Blood Moon

by KB Anne

  It’s as if the world tilts on its axis, and I’m left standing upright. Or, to put it another way, the world remains the same, and I’m knocked on my ass. Literally I fall backward to the floor, spin, and crab crawl out of the room.

  “Gi, just wait. Please . . .” he whispers, so softly, so gently, so desperately that I stop moving.

  “Nan may have asked me to keep an eye on you, but the moment I saw you I was drawn to you. I felt like my whole life I’ve been waiting for you. Gigi,” he says, grasping my hands, “it’s always been you.”

  His words should terrify me. Send me running for safety. Make me fear for my life. They penetrate into my soul instead. I believe every word. Every damn word.

  “She told me to keep my distance. To only watch. But there were times you needed me. That I had to be there for you. You dancing by yourself at the Metropol was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and it drew me to you. Then your crumpled body at the lake after that monster left you,” he growls, his hands turning to fists. “I wanted to kill him for doing that to you, for hurting you. If he had touched you . . .” he trails off, “I would have stopped him. He wouldn’t have laid a finger on you.”

  He was there all those times, but what about when my friends were in danger? “I needed you up at the church. My friends needed you, and you weren’t there for me or them.” Tears pool at the corners of my eyes.

  He folds his hands in front of him, as if in prayer. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. Nan had called me to return home. She foresaw you’d be here soon, and then you were.” He stops and smiles at me. A blush creeps up my cheeks.

  “I plotted ways I could meet you, but I didn’t want to scare you. When you entered the club, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to meet. Then you blacked out, and I brought you back to my place. I know it was selfish of me. I know that I should have taken you home, but I couldn’t. Dropping you off yesterday was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do, because now you were real. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before. After dropping you off, I plotted ways I could see you again. I knew from Nan that you were spending a lot of time at the Cathedral, and I knew you had to pass the fairy mound to get there. I took a chance, and there you were,” he says, smiling at me.

  I begin to lose myself in his green eyes when suddenly, his face brightens. “Can I show you something?”

  “Sure,” I sigh, agreeable to anything involving Alaric. Then I remember why I’m here. “I’m supposed to meet Carman. She’s helping me with something . . .” Now it’s my turn to trail off, because I don’t know how much Alaric knows about his nan and Maleficium. I was kept in the dark my whole life. It’s possible he was too.

  He grabs my hand, sending shivers up my arm. “She won’t be back for a few hours. We won’t be long.”

  We run across the sprawling countryside. For once the sun is shining, and the blue skies make everything brighter.

  “Where are we going?” I ask, out of breath as I try to keep up with him. I thought I was in good shape after all my walking in Ireland, but compared to Alaric I’m a slug.

  “To my favorite place in the entire world. It’s a surprise.”

  “I’m not really thrilled with surprises.”

  “You’ll like this one. Trust me.”

  The tall brick spires of Saint Brigit’s Cathedral become visible in the distance. Instead of turning toward the building, he heads across the fields. The moss-covered stone ruins of the castle grow in mass and height as we pass under Brigit’s Tree, but he keeps leading me onward, wandering through several ornamental gardens without stopping.

  “Okay, close your eyes,” he says.

  Putting my faith in Alaric after he confessed he’s been following me since Vernal Falls seems foolish, but to me it makes sense. I mean, I’ve certainly been guilty of poor decision-making in the past, but trusting Alaric seems natural. Seems smart.

  “Now, open them.”

  Several large oak trees encircle us with heavy layers of ivy that hang down from their branches, creating a heavy curtain from the outside world. A small babbling brook gurgles peacefully in the center. Wildflowers, herbs, and lilies blanket the ground. Rays of sunlight shimmer down through the thick canopy, creating sparkles on everything they touch.

  “Do you like it?” he whispers. He sounds fearful. Like I won’t like it. If he’s learned anything these past few weeks of observing me, he should know I love and appreciate objects of beauty.

  “I love it.”

  “I’ve never taken anyone here. I’ve never even told anyone about it. I discovered it when I was a little boy. My mom died in childbirth, so my dad was the only parent I ever knew. He used to go away a lot, and I hated it. As I got older, I’d run away from Nan’s cottage whenever my dad was about to leave, figuring if he couldn’t say goodbye, he wouldn’t be able to go, but it never worked. He always found me. Always. No matter where I hid. Until the day I found this place, and I never saw my dad again.”

  I reach up to touch his face. The pain he feels at the loss of his father physically hurts me. “I’m so sorry about your dad. What happened to him?”

  He loops his hands around my hips. “No one knows. Or they’re not telling me. I just know he’s never come home since that day, and Nan and the rest of them don’t talk about him. But never mind that,” he says, pulling me under his arm, “I wanted to share this place with you, not give you my sordid history.”

  “I like learning about you. I feel like I shared so much with you about my life yesterday, that today I should return the favor.”

  He smiles at me, and I feel at peace.

  “So, what is this place?”

  “There are sacred wells scattered throughout Ireland—like the fairy mounds. The Druids used to worship at the wells on sacred holidays. When Christianity came to Ireland, nearly all of them were destroyed. There’s a well for Saint Brigit close to the Cathedral, but this well is dedicated to the Celtic Goddess Brigit. Her true shrine for her true form,” he whispers, gently squeezing my hand. “I don’t come here often, but when I do, it gives me the answers I’m looking for. Her presence soothes me, just like yours.”

  “Alaric, what happened last night?”

  “I don’t know . . . I was dreaming about you, and suddenly I found myself in your room. I have no idea how I got there . . .” he breaks off, frowning down at me.

  “You seemed frightened. Why were you scared?”

  “I can’t . . . I can’t tell you. It’s terrible. Twisted.” He moves away from me.

  I close the space between us and wrap my arms around his waist, pinning him to me. He tries to splinter away, but my grip holds firm.

  “I promise I won’t be frightened. Please.”

  “It’s terrible. I hate myself for it.”

  “Please?” I beg again, casting my own spell.

  He takes a deep breath, before whispering, “I was staring down at you, watching you sleep so peacefully, without fear, without pain, just a gentle, peaceful sleep, when an overwhelming surge of loathing ran through me.”

  “Why?” I murmur, my lips barely moving.

  “You awakened in me a hunger I never knew I possessed. I felt completely powerless against you,” he whispers.

  I can tell how much it pains him to admit these awful truths. I grin, pulling him toward me. “You are completely powerless against me.”

  He doesn’t argue as his lips greedily cover mine, and his strong arms sweep us effortlessly to the soft ground.

  Somewhere in the deep inner recesses of my brain, a warning bell goes off again, but I ignore it. When I’m with Alaric, my brain turns to mush and I lose my desire to resist. I’ve never been so weak, so vulnerable to another’s wants. I couldn’t say no if I tried.

  There’s urgency in the air. Tension. Heat. No one will interrupt us here. No one will see us. And with the canopy over our heads and surrounding us, no rain will stop us.

  He kisses my neck, and the ability to even think becomes
blurry. He teases me with playful bites to my ear, as his hands wander all over my body. Arching my back, I push myself closer to him.

  Some primal need pulses through me. I tear off his shirt, my attention drawn to his lean, muscular chest. My fingers explore new territory, causing him to moan. Encouraged by his response, I delve deeper, searching to quench the fire burning inside of me.

  Suddenly he breaks away from me and falls back against the ground. “What am I going to do with you?” he moans in a husky voice that’s very sexy.

  “I can think of a thing or two,” I whisper, before nibbling his ear.

  “I forget myself with you.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “Yes. I always have to remember who I am, and it’s so easy to forget when I’m with you. I’m not who you think I am. There are things about me you wouldn’t understand. Things I’ve done that I’m not proud of.”

  I stare up at canopy overhead. Slivers of sky break through the thick vines, but blooming moon flowers cover the canopy with a thousand tiny full moons.

  “I think I can understand better than most people. There are things about my life that are pretty unbelievable. I haven’t lived a normal life by any stretch of the imagination, especially these last few weeks.”

  “You wouldn’t understand this . . .”

  I lie across his chest and stare into his green eyes. “Try me. There’s more to me than meets the eye.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of. I’m obsessed with you already. I can’t believe I just admitted that . . . I’m afraid that if we do this . . . I won’t be able to leave you tonight night.”

  I pull away from him. “You’re leaving? Why?”

  His eyes shift to the canopy, as if searching for a reason or not wanting to tell me the truth. “My band’s playing out of town tomorrow, and it’s a big gig we can’t miss.”

  “Sure, you can,” I tease, trailing my fingers along his chest. He rolls away with some effort, but I know it has nothing to do with my physical strength.

  “No, I can’t. I have to go. And if we do this, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to leave you.”

  Talk about a giant confessional time.

  “So, don’t.”

  “You don’t know what you’re asking. I have to leave. I can’t stay with you.”

  “Sure, you can. It’s just a show.”

  His green eyes deepen into sadness. A grim expression passes over his face. “I wish it were that simple,” he whispers, holding me tightly. “I promise I will make it up to you when I get back.” Then he kisses me along my jawline as he pulls me up along with him. “It’s late. Let’s get you back to Nan.”

  * * *

  On our way back to Carman’s, I’m fairly certain my heart will burst from pure happiness. My whole life I’ve scoffed at the idea of romance and love at first sight and all that Disney princess crap. I never knew I craved any of it until Alaric came along.

  As we approach the fire ring, Carman smiles at us from her chair. “I see you’ve managed to entertain yourself while I collected herbs.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I reply respectfully, though she could have been talking to either one of us. “Did you find everything you need? Can I help you with anything?”

  “All the herbs are prepared. We will conduct the ceremony tonight with the rest of my coven.”

  “Tonight? I thought we were going to try and find my dad this morning. I didn’t know your coven was coming.”

  I loathe the idea of involving more people in my affairs.

  “With the magic we must conjure, we need a large number of followers.” She shifts her attention to Alaric. “I assume everything went well?”

  He nods slightly. “Nan, may we speak privately for a moment?”

  “Of course,” she replies.

  “Gigi, I’ll be right back,” he promises as he follows Carman into the cottage.

  I sit down on one of the stumps surrounding the fire pit. Dad’s face and my mom’s—but not exactly hers—appear in the ashes. I’m sure it’s just my imagination, but I blink hard to double check.

  The back door slams, breaking my concentration. Alaric moves briskly to my side, grabs my hand, and tugs me away.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, trying to keep up with him, but his legs are freakishly long, and he’s moving fast.

  “Nothing, absolutely nothing.”

  “Clearly something’s wrong. Let’s talk about it.” I try to stop, but he keeps pulling me forward. “Alaric, you’re hurting me. Would you just tell me what’s wrong?”

  He ignores my pleas until I firmly dig my feet into the ground, bringing him to a halt.

  “That’s better. Now, what’s wrong?”

  “Nan and I don’t see eye to eye on some things. She wants me to stay tonight and tomorrow night and skip the show.”

  “I knew I liked her. That’s fantastic. So, you’re staying?”

  “No, I’m leaving. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow. Then everything will be fine. I promise.” He sounds like he’s reasoning more to himself than to me.

  Then I realize tomorrow night’s Halloween—sorry—Samhain. Old habits. But still, if any of the prophecy is true, tomorrow night might be my last night alive. Tears leak from my eyes again—I really need to get my tear ducts fixed. Even freaky orphans can’t feel so damn much. But still, Alaric is leaving, and I may never see him again.

  “I’ll miss you.”

  He locks eyes on me. “Gi, it’s not forever. It’s only for two days, then we’ll be together.”

  A feeling of complete trust overcomes me as I wrap my arms tightly around his waist. As if I want to keep him with me always—which I do.

  He chuckles quietly. “You’re acting like you’re never going to see me again.”

  “It’s because almost everyone I love has disappeared or died these past few weeks. I don’t think I can take it if I lose you too.”

  He reaches down to kiss my forehead. “I will return. There’s nothing that will keep me away from you. I promise.” He pulls me tightly to him. “Believe me, I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave you, but it’ll be better for both of us if I’m not here.”

  I raise my eyebrow. “How can anything be better if you’re not around?”

  “Trust me. In two days’ time, I’ll be back with my pockets full of money. Then I’m going to take you out for a proper dinner date. Maybe we’ll even hit the club if you promise not to fall asleep again. Does that sound good?”

  “Wonderful,” I murmur into his chest, so he can’t see the tears running down my cheeks.

  A harsh male voice catcalls. “So, this is where you’ve been spending all your time.”

  Alaric stiffens as he withdrawals from our embrace.

  Standing before us is a motley crew of guys. The leader of the bunch leers at me as if he wants to take a bite out of me. His brown hair’s disheveled but not sexy like Alaric’s. And where Alaric’s features are strong and defined, everything about this guy is sharp and angular. His eyes—his eyes are an unnatural shade of yellow that can only come from costume contact lenses. Distaste forms in my mouth. I try to not grimace.

  Alaric shifts me behind him. “Declan, what are you doing here?”

  Declan peeks over Alaric’s shoulder, licking his lips. “Who’s your friend? She’s positively delicious.”

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as his eyes slowly rake over my body. I curse myself for not wearing more clothing.

  “You need to leave now,” Alaric warns. A harsh edge coming out of his voice.

  “Alac, why so tense? We just wanted to check on our fearless leader,” Declan laughs. “Will your friend be joining us on our little trip? I’m sure she’d enjoy our moonlight serenade.”

  “That’s enough, Declan. Get out of here, now.”

  “Come on, Declan, let’s go,” a shorter but stockier guy says, pulling at Declan’s arm.

  Declan feints toward our right. Alaric moves to block him, b
ut before he can recover, Declan lunges to his left. He grabs my arm and pulls me to him, taking an exaggerated inhalation.

  A growl erupts from Alaric. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if fangs protruded from his canines. “Leave her alone. I’m warning you.”

  His warning sounds like a promise of pain if he’s ignored.

  “Or what? What are you going to do about it? I just wanted to introduce myself to your friend. Hi, I’m Declan. It’s so nice to meet you . . . ?” he says with a question in his voice as he stares at me with those piercing eyes that stab like knives into my soul.

  “Gigi Brennan,” I murmur, before blinking my eyes and realizing my mistake. His teeth are so blindingly white.

  Alaric yanks Declan away from me. “That’s enough, Dec,” he snarls.

  He stares at Alaric, clearly gauging the situation. Alaric is lean and muscular, but Declan’s built like a prize fighter. I don’t know who would win, and I really don’t want to find out.

  Finally, after what feels like hours but was probably only seconds, Declan relaxes his stance. “It’s all in good fun.”

  Another guy, who must be seven feet tall, grabs him by the collar. “Come on, Dec, let’s go.”

  “Thanks, Madigan. I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Alaric says to the group, directing his rage at Declan with the promise to finish what they started.

  Declan nods and leads the group away.

  I rest my hand on Alaric’s back. “What’s his problem?”

  He immediately tenses. “What? Huh?” he stutters, relaxing his stance when he realizes it’s only me touching him. “He’s just an asshole who constantly tests my authority over the band.”

  I can tell there’s a lot more he’s not telling me, but I still can’t get a read on him. I haven’t gotten a read on anyone since I’ve come to Ireland, which is sort of a relief but would come in handy at times like these.