Dangerous Diabolical: Book 1 (Iridescent) ✔️

Chapter 7 - Adventures in Faery tales

Booming cries called his name that entwined into the lashings of rain. The gathering reciprocated the cry in a crescendo chant that echoed into the night, matching their tempo to the crashing of thunder overhead.

"Leofstan Willahelm Ortwin!" From the centre of the circle, a lone man stood over a stone table, gesturing to the surface before him decorated with herbs and jewels, beckoning. As a flash of light passed, multitudes of runes revealed themselves embellished across the area in bloody smears.

"The Gods have summoned you. You have chosen to accept the gifts they wish to bestow." The voice boomed, the pressing chorus of the chant pacing the thrumming of each beat of my heart.

"It is time to unite with the earth and tie your soul to the endless cycle of rebirth."

Lightning forked in the sky.

"Come forth our brother, and be reborn from the dust of ashes!"

Trying to steady my breaths, my heart was almost hammering out of my chest. The chill of the rain had penetrated the depth of my bones. Leofstan took a step forward, the chanting deepening. Beneath my feet, the grass began to glow in waves as power surged. Barefooted each footstep he took sent more waves of magic traversing deep into the earth. The bloody runes illuminated as he grew closer to the centre.

Upon reaching the stone plinth, he disrobed, the cloak puddled to the floor revealing the very naked form of Leo, painted head to toe in bloody runes.

Chill forgotten I blinked rapidly, the imprint of his sculpted buttocks quickly searing into my brain by my choice; a low whistle may have even escaped. As he lay across the stone table I licked an annoying raindrop that trickled over my lips and failed dismally to close my mouth afterwards.

A crack of lightning jolted me back into the scene, met with chanting, a howl of wind and glowing bloody runes. Yet I couldn't look away from him in the centre.

"Cernunnos!" The hooded man screamed across the night. "Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam!" A blinding flash of light was followed by a bone-shattering thunderclap, causing the ground underneath my feet to protest. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge as a tingle edged its way into my limbs. A buzzing grew to deafening proportions in my ears that quickly drowned out the noise of the chant, followed by a crackling that left me shuddering.

"Reawaken!" the word seemed to echo in my head. And that's when the lightning struck him. It was impossible to move, the sound of crackling filled every muscle and vein. Leofstans scream entered the cacophony of noises. From deep in the forest wolves howled and owls called. The Runes drawn over his skin hissed with power, sizzling into his skin. The stones surrounding held with a dull white light as the power of the lightning strike burnt through every cell capable of holding charge.

"Rise, Druid Leofstan."

---

With a gasp, I was me again. A hundred and one thoughts rushed through my mind as to what had just transpired. His antlers were gone, and he looked as confused as I felt. The hair on my arms stood on end and the ringing continued in my ears.

He took a step back, face unreadable as he gulped air.

I panicked, glancing up into the burning sun for any sign of thunder. My heart felt as if it were about to explode as I threw up a hand to combat the rays. "The gem." He whispered, staring at my hand.

His own hands shook, and a sheen of sweat gathered on his brow.

"Loki strike me." He paled. Did he know I'd seen his memory? "How much power did you feed that thing?" I took a step back as my sight warped, blurring, making it impossible to distinguish even if my thoughts were my own.