The Blood Rite

Chapter Thirty

Lights flickered to life, illuminating the chair she'd knocked over and the comical expressions on the vampires' faces. Ruby stared up at the night sky. She saw the stars, twinkling and dancing. Some, she thought, would bounce when her eyes landed on them. And the black spaces in between felt so heavy that, if she were to stick her arm towards them, she might fall in.

But it was what she felt inside that drew her attention the most. She felt the night inside of her just as much as it was outside. The cool breeze calming her and electrifying her. She could do anything. Ruby felt the urge to make all the stars dance or to shape them with razor edge points. Maybe she could thin the darkness and thicken it to suffocate her enemies.

What else could she do?

All of this time she'd believed that her power came from or was fueled by the black chasm inside of her, but instead it seemed to soothe the lure of the chasm and the pull was more manageable. She hadn't realized how much she'd been fighting that chasm every day until it was mute and she sagged, a ragged breath escaping her.

Her power was home. It was life, and it was death.

"Ruby," Sonya breathed, her eyes as wide as saucers. It took Ruby a moment to realize why she was staring at her in that way. She'd assumed it was some response to her display of power but instead, it was a mixture of awe and fear. When Ruby saw the soft, pale glow bouncing off of Sonya and Erik's faces, she understood.

Her skin was glowing. She wasn't just the stars and the abyss between them but she was also the moon. It was her and she was it. Ruby made a noise between a gasp and a sob. It was beautiful. Her tan skin glowed a shade between milk and cream. A soft white and gold.

What could she do with this?

"It's beautiful," Sonya said, still sounding a little bit like she wanted to run.

"It's true, raw power," Erik said. When Ruby looked up at him, he was grinning from ear to ear.

Ruby shook her head, "I can't- what-" she stopped and took a deep breath to settle herself, "how do I use this?"

He shrugged, "I don't know."

She felt a spark of irritation and the light flickered, "You don't know?"

"There has never been anyone with this kind of power, Ruby. It will just take time and creativity."

"We will help you," Sonya assured her.

Ruby bit her lip and refocused her breathing. The lights returned to normal. She waved one hand over her arm and felt a pleasant tingly sensation as it touched her light. Could this light be bright enough to sear? If so, there'd be absolutely no way for the Shadows to get her blood. She could make it evaporate before they got close, or make the light so blinding that they couldn't even look at her.

A small smile spread on her face. Even though the power's purpose was for protecting her and hurting someone else, Ruby knew it was amazing and beautiful. "Okay," she said.

Each time calling the power after became easier and easier until she barely had to think before it came to her. Sonya and her worked together to manipulate the lights. Soon, Ruby could snuff out the stars or make them blinding. She worked to do the same with the light beneath her skin but the most she could manage was to dim it. Still, the light danced beneath her flesh.

When their practice sessions were over, Ruby hurriedly ate her dinner and rushed off to her room to practice. One night, she invited Halle to join her.

"Watch this," she said, barely able to contain her grin as she sat Halle down on her bed. The moment Ruby thought of the power, it came in full force. Halle squealed as the room went dark. Then the stars appeared, sending a white and gold glow dancing on their faces.