Blood Moon

by KB Anne

  Carman was unharmed when we left the bonfire. What the hell happened? I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t have time to worry about it. I’ve got the Original Werewolf to vanquish.

  I push myself off the ground. Feeling powerful. Feeling brave. “Ego trip much?”

  Scott stares at me. What are you doing?

  I smile. I’ve longed to hear his voice again—in person or in my head—for weeks. I’ve missed him, I’ve needed him, and now I will protect him always.

  Trust me.

  “You’ve forgotten the prophecy, haven’t you?” I ask Clayone as I step along the opening to my shrine and begin a wide circle that will include him. Without waiting for his response, I begin . . .

  “One of love, one of light,

  Spring forth from the womb

  To guard from the night.”

  * * *

  As I chant the prophecy, I complete the first revolution around Clayone and put my plan into motion. Scott is alive. I’ve accomplished what I set out to do, and now I will bind Clayone in an unbreakable circle with me forever, my imminent death of little consequence.

  * * *

  “The power to heal. The power of youth.

  Their existence to all a living proof.”

  * * *

  Clayone’s eyes follow me around as I complete my second rotation.

  * * *

  “As immortality weighs,

  One shall fall, one shall rise,

  To perish from all humankind.

  * * *

  “You cannot destroy a god,” I tell him as I finish my third counterclockwise rotation. “Belief is the very thing that gives us immortality. It’s not the flesh and blood of a human. Shrines are dedicated to me. I have followers all over the world. Thousands come here every year because they believe in me. You have nothing. You are bound to the shadows because no one believes in you. No one knows your name, whereas I have a vast amount of power I can draw from.” With a flourish of my arms, vines spring from the ground and rise up to me. “I would never have to become human again, and I would still have more power than you. Belief is what gives me power.”

  He steps toward me, causing me to briefly stop my first clockwise rotation. “You speak in riddles, but you won’t be speaking for long. You don’t believe in yourself. You don’t believe you’re Brigit. Your vines are merely parlor tricks.”

  “Don’t I?” I resume my spell circle. “In the beginning, I admit I didn’t believe. My family and friends gave me a weak sense of power because their belief in me was so strong, but when my brother was on his deathbed and I thought all was lost, I remembered who I was. I entered my personal shrine while you were gone. A shrine all but one knows exists. In there, I found the power I was lacking. I relinquished my mortality and now, before you, I am in full goddess form.” I stand tall, lifting my arms for dramatic effect as I complete my second clockwise revolution. One more to go. “You cannot vanquish me anymore than you can destroy Oegden. See? Carman’s assault on him had no effect. He is fully healed.”

  Scott tries to push himself up off the ground. He’s still too weak to stand, but that won’t stop him from trying to get to Clayone to try to protect me. But it’s my turn to protect him. He will not take this away from me.

  Stay.

  He claws across the ground toward Clayone and enters the perimeter of my circle. No! He shouts in my head.

  He’ll be locked in the circle with us if he keeps moving. Get out!

  But he refuses to listen. He edges his way to Clayone who must either sense my distraction or the movement. He glances at Scott, then at me. A cruel smile crosses his face as he steps toward my brother.

  “No!” I shout, frozen in place. I’m terrified that he’ll do something to Scott, but if I break the circle now, I’ll have to start over, and I don’t think I’ll get another chance to finish it before the full lunar eclipse is upon us.

  Scott pulls the concealed dagger out and lunges at Clayone. Clayone shifts out of the way then rounds on Scott and kicks him clear across the ruins, far away from our circle. He lands with a thud. His body shudders from the impact, and his eyes slip shut.

  His assailant throws back his head and calls to the blood red moon as it begins its final phase. The howl fills me with dread. It’s coming.

  I clear my throat. I need to work fast. “When you ran away, you allowed me to return to immortality.”

  He takes an aggressive step toward me. The opening to my shrine is the only thing separating us. A short leap for a werewolf his size, and I still have one final rotation to go before binding us in this circle for all time.

  “No. You’re spinning lies again.”

  The moon disappears, and I know time has run out, but I have to try anyway. Life as we know it depends on it.

  “I speak not in falsehoods.”

  He reaches out one freakishly long arm and wraps his claws around my throat, lifting me into the air. I close my eyes and send out a silent plea for divine assistance before it’s too late.

  I struggle to break free, batting at his arms, kicking at his legs, but my fight has no effect on him. He draws me to his rotting stinking canines dripping with anticipation. I kick at his balls—or where his balls should be. His nails tear into my neck as he drops me. I land hard, the wind knocked out of me. He lunges, his teeth leading the attack. I throw up my hands and squeeze my eyes shut. His teeth drag along my neck before he is knocked away by a force that comes out of nowhere.

  Two large brown cows, their long hair weighed down with rain, hot air spiraling from their nostrils, plow him into the void with their long horns. I crawl to the edge, gasping for breath, and watch him fall. Surprise—the last look on his face.

  I leap up and quickly shift the rock tablet back into position, step out of the circle, and complete my final rotation as I cast the spell that seals the vault for all time. No heir to Brigit will unwittingly open this one.

  When I finish, I turn to Scott who’s studying me closely. Color has returned to his cheeks, but I’m not sure if he can stand on his own.

  He shakes his head at me.

  “What?”

  “Cows? Really? You bring cows to save me? That’s the best you can do?”

  “Brigit had two faithful brown cows for pets. These two are their descendants.” I shrug my shoulders and receive a sandpaper lick as a thank you—or a you’re welcome. I’m not sure which.

  “You can’t have something cool like dragons, or griffins, or at least unicorns?”

  The other cow gives him a big sloppy kiss of his own.

  “Ewww, gross,” he screams as the cow shoves his wet nose into his face. “All right, all right, I guess cows can be pretty cool. Quit it, would you?” He shoves the head away as he tries to stand up. I dash over to help him, but he’s already steadying himself on his new cow friend.

  “So, what’s with all the relinquishing your mortality? Did you actually do that? Is a goddess really standing before me?”

  “I was trying to buy time with Clayone. I didn’t have a clue how I was going to get rid of him. It’s a good thing these cows showed up when they did, or we would have been doggy kibble.”

  If Scott had known my real plan, he’d be furious with me—always the big brother protecting his little sis.

  “You know,” he says, scratching his cow friend behind the ears, “I didn’t hear them coming. You’d think with cows that big you’d hear their hooves on the stone. It’s like they formed out of the mist.”

  “I’ve heard that the mist around here is very powerful.”

  “So, when did you realize you were the Goddess Brigit?”

  I am not ready to admit to Scott or Dad or anyone else that I am the Goddess Brigit reincarnated—for reasons that are my own. “My big brother may not be the only storyteller in the family. Come on, let’s go find Dad.”

  Scott’s near-death experience was my breaking point. If his life hadn’t been in peril, I would not have realized I was Brigit, I would no
t have discovered my shrine and recovered the healing chalice, and I would most certainly be dead.

  I lie.

  I cheat.

  I steal.

  I am a god.

  32

  Truths Revealed

  Amorin sits down on the bench next to me as I gaze into the remains of last night’s bonfire.

  “He’s gone. I can’t believe Dad’s gone.”

  “He wanted it that way, dear,” he says kindly. “He wanted to protect you. He thought maybe if he spoke to Calliope, he could convince her to help.”

  “Dad went to Calliope? He knew she was alive?”

  He nods.

  “Is that how Calliope found out where Scott was?”

  “We think so. From what you told me last night about Carman, I believe she was the most highly skilled witch in Maleficium. There are stories about her that are centuries old. The fact that Calliope was her pupil raises considerable questions. Could they see that Clayone had been released, or did they somehow lead you and Scott into Clayone’s prison? How long had Calliope been with Carman? Are there other students out there? With her centuries of scheming, it’s doubtful she’d rely solely on Calliope. Where are the others? How did she intend to execute her plan? Did she succeed in releasing any Fomorians? Did she really die at her altar? Does she have any offspring?”

  My head begins to ache as Amorin rattles off questions. When I raise my hand to my temples to relive the pain, he finally stops.

  “I’m sorry, dear. Sometimes I get carried away. Our family has a tendency to do that.”

  The way he says “our family” causes me to turn to him in question. His eyes twinkle with mischief.

  “You weren’t just Dad’s mentor, were you?”

  He shakes his head. “I was also Rose’s mate.”

  “I thought he died in a plane crash.”

  He smiles at me. “He didn’t, but her prophecy scared her. Even without the gift of sight, her powers far surpassed most witches, as do mine. We decided it was safest to keep our magic separate. It was bad luck that Calliope came here and met Carman instead of me. But darkness attracts darkness.”

  My family have always put the life of Brigit above their own happiness, but I can bring him some joy now.

  “Gramps?”

  “I prefer ‘Granda’ or ‘Daddo,’ but you can call me whatever you’d like.”

  I wrap my arms around him.

  “Ah, I see we are no longer keeping secrets from Gigi,” Clarissa says, sitting on the bench across from us.

  “You’re not related to me too, are you?”

  “I am from Brigit’s family tree, but my line stopped with me. I’m glad there won’t be any more secrets though. I followed your father’s wishes, but I believe in full disclosure.”

  I stare at her.

  “What is it you want to ask, dear?”

  “Clarissa, why didn’t my magic work last night? I was completely powerless.”

  “You possess a tremendous amount of magic, dear. More magic than I’ve ever witnessed. But your magic is a green magic. It’s noncombative. You can restrain an aggressor and resist curses through shields both visible and invisible. You can imprison your aggressor, but you cannot harm him or her. When anger replaces reason, green magic will not work. And remember, child, you are Brigit—harming any living creature, good or bad, is against your nature. That’s why Scott had to shoot your friend Ryan. You can’t fire a gun. That’s why the cows came. They answered your call. And if you had succeeded in binding Clayone to you, you would’ve been completely defenseless against him.”

  I gaze into her clear blue eyes and feel at peace.

  “You were going to bind yourself to Clayone?” Scott walks into the garden. “Really? That’s what you came up with? You’re the Goddess Brigit, and you were just going to throw your life away.”

  I shrug my shoulders.

  “Why would you do that? You still have your whole life ahead of you.”

  “You were safe. Nothing else mattered.”

  “Come here, you dimwit,” he says, yanking me off the bench and into his arms. My heart fills with love as I think of my brother and everything he means to me. What we mean to each other. I can handle anything with him by my side.

  A loud clap of thunder pulls us apart. Dark clouds blot out the sun. I pull away from him and look from Clarissa to Granda. “We aren’t done, are we?”

  Scott’s shoulders stiffen. “Aren’t done with what?”

  “No, we aren’t,” Granda says.

  Clarissa stares up the sky. “A terrible storm is on the horizon. The battle has only begun.”

  “Battle? What do you mean battle?” Scott says.

  “The real reason you and Gigi are here.”

  “Real reason? I thought we were here to destroy Clayone.”

  “Clayone’s death was easy,” Granda says.

  “You call last night easy?” I ask as another clap of thunder signals the fast-approaching storm.

  “Gigi, child,” Granda says, “last night was easy. We expected much higher casualties.”

  “Brigit reincarnates only when her people are in real danger. No one was in real danger last night,” Clarissa says.

  “I think my mom and dad would disagree with you,” Scott says. “Who are you anyway?” The muscles feather across his jaw.

  “Scott, meet Clarissa Radley. The Clarissa Radley. And I hate to say it, but I think she might be right. During my Otherworld visit, Gram gave me this.” I withdraw the bundle of herbs from my pocket.

  Scott picks it up and sniffs it. “What is it?”

  “I believe it’s nightlock. Brigit’s third spell against the werewolf.”

  Clarissa nods at Granda. “Children, there’s another prophecy.”

  “Of course there is,” Scott says.

  * * *

  THE END

  * * *

  Reviews are like dance parties. Sometimes awkward, sometimes spastic, but someone’s got to get them started!

  * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of

  Dark Moon: The Goddess Chronicles Book Three

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  Also by KB Anne

  The Goddess Chronicles

  Wide Awake: The Goddess Chronicles Book 1

  Blood Moon: The Goddess Chronicles Book 2

  Dark Moon: The Goddess Chronicles Book 3

  Shadow Moon: The Goddess Chronicles Book 4

  Oak Moon: The Goddess Chronicles Book 5

  Storm Moon: The Goddess Chronicles Book 6

  The Goddess Chronicles Books 1-3 Boxset

  * * *

  The Silver Fae Series

  Throne of Silver: Silver Fae 1

  Silver Fae Hunter: Silver Fae 2

  Heirs of Wings and Shadows: Silver Fae 3

  Court of Wings and Shadows: Silver Fae 4 Coming Fall 2020

  Acknowledgments

  Wide Awake began four years ago when I wrote what I thought was a standalone. At the first night of my first writing class at the Highlights Foundation with Harold Underdown, he said, “Oh, you’re the scary story in the woods writer?”

  I responded, “Yes, I guess I am.”

  He soon followed with, “It needs to a trilogy.”

  Three years later, I returned to the scary story in the woods ready to tear it down and build it back into a series. Thank you Harold. Wide Awake is better for it. And as I wrote Blood Moon I realized it’s going to be a lot more than a trilogy.

  * * *

  My Middle, you are my Ideal Reader. Thanks for encouraging me to listen to the voices inside my head. I can’t wait to co-write with you.

  My Bi
g, your belief in me makes me believe in myself.

  My Little, Cowgirl up! Hours of riding keeps this mama happy!

  Alison Green Myers, my writing BFF thanks for keeping me busy!

  Meggan Turner, you’re my first official fangirl. Thank you for your continued support and your willingness to read drafts of my stories and even quickly, terribly written chapters. You are awesome!

  Laura Parnum, I’m so happy you’ve agreed to journey along with me. You are a cow-pushing, silver dagger wielding wizard. All tip@s are my own.

  Nif, I can never thank you enough for not laughing at me. You are my Fierce, Beautiful Friend.

  Anika Willmanns, Ravenborn Covers, when I saw that Darkest Days cover I knew that I had found Gigi’s cover soulmate. Thank you for being so incredibly talented!

  My Rising Starrs, present and future, thank you for joining me on this journey.

  Lori’s Team, I’ve labeled the Crew of Awesomeness. Together we are strong.

  Last, but certainly not least, YOU. Never forget that you are an amazing human being. You are unique. You are special. You are fierce. I can’t wait to hear you roar!

  Join the Circle! Be the FIRST to find out about new releases from Best-Selling Author, K.B. Anne. PLUS, receive Newsletter Subscriber Only Bonus Content, insight on Celtic Mythology, Druids, Witches, Werewolves, and Magic, and so much more! Join the Circle today!

  The Second Prophecy

  Bound by blood, yet split by purpose—