Demon Blood

Chapter 40

Athan's POV

Five Years Ago: Birthday on a Blood Moon - Part 2...

The sun had finally went down and the other vampires from our coven could come out. We had a nice look set up. A temporary pavilion was up with tables of blood and chairs to lounge in. There was a fire that had been started, not that we were cold, but because it just set more of a mood. I was dressed nicely in my dark washed jeans and a nice solid navy blue hoodie. I hadn't seen Amdis since this morning, which was a hard thing to do unless she was cooped up in her room, but I had checked there multiple times and she wasn't there.

I knew she would show soon enough because Brayden would be here soon enough. I was getting a bit anxious on where she was though, but I was calmed by a familiar small hand on my back. I looked down a bit to see my mate next to me. I smiled at Kelenia and she smiled back at me. 

"Are you ready to talk to everyone now?" She asked me and moved her hand to hold it in my own. I nodded and gripped her hand a bit more before starting to make my way to the pavilion. Most of our coven was already there, and the a few of our scouts said that Brayden's coven was on their way. It wasn't long before they broke the tree line on the other side of the yard. 

I heard a familiar voice speak out in a bit of a squealing yell. "Brayden!!!!" Amdis yelled. I watched her run from the house with her quick speed and hug him. I noticed she was dressed nice in a pale dark grey sundress and black flats. I watched them begin to exchange words and make their way over to the pavilion. 

Kelenia continued to lead me to the pavilion and  I greeted everyone there. It was all smiles and laughter. Amdis was also kind of lightening up to me after what happened this morning. 

The night was going good, after the clouds had moved out of the way of the Blood Moon. We all were drinking more blood than we had previously been, and Amdis was smart for requesting more blood for tonight. 

Everyone was laughing and having a good time, I decided I had had enough of the blood for now, and I would let others please their lust. I had moved over to the fire, where Kelenia was sitting in the grass. I sat down next to her and watched her smile as me. 

"How's your party so far?" She asked me with that gorgeous smile of hers. 

"I grinned and shrugged. "I think the after party will be much better." I winked at her and watched her face gain some color to it. I loved when I could make her react that way. 

I watched her go to respond, but it just looked like her mouth was just moving, I couldn't focus on what she was saying. Because a commotion had started back to the other side of the yard. I told Kelenia to stay put, and got up from my spot to start to follow the others. There was a strange woman standing their in a lab coat. She smiled at all of us, but just stood there. Leaders and higher people of both small covens met in the pavilion to discuss what to do. I was on my way there when the scent of fresh blood hit my sensitive nose. I looked around to everyone else and they all had a cup of blood held up near their noses. I didn't, and the Blood Moon didn't help control my urges. I felt my eyes and the veins under my eyes darken and then some wind in my hair. I was on my way to the source of that blood. When I finally stopped, I stood in front of the woman who had been in our yard just the moment before. 

I was so confused it almost brought me out of my trance, but everything was interrupted by a loud boom back by the house. I quickly ran back and I heard some yelling, and a few others panicking. I was still in wooded area when I could see what had happened. The fire looked out of control, and all around the fire by about 5 feet the grass was black. Burnt. 

Quickly my heart dropped, I could feel my senses weaken and my lust was now filled with pain instead. I didn't understand, but the pain was so overwhelming that it caused me to drop to my knees. I could still see parts of the yard from where I was, and the pain stopped just enough for me to think of Kelenia. Where was she? My eyes searched the yard, and I spotted a small group of people. It consisted of my sister Amdis, Brayden, and a few others. Amdis was crouched down next to something, and she seemed genuinely upset over what was in front of her, and so did the others.

They were in a small circle it looked like. Brayden had his hand on Amdis's shoulder, but he wasn't looking down at what they were the whole time, instead he was also looking around, it looked like he had a bit of hope on his face. 

My eyes finally looked to what Amdis was holding onto, and past the side of one of the other members, crouched in the small group, I saw the face of my Kelenia. The beat up face of my Kelenia. My eyes widened, but I couldn't get up to run to her, the pain stopped me. The pain felt sourced in my chest and it kept me paralyzed. 

I went to look for other injuries of my beloved mate, but I couldn't find her feet, and the group of people around her, made it look like she was missing her lower half, like her legs weren't there. I realized they weren't. I went to cry out, but the pain choked me. I looked back to her face and started to watch it begin to look cracked and red. no no no no no no. This couldn't be happening, not yet, not my Kelenia! 

Soon she wasn't there anymore, soon she was just an ash. She has dissolved into a dark black ash, she was gone. My mate was dead. I looked to Amdis, who had been holding her hand, and watched her break down. It looked like she was clutching something, and I realized it was some of the ash from Kelenia's hand. 

I silently prayed in my state that she would keep clutching it for me. I looked to Brayden who also look upset as well, but he continued to look around. I realized then he had been looking for me, for me to be there beside my dying mate, to be the once ending up holding her ashes. I went to cry out again, but now the pain worsened. I heard twigs behind me crack, and I felt a hard thud against the side of my head.