Under the Blood Moon by Jenny Garcia (golden son ebook txt) 📕

“Between his screams, he gave me all the information he had. Humans are so weak. He is totally unaware of our world. He knew nothing. The Mother and father not only hide the child’s ability from the world, but had her believing that he she was insane. There is no way that this could have been planned. Their bonding was coincidence. Denise has some sort of grudge against Niki and her whole family. She swore that she would never read their futures again. She wanted nothing to do with their family until Niki’s mother requested her help.” Khan rubs his chin and starts to pace from one side of the hall to the other. He stops suddenly turning his head slowly to Ares with a sinister smile. “The boy must over throw me…” Ares tilts his head in confusion, “Sir?” Khan clasps his hands together and it echoes through the silent stone hallway. “Ares you know nothing of our laws! Since the boy has bonded with the wench, if he wants to be with her, he must take my throne!” Khan turns away from Ares and begins to walk down the corridor towards his Chambers. Servants scurry past Khan trying not to gain his attention. They know the rage he has inside and the best thing is to be invisible to him. A young girl carrying fresh towels and sheets doesn’t hear or see Khan coming up behind her as she opens the large redwood double doors that lead into his chambers. Ares tries to run ahead to move the girl from their path but Khan stops him. “Girl!” Her black hair runs down her back in playful waves. She turns her head to see Khan and Ares briskly towards her. He green eyes glitter from the flames of the torches and her face is just as beautiful as the morning sun. She drops to her knees with her linen clutched to her chest. “Yes my King.” Khan stops in front of her with his hands balled into fists resting them his hips, “What is your name girl?” She doesn’t raise her head and her thick Scottish accent cracks as she responds, “Grizel my King.” She turns her head to Ares and looks him in the eye with worry covering her face. He shakes his head no to her and she whips her head back to the ground. Khan continues, “Ahh Grizel, Scottish for Grey Battle Maid. Am I correct?” He motions for her to rise and she pushes herself from the hard cold stone floors and stands erect still clutching onto the clean linen “Yes my King you are correct.”

“So Grizel what is your purpose here?” She looks to Khan confused and then to Ares. Ares widens his eyes at her and motions her to answer Khan. “I replace and wash the linens my King.” Khan walks over to the large chamber doors and pushes them open further. “Well then Battle Maid, return to your duties.” She curtsies to Khan and runs into his room. Khan turns to Ares and begins to walk slowly towards him, “Ares…do you know that girl?” Ares swallows deeply and clears his throat, “Yes my King.” Khan stops in front of Ares with his legs apart and his arms crossed. “And how do you know the grey battle madien?” Ares takes a step back his it echoes down the hall. He looks past Khan and into his chambers to Grizel ripping the old sheets off the enormous bed. Her beauty is so breath taking that Ares lets out a gentle sigh and cracks half a smile. Khan interrupts his silent moment, “God Lord Ares, have you bonded with that servant?” Ares snaps out of his trance and looks back to Khan. For a moment he stays silent, unsure what to say. Finally he summons the courage to respond, “Yes my King.” Jealously rips through Khan and he is overwhelmed with rage. If he cannot have his Renee, then he wants other to suffer just as much as he. He turns back towards Grizel and starts towards her. Ares runs and places himself between Grizel and Khan. “Please Khan don’t do this!” His shrieks are heard down the corridor and passing servants begin to run down the hall towards all three of them. Grizel begins to scream as Khan and Ares collide. Servants try to save Grizel from the fight that has erupted in front of her but they cannot get around Area and Khan. They fall to the ground in the doorway and begin to roll around, wrestling each other, trying to subdue one another. “My King! Please stop!” Ares screams from underneath Khan as he is struggling to break free. Grizel tries to rush around them but Khan catches her by the ankle making her fall to the ground. Her head slams on the stone and a loud crack rings through the air. Her body becomes motionless. Warm crimson liquid begins to stain the floor. Ares stop struggling when he sees the body of his lifeless mate lying on the ground face down. Khan releases Ares and gets to his feet. Ares rushes to Grizel cradling her in his arms. A large laceration extends from her forehead down to her right eye. Blood pours from the wound as Ares clutches her to his chest. “Grizel…please my Love… don’t leave me.?” The servants stand motionless in the doorway staring down at the heart breaking scene before them. Khan is motionless behind them with a grin from ear to ear. His grief has blinded him and nothing is left but the shell of the man he used to be. He looks to his servants as they stare down at Ares and Grizel. “Don’t you have work!?” He shoots at them breaking their trance. They all bow to Khan and scurry away back down the hall. Ares remains on the stone floor rocking back and forth with Grizel cradled in his arms. “Ares are you going to whimper like a woman or are you going to get that bloody mess out of my chambers?” Ares body heats with rage and he turns to Khan who has folded his arms waiting for his response. There are no words that Ares can express that would not anger Khan which would lead to his own death as well. There is nothing to do but take his mate to the burial grounds to lay her to rest. Ares silently rises from the ground with Grizels lifeless body in his arms. His grey uniform coat is now soaked with the blood of Grizel. He does not turn back to Khan as he carries her down the corridor. As Ares gets half way down the hallway, Khan yells after him, “Send someone to clean up this mess!” Ares heart begins to crumble in his chest. There is nothing that he would rather do then battle Khan till he falls to the ground. What he has done to Grizel is unforgivable, but the fact that he is King makes it very difficult to get revenge. Ares has no choice but to follow Khans orders. “Yes my King.” He approaches the end of the corridor that forks into two different directions. To the left leads to the west wing of the castle that opens up the royal garden or to the right that leads to the kitchen. Servants have gathered at the fork. They all are weeping for the loss of their friend. Ares tries to keep his composure as he walks through the swarm of servants trying to say goodbye to Grizel. “Step back! Don’t touch her! One of you go to the King and clean up the mess he made.” The weeping stops and whispers break out. One young girl with flowing red curls steps forward to Ares bows her head and walks past him to Khans chamber. Ares turns his head back and whispers, “Thank you girl.” She turns her head slightly back with tears rolling down her freckled cheeks to him giving him a reassuring nod.

Ares carries Grizel through the dark corridor that leads to the royal garden. The flames are licking the stone walls as his heavy boots send echoes of pain down the hall. A small sliver of light begins to illuminate at the end of the hall. The musty smell of the damp corridor envelopes his senses. He approaches the large wooden door that leads to the garden and the small sliver of light that he saw before is coming from the small gab under the door. He raises his right floor and plunges it into the middle of the door. It rips open letting the sunlight flood the hall. He closes his eyes trying to protect them from the bright sun. The smell of flowers and fresh cut grass looms in the air. He keeps his eyes closed trying to soak up the warm sun on his face. This used to be their favorite place to go together. It was the one place that they could be alone. Memories flood him and he can no longer hold back his grief and pain. Tears begin to flow silently down his cheek. He opens his eyes and steps down onto the narrow stone path that is lined with flowers leading to the large fountain in the middle of the garden. He sets Grizel down on the stone wall that holds the fountains pool of water. He cups his hands and scoops out the cool water from the fountain, drizzling on Grizel’s forehead. The blood begins to wash away leaving only her beautiful face. He runs the back of her hand down his face. She looks to peaceful, almost as if she is going to wake from slumber but the coldness of her skin reminds him that she is gone forever. His one true love and mate has been ripped from him and he can feel hate invading his heart with every second that goes by. “My dear Grizel your death will not be in vain.” He leans forward and kisses her forehead gently and her cold skin stings his lips. He puts his arms under her knees and around the back of her neck lifting her from the wall. He starts to make the long walk to the burial grounds to lay Grizel to her final resting place. With every step he can feel his heart growing colder and colder. The only thing that he can think of now is revenge…

Niki

The wind rips through the darkness making the tree sway and creek. Leaves are swirling around the forest floor dancing delicately in the gusts. The moon is shining brightly down on lake making it glitter in the darkness. There is a storm coming and it could have come at a worse time. There are two days left until the Blood Moon and the small sliver of moon that has not yet illuminated reminds me of how much time I have left until my world changes forever. Travis has been on edge and every day he seems to get worse.