Aria Wynter's POV
The warehouse became as still as a grave, and the air was dense with a chill that crawled beneath my pores and skin. Shadows clung to every crevice, shattered only by the dim glimmer of the runes engraved into the walls. They pulsed slowly, almost as if alive, and their eerie light cast unusual forms over the ground.
I stood in the middle of the room, clutching Lily's locket so firmly that the rims dug into my palm. My coronary heart pounded in my chest, a warning rhythm that refused to stop. This turned into where she has remained visible. Anything passed off to her began right here.
The symbols on the walls were not random. They joined, constructing a story I couldn't recognize. My eyes raced between them, my thoughts trying to complete the riddle. However, the stillness became uncomfortable, and the weight of the gap pressed down on me.
And then I heard it: a faint whisper of motion, too soft for human hearing.
I spun around, blade in hand, every nerve in my body screaming for action. The shadows appeared to bend and twist abnormally. My breath fogged in the cold air as a man came into the low light.
"Victor sends his regards," the man said, his tone light and sarcastic. His eyes blazed red, and his sharp fangs shone as he smiled.
Vampires.
More of them appeared, emerging from the darkness one by one. Their movements were smooth, inhumanly swishy, and their hungry gazes fixed on me. There were five of them, possibly more, circling me like wolves around prey.
I clutched the sword firmly, refusing to let fear take over. "Inform Victor he should've come himself," I said, my voice steady despite the terror rising in my chest.
The lead vampire laughed quietly and mercilessly. "You have spirit. "Too bad it didn't save you."
They attacked without notice.
The main charged at me quickly, his claws slicing across the air. I ducked, the blade in my palm slicing upward and striking him on the arm. He hissed with pain, but everyone else had already turned on me.
I twisted, kicked out, and sent him into shock once again. My movements were sharper than they should have been, and my form responded intuitively, as if something deeper was leading me. They were unrelenting, with overpowering speed and strength.
A claw ripped across my arm, tearing through the cloth and flesh. My anguish became warm and acute, as blood sprayed over the bloodless concrete.
The runes on the partitions responded promptly.
The faint glow intensified, and the symbols pulsated with a magnificent light that filled the space. The vampires hesitated, their confidence wavering as the floor beneath us began to quiver.
And then it occurred.
The pain in my arm intensified, swallowing me in an awful and thrilling way. My eyesight clouded, and the world's rims twisted as a raw, primitive energy poured through me. My bones felt as if they were cracking and rearranging, and my muscles were tearing and reforming.
I yelled, but it wasn't a true anguish; it had transformed into something deeper, guttural, and animalistic.
When the brightness faded, I wasn't equal.
My senses surged, bringing every sound, intoxicating aroma, and motion into sharp focus. My palms were no longer fingers, but rather claws capped with shimmering white fur. I looked down and saw a reflected image of gleaming silver eyes staring back at me in a puddle of blood.
The vampires froze up, their arrogance replaced by terror. "A pureblood," one of them said softly, his voice shaking.
I did not make assumptions. My instincts took control and I lunged.
The principal vampire was not at risk. My claws tore through him, crumpling his body before he could even scream. The others attempted to fight, but they were no match for the force coursing through me. I was faster and stronger, and the fear in their eyes fueled me just as much.
The final one attempted to flee, but a swirl of black fur cut him off.
Elijah Blackwood.
His wolf shape grew huge, and his dark fur blended into the shadows. His tooth sunk into the vampire's neck with savage force, and the murderer collapsed to the ground.
Elijah transformed back into his human form, his piercing eyes fixed on me. "Aria," he continued, his voice calm yet firm. "You need to manipulate it."
I took a hesitant step back, the excitement dissipating enough for me to feel the weight of what had just occurred. My breathing was ragged, and the metallic taste of blood lingered in my mouth.
"I—" My voice became hoarse and foreign, yet I couldn't continue the thought.
The sound of footsteps caused each of us to flip. Caleb Flynn entered the room, his motions assured despite the chaos around him.
"I guess I'm past due to the birthday party," he replied, his tone light but his eyes steely as they took me in.
"Caleb," Elijah snarled, his stance strained.
"Relax, Blackwood," Caleb murmured, lifting his hands in fake surrender. "I'm now not right here to fight." His attention went lower, returning to me. "even though it looks like someone's been busy."
"Why are you right here?" I inquired, my voice more steady now, and while my body still felt adore, it began to buzz with strength.
"To alert you," Caleb said, his expression becoming agitated. "Victor did not stop with only a few assassins. He wishes you, Aria, and he'll keep coming until he has what he wants.
"What does he want?" I demanded.
Caleb's lips twisted into a little smile. "energy. identical issue all and sundry desires."
"Sufficient," Elijah says as he steps among us. "Aria wishes solutions, not riddles."
"And you observed you could give them to her?" Caleb responded, his tone harsh. "The extraordinary Elijah Blackwood, guardian of the status quo?" "Don't make me laugh."
"I can keep her secure," Elijah said, his voice dangerously low.
Caleb smirked. "Protection is not adequate. She needs to realize who she is and what she is capable of. His eyes dropped back to me, softer this time. "and he or she wishes to decide for herself who she can believe."
The tension between them crackled like a stay wire, but I didn't have time for their competition. My body still felt raw, with every nerve alive with an energy I couldn't really comprehend.
"I'll figure it out," I said, cutting through their impasse. "however proper now, I want to recognise what's going on to me."
Elijah nodded, his face softening slightly. "You've reawakened something ancient, something related to your bloodline. This is why Victor is chasing you. And that's why you're at greater risk than you think."
"Then I'll face it," I replied, my voice steely. "whatever it's miles, I received't run."
The room grew hushed, the weight of my words settling on us.
Elijah moved closer, his stare fixed on mine. "You're more powerful than you realized, Aria. However, gaining strength alone is insufficient.
Caleb chuckled quietly. "She was given more than strength. She's got a heart. And that's what will keep her alive.
Their comments lingered as the tension between them relaxed just little. However, I knew it was far from done.
I looked at the locket in my hand, its silver surface covered with blood. Something Lily had revealed had been linked to this location, to the energy that had awoken within me.
and I was not going to stop until I discovered the truth.