BENEATH THE MOON'S BITE

LUCA The roaring in my ears wouldn't stop. It was the sound of hundreds of Kindred Rogues howling, stamping their feet, beating their chests. Approval. Awe. It echoed in the giant cavern until the stone itself seemed to vibrate. I stood in the center of the ash circle, which was now just dull, grey powder again. My whole body hummed. The lunar power that had erupted from me was settling under my skin like a warm heartbeat. Kael, the scarred leader, stepped into the circle, he didn't smile, but his eyes held a fierce respect. He raised a hand, and the roaring slowly died to a restless murmur. "Luca Throne has passed the trial!" he announced, his voice carrying across the cavern. "The moon's mark is upon him, the Lunar Omega is real." More howls filled the cavern, the rogues were celebrating. But it didn't feel real, to me I felt like a lightning strike had gone through me and left only smoke and sparks behind. My eyes darted to where Caleb had been standing. He was gone, like he vanished into thin air. Two rogues, a man and a woman with stern faces entered the circle. "Come with us." the woman ordered softly. I had no choice, my legs felt like water. I let them guide me out of the cavern, down a side tunnel, away from the noise. They took me to a small room carved into the rock. It had a cot, a bucket of water, and a torch in a sconce. It looked like a cell, but cleaner than I expected. "Wait here, and don't move an inch." the male rogue commanded. "The council will speak with you soon." "Where's Rafe?" I asked, my voice cracking. They didn't answer, rather they went out the door, a heavy slab of oak reinforced with iron and swung it shut. I sank onto the cot, my head in my hands, the glow was fading from my skin, leaving me feeling cold and empty. I'd done it, but at what cost? I'd shown my power to everyone, Caleb had seen it, and now Rafe was somewhere in this maze, probably in a worse cell, because of me. I don't know how long I sat there, perhaps long enough for the torch to burn lower. When suddenly I heard the sound of a struggle, outside the door.. My head snapped up, staring intently at the door. The lock rattled, and the door flew open. Two large rogues shoved someone inside. Someone tall, with broad shoulders and brown hair. Rafe. They threw him into the room with enough force that he stumbled, catching himself against the far wall. He whirled around, fists up, a snarl on his lips. The door slammed shut behind him. He was breathing hard. His shirt was torn. A fresh cut bled over his eyebrow. But he was here alive with me, in the same room. "Rafe." I breathed. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim light,when they found me. The snarl vanished, replaced by pure, stark relief. "Luca." He called gently We crossed the room at the same time, he grabbed my arms, looking me over like he was checking for breaks. "Are you hurt? What did they do to you?" "I'm okay, they just... put me in here." My own hands were on his chest, feeling the solid beat of his heart. "Your head..." "It's nothing." He swiped at the blood with the back of his hand, his eyes never leaving my face. "I heard the howling. I felt... something through the bond, what happened?" He questioned. "The circle... it pulled the power out of me, like tearing it from my bones, I couldn't stop it." I shuddered at the memory. "It was like the moon reached down and grabbed me." His thumb stroked my cheek. "But you controlled it." "No," I whispered, the truth spilling out. "I didn't. I let go. I thought of you. And it just... exploded." Something flashed in his eyes. Wonder. Fear. He pulled me into a rough hug, his face buried in my hair. "You're incredible." he murmured, his voice soothing and thick. We stood like that for a long moment, just holding on. The bond, which had been filled with panic, swelled into a warm, humming river of relief. He was here. We were together. For now. He finally pulled back, but kept his hands on my shoulders. His expression turned serious as he looked around the room. "This is a test." "What?" "Putting us together. It's another trial." He let go of me and walked to the door, running his fingers along the seam. "They want to see what the bond does, if it makes us weak, if we lose control, if it's a strength or a liability." The warmth I'd felt chilled instantly. He was right. This wasn't kindness. It was observation. "So what do we do?" I asked, hugging myself. He turned from the door, his gaze landing on me. The torchlight made his hazel eyes look like dark gold. "We give them nothing to see." "How?" "By acting normal." He came back to me, but didn't touch me. He sat on the edge of the cot and pointed to the bucket. "Is that water clean?" The shift was so sudden it took me a second, he was right, we couldn't just stand here clinging to each other. That's probably what they wanted. "I think so," I answered, walking toward the bucket. I dipped a corner of my shirt in it, wringing it out. "Here, for your cut." He took the cloth from me, our fingers brushed, a spark shot up my arm. The bond pulsed, hungry for more contact. I saw his jaw tighten. He felt it too. He pressed the cloth to his brow, wincing slightly. "Talk to me," he said, his voice low. "About anything, not about bonds or trials or Caleb. Just... talk." I sat on the floor, leaning my back against the stone wall opposite him. What did people talk about? My mind was blank. "I... I don't like cauliflower." He stared at me for a second, then a slow smile spread across his face. It was the first one I'd seen since the forest. It lit up his whole face, even with the cut and the bruise. "What?" "It's the worst vegetable," I said, the absurdity of it making me feel a little hysterical. "It smells like feet when you cook it, and it has no purpose." He let out a short, surprised laugh. "I'll never feed you cauliflower." "Good." I nodded, smiling happily. "I hum when I'm nervous." I blurted out. "Random songs just to drive my aunt crazy." "I know," he said softly. "You were humming that day behind the stables, before your shift." Suddenly the door lock rattled interrupting our small talk. We both froze. But the door didn't open. Instead, a small narrow slot at the bottom one I hadn't noticed slid open. Two wooden bowls were pushed through, followed by two cups. Kael's cold voice came from the other side of the door. "The power of the bond, is it a chain of or a lifeline?" "Only the night will tell." He chuckled.