Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2

by Bella Roccaforte

  Cierce smiled with a defiant spark in her eyes before she disappeared from sight.

  Trachis’ head snapped side to side looking for her. He opened his hand to examine where she could’ve gone. A tiny streak escaped his hand and moved with grace through the air.

  From behind him she grew again in size jutting her wings forward beating his back with her knife-like wings.

  Trails of blood trickled down Trachis’ back and he howled in pain. He spun around to face her but she was gone. The tiny trail flew around behind him. She grew and flew sideways lashing him with her wings before shrinking down to barely visible.

  “You think these flesh wounds are going to stop me?” He swatted at the air furiously.

  With a morbid glee she flew around him cutting his flesh with her wings. She darted and played on the light wind. Cuts on his back, arms, chest and legs.

  Trachis reached for her but she was too fast.

  Cierce appeared in front of him, matching his size. “You will never hurt us again. You have hurt me and my people for the last time.” She held her arms outward gathering all the energy she could muster. Before she could lob her spell at him a huge club materialized in his hands. He swung and hit her. Cierce’s body flew through the air landing hard on the ground.

  She was dazed and trying to gather her wits. She pushed against the ground to get up but fell back down. One of her wings was bent and hanging lifeless behind her.

  Trachis cackled as he approached her, looking down at her helpless on the ground. “When will you finally give up?”

  She tried again to recover but crumbled under his shadow. He swung his shadowy club again smashing her into the dirt over and over creating a crater around her. Her fiery aura dimmed as her head surrendered downward.

  Trachis sured his grip on the handle of the club and raised it above his head for one last killing blow. Silas didn’t stop to think of how small he was in comparison to Trachis. He ran and leapt from behind him landing on the huge club, ran up it and jumped on Trachis’ back.

  Trachis dropped the club in frustration.

  Silas tore into one of the cuts Cierce made on his back. He snarled and tore at Trachis’ flesh.

  Trachis spun around reaching around to grab Silas. He couldn’t reach him and frantically slapped at his back to swat him away.

  He roared in anger and pain then picked up the club and swung at his own back. Silas was fast, too fast and dodged Trachis’ attempts to hit him.

  Silas scurried up to Trachis’ neck and removed the protective metal collar he wore. Silas howled when Trachis peeled him off and threw him across the pasture.

  Trachis bent down to retrieve the armor. His motion stilled when he saw Cierce’s foot on the collar. His eyes traveled up her body that was twice the size of him.

  She stood triumphantly above him with a shadowy sword poised to strike.

  “You wouldn’t kill your own brother?” He said faking a sympathetic smile. “We don’t know what will happen if we die here.”

  Cierce ticked her mouth up to one side in a knowing smile her only response was the woosh of the sword traveling to connect with his neck. She followed through. Trachis’ head thudded to the ground and rolled down the hill.

  Cierce stood in disbelief, her eyes glazed over staring at her brother’s headless body.

  Silas’ whimper caught her attention. She flicked her wrist and the sword disappeared. She flew toward Silas shrinking down to normal size on the way.

  She skidded to a halt in front of him. “Silas.” She took his head into her hands. “Are you okay?”

  Jeramiah met them at the end of the pasture. He looked down at him in panic. “He’s not healing.”

  “No, no, Silas, come back to me.” Cierce wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

  The petals of a flower grew from the earth enveloping them both.

  The flower glowed and shimmered with a golden light that spiraled around the flower.

  Silas’ bones cracked and snapped as they healed back into place. Cierce concentrated on healing him and bringing him back.

  Silas slowly shifted back to human form. He took Cierce’s face into his hands. “You did it, you saved us.”

  Cierce snuggled into Silas’ chest. “We did it…together.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The portal had expanded and was outside the cabin. Cierce stood in front of it, her shoulders slumped forward.

  “Cierce, no.” Silas pleaded with her. “You can’t go.”

  Cierce turned around with tears staining her cheeks. “I have to go. I brought so much destruction. I don’t belong here.”

  “No, you didn’t bring destruction, Trachis did.” Silas slid his hand down her arm and intertwined their fingers.

  “No one wants me here. They are afraid of me.” She gazed up into his eyes. The pain in hers apparent. “I don’t have a choice. I don’t want to be the reason your people fight.”

  “No one is fighting.”

  “They are.” She smiled and cupped his cheek in her hand. “I will never forget you and will always love you.”

  “If you go, I’m going with you.” It wasn’t up for discussion.

  “You are too fragile to make the journey through the portal.” Another tear spilled over.

  “I’m not as fragile as you think.” He smiled taking her other hand in his facing her.

  “Only those with dark magic can travel safely through the portal. My world isn’t like this one. This is a beautiful place.” The words pained her to say. She loved her people and her home but the thought of him trying to survive there. “You would be accepted there as well as I am accepted here.” She tilted her head to the side with sadness.

  “I have to go. I have to remove my sister, lead my people back to peace.” Her sense of duty shone in her eyes.

  “If you stay, my people will accept you and see the beauty in you I see.”

  The portal grew larger grumbling and groaning. Cierce placed herself in front of Silas. “Step back, someone’s coming through.”

  Silas wrapped his arms around her and stepped beside her. “I will always be by your side in good and bad.”

  He took her hand again and they watched the portal undulate. A white light grew from the center.

  Cierce squeezed Silas’ hand and set her footing in the dirt.

  A figure emerged from the portal. A formidable man with a long white beard and broad shoulders.

  Cierce’s eyes widened and she gasped. She released Silas’ hand and ran to the man that emerged from the portal. “Father!”

  She jumped and wrapped her arms around the man that exuded strength and honor with his presence.

  “Cierce, my sweet warrior.” He hugged her tight.

  Cierce looked at him again unsure what she was seeing was real. “I thought you were --”

  “No, your sister tried and failed.” He looked around. “As for your brother…”

  Cierce hung her head. “I’m sorry, I had no choice.”

  “He’s?” He questioned for only a moment.

  He pulled her to him again and hugged her. “Oh, my sweet Cierce. Always loyal, always knowing the right thing to do when I didn’t.”

  “You aren’t disappointed?” She asked her voice sounding small.

  “Only in myself. I should’ve put Trachis in his place long ago. He and your sisters have all but destroyed our world, but we will rebuild.” He reassured her.

  Silas approached them. “Sir, I’m Silas Rains.”

  Her father stepped back examining Silas before accepting his handshake. “It’s nice to meet you.” He looked down at Cierce.

  Cierce’s cheeks blossomed red, “Yes, Father, he’s my mate.”

  Her father leaned down and whispered, “Fragile thing.”

  “Not one bit.” Cierce’s eyes lit when she said it. “Trachis would’ve killed me if it weren’t for Silas.” Cierce moved to Silas’ side.

  “Then I owe you a debt of gratitude.” He said bow
ing his head.

  “I have all I want.” Silas tugged Cierce close to him.

  “Fair enough.” He ticked his head to the side. “The relics. They are safe?”

  “Yes.” Cierce nodded once

  “Good.” He straightened his white beard. “Shall we go home?”

  Cierce shook her head. “Daddy, with you alive, you can rule the realm and restore peace.”

  “What are you saying?” His brow wrinkled with concern.

  “I’m staying here.” She hesitated. “With Silas.”

  “Cierce, you do understand the ramifications. We’ve decided that the portal must be destroyed. It’s the only way to protect the relics from those that would try to unseat the rightful rulers.”

  “Destroy the portal?” Cierce gasp. “But I wouldn’t be able to see you.”

  “And the power and darkness that could take over here as well as in Silodaria is too great to leave to chance.” He shook his head. “I had already decided that was how it has to be. It is why I am here.”

  Cierce’s eyes darted between Silas and her father. Her eyes met with Silas’. Her fingers slid from Silas’. He tempered his emotion with his desire to beg her to stay. “I want you to be happy.”

  Cierce flashed him a half smile. “I will be.”

  She reached her father and raised up on her tip toes. She pressed a sweet kiss onto his cheek. “I will miss you Daddy. We will find a way to be together again one day. Until then, my place is here with Silas.”

  Silas’ tense stance immediately relaxed.

  Her father smiled down on her. “I understand, I would’ve done the same for your mother.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Be happy, have many children and until we meet again, be the light.”

  He looked over Cierce’s head. “Be good to my girl and she will be good to you.”

  “Yes sir.” Silas nodded with reverence.

  Cierce gave her father one last hug and held him tight as the minutes stretched. “I love you daddy.”

  “I love you too my girl.” He stepped back from her. “You know what to do?”

  “Yes.” She nodded with wide eyes.

  He stepped backward disappearing into the portal. Cierce held her arms out with her chest toward the portal. A dark stream ebbed from Cierce’s body into the portal.

  Silas stepped toward her.

  “No, Silas, it’s okay.” She stopped him.

  The portal grew smaller every second. The energy coming from Cierce’s body slowed until the stream stopped. The portal was as small as an acorn floating in the air. Cierce plucked it out of the air.

  She held it up in front of her and examined it before covering it with her other hand. She pressed it between her palms until it disappeared completely.

  She turned toward Silas. “It is done.”

  Silas gazed upon her taking in all of her beauty but was concerned, “Are you okay?”

  Cierce huffed a tiny laugh. “I’m fine. I’ve sent an abundance of my magic through the portal to destroy the path.”

  “You don’t have your magic?” He asked.

  “I do, just not as much.” She smiled and trailed her hand down his back.

  “Are you okay?” He pulled her to him holding her. Wanting to make her feel only bliss.

  “I am okay.”

  “But I want you to be happy. All this change –“

  She placed her finger over his lips to hush him. “Above all else, in any adversity big and small I am always going to be triumphant and happy.”

  He huffed in disbelief. “Teach me. Teach everyone.” He widened his eyes.

  “It’s really a simple choice.” She smiled taking his hand again and leading him down the path. “Be the light.”

  THE END

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  About the Author

  I'm just Bella! Nothing special here except a girl that's going to Carpe the FUCK out of every Diem, you should too!

  I'm a single mom of five awesome kids and my handsome fur baby Koda and beautiful pupper Opal. I live in the burbs of Atlanta.

  I write horror, urban fantasy, steamy paranormal romance, dark paranormal and contemporary. When a story tugs at me to get out, I don’t think about genre, I just think about the story.

  For more information please visit my website, join me on Facebook, or sign up for my newsletter.

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  Asher

  A K Michaels

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  Chapter One

  Asher raced through the forest, his heart pounding, his paws stampeding over the ground, while his nose twitched for any trace of his prey. He felt the rough ground beneath his paws, his claws digging into the earth with each long stride. The scents of the animals, big, small, and everything in between, assaulting him as he ran … but he wasn’t interested in any of them. All he focused on was the quarry he’d been hunting. His eyes roaming around for signs of the bear he’d been pursuing and dearly wanted to take on to ease the anger inside him. His urge to tear his claws into its thick fur coursing like lava through him, while his fangs wanted to tear through skin to taste warm blood.

  He roared when he realized he’d lost its trail and the opportunity to burn off the pent-up energy burning inside him. Where was it? How did it escape? Asher’s head turning around, searching, but he knew his chance had vanished into thin air. Despair rolled through him as he retreated, heading back to his Jeep with his head low, and bewildered the animal out-foxed him. However, time was running out, and he had a meeting to attend, so it meant he needed to get back on the road if he was going to make it to Dark Moon Falls in time.

  It wouldn’t do to be late, and he’d called in a favor for this, with his friend Jagger. He’d be waiting for him, so he had to get moving. His paws sped up, carrying him quickly through the thick foliage with ease, and soon he was back on the road with only an hour to go. His head swivelling around to take in the landscape and his eyes scoping out the mountain range in the distance.

  “Nice,” he whispered, wondering if there were any large wildlife available for him to hunt. His mood still dark and filled with resentment he dearly wanted to get rid of and hoping he’d have time later to go out on the prowl.

  As he drew nearer the town, he began to see some outlying homes. A few cabins, and some more elaborate dwellings, which reeked of money or, possibly, people with time on their hands to spend building them. Or a combination of both. Then he slowed down as he approached the town, taking in the shops, bar, diner, library, and the people walking around. His keen eyes raking over everything to take in every minute detail he could.

  The town looked like a dozen others he’d been through, but this one seemed … calmer somehow, and the people were smiling at each other, and even chatting on the corners. Others lifted their arm to wave a passing greeting as they went about their business. All in all, a town appearing to be friendly and clean. Asher noticed these kinds of details. It was clean with no garbage littering the streets or sidewalks. He liked it, very much, being a well-ordered and tidy guy himself. As well as the fact cars were parked neatly in the lines of the bays, another thing that had caught his attention.

  Then he saw a small woman walking with a large dog, a German Shepherd. She smiled wildly at a young woman who stopped to talk, but the dog was … off. Something about it set alarm bells ringing in Asher. His attention zeroed in
on the woman and the animal as warning alerts went off inside him.

  He’d worked with dogs before, and this one? Something was off with it. The older woman patted the dog, then the dog shook, and Asher saw it clearer as he pulled to a stop and got out. Standing next to his vehicle, he stayed in place to keep an eye on the threat. That’s when it locked eyes with him and it peed. Right there and then, on the sidewalk, the dog looked at him and peed … as if terrified of him, but it also began to bark. Crazy barking, as if it had lost its damn marbles.

  Asher wasn’t sure what the hell was going on. Squinting to get a clearer look, he made up his mind to go over and intervene, because a huge dog in the hands of a tiny woman, going nuts on a busy street, in his opinion: a recipe for disaster. He took a step toward them when a hand landed on his shoulder.

  “Don’t, Ava has Trix under control. It’ll be okay, and you don’t want to start your first day off by pissing her off.”

  Asher turned to see Jagger with a raised brow and a smirk. “What? Who’s Ava and Trix, and who don’t I want to piss off?”

  “Ava’s the lady with the dog, and Trix, or Trixie, is her dog. Ava happens to be our Dispatcher and she is not someone you want to piss off at any time, Ash.”

  “The animal is dangerous, Jagger. It shouldn’t be out in public.” Asher turned back to keep an eye on the beast, certain it was on the verge of doing something dangerous.

  Jagger sighed, stepping up to stand next to him. “Trixie is, or was, a police dog, but has some, hmm, mental health issues, as Ava puts it. She was the only person who’d take her on and saved her from being put to sleep, but she can, and does, manage her rather well under the circumstances. Just don’t appear threatening to Ava in the dog’s presence, it wouldn’t go down well.” Jagger nodded over at the young woman. “That’s my mate, Storm, with them, and Trix loves her, as do I. And, hey, hello to you too, Ash. Hope you had a good trip up.”