Chapter 6 The Shadow Within

When the Fire Sleeps

The storm passed, but the silence it left behind was worse.

Aria hadn't slept since the battle in the citadel. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the witch's face in the flames that smile carved from malice and sorrow. Her blood still hummed with something unnatural, a pulse that wasn't hers.They'd taken shelter in a ruined chapel at the edge of the valley, half-swallowed by moss and moonlight. Luca sat by the cold hearth, his coat discarded, a faint shimmer of crimson still glowing beneath his skin.

"Your mark," Aria said, her voice low. "It hasn't faded."

He glanced at his wrist, where the crescent sigil still pulsed faintly like a heartbeat. "Neither has yours."She looked down. The same mark burned silver on her skin faintly warm, like a live ember."It reacts when you're near," he said.

Aria's eyes narrowed. "Don't flatter yourself, vampire."

He smiled faintly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I wasn't. I'm saying it's not random. The witch tied our blood together maybe she's feeding through it."That thought made her stomach twist. "You mean she's using us?"

"Or trying to."

Silence settled again. Outside, wind hissed through broken stained glass, scattering shards of moonlight across the floor.

Aria pulled her knees to her chest. "You said she was betrayed by love. Do you think that's what she wants from us?" "To repeat it?" Luca's tone was bitter. "Maybe. History loves irony."He looked at her really looked, as if trying to memorize the way the moonlight softened the edges of her defiance. "You should rest," he said quietly.

"I can't."

"Nightmares?"

"Memories."

He nodded. "They're worse when you fight them."

"You sound like you know."

"I do." His gaze drifted to the broken altar at the far end of the chapel. "I see my father's face every time I close my eyes the way he looked when he killed my mother. And every night, I wake up hearing her whisper the same word: Run."

Aria's breath caught. "Your mother was?"

"A wolf," he finished.

That stunned her into silence. She'd heard rumors a forbidden affair in the Blackthorn court, a scandal erased from vampire records. But hearing it from him made it real.

"That's why you hate him," she murmured.

"I don't hate him," Luca said softly. "I am him. And I hate that more."

The confession hung in the air like smoke. Aria wanted to say something anything but words felt too fragile. Instead, she reached out, her fingers brushing the edge of his sleeve.The mark on both their wrists flared instantly a flash of heat that jolted through them like lightning.Luca inhaled sharply, his eyes going crimson for a heartbeat before fading back to black.

"What was that?" Aria whispered."The curse," he said hoarsely. "It reacts to... emotion."

Her cheeks flushed. "Emotion?"

"Strong ones," he clarified, though his voice wasn't steady. "Anger. Fear. Desire."

The last word lingered too long in the air.

They both looked away.

The fireless hearth crackled suddenly a phantom spark that flared and died.Aria stood quickly, crossing to the doorway. "We should leave at dawn."

"Agreed."

She hesitated, her back still to him. "Luca... if the witch bound us for revenge, then every step we take toward each other might be what she wants.""Maybe," he said. "Or maybe it's what will destroy her."

When Aria turned, he was watching her again, and for a moment, the monster and the man inside him blurred into one.The wind outside howled like wolves mourning the dead.

The night held its breath.

And deep beneath the ruins of the citadel, something ancient stirred.

the Fire SleepsThe storm passed, but the silence it left behind was worse.Aria hadn't slept since the battle in the citadel. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the witch's face in the flames that smile carved from malice and sorrow. Her blood still hummed with something unnatural, a pulse that wasn't hers.They'd taken shelter in a ruined chapel at the edge of the valley, half-swallowed by moss and moonlight. Luca sat by the cold hearth, his coat discarded, a faint shimmer of crimson still glowing beneath his skin.

"Your mark," Aria said, her voice low. "It hasn't faded."He glanced at his wrist, where the crescent sigil still pulsed faintly like a heartbeat. "Neither has yours."She looked down. The same mark burned silver on her skin faintly warm, like a live ember."It reacts when you're near," he said.Aria's eyes narrowed. "Don't flatter yourself, vampire."

He smiled faintly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I wasn't. I'm saying it's not random. The witch tied our blood together maybe she's feeding through it."That thought made her stomach twist. "You mean she's using us?""Or trying to."

Silence settled again. Outside, wind hissed through broken stained glass, scattering shards of moonlight across the floor.

Aria pulled her knees to her chest. "You said she was betrayed by love. Do you think that's what she wants from us?""To repeat it?" Luca's tone was bitter. "Maybe. History loves irony."He looked at her really looked, as if trying to memorize the way the moonlight softened the edges of her defiance. "You should rest," he said quietly.

"I can't."

"Nightmares?"

"Memories."

He nodded. "They're worse when you fight them."

"You sound like you know."

"I do." His gaze drifted to the broken altar at the far end of the chapel. "I see my father's face every time I close my eyes the way he looked when he killed my mother. And every night, I wake up hearing her whisper the same word: Run."

Aria's breath caught. "Your mother was-?"

"A wolf," he finished.

That stunned her into silence. She'd heard rumors a forbidden affair in the Blackthorn court, a scandal erased from vampire records. But hearing it from him made it real."That's why you hate him," she murmured."I don't hate him," Luca said softly. "I am him. And I hate that more."The confession hung in the air like smoke. Aria wanted to say something anything but words felt too fragile. Instead, she reached out, her fingers brushing the edge of his sleeve.The mark on both their wrists flared instantly a flash of heat that jolted through them like lightning.Luca inhaled sharply, his eyes going crimson for a heartbeat before fading back to black.

"What was that?" Aria whispered.

"The curse," he said hoarsely. "It reacts to... emotion."Her cheeks flushed. "Emotion?""Strong ones," he clarified, though his voice wasn't steady. "Anger. Fear. Desire."The last word lingered too long in the air.They both looked away.

The fireless hearth crackled suddenly a phantom spark that flared and died.Aria stood quickly, crossing to the doorway. "We should leave at dawn."

"Agreed."

She hesitated, her back still to him. "Luca... if the witch bound us for revenge, then every step we take toward each other might be what she wants."

"Maybe," he said. "Or maybe it's what will destroy her."

When Aria turned, he was watching her again, and for a moment, the monster and the man inside him blurred into one.The wind outside howled like wolves mourning the dead.The night held its breath.And deep beneath the ruins of the citadel, something ancient stirred

The Voices Beneath the Skin

The first whisper came at dawn.Aria woke to the sound of her own heartbeat echoing like drums in her ears. The world around her shimmered, colors too bright, scents too sharp. Luca was gone. Only the faint scent of ash and nightflowers marked where he had been.She pressed her wrist to her chest; the mark pulsed once, then burned. A voice soft, female, ancientbbrushed the edge of her mind."Daughter of the moon... why fight what you already are?"Aria gasped and stumbled backward, clutching her head. The chapel spun. When she looked up, the light spilling through the cracked windows was red."Not again," she muttered. "Get out of my head." But the voice only laughed. "You invited me in the moment you touched him." Luca returned moments later, carrying a bundle of firewood and a look that said he hadn't slept either.

"You heard her too," he said quietly.Aria didn't answer. She didn't need to. The air between them hummed with that same cursed energy, their marks glowing faintly in the gloom.

"She calls herself Selene," Luca said, setting the wood down.

"She's not asleep anymore. She's feeding."

"Feeding on what?"

He looked at her, the corner of his mouth tightening. "Us."

Aria's breath caught. "You mean she's using our blood to return." "She's using our connection," he corrected. "Every time we fight her, every time we feel something strong she grows stronger.""So what are we supposed to do? Stop feeling?"Luca gave a bitter laugh. "If only it were that simple."They left the chapel before the sun climbed fully over the horizon. The forest around them looked different now darker, as if the trees themselves bent toward the shadow that followed them.Aria tried to keep her focus on the path ahead, but the whispers kept coming. Sometimes they were memories her mother's voice calling her name, her pack laughing around a fire. Sometimes they were Selene's.

"He will betray you, as they all did."

"He will choose his blood over yours."

"Kill him before he kills you."

Aria clenched her fists until her claws broke skin. "Shut up," she hissed under her breath.

Luca's head turned. "She's in your mind too?"

"Won't stop talking," Aria said. "She wants us to turn on each other."

"She's scared," Luca said after a pause.

Aria frowned. "Of what?"

"Of what happens if we don't."

By nightfall they reached the edge of the Wyrmwood a stretch of black trees that even vampires avoided. Mist clung to the ground like spilled smoke, and every shadow seemed to move.

"This is it," Luca said. "Beyond this forest lies the Hollow Lake. The witch's tomb was sunk there centuries ago."Aria eyed the darkness ahead. "Perfect. A haunted forest over a cursed grave. What could go wrong?"

He smiled faintly. "Everything."

They entered the Wyrmwood. The air felt heavier here, charged with an old, cold power. The mark on Aria's wrist ached with every step.

At some point, Luca stumbled, catching himself against a tree. His eyes flared crimson again.

"Luca?" she said carefully.

"I'm fine," he rasped. But his voice was layered his and another's, a chorus that made the hairs on her neck rise."Luca!" She grabbed his arm. The mark between them ignited, throwing sparks of red and silver light.For a heartbeat, she saw through his eyes saw the witch standing behind her, her hands dripping with blood, her smile too wide. Then everything snapped back.Luca staggered away, gasping. "She tried to use me. To make me hurt you."

Aria swallowed hard. "Then don't let her."

"It's not that easy," he said. "Every time I lose focus, she pushes through."

"Then I'll keep you focused."

"How?"

"By making sure you don't forget who you are."

She stepped closer, gripping his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes. "You're not her weapon. You're not your father. You're you."The red in his eyes faded, replaced by something softer gratitude, maybe, or fear. "You shouldn't care this much," he murmured.

"Too late," she said. "We're bound, remember?"For a long moment, the forest held still around them. Then Luca exhaled slowly and nodded.

"Then we move together," he said. "No matter what she throws at us."

"Together," Aria agreed.As they pressed deeper into the forest, the mist thickened. Strange lights flickered between the trees-will-o'-the-wisps dancing just out of reach. Somewhere ahead, water lapped softly against stone.The mark on Aria's wrist burned hotter now, and with every pulse, she felt her senses sharpen, her instincts blur. She could smell Luca's heartbeat, hear the rush of his blood. It frightened her how alive it made her feel.

She bit her lip, fighting the pull. "She's trying to make us lose control," she whispered."I know," he said, voice strained. "Hold on to yourself."But she wasn't sure she could. The witch's laughter rolled through the trees, soft and cruel."You can't run from what's inside you, children. You are my legacy."

Aria drew her blade, the silver edge catching what little light remained. "We're not your anything," she said.

The laughter faded, replaced by silence so deep it hurt.

And somewhere ahead, beyond the mist, a faint crimson glow rose from the direction of the lake.

The fire had stopped burning, but its memory still clung to the sky. Ash floated like gray snow over the valley, and the air smelled of death and iron. Aria stood on what used to be her home the Moonwell stronghold now reduced to blackened bones of stone.

She didn't cry. The tears had dried with the smoke. What replaced them was rage cold, quiet, patient.The council wanted her to retreat north, to regroup with the remaining packs, but Aria refused. "Retreat is for the weak," she told them. "And I am not weak."

Her beta, Rowan, watched her with worry etched deep in his face. "We lost half the pack, Aria. Your father-"

"Don't say his name," she snapped.

Rowan hesitated. "He died protecting you." "I know." Her voice cracked, just slightly. "That's why I can't stop."

He looked at her for a long time, then bowed his head. "Then we follow your lead, Alpha."Aria turned toward the mountains. Beyond them lay the Crimson Peaks vampire territory. That's where the attack had come from. That's where she would go.The moon hung low and red that night, casting blood-colored light across the ruined valley. It looked like the world itself was bleeding.Luca Blackthorn hated the smell of fire. It reminded him of his father's cruelty of the night he'd burned an entire village just to silence one rebel pack of wolves.Now, the same fire had come back to their doorstep.

He stood on the balcony of the Blackthorn citadel, overlooking the forests below. The flames of Moonwell still glimmered faintly in the distance.

"You're proud of this?" he asked without turning.His father's voice came from the shadows behind him deep, cold, too calm. "Pride has nothing to do with it. It's order. The wolves forget their place."

Luca clenched his jaw. "You call slaughter order?"

"I call it balance," King Varian said. "You're too soft, my son. You always have been. That weakness will be your undoing."

Luca turned then, meeting his father's crimson eyes.

"Maybe softness is what keeps me from becoming a monster."

Varian smiled a thin, cruel smile. "Every Blackthorn becomes a monster eventually."He left Luca standing there, fists shaking, the night wind carrying the distant howls of mourning wolves.Luca looked out toward the horizon again and whispered, "Then maybe it's time one of us breaks the curse."By the third night, Aria's small hunting party had crossed into vampire territory. The forest here felt different too still, too quiet, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath.Rowan moved beside her, his sword drawn. "Tracks," he murmured, crouching low. "Three vampires. Fresh."

Aria's nostrils flared. She could smell them too iron and rosewater, the scent of cold blood.She signaled for silence. They crept forward, blades ready, every step measured.Then the air shifted. A faint sound like a sigh brushed past her ear.

And then, movement.

A blur of black dropped from the trees, knocking Rowan aside. Aria spun, claws unsheathing from her fingertips, and met the attacker head-on. Their blades clashed, sparks flying.

The vampire was fast faster than she'd ever seen. But so was she. She ducked, kicked his legs out from under him, and pressed her dagger to his throat.

"Name," she demanded.

He smiled up at her, blood glinting on his lip. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"Luca Blackthorn."

The world seemed to tilt for a moment. She'd heard that name the vampire prince, heir to the bloodthrone, the monster who'd ordered her pack's destruction.

Without hesitation, she pressed the blade deeper. "Then this will be quick."

"Wait!" he hissed. "I didn't order the attack."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Believe what you want, but if you kill me, you'll never find who did."Her grip faltered slightly, enough for him to notice. He pushed her dagger aside and rolled away, springing to his feet in one fluid motion.They circled each other, eyes locked predator and prey, though neither was sure which was which anymore.

"You fight like someone who's lost everything," he said.

"I have," she spat.

"Then we're the same."

"Don't insult me."

He smirked faintly, though there was no humor in it. "I'm not. I lost something too."

"What could a monster like you possibly lose?"

"Someone worth killing for." Aria froze for a fraction of a second just long enough for him to move. In the next instant, he had her pinned against a tree, his fangs inches from her throat.

"Do it," she whispered. "End it." But he didn't. His gaze flicked to the mark on her wrist faint, silvery, pulsing like light beneath the skin. His expression changed.

"Where did you get that?" he asked sharply.

Aria frowned. "What?" "The mark. That's... impossible."

She looked down at it, confusion crossing her face. "It appeared after the battle. What is it?" Luca stepped back slowly, almost afraid. "It's the Mark of Selene the witch who cursed our bloodlines. It hasn't appeared in centuries."

"Cursed our bloodlines?"

"She was betrayed by a werewolf and a vampire lovers. She vowed their descendants would destroy each other forever."

Aria felt cold all over. "So that's why we're at war."

"That's why we'll always be."

They stood in silence for a long moment, the forest whispering around them.

Finally, Aria said, "If you're lying, I'll kill you."

Luca met her gaze. "If I'm lying, I'll let you."

She didn't know why, but she believed him.They traveled together through the night, uneasy allies bound by blood and circumstance. Luca led her to an ancient ruin hidden deep in the woods a place even vampires avoided.

"The old temple of Selene," he said. "If the curse is waking, this is where we'll find answers."

Aria glanced around the broken columns and shattered statues. "You trust a witch's temple?"

"I don't trust anything," he said. "But I don't have a choice."

Neither did she.

They descended into the temple's heart a chamber lit by pale blue fire. Symbols were carved into the walls, pulsing faintly as they entered. In the center stood a cracked stone altar, stained with centuries of blood.

Aria approached it slowly. "What is this place?"

"A warning," Luca said softly. "And a prison."

"For what?"

Before he could answer, the ground trembled. A whisper rose from the walls, soft at first, then growing louder a woman's voice, beautiful and terrible.

"Children of my curse... you awaken what should have slept."

Aria spun, eyes wide. "What was that?"

"The witch," Luca said. "Selene."

The firelight flared, turning red. Shadows coiled along the walls, forming the shape of a woman with eyes like dying stars. "I remember you," she said, her voice echoing through their minds. "Your blood calls to me, as theirs once did." Aria's knees weakened under the weight of her presence. "What do you want?" "What was taken," Selene hissed. "My love. My vengeance. My power."

Luca stepped forward, defiant. "You cursed us! You started this war!" The witch's laughter filled the chamber. "Foolish boy. I only gave your kind what they craved blood and hate. It was your father who made it eternal."Aria turned to him sharply. "Your father?" Luca looked shaken. "He's descended from the vampire who betrayed her." "And you," Selene whispered, turning her gaze to Aria, "carry the blood of the wolf who murdered him."The air turned thick, heavy, electric. Their marks began to glow brighter red and silver intertwining, pulsing in rhythm."Your bond is my rebirth," the witch said. "Through your union, I return."

Aria gasped, clutching her wrist. "No-"

The light exploded. For a heartbeat, everything vanished into white.When the world came back, the witch was gone but her voice lingered like smoke. "When the moon bleeds red, your hearts will too."Aria stumbled, dizzy. Luca caught her before she fell."What did she do to us?" she whispered.He looked down at their glowing marks, fear creeping into his voice. "She bound us. Not as enemies... but as one."

And somewhere, far above them, the moon bled red again

The night was heavy with silence, broken only by the distant hum of thunder. The crimson moon hovered above the ruined forest, bleeding its light into the shattered ground. Aria stood by the cliff's edge, her silver hair shimmering like liquid frost. The wind whipped her cloak behind her, carrying the scent of ash and blood.She could feel the curse inside her veins pulsing stronger than ever. Her hands trembled, her eyes flickering between gold and crimson. It was as though two souls were fighting inside her the wolf and the shadow. "It's getting worse," she whispered, clutching her chest. "I can feel it consuming me."Behind her, Luca approached slowly. His steps were soft, but his aura felt heavy dark, burdened, dangerous. His own curse was deepening, twisting through his veins like living fire. "We don't have much time," he said quietly. "The witch's power is spreading. Every drop of blood spilled tonight strengthens her."Aria turned to him. "You mean the battle wasn't enough? We destroyed half her army."Luca's jaw clenched. "And yet she's still alive. You saw it the flames didn't touch her. She's feeding off the curse itself. As long as it runs through us, she lives."Their eyes met, pain mirrored in both. For a moment, the silence between them said more than any words. They had fought side by side, bled together, and now they stood on the edge of losing themselves to the same darkness they had sworn to destroy.

Luca reached out, brushing his fingers against her cheek. "If I lose myself to this, promise me you'll stop me."

Aria's voice trembled. "Don't ask me that."

"I have to." His gaze was steady, though his voice cracked at the edges. "Because if the curse takes me, I'll become the very thing we're fighting against."

Her breath hitched. "And if it takes me first?"He smiled faintly, a sad kind of warmth flickering in his crimson eyes. "Then I'll follow you into the dark."Lightning split the sky, throwing their faces into pale relief. The ground trembled beneath them as the witch's magic spread like veins of fire through the forest. A whispering voice filled the air soft, venomous, ancient. Children of moon and blood, your fates were written in death.

Aria gasped as the symbol on her arm began to glow, burning through her skin. Luca's eyes flared red, his fangs elongating as pain tore through him. They both fell to their knees, the witch's laughter echoing through the storm."Do you feel it?" the voice hissed. "The curse that binds your love and your hate. The more you fight, the more you feed me."Aria screamed, clutching her arm as the mark spread across her chest. Luca grabbed her hand, forcing their fingers together. "Don't let her win!" he shouted. "Aria, look at me!"Her vision blurred, but she focused on his face. The firelight reflected in his eyes, fierce and full of sorrow. "I'm here," she whispered. "I won't let go."

Their hands ignited in crimson light. The curse was trying to tear them apart, but their connection held it back, a burning thread of defiance against fate. The air around them exploded in light and shadow, and suddenly the witch appeared her body cloaked in smoke, her eyes two black abysses.

"You cannot defy what was written!" she shrieked. "Love between your kind is poison! It is your end!"

Aria rose to her feet, her voice trembling but strong. "Then I'll rewrite what was written." Luca joined her, blood dripping from his lip. "We've already defied death. You think love will bow to you?"The witch screamed, hurling a blast of dark fire toward them. Aria raised her arm, summoning a shield of silver light that cracked under the force but held long enough for Luca to strike back. His blade cut through the storm, slicing into her chest. Shadows poured from her wound like ink, spiraling into the sky.But instead of dying, the witch laughed. "Foolish children. You have only freed me."The light burst, and the forest was swallowed by darkness. Aria felt her body being ripped apart by wind and magic. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in a void black skies, no stars, no sound. She turned around, but Luca was gone.

"Luca!" she shouted. Her voice echoed endlessly, no answer.Then she heard it a heartbeat, slow and distant. She ran toward it, her bare feet sinking into the void beneath her. The heartbeat grew louder, faster. A shadow appeared ahead, tall, familiar."Luca?"

He turned, but his eyes were no longer red they were black, endless and cold. "You shouldn't have come here," he said softly.

"What are you talking about? We did it, we-" His voice was quiet but cruel. "You didn't save me, Aria. You saved the curse."

Her heart stopped. The air grew heavy around her as the ground cracked, revealing glowing veins of red light. The witch's laughter returned, echoing through Luca's voice. "Love is a doorway," she hissed. "And I have walked through yours."Aria's knees gave way. "No... Luca, fight it!"But when she reached for him, his hand shot out and caught her wrist with inhuman strength. The warmth she once knew was gone his skin was ice. "I told you," he whispered. "If I lose myself, you'll have to stop me."

Tears blurred her vision. "I can't."

"You must." He leaned close, their foreheads touching. "Because if you don't, there will be nothing left to save."Then, before she could speak, he vanished pulled backward into the darkness like smoke torn apart by wind. The void shattered.

Aria woke on the ground, gasping. The forest was still burning, the witch gone, the moon pale and dying. But Luca was nowhere. Only his blade remained, buried in the dirt beside her. The curse mark on her arm had stopped glowing, but its outline remained cold, silent, a reminder of what she had lost.She picked up the blade and looked toward the horizon, her eyes hard with new resolve. "You took him," she whispered, her voice trembling with fury. "But I swear by the moon and blood you'll pay."And as the first light of dawn broke through the crimson clouds, Aria Moonwell last heir of the Silverfangs, cursed by love and vengeance took her first step toward the end of destiny itself.