Alari's pov
“So… you've been able to communicate with Lylla since your shift?” Dad asked as we descended the steps to the dungeon.
“Yeah” I said, turning right at the bottom of the stairs.
“And you have her memories?” He asked again and I looked back at him with a smile.
“Yep” I smiled, the surprise on his face quite amusing.
“Illuminus” I said and a ball of light appeared on my hand and I turned back to navigating the dark hall way.
“Alari, if you have her memories then you can find the dark elves!” Mom exclaimed, as if just figuring it out.
“Actually, no. The memory was wiped” I said with a sigh as we reached the end of the hall.
“Fucking Pixies” mom muttered under her breathe and I just smiled, at least now dad and her felt the same about Pixies.
“Okay, what now?” Damien asked as my eyes went up and down the wall before us.
“Pull that torch down” I said, pointing at the torch on his right and he did so without question.
We waited a few seconds before the sound of chains pulling could be heard through the wall.
The wall pulled back and slid to the side, revealing what looked like a dark abyss.
A torch caught fire out of nowhere, making me jump back in fright and Damien quickly grabbed me, pulling me behind him.
More torches lit up, illuminating the… cave? How the hell was there a cave beneath the castle?
“Won't be needing this anymore” I said as I put out my light. With a deep breath, I stepped into the cave and was instantly hit with an energy I was way too familiar with.
“Mom's magic still lingers” Sapphira said pushing forward.
“That's Lylla alright” mom said from behind me as we went deeper into the cave.
A blue light swirled against the walls of the cave from around a corner and I saw a pool in my mind, my mom's memories from within that place playing in my head like my own.
“She sure spent a lot of time in here” I said to Sapphira, who was just as nervously excited as I was.
The pool came into view once we turned the corner and I was immediately struck by the power that was radiating off of it.
It was like the night of my shift and the moon was shining down on me, only this time, that power was coming from the pool.
……………. Memory……………..
“This is where it all began” my father's voice rang with pride as he showed my mother this sacred ground.
“This is the only place our Moon Goddess can be summoned. Where she blessed the very first King” dad said as mom reached her hand out towards the pool but didn't touch the water.
“It's incredible Miles!” She exclaimed, looking up at my father.
“Yes, you are” his smile was big, making mom blush crimson.
………………. End of memory…………..
“Dad really loved mom, even though she was his chosen” Sapphira said, a mixture of joy and sadness coating her voice.
“Yeah, he really did” I whispered out loud, making Damien look at me questionably but I just shook my head.
“Mom spent a lot of time in here” I said as I moved around the pool, my target in sight.
“I can see why, I'd never been on such sacred, holy grounds. I don't even feel worthy enough to be here!” Mom exclaimed, looking flustered.
“Is that what I think it is?” Dad asked, making me turn to see him picking something from the ground.
“What is it?” Mom asked and he turned around to face us, holding a brown leather book.
“Mother's Grimoire” I gasped, rushing to my dad's side.
“What's a Grimoire?” Damien asked, making me smile up at him.
“I remember a show I once watched called it a witch's cookbook” I said, making mom snort.
“How have I never thought of that” she continued to laugh.
“It contains all the spells my mother could cast” I said, my hands running over the dusty leather.
“Incredible” mom whispered, now crouched over the pool, hand waving over the water but not touching, just like my mother had done all those years ago.
The light from the pool illuminated her features and I swear I'd never seen her more beautiful.
“I'm dreaming aren't I?” Dad asked in a whisper and I finally understood what my father saw that night he brought my mother here.
“No dad, it's very real” I whispered back, unable to take my eyes off of mom.
“I think we'll have all the time in the world to admire this place after we put up that boundary spell” Damien said, breaking the spell mom had us under.
“I agree, and stop gawking at me” she said with a small laugh, making me chuckle.
“Okay, we got the stones, now what do we do?” I asked as my hands brushed over the large stones that were cut to perfection, with writings I couldn't understand.
“We need to set them up in a circle and have you at the centre as you cast the spell” dad said as he came over to my side to move the large stones.
“Wait” I stopped them as an idea popped into my head.
“What is it honey?” Mom asked, looking a little worried.
“Is it possible to channel the pool? I'm not quite sure but I think I channeled the moon the night of my shift and it's literally liquified moon energy” I said in an excited rush.
Maybe, just maybe they won't have to knock me out.
“Given your bloodline, yes, I believe it's possible” she said, bringing a smile to my face.
I turned to face Damien with a big smile on my face, “you might not have to knock me out after all” I said, now certain the spell would work and I wouldn't have to die.
“Alright then, we'll just set the stones around the pool” dad said, struggling with one.
“Don't worry, I got this” Damien said, using his strength to effortlessly lift the stones and set them around the pool.
“Alright now Alari, get inside the pool. Centre yourself, deep breaths. You know the spell and you know your pack grounds, see the border in your mind and see the barrier go up” mom said softly.
Shaking off the nerves, I stepped into the pool and immediately felt an electric current rush through me.
“Oh my Goddess” Sapphira gasped, feeling the power of the moon rush through us like it did the night of my shift.
Reaching the centre of the pool, I sat down in the water, feeling drunk in the power that was filling up my body.
The water stopped right below my boobs but it felt like I was completely submerged.
“Deep breaths sweetheart, calm yourself” mom reminded me. I closed my eyes and took a couple of minutes to find my balance and not lose myself within the moon's power.
“Noli intrare malum, non transitum” I began to chant, saying the words over and over as the pool fuelled me.
I felt a part of my mind click open, like a door opened and something came rushing out, and it hit me fast, and hard.
That thing I do, seeing with my eyes closed, I could see the entire pack, no, I could see beyond that. I could see so much!
Was this the Kingdom? How was that even possible? Appalachia is massive, how could I see so much of it?
“Noli intrare malum, non transitum” I kept chanting as I covered more and more land, my mind opening up to every creature under the moon.
How was I even doing this? I felt limitless!
I kept going until it felt like I had created one border for all the pack's in my Kingdom.
“This will definitely kill us” I said to my Lycan, feeling myself somehow tied to every wolf and Lycan in the Kingdom and the power from that bond flowed through me.
“It's scarier than I thought I'd be!” She replied, seeking conform from the mate bond and boy could we feel our mate so strongly.
I felt Damien and Roman reach out mentally, as if blanketing us and cheering us on.
“Don't die on me mate” Roman's soft growl echoed in my mind and seemed to anchor me.
“Are you ready Sapphira? This is more than we bargained for” I said to her, hoping she was ready for what we were about to do.
“Let's just finish this” she growled, her presence in my mind so profound, I wasn't sure I could tell us apart, it's like we were one, not just in body but in spirit and mind.
“Noli intrare malum, non transitum” we chanted, watching as the barrier formed from the ground and rose higher and higher.
“Noli intrare malum, non transitum!” My chanting grew louder as I felt the spell take so much of my power but the pool was like an endless abyss of magic and for a second I thought I felt something else. Someone else?
I wasn't sure, I just knew I had access to power I didn't know if my body could channel without killing me.
I felt like I was going to explode with all the power rushing through me and it scared me.
But that blanket reached out again and he was there holding my hand softly.
“I'm here love” Damien spoke and I held on to him.
“Noli intrare malum, non transitum!!” I screamed as the barrier set in place and I felt the power within me explode.
My mind drifted into a place I wasn't sure I could return but I didn't have the strength to pull myself back.
“Alari!” Damien's call faintly fell on my ears but it sounded so far… and muffled.
“It's alright, I've got you” a voice softer than silk whispered softly and I felt hands take my own.
The hands pulled me down and when I felt the hardness of the ground, I opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar place.
Okay, this just got creepy! Where the hell am I?
“Hello little one” that voice said again from behind me, and I hesitated to turn around and face whoever had brought me to this place.
“I don't bite, promise” she laughed, her voice so soothing it terrified me.
“Turn around Alari” Sapphira encouraged and without much thought, I turned, a gasp falling from my lips as I took in all that was before me.
We were standing on top of a mountain, the breeze too gentle and why the hell was the sun and moon up in the sky at the same time!!!
“You're even prettier in person” the woman said and my gaze found hers. My head tilted to the side as I took her in.
Her grey eyes pierced into mine with a gentle intensity and her hair a silver white, contrasting beautifully with her brown skin.
“You're so beautiful” were the words that fell out of my mouth and I wasn't even embarrassed to by it.
“Thank you little one” she smiled, her eyes twinkling like the stars on a full moon.
“I do apologise for… hijacking your spell, I had to make sure everyone would be protected” she said, making me realised she was the one who allowed me to see beyond the pack!
She was the other presence I felt! She's…
“Moon Goddess!” I exclaimed and she nodded her head, her smile never leaving her delicate lips.
“What..? How?!” I was seriously freaking out right now! I was standing before the Moon Goddess!
“The pool is a gateway to my realm” she answered and I almost fainted! There was a way to get to her?!!
I felt like I was losing my mind!
“You cannot stay here for long, you must return little one” she said and I felt a twinge of disappointment hit me. I wasn't sure what I wanted to say but I knew I wanted to talk with her a bit more.
“And you will, this is not the last you see of me” she said, having read my mind.
“Tell Damien I am so sorry for all that he has seen, and that I am grateful he didn't abandon the Kingdom” she said, closing the distance between us.
She held onto my cheeks and looked into my eyes, a fondness in them that made my insides melt.
This was how my mother looked me when she saw me for the very first time. This was love.
“And I am sorry for putting all of this on you, and I believe that you can do it. You Alari, descendant of my favourite, Marius the first, have the power to free my creation for eternity” she said and kissed my forehead.
“Goddess, I'm scared” I said, feeling a knot form on throat as tears welled up in my eyes.
“I know little one, and I am always here, by your side. Don't you see Alari, my power flows within you, stop doubting yourself. Your destiny is power” she said and just like that, everything disappeared and I was suddenly drowning in what looked like the fucking ocean?!
Running out of breath, I kicked my feet and swam up until I broke through the water.
Gasping for air, I opened my eyes to see Damien rushing into the pool and pulling me out.
Holding onto him tightly, I allowed myself to calm down and take in everything that just happened.
“Don't you ever scare me like that again” he said, kissing all over my face before hugging me.
“Goddess…” was all I could whisper before passing out.