Marius had to act quickly.
With his free hand, he pulled the vial over his neck. The water glowed the same brilliant blue as it had in the pool, and for a moment, he relivedthe fear he’d felt when Vivienne dove towards the water. But that was over, and she was safe. He reminded himself of that as he turned around, putting his back to the feral vampire.
He held the Forsaken Blade in front of him. Inferna’s instructions rolled through his mind, the ancient words she’d spoken sitting on the tip of his tongue.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Marius sent a quick prayer to whatever gods might be listening that this would work before opening them again. He held the blade flat in his palm and tilted the vial.
Iridescent blue spilled over the lip, falling over the dagger.
Marius mouthed the ancient words, pulling them from his memory. Though he didn’t speak the ancient language of the Spirits, somehow, he understood their meaning.
Isvana and Ithiar, goddess of the moon and god of blood, I call upon your names and ask you to bless this blade.
The water hit the obsidian and sizzled. Blue sparks lifted in the air.
A scream rose behind him. The First’s victim was near death.
Marius returned his attention to the dagger and finished the incantation.
Blood and death go hand in hand,
And life requires balance.
May this blade bring a swift end to the one it seeks to contain,
For freedom to once again reign.
The last words coincided with the final drops of water spilling from the vial.
Blue swirls ran across the blade in a pattern too quick for Marius to decipher, and then, the entire dagger heated.
He stumbled back a step as a warm breeze, entirely out of place for the northern kingdom, brushed past him. The ground trembled, and in his heart, Marius knew the weapon was ready.
Dropping the empty vial in the snow, Marius curled his fingers around the hilt of the dagger. He drew in a deep breath, the cold night air filling his lungs as he turned around.
This was the moment he’d been waiting for.
It was?—
A scream crawled up his throat as ancient obsidian eyes seemed to stare directly at his hiding spot. He was certain the shadows were still cloaking him from sight, but somehow, the First knew they were there.
Marius swallowed, tightening his grip on the gods-blessed weapon.
There was no turning back now.
She was a Goddess
Afew minutes ago
Someone was here.
Therese felt their presence the moment the air shifted. The cool midnight air swirled, giving way to something deeper. Darker.
Keeping her fangs in the throat of her latest meal, she raised her eyes and looked around surreptitiously, careful not to move too suddenly.
At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The forest appeared to be just that—a forest. But she knew better than to trust initial reactions. She could sense the presence of other beings. Her shadows whirled in her veins, and her dark magic screamed at her to pay attention.
Someone was here, and they thought they could sneak up on her.