Blood Moon Oath
The town square was empty when Elias arrived, the clock tower striking midnight. Torch flames danced on the gallows, casting long, twisted shadows—shadows that didn’t belong to the wood, but to something darker. He tensed as a low, rasping voice slid through the air.
“Elias Voss. I thought you’d hide in your crypt tonight.”
A figure stepped from behind the blacksmith’s shop—tall, robed in crimson, face hidden by a hood. The air grew cold, so cold Elias’s breath fogged in front of him. He reached for the silver dagger at his belt, but the figure laughed, a sound like shattering glass.
“Put it down. We’re not here to fight. Not yet.” The hood fell, revealing a face pale as marble, eyes like molten gold. “I’m Seraphina. Leader of the Eastern Coven.”
Elias’s jaw tightened. The Eastern Coven—vampires who fed on supernaturals, who’d wiped out half the werewolf packs in the north a decade ago. “What do you want?”
“Blood Moon.” Seraphina held up a pendant, a red gem glowing at its center. “It rises in three days. And when it does, the old 契约 (pact) breaks. The barrier between our worlds falls. But only if we have the wolf’s heart.”
Elias froze. The pact—he’d heard the stories, passed down through vampire elders. A agreement between wolves and vampires, sealed with the blood of their first leaders, that kept the dark creatures of the Underworld locked away. “You’re going to kill Kael.”
“Kill him? No.” Seraphina smiled, sharp and cruel. “I’m going to use him. His bloodline is the last of the original wolves. His heart, paired with this gem… we’ll control the Underworld. Imagine it, Elias. No more hiding. No more fear of the sun or the moon. We’ll be gods.”
Elias stepped back, hand brushing the communicator in his pocket—the one Kael had given him, for emergencies. “You’re insane. The Underworld creatures will destroy everything. Humans, wolves, vampires—we’ll all be dead.”
“Collateral damage.” Seraphina shrugged, twirling the pendant. “But if you help me, I’ll spare you. You can rule by my side.”
Elias laughed, a cold, bitter sound. “I’d rather burn in the sun than be your puppet.”
He turned to run, but Seraphina was faster. She grabbed his arm, her fingers like ice, and sank her fangs into his neck. Elias screamed, feeling his strength drain away, his vision blurring.
“Foolish,” Seraphina whispered, dropping him to the ground. “Now Kael will come for you. And when he does, I’ll have his heart.”
She vanished into the night, leaving Elias bleeding in the square. He reached for the communicator, his fingers trembling, and pressed the button.
“Kael,” he gasped. “Help.”
Kael’s cabin was a mess—clothes scattered, empty beer bottles on the floor, a map of the forest spread across the table. He’d been tracking Seraphina for weeks, ever since she’d killed his sister. When the communicator buzzed, he grabbed it, his heart racing.
“Elias? What’s wrong?”
There was no answer, just static and a faint groan. Kael cursed, grabbing his jacket and the silver axe leaning against the door. He ran into the forest, his boots thudding against the ground, his senses on high alert. He could smell Elias’s blood—faint, but there—leading toward the town.
When he reached the square, he froze. Elias lay on the ground, his neck bleeding, his skin pale. Kael dropped to his knees, pressing his hand against the wound.
“Elias. Stay with me.”
Elias’s eyes fluttered open. “Seraphina… she has the gem. Wants your heart. Blood Moon.”
Kael nodded, lifting Elias into his arms. “I know. I’ve been tracking her. We need to get you to safety.”
He carried Elias to the old church on the edge of town—abandoned, full of dust and cobwebs, but safe. He laid Elias on the altar, tearing his shirt to bandage the wound.
“You’re gonna be okay,” Kael said, his voice tight. “I’ll find a healer. A witch. Someone who can help.”
Elias shook his head, grabbing Kael’s wrist. “No. Seraphina… she’s not working alone. There’s a pack of werewolves with her. Turned. By the gem.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. Turned werewolves—ones who’d lost their minds, controlled by dark magic. He’d fought them before, and they were brutal. “We need to stop her before the Blood Moon. The gem’s power grows stronger with each passing night.”
Elias closed his eyes, taking a shaky breath. “The pact… the original leaders. Their graves are in the Wolf’s Den. A cave in the mountains. If we can get their blood, we can re-seal the barrier. Even without the gem.”
Kael nodded. “Then we go to the Wolf’s Den. Tonight.”
Elias opened his eyes, a faint smile on his face. “You’re crazy. I can barely stand.”
“I’ll carry you.” Kael stood, helping Elias to his feet. “We’re in this together. Remember?”
Elias nodded, leaning against Kael for support. “Together.”
The journey to the Wolf’s Den was brutal. The mountains were cold, the wind howling, snow starting to fall. Kael carried Elias most of the way, his muscles burning, but he didn’t stop. They had less than two days until the Blood Moon, and Seraphina was close—he could smell her, the sickly sweet scent of her perfume mixed with the rot of the Underworld.
When they reached the cave, Kael set Elias down against the wall. The cave was dark, the only light coming from the moon filtering through a crack in the ceiling. In the center, there were two stone coffins—one for the first wolf leader, one for the first vampire leader.
Kael walked to the coffins, his hand hovering over the wolf’s. “I need your blood. To save us.”
He pulled a small knife from his pocket, pricking his finger. He pressed it against the coffin, and the stone glowed, a faint blue light spreading across the surface. The lid creaked open, revealing a skeleton dressed in fur, a small vial of blood clutched in its hand.
Kael grabbed the vial, turning to Elias. “We have it. Now we just need to—”
The cave door slammed shut. Seraphina stood in the entrance, a pack of turned werewolves behind her. Their eyes were black, their jaws dripping with saliva.
“Give me the vial, Kael,” Seraphina said, her voice cold. “Or your friend dies.”
Kael stepped in front of Elias, the vial clutched in his hand. “You’re not getting anything. The barrier stays up.”
Seraphina laughed. “Foolish wolf. Do you really think you can stop me? I have an army. And your little vampire friend is dying. Without my blood, he’ll be dead by morning.”
Elias groaned, pushing himself to his feet. “Don’t listen to her, Kael. She’s lying.”
Seraphina smiled. “Am I? Let’s test it.” She nodded to one of the turned werewolves, who lunged at Elias.
Kael moved fast, swinging his axe. The werewolf fell to the ground, its head rolling across the cave. Seraphina snarled, signaling the others. They charged, their claws slashing, their teeth bared.
Kael fought back, his axe swinging, his teeth sinking into a werewolf’s neck. Elias joined him, his fangs bared, his claws tearing through flesh. The cave was filled with the sound of growls and screams, blood splattering across the stone.
Seraphina watched, a smile on her face. She waited until Kael was distracted, then lunged, grabbing the vial from his hand. Kael turned, growling, but it was too late. Seraphina held the vial up, the gem around her neck glowing.
“Now it’s over,” she said. “The Blood Moon rises. The barrier falls. And I become a god.”
She poured the vial’s contents into the gem, and the cave shook. The walls cracked, black smoke pouring from the fissures. The Underworld creatures were coming—shadows with red eyes, claws like knives, teeth sharp as blades.
Kael grabbed Elias, pulling him toward the cave entrance. “We have to run. Now.”
Elias shook his head, pushing Kael away. “No. I can stop her. The gem—its power comes from vampire blood. If I destroy it, the barrier re-seals.”
He turned to Seraphina, his fangs bared. “Come on, Seraphina. Let’s finish this.”
Seraphina laughed, charging at Elias. They fought, their claws clashing, their fangs sinking into each other’s flesh. Elias was weak, his blood still draining, but he fought on—for Kael, for the villagers, for everyone Seraphina had killed.
Kael watched, his heart racing. He saw an opening—Seraphina’s back was turned, the gem glowing brightly. He grabbed his axe, running toward her.
“Elias! Move!”
Elias ducked, and Kael swung the axe, slicing through Seraphina’s neck. Her head fell to the ground, her body crumpling. The gem clattered to the floor, its glow fading.
The black smoke stopped. The cave stopped shaking. The Underworld creatures vanished, back into the darkness.
Kael dropped the axe, rushing to Elias. He was lying on the ground, his body weak, his breathing shallow.
“Elias,” Kael said, kneeling beside him. “You’re gonna be okay. The gem’s gone. Seraphina’s dead.”
Elias smiled, his eyes closing. “Good. Tell… tell the villagers… I’m sorry. For everything.”
Kael shook his head, picking Elias up. “No. You’re gonna tell them yourself. I’m not letting you die.”
He carried Elias out of the cave, the moon still high in the sky. The snow had stopped, and the stars were shining. Kael walked toward the town, his steps steady, his heart full of hope.
Maybe, he thought, they could finally have peace.