In The Shadow of The Moon Ch. 06

As much as she had wanted things to remain this good, it couldn't be. As she was attempting to help clean up, every pot she picked up, someone took out of her hand; Victoria had felt a chill come over her as one of the newest pack arrivals walked past her. The thoughts swamped her and it was so difficult to get out of the mires of misery and depression. She felt weighed down, by the cold bog negative energy rolling through her. She began to pull on the happy memories, thinking about the changes in her life, this was a chance to start new. It had been difficult, but the spell passed and she felt better. Her grandparent's words weighed heavily on her mind, she was determined to do what they wanted her to do, move on. She wanted to change wanted to be happy, it had been easy to call up the memories of being happy, easy to immolate those behaviors, but now she was acting on it. Walking towards a major fork in her life, a huge decision, her heart began to race, trilling like humming birds wings.

The moss underneath her feet was soft as she approached the pond, though from what she could see, it was more like a lake, so expansive. Hesitated before breaching the boundaries of the forest, it was all so much, so fast. She was still working on being happy, and if she was being honest with herself, a large portion of the day was spent faking it, or at least that was how it felt. Had anyone actually touched her they would have realized she was extremely tense for half of the day, but maybe she was just nervous. She tried to convince herself that the statement was true, but in all actuality it had just been a great afternoon. She wasn't so plagued, by the past she didn't feel as if she were running from herself and her father. She felt like Victoria, happy. She felt the happiness of the last good times with her father. She looked down at her feet, the light of the moon was caressing the tips of her toes, all she had to do was step forward and the chanting would start. The constant flow of bad memories and thoughts broke as the breeze shook the trees and the moon slipped through the foliage cover to drench her head in light. She allowed her breathing to slow as she took it all in. On one deep breath she stepped out of the forest.

When she looked up her family had created a pathway in the water. Carlie and Addyson stood across from Patricia, Antony and Carlie's mother, and Victoria's grandmere. Their skin glowed in the light of the moon. As if it had always been that way, the air was alive with magic, a tangible taste on her tongue with every breath she took in. She could feel her own inner power being called up; she could feel it begin to push at her skin. She stood in her mind sharing equally in the experience. Her vision shifted, everything becoming sharper, now she could see the glow in the air. The magic rolled in waves across the water, emanating from Mistress who stood in the middle of the small lake, the water lapping at her belly button.

Victoria walked forward, her toes hesitantly touching the water, but it was warm and comfortable. She continued to walk, the gold robe trailed along the surface of the water, her family and friends turned to follow her, they moved as an arrow towards the Mistress waiting for them. The closer they got, the more the musical chant increased in volume. Their voices filled her head, her heart raced and her fingers began to shake under the water, but she kept her feet going forward until she stood in front of Mistress Sleepwell. The woman was shrouded in the same glowing halo of magic. It ran in ever lock of hair, coated every inch of her skin, and glowed behind her eyes.

The chanting stopped and Victoria took a quick account of her bearings. The mud that had been slipping between her toes was gone; she stood on an uneven rock beneath the surface. Though she could tell the lake was deep, the water only went to just beneath her stomach. As she looked at the water it pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat. Mesmerized by the vibrating ripples she continued to stare until she heard the Mistress clear her throat. She immediately brought her head up and blushed at her distraction.

"Victoria, you are here to receive the mark of your destiny, the sacred blessing of Luna upon you and your soul mate. The connection between the two of you is strong. When we are created in Luna's hand, we are of one soul, but she splits us in two and gives part of us to another. One expressly designed for us as we were expressly designed for them. As it has been done for centuries, the bond of souls is tested beneath the moon, Luna's ever watchful eye."

Mistress Sleepwell took out a small stone bowl and a knife from a pocket in the robe she was wearing.

"The bond is written in the blood. For blood passes through the soul and carries with it, the knowledge of the other half. Present yourself."

With trembling fingers, Victoria unbuttoned the robe and exposed her chest. She relaxed as she steeled herself for the pricking of the knife, but the pain never came. The blade touched a spot above her heart and she felt the warm pooling of her blood. She looked down to watch as the crimson liquid ran a river down the knife to pool in a small divot just before it met the shaft of the blade. She had all, but forgotten about the other women in the water with her, when Carlie stepped forward with a similar bowl to the one the Mistress already held, except it was smaller. This bowl was a little larger than a water bottle cap. A half of her blood was poured into the bowl Carlie held. The minute it touched it, the basin began to glow, it rose in the air and shot off across the lake. Victoria was a little flabbergasted, she followed it with her eyes and it was there that she noticed another group; she immediately picked out Antony's large frame. She hadn't known that both vinculums occurred at the same time. Mistress Sleepwell cleared her throat again, when Victoria looked at her, Sleepwell's face was laced with slight amusement and annoyance. Victoria brought her focused back, slightly embarrassed at how distractible she was tonight. At that moment a similar glowing bowl glided in to hover between Mistress and herself.

Victoria's head was spinning, the magic in this place was too much, not to mention her heart still hadn't slowed. She watched as the small bowl tipped into the larger one in the mistress's hand at the same time the Mistress tipped the rest of her blood from the knife into the bowl. The concoction glowed silvery white, they same shade as the moon above. Sleepwell looked at her and smiled.

"The bonding is true, two souls separated, are to be joined again, to find their joy together in the eternity."

Those convoluted words spoken, the water receded further and Victoria could see her feet and the supposed rock she had been standing on. It wasn't a rock, but an intricately carved slate of stone. Floral lines of blessings in the old language, the language of truth, had been wrought into the flesh of the stone and each line glowed with the magic still pouring from beneath the Mistresses robe. She felt light fingers on her shoulders and at her waist. The robe was removed from her body and she was left naked before the being of magic.

"Kneel Victoria."

Victoria quickly fell to her knees. Mistress Sleepwell began to sing, another voice across the lake followed suit. Bowl began to bubble and froth, growing from a small about of liquid to nearly overflowing the basin. Just as it looked as if it would spill, Mistress began to pour it over Victoria's head. The song she sang filled Victoria's mind, body, and spirit and she understood it.

Benedictiones bucula puerum istum, et irrue in Luna. Sit bonding crescite et gaudio. Eam onto eius fata et patitur eam facere Luna voluntatem. Hoc benedictio scriptum onto cutis, Sit magicae fluunt et figura in eius carnem, ita ut quod eius coeuntibus ut inveni gratiam in oculis. Benedic hoc puer benedicam tuæ sanctum puerum, et implete eam antiqui.

May the blessings of luna fall upon this child and her mate. May the bonding be fertile and filled with joy. Bring her onto her destiny and allow her to do luna's will. Let this blessing be written onto her skin, let the magic flow and take shape on her flesh, so that she might know that her mating as found favor in your eyes. Bless this child, bless her, bless this sacred child, and fill her with the magic.

The Mistresses beautiful strong voice sang over and over and Victoria wept for the joy she felt.

*******

Standing in front of a full-length mirror, Victoria stared at the lines on her body. Her mothers had been more like a maze, lines equidistance apart from each other, but always running parallel. Victoria's were more like plants; it looked as if a floral vine had grown all over her body. It gracefully followed the curve of her hips and breast. It ran double helixes down the sides of her legs and her spine. It flowered up at the base of her neck and then wrapped around her head like a crown, Victoria was fascinated with it, though normally it she would be upset with such a large amount a foliage, there was something strong, magical about them. She saw them more as tribal flowers, but not Hawaiian shirt flowers. Her eyes flitted across the mirror looking at different parts of her body. The light shinning off her was bright, even through her pajamas it glowed.

She caught Antony's eye in the mirror as he settled against her doorway. His lines were less floral and more tribal, almost polar opposite of hers. They made him look stronger more intimidating. Victoria fought back the need to defend herself, beating down years of instinct. What surprised her was just how easy it was, as if she had only needed to make the decision to change.

She smiled nervously at him, with his arrival had returned the knowledge of her surroundings. Antony had asked if she would sleep in his suites tonight, seeing as after tomorrow night that would be where she would be staying. She hadn't given him an answer, but since she was standing in his bedroom in soft pajama shorts and a tank top, she guessed she was staying. She silently cursed her mother and her grandmother who had had her sleeping things moved up to his room earlier this evening. Antony chuckled as he walked over to her.

"You curse them, I bless them. You probably would have spent half the night pacing in the hallway trying to make the decision. They love you, they made it for you."

Her breathing increased and her nerves kicked it into high gear as he got closer. He bent down, kissed her and picked her up in his arms. She would have protested, but her mouth was otherwise preoccupied. As he laid them both down in the bed, Victoria's nerves made themselves known again.

"No need to be nervous love, I am waiting to ravish you tomorrow night, but after that..." He pecked her once more on the lips, tucked her against his side, and flipped a switch on his side of the bed and the lights clicked off.

"What do you mean, but after that...and can we discuss this whole ravishment idea." Her voice trembled a little a she spoke, she was never nervous, she couldn't stand being this nervous, but there seemed to be nothing she could do about it.

Antony chuckled again and kissed the top of her head, "Goodnight, Victoria."

Victoria groaned and closed her eyes her mind coming up with dozens of ideas about ravishment and possible after that's.