37. Benedetto
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
BENEDETTO
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I struggled to draw breath, each inhale sending shards of agony lancing through my chest. The strange place pulsed with energy, the very air seeming to warp and twist. Dust coated my throat, turning tacky where it mixed with the blood that seeped from my many wounds. It felt as if the ground itself was feeding on my life force, hungrily drinking in the crimson offering.
I blinked, my vision blurring at the edges as I fought to stay conscious. Pain radiated from every inch of my battered body, a searing testament to the dark magic Moonshifter had unleashed upon me. Gashes marred my skin, weeping crimson tears that stained the strange, shifting ground beneath me. Each breath was a battle, my lungs straining against the oppressive atmosphere that pressed down like a smothering weight.
Through the haze of agony, I saw Mother, her face contorted with rage as she charged another blast of energy at Moonshifter. Time seemed to slow, the seconds stretching into an eternity. Dread turned my blood to ice as I realized who stood next to me—Luna, my beloved Luna, standing defiantly with a rapidly eroding shield.
Moonshifter fell and Luna staggered as the blast of magic cracked her shield.
I couldn't let her die. The thought sliced through the fog of pain, sharp and desperate. Panic clawed at my heart, a wild, feral thing that threatened to consume me. I couldn't lose her now. Images flashed through my mind—Luna's rare smile, the warmth of her hand in mine, the stubborn set of her jaw when she faced a challenge. A lifetime of moments, precious and fleeting, all hanging in the balance.
When I tried to move, pain slammed into my chest with the force of a thousand hammers, stealing the breath from my lungs and sending me sprawling backward. White-hot agony seared through my veins, setting every nerve alight with searing torment. I tasted copper on my tongue as blood bubbled past my lips, the metallic tang mingling with the acrid smell of ozone.
A brilliant flash of light split the air, so intense that it seared my eyes. The ground shook with the force of a portal being punched through the defensive magic of the circle.
Through the haze of pain, I sought Luna's face, my vision narrowing until she was all I could see. Her gray eyes were wide with shock and fear, a shimmering veil of unshed tears making them glisten like stars in the night sky. I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat, choked by the blood that filled my mouth.
"I love you," I managed to whisper, my voice a broken rasp that barely carried over the crackling energy that surrounded us. It was a truth I had kept hidden, buried beneath layers of guilt and self-loathing. But in that moment, faced with the very real possibility of losing her forever, I could no longer hold it back.
My lips curved into a soft, broken smile, pouring every ounce of emotion into that simple gesture. Love, regret, longing—all the things I had never dared to voice aloud. My vision blurred, Luna's face swimming in and out of focus as the darkness crept in at the edges. I clung to the image of her, desperate to memorize every detail, to etch her into my very soul.
In the distance, I heard Luna cry out, her voice raw with anguish and fury.
Then the darkness claimed me, and I knew no more.
Consciousness returned to me in hazy fragments, the world filtered through a veil of pain. I heard the crackle of magic, felt a breeze of cool air. Blinking, I tried to focus, my mind sluggishly trying to make sense of the scene before me. Sofia and an unfamiliar man stood amidst the chaos, their arrival as sudden and jarring as a lightning strike.
A shimmering portal pulsed behind them, the edges crackling with residual energy. Sofia stepped forward, her movements precise and controlled. She carried Pip under one arm as a farm wife would a chicken, despite his squirms.
Her cool gaze swept over the room, assessing the situation with a detached efficiency that spoke of years of experience.
"It seems we arrived just in time," Sofia remarked. She moved toward Luna, a protective aura shimmering around her like a translucent shield. I watched through half-lidded eyes as the man followed, his expression an inscrutable mask of serenity.
Magic thundered around him, almost tangible in its weight.
As a man, he was perhaps my height and moved well. Probably competent with a blade, but I’d beat him sword to sword. A narrow face, brown hair, and the coldest hazel eyes I’d ever seen.
My instincts screamed danger.
“My master, this is Luna and Benedetto d’Alvarez.” Sofia released Pip and knelt by me, tracing a whiff of healing to dull the pain. He flew to Luna, who sat back on her heels, gray eyes intent on Soulrider, watching him as if ready to spring at his throat.
He met her gaze, and a genuine smile crossed his face. “Peace, lady. I mean you and your husband no harm.”
His gaze sharpened with a predatory intensity as he surveyed the area.
"Moonshifter," he murmured, the name falling from his lips like a dark invocation. "How fortuitous."
There was a weight to his words, a hidden depth that hinted at a complex history between the two men. And not a pleasant one.
I struggled to stay conscious, to make sense of the shifting dynamics in the room. I hadn't expected this. What bargain had Sofia made to bring him here? Had she made it in Luna's name or mine? The implications hung heavy in the air, a looming shadow of consequences yet to be revealed.
If it saved my love, I’d pay with my soul or whatever else the sorcerer required.
With a deliberate care, Soulrider walked to the intricate runes outlining the magic circle that bound us and dragged his foot through. The action was as casual as it was profound.
The hum of power dissipated, and the familiar contours of the room reasserted themselves. The air shimmered, reality reshaping itself like a mirage solidifying into tangible form.
Motion caught my eye. Mother met my eyes with a final, defiant glare, disappeared through a side door into the shadows beyond.
She was running. The thought drifted through my pain-addled mind, accompanied by a flicker of grim satisfaction. Good. It meant she knew she'd lost control of the situation.
And Luna and I were not yet kinslayers.
I let my head fall back, my battered body screaming for rest. The arrival of Sofia and Soulrider had tipped the scales in our favor, but I knew their presence came with strings attached. As I drifted on the edge of consciousness, I couldn't help but wonder if Sofia had bargained well.