Novel & Cerita Asra The Arcana

My eyelids try to close with all their might, but I resist and slowly manage to open them, although everything is blurry, I see that I am on the ground, lying. When I close and reopen them, Azael's face appears in front of me, watching me with a frown, with his piercings and his black shirt through which his tattoos peek out and spread across his neck. But when I blink again, there is no sign of him. As if it was part of my imagination.

I feel a slight panic rise in me, Aries catches it and snaps his head round to look at me as we enter the hall, I give him a tight smile and link our mate but am unable to get through. Azrid, can you reach Ersa? No, where is mate? "Sh!t, Aries, we have a problem." I say to him, his eyes instantly flash black as Arcane tries to take over. "Where is she?" He says through gritted teeth, I can tell he's trying to link her and to no avail, I try again too, Azrid is whimpering, tail between his legs in the back of my mind while Aries fights with Arcane to stay in control of his body still.

I don't think I have ever seen anything quite as beautiful. The professor clears her throat as she scans the room. Her gaze falling on mine just along enough to make my skin crawl. Something flashing in her eyes that I don't quite recognize as she continues to scan the room. Weird. "I am Professor Cecillia Starling. This is my bonded, Aries," she says as she gestures to the moon serpent who has now taken place alongside where she stands. She continues, "Yes, I possess gifts granted to me by Aries. No, I will not be telling you my gifts. My job is to simply teach you everything you need to know about the bonds."

The scent of old fire lingered, but the oppressive weight of it lightened. Rhea let out a slow breath. “Well,” she said. “That was… something.” Scar scratched the back of his neck. “Your family reunions are intense,” he said. Kerran looked like he might faint from sheer excitement. “I spoke to Ashar,” he whispered. “Ashar of the First Circle. I am going to have to invent a new tense for this in the archives.” Elia, who had slipped up the hill halfway through and watched from the rim, shook her head.

Helena’s glowed soft green. Healing magic. The freed cult victims showed grays. Still tainted. And Aldric’s tent… “Do you see it?” Erica asked. I did. Oh, I did. Aldric’s aura had layers. On the surface: gold. Loyalty. Family. Purpose. But underneath, faint and hidden, something else pulsed. Dark red. Almost black. Hungry. Exactly like Seraphine’s had been. “Moon Goddess,” I breathed. Erica let go.

“The Moon Cages weren’t built by Vales. They were built by the first covenants—ashbound covenants—after an ashbound girl ended a war by burning the wrong king.” My skin went cold. “That’s a story.” Vesper smiled. “No, Aria. That’s a warning with a date.” She lifted her hand and touched the air near my wrist. She didn’t touch me, but the mark flared anyway, responding. I winced. “Hybrid,” Vesper said softly, as if tasting the word. “Wolf and ashbound. Not Luna. Not Lycan royalty. Something older.” Kieran’s voice went rough. “She’s my mate.”

Katherine stood in the center of it all. Her body had already shifted back, human again, fragile again. Blood dripped steadily from her palms, pooling in small dark circles on the blackened sand. Her eyes were still gold. She had always been mine, but what she turned into, was something I couldn't find myself claiming. Elder Veyra rose. “She is no longer merely Luna of Volkov,” he declared. “She is the Luna of Ashes. The key made flesh. The storm foretold in the oldest scrolls. I think she was reborn when the veil could no longer hold. An ancient being has returned to us, bound to the blood of two packs and the spirits that wait beyond the sky…”

His expression had become more serious after the symbol of the Order of Ash was discovered near the territory. Dravenna slowly sat back inside the silver cage. “Malvora would never wait now that the prophecy has fully activated.” Damon crossed his arms. “You keep saying fully activated.” “Because it has,” Dravenna replied calmly. “Aria awakened first. Then Lucien returned. Those were the two conditions tied to the prophecy.” Mira nodded slowly. “And now the final stage begins.” Before anyone could continue speaking, the silver markings on my hands suddenly appeared again.

He looks back at me with eyes full of panic. "Go on, Darling," I say. "Just touch it." He places a pale, trembling hand on the crystal. The pillar glows a soft pink, then shifts to a vibrant, verdant green. A robotic voice booms through the entire facility: [AWAKENING CONFIRMED. SUBJECT: ARLO NAPKI. RESULT: 80% NARCISSUS (THE GOD OF VANITY). 20% ASCLEPIUS (THE GOD OF MEDICINE). ALIGNMENT: LAWFUL GOOD.]