Chapter 39Damien
Chapter
Thirty-Nine
DAMIEN
T he manor’s towering doors slam shut behind us just as the last of the shadows retreat, their hissing forms dissipating under the weight of the protective runes. We’ve barely made it. I can feel the toll it’s taken on all of us. My legs ache, my lungs burn, and every pulse of magic I forced through the fight feels like a raw wound.
Selene rushes to my side, her eyes wide with worry. “Damien!” Her hands reach for me, but I hold up a hand, trying to calm her down. “I’m fine,” I say, though the pounding in my skull tells me otherwise. I glance to my left and catch Ronan watching us, jealousy burning in his eyes. I know that look. He’s seething with it, barely holding back from saying something reckless .
We stumble deeper into the manor, into the safety of its enchanted walls. The magic here is old, strong. Runes from Adrian’s bloodline, stretching back generations, still guard the estate. I feel it settling around us, rejuvenating our depleted energy, though it’ll take time before we’re back to full strength.
“I can help you,” Selene insists, her voice trembling slightly. Her eyes flick to the injuries on my arm, and I can tell she’s desperate to do something, anything, after what just happened in the clearing.
Adrian steps forward, his voice calm but firm. “They just need time. Our powers will heal us on their own. This is how it works.”
Selene hesitates but then reluctantly nods, stepping back as we settle into the grand sitting room by the fire. The warmth helps, but the tension is palpable, crackling like a live wire between us all. Ronan glares into the flames, his posture tense. Lucien leans back, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Adrian sits beside me, his eyes thoughtful.
We sit in silence for a moment, each of us gathering our strength.
“We need a plan,” I say, breaking the silence. “We barely made it out of there.”
Selene steps forward again, her expression resolute. “I know what we need to do.”
I look at her, surprised. “You know? ”
She nods, her eyes steady. “I know about the Order’s curse. I know why they’re after me.”
For a moment, my heart stops. She knows about the curse? I hadn’t expected her to have uncovered this much. I wonder how much more she knows—about the Order, about me, and my own ties to the curse.
“You know about the curse?” Lucien asks, incredulous. Adrian leans forward, his sharp eyes narrowing as he studies her.
Selene takes a deep breath, then continues. “Yes. And I know what I need to do. If we’re going to end this, we need to go back to the clearing. To the altar. At the height of the Blood Moon.”
The room goes still. Lucien is the first to speak, his voice dripping with disbelief. “You’re joking, right? We just barely got out of there alive, and you want us to go back?”
Adrian nods in agreement. “He's right. The altar has power, yes, but we don’t know how it works or what will happen if we go back. We should wait for the Blood Moon to wane. Once its influence is gone, the Order’s power will diminish, and we can make our move.”
Selene’s frustration boils over. “No! It has to happen at the height of the Blood Moon."
Adrian raises an eyebrow at her. "If you can't say with certainty why, I'm not sure we can take such a risk."
Selene's anger grows. "Risk? Do you not understand? You can't back to your lives after this, pretending none of this ever happened.”
“Maybe for you, but not for us,” Ronan snaps. His voice is cold, biting, as he stands, his fists clenched at his sides.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Selene glares at him, stepping forward, her hands balling into fists.
“It means,” Ronan sneers, “that you might have something to lose, but we don’t. We’ve been doing this for centuries. We don’t need your power or your altar to survive.”
“Enough,” I say, my voice cutting through the rising tension. “I trust her.”
Everyone falls silent, turning to look at me. Selene’s eyes lock on mine, and for a moment, it’s as if the world around us falls away. I trust her. I don’t know why, but I do. Her power is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. If anyone can stop the Order, it’s her.
Adrian leans back, crossing his arms. “Trust her?” he echoes, his voice laced with skepticism. “Damien, you’ve been... close to her. Closer than any of us. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t a threat. We don’t know what she’s capable of.”
“That’s why we need to go to the altar,” I say firmly. “I felt its power when I was there with her. It’s the key to all of this.”
Lucien rolls his eyes. “The key to what? Getting ourselves killed? ”
I meet his gaze, unflinching. “To stopping the Order. You felt it too, Ronan. You know there’s something about her, something different.”
“And what if she’s just another piece in their game?” Lucien snaps. “What if we’re all just pawns?”
Ronan, who’s been quiet up until now, lets out a low, mocking laugh. “You really think you can stop the Order? You’re all so wrapped up in your feelings for her that you’ve lost sight of what’s really going on.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
Ronan’s smirk widens, his eyes gleaming with that familiar arrogance. “You’re all wasting your time with this nonsense about the Order,” he says, his voice dripping with disdain. “Instead of focusing on destroying something you’ll never defeat, we should be figuring out how to use Selene’s power for ourselves.”
The room goes still, tension hanging in the air. Lucien rises from his seat, his posture rigid, fists clenched. “You want to use her? Like she’s some weapon?”
Ronan doesn’t back down. “That’s exactly what she is. A source of power like none of us have ever seen. And you all know it. If we could harness that—control it—we’d have more strength than the Order could ever hope to match. But instead, you're talking about facing them down like some kind of foolish heroes? You know as well as I do that it’s impossible. ”
“You’re suggesting we don’t fight the Order?” Adrian’s voice is calm, but there’s an edge to it, like he’s just waiting for Ronan to say the wrong thing.
Ronan shrugs, crossing his arms. “I’m saying we focus on what’s right in front of us. The Order’s been untouchable for centuries. None of us can defeat them. So why not play to our strengths? Selene’s power could make us unstoppable. If we control her magic, we don’t need to concern ourselves with the Order’s games.”
My jaw tightens. “You’re talking about controlling her. Taking away her choice.”
“She has no choice,” Ronan shoots back, his tone sharp. “Do you think she can control this power on her own? You’ve seen what it’s done to her, how it overwhelms her. She needs someone to guide her, or it’ll destroy her.”
Lucien steps forward, his eyes burning with anger. “You mean you want to control her. For your own gain.”
Ronan smirks. “Don’t pretend you’re any different. I’m just the only one being honest about it.”
I glare at him, feeling the heat of my anger rising. “We’re not using her. She’s not a tool for any of us to manipulate.”
Ronan scoffs. “That’s where you’re wrong, Damien. She’s the key to everything, and if we don’t act fast, we’re going to lose whatever advantage we have. Stop pretending that you can protect her without understanding the kind of power she wields. ”
Before I can respond, Selene steps forward, her eyes blazing with fury. Power radiates from her, filling the room like a storm. The air crackles with energy, and we all freeze.
“There is no other way out of this,” she says, her voice steady, commanding. “I’m going to the altar at the height of the Blood Moon. If any of you want to join me, you’re welcome. But I’m not waiting for the Order to come for me. I’m ending this.”
We all stare at her, speechless. The sheer force of her power, her determination, silences even Ronan.
Then, without another word, she turns and leaves the room, the echo of her footsteps the only sound as we’re left in stunned silence.
“She’s serious,” Adrian says, breaking the silence. “She’s really going to do it.”
Lucien shakes his head, still incredulous. “She’s going to get herself killed.”
“No,” I say quietly, my gaze fixed on the door where Selene just disappeared. “She’s going to win.”