stop this and come back to where you belong? How long are you going to ignore your duties to the pack?"I scoffed, crossing my arms over my ches
PeterI groaned as I slowly opened my eyes, my vision blurry as I tried to focus on my surroundings. I remembered going to sleep and planning for a nap to ease the headache I'd gotten earlier, but I felt terrible. I shifted, but I felt nothing around me.Nothing underme.My heart raced as I realized I was no longer in my bed, but rather hovering above it. Panic set in as I tried to regain control of my body, but it was no use. I flailed around, twisting in the air, trying to grab something, to move, to do anything but hover a solid three feet above my bed.Was this part of the curse? I had to get down. I had to get— Suddenly, I plummeted to the bed. I cried out as I slammed into it and bounced off it onto the floor, landing with a loud thud."Peter!" Vasil exclaimed, rushing over to me. "Are you alright?"I groaned again, rubbing the back of my head where it had hit the floor. "I think so," I muttered
Matt I crossed the street with the crowd, hoping that was the end of the chase, but I couldn't relax. Something in the air was still warning me. I could feel my mother's presence in a way I didn't ever remember feeling it before. Quickly now. They're near. I swallowed. The urge to run was strong, but I didn't run. I didn't know where to run. I could feel the cold sweat trickling down my back as I hurried down the street, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum. The pain in my chest was becoming unbearable, but I refused to let it slow me down. I had to get away. I felt that sense of danger pressing me forward. All around me, I could hear and smell people, but none of it seemed familiar. Then, the resistance to running snapped. "There he is!" I took off. I could hear the heavy footsteps of my pursuers, their breaths ragged and furious. "Son of a—" Someone screamed. "Out of my way, lady!" I kept
MattMy heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the old woman, her eyes piercing through me."What do you—" I pulled back. "Are you—""The protections Eve placed on you are wearing thin." I went still, staring up at her. She withdrew her hands slowly, and with them went the warmth. "Soon, you'll have to make a choice or let the choice be made for you."I felt a shiver run down my spine as she spoke, her words sending a chill through my body."What choice?" I asked, my voice trembling.The old woman stroked my face gently, almost fondly."The choice between life and death, Matt. Between who you really are or giving in to the darkness that threatens to consume you."I pulled away from her, my heart racing. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.The old woman leaned in close."By now, you realize that Eve knew about your powers, Matt. Don't you?"I nodded shaki
LucyThe morning sun, a mischievous wink through the blinds, painted golden stripes across our bed. I snuggled deeper into the warmth of David's embrace, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest a soothing lullaby. He slipped his hand across my lower back. The warmth of his bare skin against mine set a spark of pleasure through me. He rumbled low and content into my hair. “Wake up,” David rumbled. He kissed my head and twined a curl around his finger. “We have things to do.”“You shouldn’t have kept me up all night.”He chuckled. “You didn’t say that last night.”I nudged him. He dipped his head to nip my lips. “You know, if it’s too much, you can always tell me to slow down.”He’d been saying that for five years now, and I never found a reason to tell him to. He knew that. His eyes flickered between colors. I nipped his lower lip. “Give me a reason.”He smirked and rolled me onto my back. “To slow down or…”“To get up,” I said as he kissed
LucyI sat on the cold stone, watching her, but she didn’t move another muscle. I didn’t know how long it had been, but it didn’t matter. The spectral glow around her was starting to dim, and my mind was just too stressed to do too much thinking. The light of the ritual, the spell I’d used, the blood on my hands all flashed through my mind, and part of me wondered if it was all just a dream. I looked down at the stained and ruined gown. The armor was as pristine as ever, but most of the embroidered roses were torn or stained. This dress would never be white again, let alone whole. I flicked a piece of the long, gossamer fabric and shook my head. I really liked this dress.“Lucy!”I turned my head toward the sound of David’s voice, wrung out and relieved to hear him. He was rushing through the air towards me. He dropped down a few feet from me, looking so worried I could cry.I smiled at him as he dropped to his knees beside me and threw his arms around me,
LucyI sailed through the air, landing with a jarring thud within the ritual circle. With a trembling hand, I pushed myself up, my senses on high alert. A figure, cloaked in darkness, appeared in front of me. My blood ran cold. Selene."Well, well, Lucy," her voice, honeyed yet laced with venom, slithered into the darkness. "Thank you ever so much for making this easy at last.”I grit my teeth. I wouldn't go down without a fight. Straightening my shoulders, I met her gaze, my voice shaking but resolute. "You underestimate me.” “No, Lucy,” her voice dropped, and a cruel smile twisted her lips. "You underestimate me.” The chanting grew louder around me. I lunged for the necklace, my fingers grazing its cold surface before Selene snatched it away, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. But that touch, fleeting as it was, ignited something. I felt her pushing at my mind. I felt her shoving me back until I could see the forest from before, and we were fighting in a ci
MattMy vision pulsed and flickered, a strobe light of pain blurring the edges of reality. Tony rained blows down on me, slashing with claws. Each hit chipped away at my resolve and my control, leaving behind a raw desperation to end this quickly. My armor protected me from most of the damage, but still. He was always the stronger of the two of us. I thought it was just because he was the older of the two of us, but this was different. I thought for sure he was going to bite off my head. Then, a flash of golden light arced through the air, and a spear lanced past my shoulder, catching Tony square in the chest. I turned back to see Ginevra hovering in the air. Her golden dress glowed as she passed me with a glowing winge spreading from her back. What the absolute fuck?Tony staggered, falling to the ground, and Dad darted forward, encasing Tony in a shimmering web of light. The wave turned to chains. He thrashed and howled, straining against the magical bonds, but t
LucyPeter's breath hitched, rasping, and shallow, then deepened into a cough that wracked his battered body. His eyelids fluttered, eyelids so pale they were almost luminous in the dim torchlight. He struggled to get up, leaning on his Spear and on Michelle. The light pulsing through the Spear rippled over his skin. He let out a soft sigh and stumbled a little. “Peter?”“I... It’s gone.”“What?” Michelle gasped as his hair started to change, losing the gray color and growing dark. His face turned younger until I was sure that he was all of twenty-something. He grew a bit taller, too, bigger until his shirt strained against his chest and his buttons popped. He flushed. “Well… that’s not…” He cleared his throat as Michelle smiled up at him. “So this is what you looked like in your youth?”He scoffed. “I’m much younger than you think.”He grunted, pressing a hand to his side. “Wish the Spear would heal the wound, though.”I winced. “Sorry… it’s a
PeterMy feet pounded a frantic rhythm against the uneven earth, branches whipping at my face, thorns tearing at my clothes. How long had I been running? How much further did I have to go? I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter so long as I got there. My lungs burned, legs screaming in protest, but still I ran. The trail of blood behind me and the patchwork of wounds across my body, chunks of missing and regrowing flesh, weren’t my concern right now. The creature—the wolf was after me, and unlike before, it didn’t seem willing to back off or slow down. It was going to kill me, and what happened after that was anyone’s guess. Behind me, the guttural snarl of the wolf echoed through the trees. Too close to be comfortable. Too close to make sense. This was too much like that dream, but worse. So much worse. The sky was a kaleidoscope of images I could barely make out. They flashed in the sky and in my vision, making it hard to see. I saw Lucy. I saw Michelle. The long
LucyAdrenaline surging, I grabbed Michelle and pulled her after me deeper into the inky depths of the tunnel.“Quick!”She panted. “What’s going on? Peter—”“He’s possessed,” I said. “Just keep running for now!”I saw my Allison up ahead, leading me down another tunnel. Behind us, I heard Peter's guttural snarls, the rhythmic thud of his feet echoed eerily in the confined space. We had to lose him and the other one quickly, but we didn’t seem to be putting enough distance between us. Panic coiled in my gut, urging me to run faster and push my body beyond its limits. Michelle kept up relatively well. We twisted and turned, navigating the treacherous path by torchlight and the spectral murmurs of White Moon's fallen. But the passage seemed to twist back on itself. When we were back at the forked path, the faint light that had been illuminating the tunnel went out, plunging us into darkness.Michelle shuddered. She drew closer to me and tightened her grip on m
LucyI was back in that house with that couple that adopted me. I felt the floorboards creaking as I went downstairs. I saw the men in suits. I shrieked, turning. Not again. I couldn’t be back here. Where was David? How had I gotten back here? I looked down. I wasn’t… wearing the dress or the armor. I had no daggers. My hair was just as uncombed and dry as it had been then. When I looked in the mirror, the skinny young woman who had barely had anything more than ramen and school lunch stared back at me. My stomach lurched. The door opened, and I turned to run, knowing what was about to happen. I dug my heels in as dark shadows pulled me towards the door. I felt myself being lifted onto someone’s shoulders. I fought and kicked, but all my training and all my strength were gone. I saw the calendar on the wall, but the date was different. It wasn’t my birthday. It was the day of the Crescent Moon Festival. I screamed, grabbing anything I could manage. Then, Sele
DavidOren's head arced through the firelit air, landed, and rolled. His body dropped to the ground, still spurting blood. Then, all hell broke loose.The shimmering barrier around the Ball faltered, rippling like a pond, before collapsing entirely. Hunters poured into the arena, their snarls blending with everyone's shocked gasps. “Defensive measures, now!” I yelled, my voice carrying over the sound of the attack. A group of dragon shifters took to the sky as my blade clashed with the first hunter. How had they gotten through the barrier? I saw a flicker of a ghost and growled. “Selene!” I shoved the hunter back, slicing through him before sending out a shockwave of air. She’d been behind this, and maybe she’d been planning this for years, using the werewolf virus to spy on the preparations. It would make sense to try and get rid of me. I was the direct descendant of Fenris. More than that, it was their movements. Each and every one of them moved e