Cult of The Moon (Completed)

Chapter 18

"What if we just strengthened the telomeres! That would make the cells divide normally and stay perfect forever!" Aaliyah shouted.

"That might just work!" Elizabeth excitedly answered. Elizabeth ran around the library collecting books off of shelves as she went. Elizabeth threw a pile of dusty books in front of Aaliyah.

"One of these should have the spell. I hope..." Elizabeth said. They immediately got to work rifling through the old pages, looking for the right spell. After what seemed like forever to Aaliyah, she yelled.

"I found it! Here get me sage, violet, and a glass vial." Aaliyah, command Elizabeth. Elizabeth ran out of the library, her footsteps echoing down the hall.

"Finally... Once the spell is complete Eden will return to me. If Hecate can keep her promise..." Aaliyah whispered to herself. Elizabeth ran back into the room a minute later, huffing from her run.

"Here... Here it is my lady." Elizabeth huffed, clearly out of breath. She handed Aaliyah the supplies and Aaliyah went to work. First, she had Elizabeth close the door and draw the curtains. Then she lit the sage and a spare candle that was already laying around in case they wanted to work into the night. Aaliyah started to hum and she walked around the room, letting the sage clear and heavily scent the air. Then Aaliyah put the sage in a bronze bowl, she then grabbed the small glass bottle and sliced her own wrist to fill it with blood. When the bottle was half full she healed her wrist. All this she did in silence as Elizabeth watched with wide eyes. Finally, Aaliyah dropped three petals of the violet flower into the vial then corked the vial and held it over the candle, heating it. Aaliyah began to chant, in an old unnamed language. As she chanted the deep red blood turned milky white then deep purple as the petals dissolved.

"It's done," Aaliyah said as she removed the bottle from the flame. She cradled the solution with a sort of mystery and revere.

"Three years... Three years and the answer was under our fingertips the entire time." Aaliyah said with a calm voice.

"When you drink this, you'll become immortal and Eden will return. What are you waiting for my Lady?" Elizabeth said excitedly.

"Nothing," Aaliyah said she quickly uncorked the bottle and chugged it. Aaliyah made eye contact with Elizabeth and fell to the ground, the bottle smashing as she fell.

*

"How do you feel?" Rose asked as Aaliyah's eyes flickered open. Elizabeth was nervously pacing around the room but rushed over to Aaliyah's bed when Rose spoke.

"My head is pounding, get me some water, Elizabeth," Aaliyah said. At her request, Elizabeth ran out to go get it.

"Eden...?" Aaliyah asked weakly. Rose simply shook her head in response. Aaliyah closed her eyes for a second and sighed.

"Hecate lied..." Aaliyah realized somberly.

"I'm sure that it's just taking a long time. She'll be here Aaliyah." Rose assured. Aaliyah nodded slowly, not convinced. Aaliyah slid out of her bed, her feet slamming on the ice cold ground.

"Woah, calm down Aaliyah, you're still recovering from the change. Take it slow." Rose warned.

"I don't need rest." Aaliyah hissed as she pushed herself out of bed.

"My Lady, please," Rose said softly. Aaliyah looked over to Rose, the anger slowly melting away.

"Fine..." Aaliyah agreed and walked gently over to her window, the rising sun warming her room slowly.

"It's a very beautiful sunrise today; Eden and I used to stay up all night just to watch the sunrise. She was a night owl but I prefer the morning. I guess that I contrast her in that way..." Aaliyah trailed off after that.

"Aaliyah, you shouldn't talk in the past tense. She'll be back, I promise." Rose said comfortingly.

"She's dead Rose! She's not coming back." Aaliyah screamed, slamming her hand onto the glass.

"Aaliyah control your temper!" Rose warned just as Elizabeth returned with the water.

"Thank you," Aaliyah said as she accepted the glass from Elizabeth.

"I'll let you two talk." Rose huffed as she lightly stomped out of the room, the gold ribbon in her hair flapping.

"She's in a mood," Aaliyah explained to her Elite. Elizabeth nodded and leaned against the wall.

"You disapprove, explain it to me, Elizabeth," Aaliyah asked.

"She's an Elite, one of six. We aren't easy to replace; try to be kind to her. She was the one who helped you through Eden's death, remember?" Elizabeth said.

"But you helped me with my experiments. She's no more important than you or the other four." Aaliyah said.

"Shut the fuck up Aaliyah," Elizabeth said angrily. Aaliyah fell into stunned silence as she looked at Elizabeth with a slightly open mouth.

"She's your friend Aaliyah, why would you not try to see things her way even if you don't think that you can?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because I'm her Lady and she needs to respect me," Aaliyah said authoritatively.

"Bullshit Aaliyah, she's your friend. One of the people mainly responsible for getting you your Ladyship in the first place. Don't let the power go to your head and make you stupid." Elizabeth said.

"She couldn't have gotten me my Ladyship because Eden already did that," Aaliyah said defiantly.

"Do you really think that there weren't people opposed to you gaining leadership? Who do you think silenced those people?" Elizabeth asked.

"Rose? But why?" Aaliyah asked.

"Because she saw your potential too, Eden wasn't your only admirer," Elizabeth said gently with a smile.

"Fine, I'll apologize. Where is she?" Aaliyah asks with a sigh.

"I believe that she went on the training field," Elizabeth answered happily. Aaliyah sighed and headed out the door with Elizabeth in tow to find Rose.