Chapter 9 – Blood, Fire, and Moonlight
The forest blurred past Blue and Xavier — shadows streaking, leaves whipping like knives against their skin. The smoke grew thicker, curling around the moon's pale edge.
When they reached the ridge above Hollowfen, the sight stopped even Blue's breath.
The entire village was chaos — roofs ablaze, dark fire spiraling into the sky like black serpents. The air reeked of magic, ash, and death.
Down below, he saw them — Kin and Rito, running through the square, dodging bolts of dark flame that shattered stone and splintered wood. And there, floating amid the carnage, was Gus, his wings open wide, his eyes glowing like molten gold laced with red.
Xavier's jaw tightened. "Stay close. Don't move unless I tell you to. This is not training anymore."
Blue nodded, but his heartbeat was wild, pounding in his chest like thunder.
"Dad…" he whispered. "That's Gus. We can't hurt him—"
"If he's too far gone, we don't have a choice." Xavier's voice was steel. "But maybe they can reach him."
Below, Rito and Kin split, circling their old friend like wolves in the dirt.
"Gus!" Kin yelled. "Please! Stop this! You're destroying innocent people!"
Gus laughed — a sound that didn't belong to a boy anymore. "Innocent? No one here is innocent. The witches showed me truth — your kind, his kind—" he pointed toward the woods where Blue hid, "—you all spill blood and call it order."
He swept his arm wide, summoning a spiral of fire. Kin rolled, Rito countered with a burst of glowing green light — instinctive, uncontrolled — her fae power reacting to danger. The clash of light and dark painted the night.
Xavier's eyes narrowed. "She's learning to use it… even without guidance. The fae blood's awake."
Blue stepped forward, his fists clenched. "We have to help them."
Xavier gripped his shoulder. "Not yet. They must learn what they're fighting for. If they don't face fear now, they'll never survive what's coming."
The ground shook as Rito struck again — vines of light forming around her arm before she whipped them toward Gus. He countered with dark fire, the explosion sending both Kin and Rito sprawling across the burning street.
Blue's chest burned. He couldn't just stand there. He darted forward before Xavier could stop him, flames reflecting in his eyes.
Back at the manor, Selene stood at the window, trembling. The hunger was gone — but something colder replaced it.
A whisper crept through the room — soft, mocking, echoing.
"Your king and your son left you alone, night queen."
Selene turned slowly. The candles blew out. Shadows thickened.
Then three shapes materialized — cloaked women, their eyes glowing sickly green, skin gray like drowned flesh.
The witches of the Night.
Selene's fangs extended instantly. "You've made a mistake coming here."
The lead witch laughed, voice sharp as shattered glass. "No, dear. You made the mistake — choosing love over your nature. Now we'll take back what belongs to us."
They lifted their hands and black tendrils shot forward — pure dark magic meant to bind her. Selene moved faster than lightning, vanishing in a blur and reappearing behind them. Her claws slashed through the air, slicing the tendrils before they could reach her.
"I am not yours," she hissed.
The witches smirked. "No… but your son will be."
Selene roared — an animal sound that shook the glass in the walls. The air in the manor exploded with power as she lunged. The fight was brutal — shadow against bloodlight. Every strike from the witches cracked the walls; every counter from Selene split the floorboards.
They pinned her once, briefly — their chants binding her arms with black fire. Selene snarled, ripping free, her eyes glowing crimson. "You think I'm weak because I've loved? You think I've forgotten what I am?"
She launched forward and tore through one witch's chest, the body dissolving into smoke and ash. The other two screamed, retreating into shadow, whispering:
"The full moon rises… and so will our king…"
Selene fell to one knee, panting. Blood smeared her arm. "X… Blue…" she whispered, staring toward the burning glow of the village. "Be safe."
In Hollowfen, the battle hit its peak.
Blue reached Kin and Rito just as Gus raised his hands again, summoning a sphere of black fire so bright it turned night into false dawn.
"GUS!" Blue yelled, stepping between him and the others. "Stop! It's me!"
For a heartbeat, something flickered behind Gus's eyes — recognition, hesitation.
Then a shadow hand — faint but visible — touched his shoulder. One of the witches' illusions, whispering poison. "He's your enemy."
Gus's smile cracked, madness filling the space again. "Then die, monster."
The fireball screamed toward Blue—
But Xavier was faster. He appeared in front of his son, sword drawn in a blur of silver light. The blade cleaved through the magic, splitting it apart, the explosion rippling through the air like thunder.
Gus stumbled back, shocked. "You—"
Xavier's eyes glowed faint gold. "You've fallen far, boy."
The ground between them burned with ancient power as Xavier and Gus clashed — dark magic against pure hybrid might. Each strike rattled the sky.
Rito pulled Kin to safety, both staring as gods and demons battled before their eyes.
"Blue," Kin gasped, "we can't just stand here!"
"I know," Blue said, stepping forward. His hands trembled — but then something woke inside him. His veins lit faintly blue, eyes brightening to match. "I'm done running."
He charged, joining his father — the two of them moving in perfect sync. Xavier's sword swept right, Blue's claws left, driving Gus back in a storm of sparks and fire.
The witches' whispers echoed from the burning air: "Kill them. Kill the king. Kill the heir."
And under the full moon, Hollowfen burned brighter than ever — a war just beginning.