The Savage Grace: A Dark Divine Novel(78)

“Pack laws are stringent when it comes to the Challenging Ceremony,” Gabriel said. “Not only in location, but also in timing. The ceremony would have to take place within a hundred paces of the location where the death of the alpha occurred. Pack laws also dictate that the Challenging Ceremony must happen at midnight on the second night of the full moon directly after the death of the alpha. If Sirhan were to pass either today or tomorrow—the ceremony must be held this Saturday evening. When the moon is at its fullest.”

“It would be glorious, though, wouldn’t it?” Sirhan mumbled, more to himself than anyone else. “A Challenging Ceremony on the night of the bloodred moon. So poetic. And all that p-p-p-power…”

I wondered for a second if Sirhan was rambling incoherently with some sort of rapid-aging-induced dementia, but then I knew what he was referring to. “The night of the bloodred moon? Does he mean a lunar eclipse?” I looked at Daniel. “There’s a total lunar eclipse this Saturday. We’re supposed to observe it for our astronomy class. Dr. Richards said that the moon would turn bright red during it.” I looked back at Gabriel and Sirhan. “Does a lunar eclipse do something to the Urbat?”

“So much power,” Sirhan said. “It would be so glorious.”

“No, Sirhan. It would be far too dangerous.” Gabriel looked back at us. “The way the sun, moon, and Earth align during a total lunar eclipse, something about it increases the power of the wolf tenfold. The draw of the wolf,” he glanced at me, “would be overwhelming. And if an Urbat can channel the power of the bloodred moon, it would make him immensely powerful. A Challenging Ceremony held during the eclipse would be far too dangerous.” He held Sirhan’s hand, not seeming to notice the grotesqueness of it. “Alas, you must hold on longer, my brother. Two days is not enough for time for us to prepare.”

“Very well. I’ve been alive for nine hundred and ninety-nine years. What is two more days?” He let out a low, raspy laugh. The he straightened up in his chair. With a labored swing of one of his leathery, withered arms he pointed at Daniel. “In the meantime, kill the Kalbi boy.”

“What!” I screamed.

The five spears that had been pointed at my face were now positioned by their holders at Daniel, who stood tall and unflinching.

“This wasn’t part of the deal, Sirhan!” I said. “Daniel is to get sanctuary.”

Lisa stepped forward from the pack Elders and rushed to Sirhan’s side. “Be reasonable,” she begged.

“Keep your end of the bargain,” Gabriel said.

Sirhan grabbed both Lisa’s and Gabriel’s hands with a fierceness I didn’t think him capable of. Lisa’s face twisted with pain. Sirhan’s face resembled that of a rabid, deranged beast. “No!” he roared. “A true alpha who possesses all the power but without the curse. No son of Caleb Kalbi should be allowed to have that. No son of Caleb should be allowed to live.”

“That’s the wolf speaking, Sirhan,” Gabriel said. “Come to your senses. The boy has done nothing to you.”

“He has the blood of Caleb Kalbi, the most selfish and treacherous Urbat I have ever known. That is offense enough.”

“Daniel and I are a matched set,” I said. “If you kill him, then you’ll have to take me, too. Then you’ll have no more Divine One.”

“That’s no longer an issue.” Sirhan clapped his mangy hands, and one of the spearmen turned toward me, the sharp blade ready to stab into my neck. “You already told us what we needed to know about the cure.”

Crap, he did have a point.

“Sirhan,” Gabriel said, “the girl still has so much more to give. And the boy may be our only hope—”

“Silence,” Sirhan barked.

“Wait,” I said. “Yes, Daniel has the blood of Caleb inside of him, but he also has yours. He’s your grandson, for heaven’s sake. But he’s so much more than that. He’s proved it time and time again. And he did once more when he freely gave himself over to you. Would Caleb have ever done that?”

“Tricks,” Sirhan hissed between his wolf teeth. “How do I know it was not part of his plan to win my favor?”

“Daniel helped heal me,” my father said from behind us. “He helped heal my wife, too. He’s saved my daughter’s life and my youngest son, also. Where Caleb is selfish, Daniel is selfless.”

“Caleb is coming to the Challenging Ceremony,” Jude suddenly spoke up from our semicircle of Elders. I’d all but forgotten that he and Talbot were here.

“It’s true. He’s amassing an army,” Talbot added. “I used to be one of his generals, until my loyalties changed. The others have seen how dangerous his forces are with their very own eyes.”

“I can also confirm this,” Gabriel said.

Daniel, Jude, and I nodded in agreement.

“He’s planning on tearing the ceremony apart and claiming the position of alpha of your pack, no matter the cost. Is that what you want?”

Rage burned in Sirhan’s eyes. “Never.”

“You kill Daniel now, and that’s exactly what you’ll be asking for,” Talbot said. I felt a sudden pang of appreciation toward him.

“He is right, Sirhan,” Gabriel said. “Daniel, as a true alpha, is our best shot at stopping Caleb from winning.”