Chapter 42Lucien
Chapter
Forty-Two
LUCIEN
T he day before the Blood Moon rises is an uneasy one, filled with tension that seems to thicken the air around the manor. Everyone is on edge, and I can feel it—the power brewing in the distance, the sense that we’re teetering on the edge of something colossal. Something dangerous.
I’ve spent the last few hours roaming the manor, restless, my mind churning with doubts and frustration over this idiotic plan to take on the Order. But as the afternoon sun begins to dip lower, casting long shadows over the gardens, I spot her.
Selene.
She’s standing among the flowers, her back to me, but there’s something different about her. The air around her is pulsing with energy, a raw, untamed force that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Her power is growing, but she’s struggling to control it. I can see the tension in her shoulders, the way her hands are clenched at her sides as if she’s trying to rein it all in.
I watch for a moment, silent, as she closes her eyes and seems to concentrate. The wind around her picks up slightly, rustling the leaves and bending the flowers at her feet. Her power is everywhere, and for a second, I almost step back, instinctively wary of the raw strength radiating from her.
But then she falters, her control slipping as the energy dissipates into the air. Her shoulders slump, and she sighs, frustration written all over her face.
I take a step forward, my boots crunching against the gravel of the garden path. She turns sharply, startled, her eyes wide as she spots me. For a brief moment, there’s something like panic in her gaze.
"Lucien," she says, her voice breathless, and she quickly looks away, as if caught in the middle of something she shouldn’t be doing.
I give her a half-smile and raise an eyebrow. "Don’t stop on my account. It’s not like I haven’t seen power before."
Selene bites her lip, a flash of uncertainty crossing her face. "I... I was just trying to practice. To be ready."
"Practice is good," I say, walking over to her, closing the distance between us. "Given how idiotic this plan is, it’s probably the best idea you’ve had all week."
She glances up at me, her brow furrowed. "You think it’s stupid?"
"I think the whole idea of taking on the Order is insane." I fold my arms across my chest, watching her closely. "But if you’re going to go through with it, it’s probably smart to know what you’re doing with all that power of yours."
Her lips twitch into a small smile, but it fades quickly as her gaze drops to the ground. "I don’t... I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time. This power—" she gestures vaguely, "it’s not something I asked for."
"No one asks for power, Selene," I say, my voice a little softer now. "But you’ve got it, and you need to learn how to use it before it consumes you."
She sighs, running a hand through her hair. "I’ve been trying. There’s this book..." She trails off, and I catch the flicker of hesitation in her eyes.
"A book?" I press, curious now.
She nods slowly and reaches into the folds of her dress, pulling out a small, worn book with strange symbols etched into the cover. She hands it to me, and as I take it, I frown at the symbols. They shift and swirl before my eyes, but no matter how hard I try to focus, I can’t make sense of them.
"What is this?" I ask, flipping through the pages.
"It’s supposed to help me understand my power," Selene explains. "It’s full of spells and information about the Order and witches, but... to you, it’s just symbols, isn’t it?"
I look up at her, surprised. "You can read this?"
She nods, biting her lip again. "Yes. It’s strange, though. The symbols... they change when I focus on them. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but then, Damien can too..." She trails off, as if she doesn’t want to finish her thought.
"Is that so?" I say, watching her closely.
She tenses for a moment, then quickly shakes her head. "No... I mean, yes, but it doesn’t matter."
I arch an eyebrow, but I let it go. Instead, I flip the book shut and hand it back to her. "Well, since I can’t make sense of that, what exactly have you been trying to do?"
Selene takes a deep breath and glances around the garden. "There’s a spell in the book... it’s supposed to help me focus my power. To control it better."
"Show me," I say, stepping closer, my curiosity piqued.
She hesitates for a moment, but then she nods. Selene takes a step back, closes her eyes, and extends her hands in front of her. I can feel the air around us shift again, her power rising as she focuses. The wind picks up, swirling around her like a protective barrier.
I watch, intrigued, as the power gathers, coiling around her like a living thing. But then, just as before, it slips away, dissipating into the air like smoke. Selene’s eyes snap open, frustration clear on her face.
"Damn it," she mutters under her breath.
I step forward, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. "You’re trying too hard to control it. Power like yours... it’s not something you can cage."
Her eyes meet mine, a flicker of uncertainty in them. "Then how do I...?"
I take a step closer, my hand sliding down her arm. "You don’t. You guide it. Power isn’t meant to be tamed, Selene. It’s meant to be harnessed."
She nods slowly, and I can see the determination in her eyes as she closes them again. This time, the power rises more smoothly, flowing through her like a river instead of a storm. The air around us hums with energy, and I can feel the pull of her magic, the raw strength of it.
For several hours, we continue practicing. I help her focus, guiding her when she falters, but mostly, I just stand back and let her power flow. There’s something exhilarating about watching her come into her own, seeing the potential that she’s only just beginning to understand.
The sun is beginning to set by the time we hear footsteps approaching. I glance over my shoulder and see Damien and Adrian walking toward us, their expressions unreadable .
"It’s time," Damien says, his voice low. "We need to make our move before dusk. The Blood Moon will rise soon."
Selene’s eyes flicker with uncertainty, but she nods. "I’ll be ready."
"Good," Adrian adds, his eyes lingering on the two of us for a moment longer than necessary. "We leave as soon as the sun sets."
As they walk away, I turn back to Selene and give her a small nod. "You’re stronger than you think. Just remember that."
She smiles faintly, but I can see the weight of what’s coming pressing down on her. The Blood Moon is close, and everything we’ve been preparing for is about to unfold.
And for better or worse, Selene will be at the center of it all.