Blood Sacrifice (The Astral Chronicles #1)

Chapter NineteenLuna

Chapter Nineteen

Luna

Salvator had been silent and withdrawn since he came home from the rainforest. There was a darkness in his aura and pain in his eyes that hadn’t been there before, a raw, aching wound in his soul that only he could heal with his own forgiveness. He had gone from fervent lover to almost stranger, not touching me, and avoiding spending time in the same room as me.

Under his pack base, there were tunnels which reached out in different directions, to allow them to enter and leave without anyone watching this place ever knowing who they were or how many dwelt here.

“As much as I love the underground theme in the daylight, I’m beginning to find these endless tunnels oppressive,” Dominic said from somewhere on my right.

“This particular tunnel I created myself,” Salvator said, his voice strained, and I swear I could hear his back molars grinding together. “It took years, and no one but me knows that it is here.”

I met Dominic’s dark gaze for a moment, because we both knew that the witch who spellbound him could have been monitoring him.

Salvator sighed, stopping to glare at us. “I am painfully aware that I failed my pack and everyone I was supposed to protect. Innocent souls were lost when I believed I was in control.” He paused, and I witnessed the raw pain he was battling. “But what I do know is the moments when I was under their power, my memories were suppressed, almost as if it wasn’t me in my body.”

That confused me, as traditional soul-binding meant the person was influenced by the witch, but it was almost like a dream. Whoever was behind all of this was an incredibly powerful witch who was able to manipulate the soul of those, almost like a possession.

“None of this is your fault,” I said in a hushed whisper. “It is forbidden because no one should hold dominion over the soul of another.”

Salvator’s jaw muscles knotted and he glanced away.

“I have no problem saying how I feel about this entire situation,” Jethro replied. “We were violated by some psycho bitch, and when I find who she is, I will personally blow her brains out so she can never do that to anyone ever again.”

“Death is too good for someone like that,” Paulo bit out. “She should be tried by the olden laws since they govern over the forbidden enchantments.”

Those had been dark days when the magical community had suffered more than they had during the witch trials. Old scores had been settled and petty jealousies allowed to fester and bloom into full hatred. Coven leaders and the elders vowed to never allow the punishments used in that period to be utilised again.

“Those were dark times,” I replied. “People are still suffering from what happened back then. Some of us barely survived with our sanity and lives.”

“A bullet will suffice,” Salvator said, trailing his fingers through his hair. “Let’s end this as quickly as possible and try to move on with our lives.”

He gave me a brief look and my heart stuttered in my chest. Did he mean to move on from me, that because he had been manipulated by witches he didn’t want any in his life? I had witnessed his memories, seen what he had been forced to participate in, and that left a mark on your soul.

I was his mate, meaning that in the weird cosmic lottery, we were destined for each other, but that didn’t mean that love was involved. Salvator wanted me, his wolf desired me as the mother of his children, but since we had been reunited there had been no words of love as there had been in the past, only words of possession.

“The olden ways are named that for a reason,” Dominic added, his face pinched since he had lived through that dark time as well. “The world is changing and finding more efficient ways of removing threats. Daggers marked with runes to ensure those we kill stay dead, to prevent them reincarnating into hellspawn. Weapons designed to kill only certain species. We have evolved in many ways and we no longer need to torture and torment those we wish to kill.”

“I might not need to, but after the atrocity committed against my wolf, I want to,” Paulo replied. “The witch who cast her spell didn’t need to, but she did it anyway.”

Paulo walked on without another backward glance.

“His memories have been returning,” Jethro explained. “None of us are proud of what we did. I wake up at night in a cold sweat with the memories still fresh in my head. She took something from us, a pride that we carried that we had never lowered ourselves to be involved in those sick events.” Jethro followed Paulo.

Salvator stood impassively, his expression filled with hatred. “It leaves a taint behind that you can’t wash away, leaving you feeling dirty and unworthy.” His top lip lifted in a sneer. “For years I refused to go near anyone with magic, a strong aversion to the sensation of it, and now I know why.” He spun on his heel and stormed off after his packmates.

Dominic’s stare felt heavy on me and I finally looked at him. “He doesn’t mean you, Luna. Right now, he’s angry and seeking vengeance. Give him time to rid his system of that anger.”

I’d spent my entire life pretending to be okay, but my facade started to splinter around me. A tear escaped, and I dashed it away, a shaky smile on my lips as I nodded. Dominic was wrong. From the moment Salvator realised the full extent of what happened to him, he hated me the same as all the other magic users. We may be mated, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be with me.

The tunnel felt as if it was closing in around me, and my vision blurred as I kept moving forward. Dominic’s hand gripped my arm when I stumbled. I would see this mission through, and then I would return to the life I had built myself far from the prying eyes of the world. It wasn’t my turn to sleep through the decades, but right now my heart needed that more than anything else.

A metal doorway covered the entrance, a panel to the side of it that required Salvator’s fingerprints and retinal scan to open it. A spiral staircase behind it led up into the building that housed the heart of his organisation.

“I feel like an innocent lamb being led into a den of vicious wolves,” Dominic drawled, his voice heavy with sarcasm. The ancient vampire spent his life dancing with death, deliberately taunting the fates. His grin made me smile for the first time in days. There could be a thousand wolves in this building and he would still view it as a challenge.

“One of these days, you will find someone strong enough to make you re-evaluate your life,” I said.

“What makes you think I haven’t found that person?” he queried. “I’ve lived long enough for several human lifetimes and travelled the globe. I learnt a long time ago in the same way you did to keep my secrets to myself and show the world what they want to see.”

His gaze bored into mine and I saw something I never had before; a desperate longing that resonated inside me.

“A happy ending isn’t for everyone,” I replied.

He shrugged one shoulder. “Some loves burn so brightly you can only spend a limited time with that person before you are incinerated.”

“If you are both finished the great debate on love, we need to mask your appearance.” Salvator’s face was emotionless, and that wounded me more than his anger. His expression was impossible to read, all his thoughts and feelings hidden from me.

I dropped my head, rummaging in my bag to find the small make-up bag at the bottom with the enchanted products that would conceal who we were. Without speaking, I quickly applied some of the products to Dominic, changing his appearance to make him the opposite of his dark and moody persona. Then I worked on myself, pulling my long hair back and tying it into a tight bun at the back of my neck. Anyone who looked at me would see someone taller and curvier with blonde hair and a tanned complexion.

“Remember your stories if someone stops you,” Salvator said, his gaze running over me. “Tarrack is already in the command centre, and we’re heading to a briefing to alert everyone to the next threat.”

We had found a loophole to give them a story to allow them back in the base with minimal questions. The hellspawn that Dominic was so fond of talking about was the perfect alibi, especially since no one in this area knew much about them and the magic they wielded.

“We will wander the base, releasing your hounds from that which binds them,” Dominic said, retrieving the specially adapted dart gun from his coat. I had created a potion that would neutralise the spell cast on the wolves.

I sucked in a breath and slowly released it. “Good luck, everyone. We have your trackers in our pockets, so Tarrack should be able to locate us.” Salvator nodded once and turned to move away only I caught his fingers with mine. “Stay safe,” I said, unable to help myself. His eyes met mine for a brief moment before he transformed into an alpha wolf and strode through the base with authority and power.

Dominic and I stood in the corridor, and no one gave us a second glance, which meant the extra ingredient I had added to my make-up bag was working and we were invisible to those who weren’t seeking us. Dominic aimed at a wolf walking past and shot him with a dart. The wolf rubbed the side of his neck, a confused expression appearing on his face.

“All good. Stick to the plan, little witch. There are not many people I like in this world, but you are one of them.” Dominic squeezed my shoulder before moving deeper into the base.

The wolves had devised a plan, but that didn’t mean I had to stick to it. The remainder of the potion was at the bottom of my bag, safely contained in a sealed flask. I had memorised the basic plans Salvator had drawn, and I had asked several questions to hide the one I wanted answered. The water supply all came through one pipeline into the building.

I left the shooting people to Dominic, and navigated my way through the base, being careful to stay clear of any magical signatures I sensed. I was making good progress when someone stepped in front of me, their nails digging into my arm to stop me.

The woman’s eyes widened in recognition, and my heart thudded in my ears when I recognised one of my sister priestesses. Her face was the same, but her aura wasn’t, darkness tainting her.

“What did you do?” I asked in a low tone.

Her beautiful face contorted to show the evil that lurked inside her. “What I had to do to survive. Not all of us were protected by mother priestess. Some of us she willingly left to be caught and sacrificed, while others were given gifts so they could hide themselves.”

I remembered being confused by what was in the bundle she had given me. A small book of spells, an amulet, and some food and money. That amulet had travelled the globe with me several times over, ensuring my protection. I had assumed we had all been given the same gift. Obviously not.

“Mother priestess wanted us all to survive,” I replied. “She would be ashamed to see what you have become.”

“They watched Salvator for years,” she said, and I pulled my arm away from her. “Everyone knew how much you were infatuated with him. If anyone would draw you back to this place, it would be him. What I don’t understand is why now after all this time?”

Over the years, I had learnt to mask my emotions so no one saw the turmoil inside me. A fake smile turned my lips up into a smile. “This is not my first time to return,” I replied. “I visit frequently to catch up with old friends.”

“We would have felt your presence,” she snapped.

“And yet, you didn’t.” I rubbed my fingertips together to activate the spells held there. I had avoided fighting witches for centuries because I hated to harm one of my own kind.

“There is a great reward for your capture, a power that many covet.” She raised her hands, ready to stun me, but she was too late.

Even though I tended to live in isolation, I had learned to fight in the witch wars two centuries ago. None of us were proud of what we had to do to endure, but survival was a base instinct. The spells on my fingers had taken years of dedication to perfect and place on my body, something a dark witch wouldn’t have the patience or the connection with nature to complete.

The power of elemental magic hit her full force to the chest, forcing her back several paces. I followed her, strengthening my attack, and forming a ball of energy between the palms of my hands before releasing it. The energy balls impacted against her, spinning her in the middle of the room.

Her entire face changed, her true distorted form revealed, the beautiful veneer fading away. She launched herself at me with her elongated claw-like hands with sharp nails honed as weapons, muttering an incantation.

Magic wasn’t my only form of self-defence. I flung-up a protective bubble, side-stepping her, and spinning to grab her long hair. I dragged her back, kicking her abdomen, and activating the tattvas on my hand. I slapped her in the centre of the chest to push the spell into her body.

She shrieked, body writhing as she tried to escape. She lashed out, her fists pounding my face and neck, her feet kicking at me. Her strength did not match her slender form, her blows weakening me.

I tightened my hold on her hair, and activated a spell I had hoped never to have to use again. The phobia spell released the recipient’s greatest fear, making them experience it everywhere they went. Fear tended to override every other emotion, paralysing the person.

She screamed again, this time her hands flailing in front of her as if to try and get rid of something. I dragged her toward a door at the back of the room, which revealed a storage area. I should kill her, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that that would strengthen Balor, so instead I bound her with magic, leaving her in a statis spell, her body frozen, but her mind alive and fighting against her phobias. When I sealed the door with a locking spell, I retraced my footsteps through the building, taking an unused stairwell near the back that led directly to the basement.

I could inject every single person in this building, or I could infuse the remainder of the potion into the water system that everyone had access to, including any corrupt witches. It wasn’t specifically designed to break a spell-binding, but to remove any spell cast on that person, and that included one that masked the true identity and intent of Balor’s operatives hiding here.

Time was against us, and I felt Salvator’s emotions inside me. He was irritated and angry, his wolf screaming in both of our heads.

“I’m trying,” I whispered. “You need to trust me.”

For a moment, I felt the wolf’s energy inside me, giving me the strength I needed to forge ahead. I stopped for a moment, my hand on the wall to stabilise me.

“I need to find the water inlet,” I said, and a ghostly energy nudged me to show me the way. I staggered on, determined to set these wolves free, to return their free will to them.

I hated the darkness, the memories flashing behind my eyes of my years in captivity. They had kept me locked in a dark room with only rats and cockroaches to keep me company in between them taking my blood and cutting pieces from my body to try and steal my magic.

Salvator’s wolf led me further into the bowels of the building, his presence reassuring me. Eventually, we came to an inlet, a lever at the side. It was stiff from not moving for years, the damp down here causing a crust to form around the mechanism. My hands slipped several times, my fingers aching from trying to open it.

“Take a breath and concentrate,” Salvator’s voice sounded in my head. “You have lip balm in your bag. Use the strength of my wolf.”

My energy was flagging, but I centred myself, connecting with the power of the wolf who had sought me out because he sensed my need. I felt his presence in me, as if I was too big for my body, my shoulders trying to widen and my frame needing to expand. I smeared the waxy lip balm that contained my illusion spell around the mechanism, and gripped the lever again. My fingers changed form, elongating into powerful claws as they used brute strength to force the lever to open.

I sucked in a breath, tears escaping to roll down my cheeks when it finally gave way. I poured the potion into the main water supply, locking the valve again before picking up my bag. It hadn’t occurred to me that Salvator would be able to see or sense what I was doing down here since our connection had been blocked since he returned from the rainforest.

“There’s a problem up here. You need to get out of the basement and hide somewhere,” Salvator said, his voice urgent. “I’ll find you when this is over.”

Panic surged through me, first from not knowing what was happening, and second from Salvator’s emotions echoing in my chest.

We were currently involved in a game of life or death, and only the winner survived.