Chapter 178: Blood and Shadows
Zavren’s sword moved, clanking against Vrazen’s. His lips curled upwards as he pushed harder, making Vrazen briefly move backward slightly, but his stamina held him. He leapt up as their swords clashed again. The place reeked of blood and dust.
Sparks flew.
Fire glistened along the blade as the unforgiving sun hit just right. There was no room for breathing. They slashed again, both leaping backward simultaneously.
None of them held the slightest hesitation to back down. Zavren didn’t care how long it took—he was going to make sure every single vampire here was gone. He missed his wife and his little one; just the thought of them gave him more than enough energy, so he didn’t even worry about anything else.
"All I need is your wife’s blood, Zavren. Do you also have to be stingy, hmm?" Vrazen taunted as he was having fun with this, Zavren’s expression remained neutral as they fought at inhuman speed.
Vrazen knew that there would not have been a war if Zavren hadn’t done anything to his wife. Even though they were never partner, there would have been no war—they would have been living their normal lives.
Zavren’s eyes turned colder, his face unreadable, but his lips finally curved into a grin.
"You should be grateful I’m keeping it civil with you," he said, his blade flashing with a glint. He swiftly squared his stance, sliding his sword through the air sharply. He dodged as Vrazen leapt toward him, face neutral and cold. Zavren dodged again.
Vrazen’s lips curled upwards as their movements became unnatural in speed. The slicing of swords through the air was so sharp it created a sound that echoed, while dust and sparks swirled around them as their blades met.
"I’ll make sure you watch me while I sleep with her. Trust me, I can... what’s her name again... ah, Aria..." he was trying to push Zavren to his limit.
Before he could finish, a punch landed on his lips so hard that his teeth cut through, and blood poured out, slowing him. His eyes widened slightly as Zavren’s sword moved. He dodged, but it was a millisecond late. The blade slid sharply through his skin, leaving a trickle of blood down his arm. His lips twisted into a smirk.
Zavren’s face was blazingly cold, his eyes holding fire. He couldn’t imagine this, and the fact that this man had dared think such things angered him beyond measure. He roared.
Before they knew it, Vrazen’s body stilled. Zavren began to shift into a beastly form. His eyes turned red, claws extended, and his black fur bristled with raw power. He was massive, terrifying. His aura alone threw many of the vampire soldiers aside—it was suffocatingly deadly.
"It took you long enough. And who knew you’d finally change into your wolf when I mentioned the magic spell... your wife’s name," Vrazen said, but his words were cut short as Zavren’s claws moved with vampiric speed.
Vrazen swiftly jumped back. Zavren growled as dust and sand swept through the battlefield, forcing soldiers to retreat. Vrazen tried to push forward with his sword, but Zavren’s presence was overwhelming.
Then something made Zavren pause.
His red eyes dilated into blackness. The urge to kill vanished. That scent... that aura... it was too real. He growled gently, then snapped his head as he turned, and then his gaze locked on her—his wife. He saw her, but what was she doing here? That scent was unmistakable, yet why was she here?
It was like everything around him had gone to momentarily halt.
He noticed the way her body stiffened as she mind-linked with him.
"Zavren, watch out!"
He turned just in time. As the blade moved to stab him. Zavren’s claws shot out, grabbing Vrazen as h shot him to the floor he began pressing his claws deep into his skin , blood seeping as he threw Vrazen aside. But for some reason, he could no longer bring himself to fight. He did not want his wife to see him like this.
Vrazen sensed it.
Ariana knew something was wrong. Zavren was no longer fighting. The war continued around them, but Zavren was now merely defending himself.
She had seen a part of him today, and she could see the guilt in his eyes. He did not want her to see this. He never wanted her to see this. Rage filled his gaze as it moved to Raven briefly.
Raven’s body stilled. He was doomed. In fact, he had never been in support of this decision. The look in the king’s eyes said enough: death. He knew he would not live long if he acted rashly—and now it was proving true.
Ariana knew she had to act. Zavren was distracted, and she needed to do something.
"Turn me visible" Ariana finally spoke as the seer fell speechless.
"Luna Ariana, please... that would be very risky for you. I don’t think you should," the seer pleaded.
"This is the only way. Please, make me visible. Give me the crystal," Ariana commanded. The seer’s eyes widened—was the queen really about to do what she was thinking?
"Luna Ariana, please don’t. Please. That is very risky," the seer begged again. She realized Ariana wanted the second way. The first was to give her blood to the vampire queen, or...
"Give me the crystal and make me visible. It is an order," Ariana spoke firmly. The seer bowed.
"Yes, Luna Ariana."
The seer began to chant as Ariana moved down onto the sand. Standing barefoot on the hot surface, she did not mind the sting. She became visible as the seer handed her the crystal.
"Please, my queen... there are consequences," the seer whispered, knowing that Ariana wanted to bring peace and protect the people of the kingdom, even if it was risky to herself.
Raven turned to Ariana and noticed she was now visible, holding the crystal in her hands and raising it up. He turned to the seer.
"What are we going to do? The king would kill me... we need to convince the queen not to," he pleaded.
"There is nothing we can do. She has made her choice. As a Luna, her choice is final. If she cannot be convinced, then there is nothing we can do," the seer replied.
Raven fell silent.
Ariana pressed the crystal lightly against her wrist. Blood popped out—enough to grab everyone’s attention.
Vrazen moved to strike Zavren, but his body stopped. His head snapped toward the source of the blood. His body stiffened. Zavren, too, turned, and both men raised their hands. Just like that, the fight ceased. Silence reigned.
Ariana could not die. If she did, the war would be pointless—the reason for the war was to obtain the queen’s blood, which was why the battle had paused.
"You want your wife to be awake? I would wake her up. But if I do, would you let the war end?" Ariana’s voice drifted through the air. Zavren returned to himself as he was no longer in his werewolf form.
His grey eyes stared at her as he stopped forward, his hands trembling. His dead eyes softened into worry as her gaze rested on him. She was telling him, without words, to stay back. He knew they would not harm her—they needed her—but he had not expected her to be here. The fact that she had to hurt herself to grab their attention terrified him.
"Don’t, Aria," he spoke, but Vrazen laughed. None of them moved—they had to be careful now.
"Answer me, King Vrazen," Ariana’s voice turned cold. The vampire king’s eyes widened slightly at the authority in her tone.
"No more war. I would wake your wife," he said with finality.
"As you wish..." Vrazen finally spoke as a smile curled on his lips. Zavren shook his head, knowing exactly what she was about to do.
And then she began to chant.
"No, Ariana, no, don’t!" he shouted, moving forward. But before he could take another step, Ariana used the crystal to cut herself. Her body stiffened as blood began to drip down her arms.
"The more you come, the deeper I cut."
She mind-linked, and that was enough to make him halt in his steps.
The blood trickled down her hands as it began pouring through the same. Zavren’s body stilled as her blood moved the aura wider. Many staggered backward, overwhelmed by the intensity.
Zavren immediately moved with something speed—he could not bear seeing his wife in such a condition.
"Ariana, don’t—" Zavren moved swiftly as Ariana chanted completed. That was what she had to do. she was done, she opened her eyes, hearing her name called by Zavren—but everything had happened too quickly.
And then...
A sword and large arrow moved toward him. Zavren, whose attention was fully focused on Ariana, was a second too late to see what had just happened. The sword pierced through his back skin, coming out of his stomach. Ariana’s eyes widened as blood began to pour from him like river.
Zavren body fell to the floor as he groaned lightly blood still gushing out.
Things had happened too fast. Just as she had finished, this was happening. No one had seen it coming—not a single soul.
Her lips trembled as her hands flew to her mouth. She knew that sword—it was the black steel, the most poisonous blade, which circulated through the body in milliseconds, killing by eating up the veins and attacking the brain and also causing paralysis. Ariana’s heart stuttered as it turned still.
Her world stopped.
"ZAVREN!!" His name tore from her lips,
As her body filled with rage and anger, her eyes turned a blazing red and then her body began to rise from the floor.