Under the Blood Moon by Jenny Garcia (latest books to read TXT) 📖

can hear my mother screaming as I drop to the floor. Warm liquid puddles around my back and I quickly realize that it’s my own blood. Time seems to be running in slow motion as Travis runs towards me and my mother falls to her knees. Asclepius in at my side before Travis can even reach me. All I can hear is the chants from Asclepius but the words mean nothing to me. Travis sits, sobing in front of me as my vision begins to blur. Then...complete darkness.

 

I feel nothing, no pain, no fear...nothing. I stretch my arms out trying to feel anything at all but all I can feel is emptiness. slowly I begin to move my legs and the same sensation coats my whole body. I realize that I am floating in midair. I couldn't be dead could I? Could Denise of really done such a thing. She has a soul that is past saving. A bright light begins to illuminated in the distance. As it gets brighter it changes from a silvery haze to an emerald green. I reach out towards it and the light burst into a glittery explosion. Every color of green has covered my body and I begin to hear a far off cry. The sounds begins to get louder and my chest begins to pull towards it. The voice comes into to focus for a brief moment and I realize that its the voice of Asclepius and within seconds I am back lying on the entryway floor. Everyone one around me is silent. Travis begins to reach towards me. His hands shaking and his face covered with tears. “Niki, are you with us?” I nod my head yes and my mother sobs break through the silence. Travis grabs my arm and pulls me into his chest. I wrap my arms around him and the tears begin to fall down my cheeks. I feel pressure on my back and Asclepius has hurried over and wrapped her arms around us both. My mother is right after her, flailing her arms around us and we all just sit enjoying the relief.

 

I am the first to pull away, looking around the room for Denise. I see a bloody heap of what was onceDenise.Her body lies on it side and her face is turned away from me. Her grey tank top is ripped and bloodied down the back. I see a huge gash up her back and it’s pouring blood all over the floor. There is a heavy metallic taste in the air and my stomach begins to turn. This is not something that I am accustomed to seeing and honestly it’s too much for me to handle. I scrambled to my feet and turn, running out the front down and into the woods. My feet beat against the forest floor as I get further from the house. I hear Travis in the distance calling for me to stop. I need to be alone right now. I thought that I would be able to handle this sort if thing since I have no choice but to watch as Khan and Travis battle for the throne, but seeing it in real time was much more than I expected. How am I going to be able to do this. My legs begin to burn as I whip past redwoods and fallen bratchen scratch my legs. A small twig catches the top and my foot and I come to a crashing stop. I hit the ground like a freight train smashing a truck stuck on the tracks. Pain shoots through my ankle and my wrist snaps on the dirt as I try to catch myself. I scream out in pain and try not to move.

 

I look up into the trees and see an owl sitting on a high branch directly above me. Ares? The moment I think this, it extends its wings and flys off into the distant trees. I lie there trying to figure out what I am going to do when I hear in the distant, sounds of breaking twigs and bushes being crushed. “Niki!! Where are you!” Travis comes racing through the woods faster than I have ever seen anyone move. The air has been knocked out of me so severely that I cannot yell. I raise my arm into the air and he catches sight of it instantly. He turns towards me and in a split second he is at my side. He slides his arms under the back of my neck and legs carrying me bridal style. He begins to speed through the forest and the trees being to blur together into a brown-green painting. If I wasn't in so much pain, I would be enjoying it.

 

He gets me back to the house in no time at all. Asclepius is standing on the porch with her hands on her hips and tapping her toe on the deck. “What was that all about!? Now I have to heal you all over again and i'm tired!” I can’t help but giggle at her anger. Travis walks up the steps and places me on the porch swing, Asclepius stomps over to me and kneels down at my side. She looks to my face as she rubs her hands together, “I can tell and you are going to need me a lot.” I smile down to her and she looks away. She opens her hands and the same emerald green is pulsing in her palms. She places one hand on my wrist and the other on my ankle. I get instant relief and the pain slowly begins to subside. She looks down to me and says, “Here comes the painful part are you ready.” I look up at her, “Wait? What?” She makes a quick flick of both her wrists and  my bone snap back into place. An instance of the most intense pain I have ever felt rushes through me and then dissipates. She removes her hand and gets to her feet,”Please be more careful Queen. Now please explain what happened?!” I catch my breath and push by self up. I look to Travis who is standing with a blank expression on his face. “I saw...her laying on the ground… there was blood every where. I just couldn’t handle it.” I look to the ground feeling ashamed of saying this in front of Travis. I can't believe how selfish I am being. Travis just killed his own mother and I freak out over just seeing her in a bloodied mess on the ground. I get up and walk to Travis. I place my hands on his biceps and feel his muscles tense up. “Are you ok?” He looks to the ground and then back to me. “I will be ok.” I release him and give him some space. I turn to Asclepius and ask, “What happened after I blacked out?” She looks to my mother who is standing in the doorway of the house. I look to her and she looks as if she is going to vomit. “Mom are you ok?” She brings her hand from behind her back and its covered in blood. “Mom...is that from Denise.” She looks to her hand and back to me.”I couldn't let Travis do it...I couldn’t.” I run to her and wrap my arms around her tightly. There are no tears...no words...just silence. I look over my mother's shoulder and I see Denise beginning to stir as her body begins to heal itself. “Travis...she is moving!” My mother releases me and rushes to Denise. Grabbing her by the arm she begins to drag her from the house. A thick trail of crimson follows them out of the house and down the deck steps. Her head bangs on the step as mom drags her to the front of the cars. She drops Denises arm to the ground and turns to us, “Go inside! All of you!” We all stay where we are trying to let her know that she doesn't have to be alone during this. She turns her palms up and smoke begins to pour out from them. With a flick of her wrist a ball of flames ignites. She thrusts the the flame towards us and it hits just in front of our feet. “Move! NOW!” We all turn and rush into the house slamming the door. All three of us rush to the front window watching my mom circle Denise as she lays beaten on the ground. The flames ignite in her palms again but this time and flames travel up her arms, and to her shoulders. Her mouth is moving but we cannot hear what she is saying. She lifts her hands into the air thrusting them down towards Denise with force. The flames change from a orangish red to a cobalt blue. She raised her head to the sky and screams out. It only last for a few seconds and then she falls to the ground. We rush out to her and pull her away from Denise’s burning corpse. The smell is enough to make anyone vomit and I get mighty close to it. Travis picks my mom up bridal style and carries her into the house. We all follow him back up the steps. I turn back to look at Denise and there is nothing to be found but a pile of ashes. A strong gust of wind rips through the woods and spreads her ashes across the sand. I wish that it didn't have to come to this. I was really hoping that the moment we all had with her would last. But it just goes to show that there was really nothing that we could do to save her. I just hope that Travis can recover from watching his mother go up in flames.

 

The storm we all were dreading looms over the lake. The sun has began to set, the sky is painted with purples and pinks. I sit on the large rocks on the edge of the lake just listening to the water lap against the stones. The summer breeze is no longer warm on the skin and the fear that is climbing up my back is giving me chills. I am not ready for this… i haven't seen Travis since everything happened. I can’t imagine what he must be feeling. Asclepius has been inside with my mother trying to convince her to let her remove the anguish and guilt she is feeling but she will not budge. I wind blows my hair around my neck and across my face. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them. I get the faint scent of cologne, I turn my head and see Travis walking from the house towards me. He looks as if he has been crying for hours. He walks over to me taking a set on the large rock next to me. For a moment he says nothing and just stares out at the sunset. I look down to him and reach out my hand to touch his shoulder. THe moment my hand touches him and turns his head to me. The pain in his eyes breaks my soul and i can’t help but cry. He gets up and sits behind me wrapping his ares around my shoulders. “Travis… are you ok?” He lets out a deep sigh and plants a gentle kiss on my neck. “I will be.” I look up to him wiping my eyes, “I am sorry...I feel like this is all my fault.” He takes his hand and places it on my cheek, “I don't ever want you to think that this was your fault. She made her choices on her own and made her own mistakes. You have to understand Niki, you’re my mate and there is nothing in this world that would make me stop loving you.” My heart begins to flutter and he leans in kissing my lips softly.” This