Bloodbound to the Witch Heir: Claimed By Four

Luther’s POV

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Crimson Expanse, 4:42 AM

"We’re here." Celeste glanced back at the rest of the group as they stepped into the large field.

Reddish sand stretched through every corner of the football field-sized land—save for the audience stands at the far left and right.

Moonlight shimmered on the sand like stars, stone pillars with sigils carved into them standing at different strategic angles.

Luther took in a small breath.

He couldn’t help but remember this year’s Blood Trials and all the crazy things that happened on this same field. The way Lysandra’s curse had broken here... and now that same girl stood beside them as an ally.

Time really had a crazy way of changing things.

"Alright." Luna Queen Odessa walked to her daughter’s side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let’s make this quick. If one of the gates leading to the pocket dimension is here somewhere it shouldn’t be hard to find."

Rebecca was quick to ask: "Why’s that?"

"Because... the Crimson Expanse was erected on land brimming with witch experiments and forbidden magic from the times of the century-long war," Odessa explained calmly. "It’s the perfect conduit for a powerful space-time spell. Especially in the hands of a professor with records on how to tap into it."

As she spoke, Celeste was already on the move, eyes scanning the place the deeper she walked. Luther exchanged a glance with his brother and Azrael but none of them did anything.

They just watched.

Slowly, she stretched out a palm, lifting it above her head. Like she was calling out to something. Or... perhaps trying to feel something.

’Your knowledge of magic is whack.’ his wolf mocked. ’Just watch our mate do her thing.’

That... he could agree on.

He folded his arms in front of his chest, squinting when Celeste made a stop in front of one of the stone pillars. Her head tilted with curiosity as she reached out carefully with her palm.

Luther noticed the way her mother’s stance grew rigid in preparation. He couldn’t help but do the same thing, crossing his fingers that some ancient catastrophe doesn’t jump out and attack them.

Fortunately, when his mate’s palm made contact with the stone surface... nothing happened. Not yet, at least.

"This magic signature," Celeste spoke loud enough for the rest of them to hear. "I sensed it. While using my tracking spell for Atlas."

Dean Thorne inched a step forward. "Amelia?"

"No—a witch." Even from this angle her frown was visible. "It’s... odd. Familiar in a way."

Azrael echoed. "Familiar?"

Celeste stiffened.

She lowered her hand, disbelief marring her features as she swerved her head to them. "A–Atlas," she stuttered. "The magic signature... It reminds me of Atlas."

Luther’s blood ran cold.

There was only one implication at the back of his head. And he didn’t like it one fucking bit.

"You... you think Atlas is the witch working with Amelia?" Silas was forced to speak. "But how? Did she mind control him?"

"Wait, no," Azrael raised a finger. "That won’t make any sense. Look at the timelines. Amelia had already begun interacting with Vein magic when the likes of Silas and Atlas were in year one."

Luther’s initial suspicions dissipated. "Right... there’s no way a year one witch would’ve been able to tap into Vein magic." He paused, eyes sliding between Dean Thorne and Odessa. "Right?"

The two of them only looked at themselves for a beat before the Luna Queen cleared her throat. "While I’m doubtful Atlas is somehow conspiring with this professor... we can’t truly know until we find them."

Then her eyes travelled to her daughter. "Those stone pillars are like batteries. Or more accurately—computer systems controlling precise rules governing spells, wards or rituals."

She broke away from the rest of the group, joining Celeste. "If we can crack whatever hidden systems Amelia placed on these pillars," her fingers glowed with a violet light as she touched the pillar.

Luther watched in awe as her eyes skimmed through every sigil on the pillar. She mumbled them to herself while her brows knitted.

"What is she doing?" Rebecca whispered but no one responded.

Because they got the answer soon enough.

Odessa’s fingers pressed harder against the pillar, violet light intensifying around her hand.

For a moment—nothing. Then the sigils flickered in resistance.

A sharp pulse shot out from the stone, forcing her shoulders to tense. The glow around her hands sputtered, the pillar humming like it was rejecting her touch.

"It’s fighting me," she muttered under her breath, jaw tightening.

The carvings along the surface shifted like something alive beneath the stone was rearranging them faster than she could read. She inhaled slowly, steadying herself, then pushed more magic into it.

The pillar shrieked as all the sigils flared with a crimson glow. A beam of the same colour shot out of its tip, hitting another pillar several feet away.

This went on until there were energy beams connecting every pillar in the field. The beams collapsed into one point in the space above the Expanse.

Before their eyes, the air twisted, space wrinkling like rumpled paper. A portal with glaring crimson edges appeared over the Expanse. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

It sent out winds so strong that they were all forced to shield their faces with their arms.

"Holy..." Silas’ lashes batted with disbelief. "How did she figure that out so fast?"

Odessa didn’t pay his question heed, striding back to the group with Celeste. "I don’t know how long that thing will be open for. But it should be enough for a quick rescue mission at least."

She cut her gaze to Celeste. "You can’t go in there. Just in case it’s a trap. So instead I suggest a team made up of..." her head angled to the group again as she pointed out some people.

Rebecca. Silas. Lysandra, Dean Thorne and... Luther.

"I’ll stay back in case there are any hiccups with the portal." The Luna Queen huffed, eyes meeting everyone she picked out. "If you can’t pull him out, create a distraction. Another set of us can then come in and do the extraction."

Luther didn’t have any arguments. From the look of things no one else did—except maybe Lysandra who seemed anxious.

He overlooked that, giving Odessa a nod. "Let’s do this then." Just when he brought his eyes to Celeste... chills crawled down his spine.

His wolf growled, slamming his chest with a pressure that made his eyes go wide.

’Danger!’

He didn’t understand what the mutt was referring to. Not until Caelum raised his voice in alarm, pointing at the Expanse entrance behind them.

"Guys, look!"

All heads spun around to see what he was pointing at. Within a couple of seconds, Luther found out what it was.

Or rather... who...

Multiple humanoid shadows stretched out to them as a thick white fog crept into the field. They backed away, fear permeating the air even before they saw their new enemies.

"Well, well, well..." a mocking voice rolled past the fog like velvet against steel. "Brother Azrael. So this is how low you’ve fallen?"

Luther’s forehead creased.

Wait—what?

This time everyone snapped their necks to the only vampire in the group. And the look on his face did not help alleviate the situation.