Bound By Blood (58 page)

“I
,
Daŕ
ēus
,
call upon my blood,

Ancient and powerful
--

Awaken you.

By my blood,

Blood of my blood,

The blood we are bound,

I bind you to me,

Rejoin our souls,

And make us one.”

             
The words seemed simple
,
but the charms and destiny they invoked we
re fantasy in flight. H
is teeth bite gently into her neck, his
saliva
numbing her so that she felt no pain bu
t immediate release. Their bodies
filled up with fire
,
as if a thousan
d pleasures infiltrated them
at once.
Her nails gripped into his flesh,
as a flush of
bli
ss washed over their
mind
s
.
At its
greatest intensity
,
which seemed to last forever, she felt
, he felt,
as if the Great Mother was within her and as if the universe and all its wonders lived inside
her. Yet
instead of a fleeting release, they clung to her
awareness
, lasting for what seemed like an eternity
.

             
He felt himself
liberate
d
inside her as her blood
kept
moving warmly
like a flame
down his throat. His muscles drew up
all over his body;
his release offered no mercy. He forced himself to withdraw from her blood, the feelings still overcoming him. With blurred eyes
,
pulsating
with
fire and ice, he brought her gaze unto his.
Foreheads touching, h
e called to her, so sweet her name
was
. He called to her soul as a pure white light engulfed them both.

             
She felt his power pull against her, move through her and possess her. Her body relaxed beneath hi
s
.

“Bound to
me
,
Beloved,

As I am bound to
you
.

By the blood of mine,

I call and awaken your true power within.

I make you like me,

You are like me.

And summon your true nature to emerge.

Awaken now
.

The ancients cry with joy at the sound of your name.

The Great Mother calls you to me,

She welcomes you home to her,

As we both bid you to take your place here with us
. . .

Where our love can forever burn free.

Blood of my blood,

Soul of me
,

Take of me and your rightful place by my side.”

             
To his thrill, two fangs began to push themselves from
among
her
other
teeth. Her eyes began to glow
with
a golden light.

             
“Take from me what I give to you
,
Samanthŕa
. Let your true nature awaken.” 

             
She found his neck and took it
,
as instinct led her. Her thoughts had left her long ago. Her rational mind disconnected itself. She did not think.
He heard no thoughts from within.
She moved towards the natural beating of his pulse.

             
He had waited so long for this
, what
his body gave unto hers. The power moved
,
unlocking the secrets
of
her soul
,
binding her once again to his, binding her
again
to
bonds, which
had long ago been made, renewing the sacred promise of them.

             
She felt his ancient blood move through her, forcing open her
A
wakening, as his life, her life, and all their li
ves together flashed before their
eyes. Such secrets, such passion, such history and love had they known. The truth of what and who she was revealed itself in short flashes as she pulled away, dizzy and barely holding on
due to
all the power.

             
She knew him.
He knew she knew him.
Her mind swooned
, dizzy from
all its spinning.
Again, he felt all that she did.
He had always been hers
,
as she had always been his. Her eyes grew hazy. They
were
tempted to close.

             
He laid her back
,
caressing her hair
,
while speaking ancient words to guide her on
t
he journey she must make now, on her own, against her own mind and memories. All that
came
before, the truth which had been hidden
,
would awaken, bringing forth all her identities, powers and gifts. He waved his hand over her eyes, gently kissing them closed, silencing her thoughts so that the
A
wakening could shape her and take its true form.

             
Once a deep sleep embraced her, he withdrew from her side, only to watch her from a short distance
away
.
He waved his hand so that the fur blankets snuggled a
round
her,
even while
sensing her mind
beginning to
drift from him and
from
this place.

             
“No one will take you from me now. In all these
years,
their presence has been but a ripple in our perfect body of water.
No more, no more
,
”
h
e said within her mind.
             

             
Then h
e knelt
on
the floor and began to weep tears of blood. He was overwhelmed. All this time he
’d
had to be so strong and so detached. So much time was stolen from them
.
T
he agony of suffering without her
had
been
redoubled
the moment he
’d
returned, seeing her, finding her in the
tavern
and discovering that she had no memory
or instinct
of him
--
or herself. It was madness, pure madness. It was over now. She would remember. She would remember
everything
.

             
He called out and thanked the Great Mother for his precious treasure. He thanked her with all of his soul for giving him a soul, for giving him her.

             
Then he prayed
fervent
ly,
Let her mind survive this
, k
nowing that his part in her
A
wakening had ended and her
inner
battle would now begin. Her body would change
;
her beast would
e
merge. Her memories would come at last
,
he hoped, and she would face her nightmares. She would struggle because she
had
never
been
prepared for what her body and mind would now face.
Goddess, keep her safe
.
Make her survive this.

***

             
A
nd yet when light finally slips
back
into a dark and foreboding place where shadows had fought to keep it out . .
. something else, of opposite nature, must also slip.

             
Far, far away, in another realm so very distant, a
cold, dense fog spilled
out
over the edge of a murky,
abandoned well.
A storm still
rumbled over the night sky. The rain stopped
,
at least for now. Spring’s kiss was struggling against something
frigidly unnatural
, which
was not
part of
the storm itself
but something unholy
. A prophecy had been triggered
and
invoked. Something was on the edge of the darkness
, rising
to heed its call
, demanding its freedom,
reasoning
weighed against the scales of balance and what is fair
.

             
The well was
a remnant
, left
from something forbidden, destroyed long, long ago. If water
had
ever blessed it then it would have been cursed
still,
for its bottomless
recess
opened into something much deeper. The black purging stone reflected
only
foulness
,
yet had purpose and distinction
,
and placed
there by ruthless hands to mark the spot
at
which nothing should be conjured or spoken.

             
Something was spoken
though,
now,
underneath the dark hidden shadow of the moon. Words
were voiced,
willing
and
ancient
,
corrupt intention and desire,
by
something which sensed a great power stirring and attempted to unleash it,
steer
it, give it form.

             
The fog turned into a black impenetrable substance. It scattered about like long lingering claws stretching, yawning
, smearing
its stench across the contaminated ground. It had no form or exact shape
,
only the intensity of its evilness
,
i
ts
rotting
stench
rising
like vapor.

             
“My Love,”
a
voice whispered from the darkness. A figure in a dark cloak stepped forward to reveal
a
face
—
Monéaklá
.

             
The torch she held suddenly lit
;
its dim light caused the black fog to hide itself with blurry speed. A horrid but dire scream screeched
and vibrated
like nails on a
chalkboard
.

             
Monéaklá at
once
dropped the torch
.
"Forgive me, my Love!"
A
s the dampness of the ground
ex
tinguished
it,
she bowed and begged for forgiveness
,
once the black fog
had
returned.

             
“I need to
feed
,
”
t
he black fog told her.
“I need
flesh
--
and power to assume flesh of my own
,
so that I may take
form
.
I need
form
!
”

             
“It’s already been prepared
,
my Love
,
”
Monéaklá promised
.
"I have collected victims of all nature, of all powers. You will have what you need."

             
“
Something feels off. Something feels wrong. My strength should be more.
How am I here? How was I freed?”
t
he black fog's
tone was chilling.
“The signs ar
e wrong
. The time has not come. Deeds
were
not done.
I should be stronger.
Why am I not stronger
? Did you not do the things I told you of? What of the sacrifice?
”