As the sun set in the far corner of the western mountains, Arya felt a sense of power wash over her. The moon, though not in sight yet, gave her the strength like no other.
Even in her wolf form, she had never experienced such raw power. She felt every fiber in her body come alive with a tingling sensation that sent chilles down her spine.
Something deep within her wanted release, pressing at her with a force she didn't ever feel in Bella. It was like an electrical current running through a power line, waiting for a small opening to surge forward.
Elaine! The force was definitely her. Arya could actually feel her presence for the first time since finding out she was a witch, buried deep inside of her.
Arya had reached the cave by now and was holding Elora's book. She opened the pages and saw that indeed it was written in the same ancient language as the letter. Luckily, she had memorized most of the words from the book that Rodriguez had given to her, so most of them were easier to read.
The final rays of the sun settled for the night, and out came the silver moon, casting a silver light on everything it touched, wrapping the entire world in its soft coolness. It felt so round and big that Arya wanted to touch it. Opening the book to page thirteen, as the letter had said, she stood at the alter, wearing a black dress that she had found in a chest in her room.
She avoided looking at the right-hand corner, where a beautiful girl, around seven years of age, lay unconscious against the rocks. That night, at the festival, she had instructed the guards accompanying them that she needed three young girls, should be humans, and they should not belong to any family.
Afterward, one of the guards called her aside and showed her two girls. One was around five and the other seven. Arya just confirmed that they'll do for now, and since they had to get Michelle back to the pack, they left.
Arya looked into the bowl and saw Elaine happy and smiling. She seemed unsympathetic about what Arya would be doing in a few hours.
"You seem happy!" Arya said, staring at Elaine. She made no effort in hiding her disapproval of Elaine's lack of compassion.
"Yes, I'm happy. As a matter of fact, I'm more than happy; I'm ecstatic," came the reply.
"Don't you feel a little bad about everything?"
"Once you see the changes, you won't feel this compassion inside yourself."
Her words stung. Arya knew that somewhere deep inside, Elaine was right, Arya had chosen this herself. She knew what she had to do before coming here, yet she did only to become young and beautiful.
The idea of youthfulness sounded so nice and easy, yet when faced with this reality, Arya was having second thoughts. The letter had told her that without the sacrifices, Arya would slowly wither away. And she had experienced it first hand.
Arya felt her youth fading swiftly. Every time she looked into the mirror, she saw an older version of herself staring back at her. Sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, matted hair... she looked older than twenty-five years. This was her chance of looking younger again!
"You feel it, don't you?" Elaine asked, her question catching Arya off guard.
"Feel what?" Arya asked, feigning ignorance.
"I live inside you, Arya. I feel your emotions, as you feel mine. I know what you're thinking!"
"I just thought it would be easy. But I'm not a murderer. I can't do this. You have to come forward and do it," Arya said, tears feeling her eyes.
She was tired of pretending. Tired of not caring. She was more human, and as the moon rose higher and higher into the night sky, her hands shook, and she couldn't bring herself to look at the child laying down there unconscious. Unaware that her life is about to be cut short because someone wants to look young and gorgeous.
She has her entire life ahead of her. Who knows, she might be a future doctor or someone who grows up to help people less fortunate than her!
As Arya's mind raced, Elaine calmly said, "Or she could become a worthless woman who's homeless and lives on drugs!"
"Elaine, why can't you think positively?" Arya spat.
"Because Arya, thinking postive will only make your hands shake faster!"
Arya looked at her hands, and sure enough, they were shaking so fast that one might think she had some neurological disorder.
"Deep breaths, Arya. Deep breaths!" Elaine said, she herself taking deep breaths, which made Arya follow the rythme.
She did calm down, and Elaine reminded her that the full moon was almost at its peak. Looking at the alter, Arya did see the silver light of the moon slowly coming toward the center of the stone.
Arya slowly opened the book to page thirteen and read the text written in red ink. Then she picked up the knife that lay there at the altar and walked to the girl, goblet in one hand. "I'm so sorry," she whispered as she slit her wrist, collecting the warm red liquid in the goblet.
She went back to the altar, tears in her eyes, and said, "I, Aria Elaine Moonstone Crystalwitch, give you this sacrifice, and in return, you give me everlasting beauty and youth."
She looked at Elaine, and God did she look gorgeous. Her entire face was beaming, and her eyes were a beautiful deep blue. Yes, deep blue. Not black.
Arya then repeated the lines three more times, and as the moons light shone straight at the center of the huge stone, pressed her eyes closed and took in a deep breath, before bringing the goblet to her lips.
Her heart pounded in her chest so hard that she thought she'd have a heart attack. Arya steadied herself and thought about the girl she had seen in that bowl seconds ago.
Her beaming face and beautiful eyes. That was truly magnificent. Arya knew it wasn't Elaine staring back. It was her own reflection. Yes, she wanted that. She chooses beauty over anything else.
Thinking this, she slowly tilted the goblet, and the warm liquid touched her lips, seeking permission to enter, and she gave that permission. Opening her mouth, she let the thick, crimson fluid in, through her mouth to her stomach.
Arya drank till the last drop and put the goblet down, staring at the empty cup. Yes, she had done it, but instead of feeling sick with guilt, she felt amazing.
Reading the book, she cleaned up as instructed, and went to the mouth of the cave to look outside, and at the distance, running like the wind, was a wolf whose neck was glowing brightly with a light blue light.
"My brother," Arya whispered as she ran in that direction.