Crimson Moon Page 2

  He grabbed my hands and held them to his. Tears filled his bright blue eyes.

  “I don’t know, Angelina. I had just come out of the tree line and was headed back to my house when I heard a bloodcurdling scream.”

  “Laurana?”

  He nodded. “Yes. It was Laurana, my fiancée.”

  Those two ending up together still surprised both Nicolai and myself. The rumor was that Jeremiah was the first man she had ever fallen in love with. Hopefully love had changed her.

  “I wasn’t fast enough, Angelina. I just wasn’t fast enough.”

  “Jeremiah…” I looked up at Nicolai. He stared back at me with concern in his eyes.

  “He left a note,” Jeremiah said, choking back the emotion in his strained voice. He fumbled inside his jeans pocket and pulled out a wadded piece of paper. He thrust it towards me. “It’s for you.”

  My hand shook slightly as I took it from him. It amazed me how scared one person could be of one simple, wad of paper.

  “Go on, read it,” Jeremiah said.

  Smoothing the wrinkled paper, I began to read it quietly out loud.

  My dearest Angelina,

  The time has come for our worlds to become one. The darkness below craves the life of your world, while I crave you and your soul. Come to the home of my enemies hidden within the Crimson Forest. Your Nicolai knows the way.

  Tristan

  Crumpling up the note, I tossed it into the fireplace and watched the flames lick at it hungrily. “What does he mean by ‘Nicolai knows the way?’ Do you happen to know this Tristan?” I asked.

  Silence followed my question, so I asked again, “Do you know Tristan?”

  The guilty look on his face gave him away. He shoved his hands into his pockets and quietly replied. “Yes, I know him.”

  “How?”

  He shrugged. “Unfortunately, our paths crossed once when we were younger. You seem to know him also.”

  Averting my eyes, I focused my attention back on Jeremiah. “We’ll get her back, I promise.”

  “What if it’s too late?” he asked.

  “Well, then we must hurry,” I replied. “However, I need to know what we’re dealing with first. Nicolai, tell me everything you know.”

  He pulled his hands out of his pockets and ran them through his dark, unruly hair. His lips formed into a tight, thin line. “Well,” he began. “Tristan is an ancient evil that comes from the darkness below.”

  A chill ran down my spine. The darkness and I were well acquainted.

  “He used a very powerful pendant to escape the darkness and find the beacon of light,” he continued.

  “The beacon of light?”

  He nodded. “Yes, a beacon of light, Angelina. That beacon of light is you.”

  Silence filled the room.

  “A beacon of light, Nicolai? What does that even mean?”

  “Angelina, the energy in your soul is the brightest in the entire world. It’s a beacon of light that Tristan would kill for.”

  “Then why doesn’t he come here and try to take it from me?” I said.

  “He can’t. You’re still alive. You would have to give it to him of your own free will.”

  The puzzle pieces finally started to come together. “So, that’s why he wants me to come to him.”

  Nicolai looked at Jeremiah. The desperation in his voice was heavy. “You understand that Angelina can’t go back into the forest, Jeremiah. He’ll kill her.”

  I put my hands on my hips in defiance. “No, I’m going, and you can’t stop me.”

  He shook his head. “Angelina, you can’t risk your soul for Laurana.”

  Jeremiah balled up his fist and hit Nicolai square in the jaw. Nicolai stumbled backwards and smacked into the corner of the fireplace.

  “Stop it!” I ordered. “Both of you stop it right now!”

  Nicolai stood up and rubbed the side of his jawline. “You still hit like a girl.”

  “I would be careful saying that.” Bethani’s sweet voice chimed in as she skipped down the last few steps and plopped down on the couch. “You won’t stop her from going. You both know that just as much as I do.”

  I was still glad she had moved in with us. She had not only kept her promise to watch over me, but had become my best friend, also.

  The distinct look of disapproval graced Nicolai’s handsome face. “Angelina, you can’t do this,” he persisted, “you just can’t.”

  My words escaped me. I knew what I had to do to save Laurana and the world. The hard part was working up the nerve to do it.

  Chapter 4

  Friendship

  “We need to come up with a plan,” Jeremiah suggested.

  Nodding, I picked up the phone to call my father.

  Nicolai rushed to stop me. “Angelina, it’s late. We can handle this in the morning.”

  “We don’t have time for a debate.” I pushed the familiar phone number into the keypad. “I need to call my father. He’ll know what to do.”

  “Please.” Nicolai begged, “Don’t do this.”

  The phone rang on the other end of the line and I held my fingers to my lips to hush him. On the second ring, a groggy voice answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Father? I need to come over right away.”

  “Is everything alright, Angelina?” he asked.

  “Something terrible is happening in the forest,” I said in response to his question. I looked at the wooden clock above the mantle. 4:00 a.m. The sun would be coming up soon. “We don’t have much time. I’ll explain when we get there.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you soon,” he replied before hanging up the phone.

  Looks of curiosity surrounded me.

  Nicolai stepped in front of me in one last attempt to stop me from going into the forest. “Angelina, please?”

  Pushing past him I headed up the stairs to put something a little more practical on. Though spring was fast approaching, the air still had a hint of winter chill which we needed to be prepared for. This wasn’t going to be a normal trip into the forest. With the frigid air and the frozen ground, warmth was not going to come easy to us.

  I skipped up the steps to my bedroom to change. A few moments later I was dressed in old comfy jeans, a long sleeved thermal shirt, and a gray, oversized hoodie. My mother had bought me the hoodie one Christmas after she saw me admiring it online. Though it was stunning, it also came with a stunning price tag of $59.99—something I could never afford on my own.

  Admiring the softness of the vintage hoodie, I breathed in the faint aroma of my mother—lavender and vanilla. A lump formed in my throat at the thought of her. She had always been there for me through everything, and now she was gone when I needed her the most.

  Sadness tugged at my heart. To quash it, I grabbed a hair tie and pulled my hair into a loose braid.

  “Everything okay up here?”

  Startled, I jumped at the sound of Nicolai’s voice. “Everything’s fine,” I replied. “Pack warm, it’s still going to be chilly out there.”

  There was an irritated look on his face. “I don’t get chilled, Angelina.”

  “How could I forget?” I said.

  He grabbed both of my arms. “You really need to reconsider doing this. The forest is not safe.”

  Pulling away from him, I yanked a black knitted hat from the top of the closet and put it on. “Nicolai, Jeremiah’s our friend and he needs our help.”

  “No, he’s your friend and he can help himself.” I could tell by the disapproval on his face that this conversation wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Angelina…” he begged.

  My hand rose to stop him, “No, Nicolai, perhaps you forgot who helped rescue me. How could you possibly forget that he was right by your side?” I slid a pair of black knitted gloves and slid them over my slim fingers. “It’s our turn to help him now.”

  His stare was powerful, but I didn’t let it sway my decision. Sighing, I smoothed my braided hair and faced him. “We
have to do this. Nicolai, I have to do this.”

  Without another word, he sat down on the bed next to Snow, who was snoring loudly. His steady eyes studied me momentarily before looking down at the floor. “Everything in me tells me we shouldn’t go into the forest.”

  “Nicolai, you know how important Laurana is to Jeremiah. He would do the same for you.”

  “But you’re risking so much!”

  “Look, I’m not going to argue with you over this. It’s already settled. I’m going, with or without you.”

  He ran his hands through his dark hair in frustration. “You don’t know Tristan. He’s clever and calculating. He’s aware of the power you possess to control life and death, and most importantly, he knows how to hurt you.”

  “Then maybe you should just stay here so he can’t hurt me.”

  My words stung. The muscles in Nicolai’s jaw twitched in silent retaliation to my comment. “What the hell is that supposed to mean, Angelina?”

  My mouth opened, but no sound came out. Instead, I reached for the locket that hung loosely around my neck.

  Nicolai stood up and pulled me into his warm embrace. “I just don’t want to lose you,” he said, “we’ve fought so hard for this.”

  He was right, we had fought hard for our love, but the world needed us. Hell, Laurana needed us. The possibility of losing those you love is the worst thing imaginable. I had to do everything in my power to save them, even if it meant losing my own soul in the process.

  Chapter 5

  Apologetic Love

  Snow yawned lazily and hopped down off the bed. Her nails clicked across the hardwood floor as she trotted over to the doorway and sat down. She always kept a steady eye on me while I was with Nicolai. She had claimed me as part of her wolf pack from the moment she arrived on our doorstep as a little bundle of white fluff. Her instincts were beginning to kick in, and she had grown quite protective over me.

  Turning my attention back to Nicolai, I gave him apologetic look. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”

  Snow let out a warning growl to let Nicolai know she now had her sights set on him.

  His brows shot up in amusement. “I think your wolf-dog is jealous of me.”

  “Ha!” I laughed. “She’s not the only one with jealous tendencies in this household.”

  Nicolai caught my drift. “Yeah…about that…”

  “It’s okay,” I said.

  “It’s just…” he flashed his charming smile, “You know what? I’m sorry. Please forgive my behavior tonight.”

  How could anyone reject someone with a smile like that? “Of course, I forgive you,” I replied with a kiss. Snow growled in disapproval and I shooed her out the door and told her to go downstairs.

  Nicolai released his hold on me and poked his head out the door to confirm she had indeed done as I’d asked. Two seconds later he gave me a thumbs-up. “She’s gone. Now come here so I can apologize to you the right way.”

  He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close. His warm skin felt good against mine.

  “What if she comes back?” I joked.

  “Well, if she does happen to come back, I guess I’ll just have to show her who’s boss, now won’t I?”

  “You? Show her who’s boss?” I laughed. “I think it may be the other way around.”

  He smirked. “Yeah, she really doesn’t like me too much, does she?”

  “Nah, not really, so you had better be good to me, unless you want be eaten.” I poked his chest and he grabbed my index finger, biting it gently.

  “If you’re not careful, I’m going to eat you.”

  A flirtatious grin spread across my face. “I’d like to see you try.”

  “I love you, Angelina.”

  The butterflies fluttered around in my stomach. “I love you, too.”

  “Well, I guess if we’re going to do this, we should come up with a solid plan.”

  “You’re right,” I said. “We should get everyone together and head over to my father’s house.”

  “Okay.” He kissed me once more on the forehead. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  He left the room and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror that hung on the back of the closet door. Tired chestnut-colored eyes stared back at me. The last adventure had nearly taken my life…a few times in fact, and now we were going back at it again. Another journey into the famous but deadly Crimson Forest. How deceiving it was with its mask of beauty and serenity.

  Skipping down the steps, I tried to hide the fear that had begun to creep up on me from my companions. By the look of dismay on Bethani’s pretty face, she already knew what was going on. She gave me a small nod as if to say everything was all going to be okay. Smiling, I nodded back. All eyes were now on me.

  Jeremiah gave me a weak smile. “There she is.”

  “Yup, here I am,” I said.

  He pulled me in for a hug. “Thank you for doing this for me. You have no idea what it means.”

  His blue eyes were bloodshot and weary. I hugged him back and buried my head into his chest. He smelled like the forest—earthy and sweet. “Yes, Jeremiah, I do.”

  Nicolai let out a heavy sigh and disappeared into the kitchen.

  “What’s his problem?” Jeremiah asked.

  Bethani grinned. “Oh, don’t worry about him, he’s just mad that you’re cooler than he is.”

  My hand covered my mouth so Nicolai didn’t hear the laugh that had escaped. A few moments later he returned, a smug look on his handsome face. “Are you guys ready to head out?” he asked.

  Bethani bounded over to the front door. “Yes, I think we are.”

  Jeremiah’s weary blue eyes were suddenly full of life. Vengeance fueled him. “Well then, let’s go kick the shit out of that son of a bitch, Tristan.”

  “Yes, let’s.” I locked the door behind me. Snow let out a gruff woof and trotted next to me, wagging her tail happily. She was excited to go on her first big adventure.

  “You’re good, Snow,” I said. She licked my hand and ran a short distance ahead to scout out the area. Our first stop was my father’s house, which sat at the edge of town. After that, it was back into the Crimson Forest. My heart fluttered at the thought.

  Bethani slowed down and nudged my shoulder. “The one who sacrifices the most is the one that will save the world.”

  “But haven’t I already sacrificed enough?” I asked.

  “You’re still breathing, aren’t ya?” she replied.

  Though she had a point, it wasn’t the thought of me dying that worried me. It was losing any one of them. I had already lost so much to the dangers that lurked within the forest. I simply refused to lose anyone or anything else, including my soul.

  Chapter 6

  Torture

  Laurana’s light eyes were bright with fury. “He’ll come for me!”

  “Oh, my dear Laurana, I’m counting on it.” Tristan smiled viciously. “You know, some say that time is endless.” Tristan paced back and forth in front of her. “However, your time is running out. What’s Angelina’s weakness?”

  Laurana glared at him in hatred. “I don’t know.”

  He nodded to something in the forest. “Mathias, come out.”

  Confusion washed over Laurana’s face. “Mathias?”

  A dark, shadowy figure emerged from the thick moss-covered brush. He lowered the hood on his jacket, revealing a head full of black hair and ice white skin. His red eyes stared straight ahead. “Yes?”

  Laurana struggled to free herself from the tight binds that held her against the old ash tree. “Mathias, you traitor!”

  Mathias looked down. “I’m not here by choice.”

  “I don’t care why you’re here,” she said. “The point is, you’re here.”

  Tristan clapped his hands together in amusement. “Oh, how cute!” He walked over and ran his finger down Laurana’s smooth cheek. She turned her head in disgust.

  “Don’t touch me,” she warned.

  He look
ed at Mathias and back to Laurana. “I’m assuming you two know each other?”

  “You traitor,” she repeated, hatred in her bright eyes.

  Mathias continued to stare at the ground. “What is it you want, Tristan?”

  He nodded towards the pretty blonde. “Why don’t we show this pretty little girl what happens when we don’t cooperate.”

  “I refuse.”

  Tristan’s brows shot up in surprise and he put his hand to his ear. “I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

  Mathias stood his ground. “No, Tristan, not her.”

  Tristan let out a hearty laugh. “Aww, you really thought you were going to have a choice in the matter!”

  Mathias looked up, his once-red eyes now a calm sea green. “I won’t,” he said.

  Tristan cocked his head to the side and drew closer to Mathias. “Did you say…you won’t?”

  Mathias remained silent.

  “I see,” Tristan said. He began pacing back and forth in between them, his hands folded behind his back.

  Laurana watched silently, trying her best to escape from her binds.

  “Perhaps, you’ve forgotten why I’ve brought you here, Mathias. Maybe I should remind you.”

  Suddenly the apparition of a small boy appeared. He looked to be no older than maybe five years old. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

  Mathias ran to the apparition. The ghostly boy disappeared into thin air and Mathias fell to his knees. “My son!”

  Tristan bent down and put his arm around the desperate man. “There, there Mathias. You’ll get your son’s soul back as soon as you’ve paid your debt.”

  Mathias shrugged Tristan’s arm off him and stood back up. He slowly made his way over to Laurana and looked at her with apologetic eyes. “I’m sorry. This is something I must do.” With that, he backhanded her across her face. She grinned at him, blood beginning to seep through the crevices of her perfect white teeth, “Angelina is going to hate you for this.”