Chapter Eleven – Blood and Moonlight
Kael's breathing was ragged.
Though he stood tall as they faced the creeping shadows, Aria could see it—the way his sword arm trembled slightly, the unnatural pallor of his skin. His wound was worse than he let on. Every time he swung his black-fire blade, blood seeped fresh through the cloth binding his side.
"Kael, stop!" Aria shouted over the chaos.
"I can't," he growled, cutting down another Nightborn. His movements were still powerful, but slower now, each strike costing him more strength. "If I stop, you'll die."
Aria's heart pounded as she stabbed at a smaller shadow with her dagger, barely keeping it at bay. "Then we'll both die if you bleed out!"
For a moment, Kael faltered, his glowing eyes narrowing in pain. That split second nearly cost him his life—one of the larger Nightborn lunged at him, its claws poised to rip through his chest.
"Kael!"
Aria didn't think. She moved.
---
The dagger left her hand, spinning through the air, and struck the creature in the throat. It dissolved into black smoke, its shriek echoing into nothingness.
Kael's gaze whipped to her, a mix of anger and something softer. "You're reckless," he muttered.
"You're welcome," Aria shot back, grabbing his arm. "We're leaving. Now."
Before he could argue, she dragged him toward the tower stairs. He resisted at first but relented when his legs buckled slightly.
---
They stumbled into the upper chamber, a place half-forgotten with shattered windows and dust-covered relics. Aria pushed him down onto a bench, her hands trembling as she ripped away the blood-soaked cloth from his side.
The wound was worse than she'd feared. Dark veins were crawling from it like roots, pulsing faintly with black energy.
Aria's breath caught. "Kael… this isn't normal blood loss, is it?"
He grimaced, his jaw tightening. "Nightborn claws carry shadow poison. It's meant to finish what the curse started."
"Then we need medicine. Something. Anything!"
Kael shook his head. "There's only one thing strong enough to burn it out. But it's forbidden."
---
"Forbidden?" Aria's voice rose. "I don't care if it's forbidden—tell me what it is!"
Kael's glowing eyes met hers, intense and unyielding. "Blood magic. It's old, dangerous, and it will take as much as it gives."
"Then I'll do it," she said without hesitation.
"Aria, no," he snapped. "You're human. Blood magic will destroy you. It requires more than strength—it requires…" He paused, his voice softening. "…it requires a bond. A connection so deep it burns both souls."
Aria swallowed hard, her pulse racing. "And we don't have that?"
Kael froze, his expression unreadable. The silence stretched between them, heavy and charged.
---
"You don't know what you're asking," he murmured.
"Yes, I do," Aria said, moving closer. "You're dying. If there's even a chance I can save you, I'll take it. I don't care what it costs me."
Kael's breath hitched. His hand rose to her face, his thumb brushing her cheek as if committing it to memory.
"You'd risk everything for me?"
"I already have," she whispered.
---
For a moment, his eyes softened, all his walls crumbling. Then, with a heavy sigh, he nodded. "Fine. But I'll guide you. If it feels like it's too much, you stop. Do you understand?"
Aria nodded, though fear coiled in her stomach.
Kael pulled a small obsidian blade from his belt and handed it to her. "Cut your palm," he said, his tone steady despite the pain. "Blood calls to blood."
She hesitated only a second before pressing the blade to her skin. A sharp sting, and crimson welled up.
Kael did the same, slicing across his own palm. His blood was darker, almost black, and shimmered faintly under the moonlight spilling through the shattered window.
"Now," he said, taking her hand, "press it to my wound."
---
The moment their blood mixed, the world shifted.
Aria gasped as a rush of heat and light surged through her veins, flooding her body with something wild and electric. It wasn't just pain—it was like fire and lightning had fused inside her, reaching for something deep within her soul.
She cried out, but Kael's grip on her hand tightened.
"Stay with me," he said, his voice low but commanding. "Focus on me. Nothing else."
Aria's vision blurred, but she forced her eyes to stay on his. His glowing gaze anchored her, pulling her through the storm raging inside her.
---
Then something strange happened.
The magic didn't just heal him—it recognized her.
She saw flashes in her mind: a silver moon, a crown bathed in fire, and a voice whispering, "The heir is not born. The heir is chosen."
Aria's breath caught as the pain in her hand turned to warmth. The energy pouring from her into Kael felt natural, like she was meant to do this.
When it finally ended, Kael's wound was sealed, the dark veins gone.
---
Aria collapsed against him, her body trembling.
"Aria," Kael said softly, his arms catching her. His voice was a mixture of awe and concern. "What did you do?"
"I… I don't know," she whispered, breathless. "I just felt… like the magic wanted me."
Kael stared at her, his jaw tight, his glowing eyes wide with shock. "Humans can't wield blood magic like that. It should have burned you alive."
"But it didn't."
He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his expression dark and intense. "That's because you're not just human."
---
Aria froze. "What are you saying?"
Kael's hand lingered on her cheek. "I don't know yet. But your blood… it responded like it belonged to this realm. Like you belong to this realm."
Her heart pounded. "That's impossible. I was born in the human world."
Kael shook his head. "No. You were brought there. Someone hid you away—someone who knew you were part of this prophecy."
---
Aria's breath caught, her mind spinning. Not human? Brought here?
Her thoughts raced, but Kael's warm hand on her face grounded her. His voice softened.
"Whatever you are, Aria, you saved me. And I…" He hesitated, the words heavy on his tongue. "…I don't know what I'd do without you."
---
The vulnerability in his tone made her chest tighten. She leaned closer, her forehead resting against his.
"Then don't try to find out," she whispered.
For a long moment, they just sat there, breathing each other in. Kael's hand tightened around hers, as though afraid she might vanish if he let go.
Outside, the night was quiet, but Aria knew this peace wouldn't last. Not now.
Because something inside her had awakened.
And it terrified her almost as much as it thrilled her.