The Shadows of the heart
🩸 Crimson Moon Oath
A Fantasy Romance by Chizzy
Chapter Thirteen – The Shadow of the Heart
The nights after the ritual were never quiet again.
The ruins of Elarion breathed differently now—alive, restless. The air shimmered with a faint hum, like a heartbeat buried deep in the stones. Every step Avaline took echoed with strange whispers, too soft to understand, yet too close to ignore.
She hadn't slept in days. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw the circle of light, the blinding flare, and the look in Kael's eyes when he thought she might vanish forever.
Now she sat by the old fountain in the courtyard, tracing the rim with her fingers. The water was black and still. Her reflection rippled—one eye red, the other silver.
Half moonlight.
Half blood.
The curse had changed her.
"Avaline."
She turned at the sound of Kael's voice. He stood a few feet away, dressed in black, his silver sword strapped across his back. His face was pale as moonlight, his eyes unreadable.
"You shouldn't be alone," he said.
"I'm never alone anymore," she replied softly. "Not since that night."
He approached slowly, his movements graceful, careful—as if afraid she might shatter if he came too close.
"The balance inside you," he murmured. "It's unstable. The curse wasn't meant to be shared between realms."
She gave a faint smile. "You're worried I'll lose control?"
"I'm worried you'll lose yourself."
His words struck something deep inside her. She looked away, toward the horizon, where the faint red glow of the Crimson Moon was beginning to bleed through the clouds again.
"I can feel it sometimes," she admitted. "A pull. Like something wants to use me."
Kael stepped closer, his voice low and fierce. "Then let me be the one who keeps you grounded."
Her breath caught. "And if grounding me means losing yourself?"
He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Then I'll take that risk."
The world seemed to narrow to the space between them. Her heart raced. His gaze dropped to her lips—then a crash echoed through the courtyard.
They spun around.
Lycian stood there, breathing hard, blood staining the side of his neck. His clothes were torn, his wolf eyes glowing faint gold.
Kael's hand went instantly to his weapon. "What happened?"
Lycian wiped the blood with the back of his hand. "They're here."
"Who?" Avaline demanded.
He looked straight at her. "The Shadow Court. The queen's ancient guard. They've awakened."
Kael's eyes darkened. "That's impossible. The court was destroyed centuries ago."
"Tell that to the monsters hunting me through the forest."
Avaline rose, her pulse pounding. "They're coming for me."
Lycian nodded. "They carry her mark—the same symbol that burned into your skin during the ritual."
Avaline glanced down. Beneath her sleeve, faint lines of silver and red glowed along her wrist, forming a crescent entwined with thorns.
"The queen's oath," Kael muttered. "It's calling them back."
The ground trembled.
From beyond the courtyard walls, a cold wind surged, carrying with it the stench of ash and something older—something wrong.
Kael drew his blade. Lycian shifted halfway, claws gleaming.
And from the shadows, they emerged—figures draped in tattered armor, their faces hidden behind masks of bone. Their eyes burned violet with unnatural light.
The leader's voice was hollow and smooth. "By the command of Queen Selara, we come to reclaim what was lost."
Avaline took a step back. "Selara is gone."
"She lives in you," the creature hissed. "And through you, her oath endures. Surrender, vessel."
Kael lunged before the words finished, blade flashing. The nearest shadow fell in two. Lycian leapt into the fray, a blur of claws and fire, tearing through the ranks like a storm.
Avaline's power surged instinctively, light flaring from her hands. The runes on her skin ignited, casting silver beams through the darkness.
Every strike she made burned with both moonlight and flame. The power didn't feel foreign anymore—it felt hers.
But the leader didn't falter. It advanced through the chaos, raising its sword, the metal humming with cursed magic.
"Your bond cannot protect you," it said. "The oath feeds on love—and love will destroy you."
Avaline's breath caught. The voice wasn't just a threat—it was a prophecy.
She raised her hand, her voice shaking but fierce. "Maybe it used to. But not anymore."
Her power flared brighter, wrapping around Kael and Lycian like a storm of light. The shadows shrieked as her energy burned through them.
When the last one fell, silence filled the courtyard once more.
Kael dropped to one knee, his chest rising sharply. Lycian leaned against the wall, breathing hard, blood streaking his arm.
Avaline stood trembling, her heart pounding in her chest. The world around her shimmered faintly with residual magic.
Then she felt it—an ache, deep in her soul. Something had shifted.
Kael looked up at her. "Avaline… your eyes."
"What about them?"
"They're… both glowing. Not one silver, one red. Both."
She touched her face, startled. The reflection in the dark fountain confirmed it—her eyes blazed with a new color. A union of the two forces she had carried.
Lycian stared. "What the hell does that mean?"
She met his gaze, her voice quiet but resolute. "It means the curse isn't dividing me anymore. It's becoming part of me."
Kael frowned. "That's dangerous."
"Or maybe," she whispered, "it's the only way I can survive it."
As the Crimson Moon climbed higher in the night sky, its light shimmered differently—less menacing, more curious. Watching. Waiting.
Avaline turned toward it, feeling its pull. "The Shadow Court won't stop," she said softly. "They'll keep coming until the oath is fulfilled."
Lycian wiped the blood from his arm. "Then we make our move before they do."
Kael nodded grimly. "We go north—to the ruins of Selara's temple. That's where the original oath was written."
Avaline's heart pounded. "And that's where we'll end it."
The wind rose again, carrying the scent of storm and prophecy. As they left the broken city behind, three shadows crossed beneath the crimson sky—bound by blood, fate, and a love that refused to obey the laws of gods or monsters.
To be continued...