Dangerous Diabolical: Book 1 (Iridescent) ✔️

Chapter 7 - Adventures in Faery tales | Edited

Booming cries shouting Leofstan's name entwined with the lashings of rain. The gathering reciprocated the cry in a crescendo chant that echoed into the night, matching its tempo with the crashing of thunder overhead.

"Leofstan Willahelm Ortwin!" From the centre of the circle, a lone man stood over a stone table, beckoning to the surface decorated with herbs and jewels. As a flash of light passed, multitudes of runes were embellished across the area in bloody smears.

"The Gods summon you, and by your choice, you have chosen to receive what they offer." The voice resounded, the pressing chorus of the chant pacing the thrumming of the beat of my heart.

"You stand at the threshold, unite with the earth and surrender your soul to the infinite cycle of rebirth."

Lightning forked in the sky.

"Come forth, our brother, and be reborn from the dust of ashes!"

Trying to steady my breaths, my heart was almost hammering out of my chest. The chill of the rain had penetrated the depth of my bones. Beneath my feet, the grass began to glow in waves as power surged as Leofstan took a step forward, the chanting deepening. Barefooted, with every touch of the ground, more waves of magic travelled deep into the earth. The bloody runes illuminated as he grew closer to the centre.

Upon reaching the stone plinth, he disrobed, the cloak slipping over his bare shoulders and puddling to the floor. This revealed Leo's naked form, painted head to toe in matching runes. The smell of blood drifted on the wind.

Chill forgotten, I blinked rapidly, the imprint of his sculpted buttocks quickly searing into my brain; a low whistle may have even escaped in appreciation. I certainly wouldn't mind taking a bite of that.

As he lay across the stone table, I licked an annoying raindrop that trickled over my lips and failed dismally to close my mouth afterwards.

A crack of lightning jolted the scene, met with chanting, a howl of wind and glowing runes. Yet I couldn't look away from Leofstan in the centre.

"Cernunnos!" The hooded man screamed across the night. "Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam!" A blinding flash of light was followed by a bone-shattering thunderclap, causing the ground underneath my feet to protest and the fake hairs on the back of my neck to stand on edge as a tingle edged through all limbs. A buzzing grew to deafening proportions in my ears that quickly drowned out the noise of the chant, followed by a crackling that left me shuddering.

"Reawaken!" the word seemed to echo. And that's when the lightning struck Leofstan. It was impossible to move, and the sound of crackling filled every muscle and vein. His screams entered the cacophony of noise. From deep in the forest, wolves howled, and owls called. The Runes drawn over his skin hissed with power, sizzling into his skin. The stones surrounding held a dull white light as the power of the lightning strike burned through every cell capable of carrying charge.

The crackling rippled into silence, the chanting stopped, and the forest fell into a soundless blanket. The only sound was my ragged breathing.

"Rise, Druid Leofstan."

---

With a gasp, I was me again. A hundred and one thoughts rushed as to what had just transpired. Leo's antlers were gone, and he looked as confused as I felt. The hairs on my arms stood on end as the ringing continued to besige each ear.

He took a step back, face unreadable as he gulped air.

Gaping, glancing up into the burning sun for any sign of thunder, my heart felt like it was about to explode as I threw up a hand to combat the rays.