Chapter 27: The Maker
"Go inside Lafayette," Raven warned him, feeling a pit in her throat. "And please, don't watch." She added, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
Lafayette paused, giving her a long goodbye with his large brown eyes, holding back tears. He had told her goodbye many times now. There was so much more she wanted to say, but there was no time. Raven wanted to thank him for his kindness, for his bravery and for his unwavering friendship. All she could hope is that a part of her lived on with him somehow.
"I'll be alright, baby girl. I'll see yous on the flip side." He told her, almost as if he could read her mind. Then he entered the house, disappearing behind the closed door.
Raven then turned to Eric and gave him a slight nod to the vampire who stood ever so tall right next to her. His body carried an unexplainable authoritative air around him. Just the way he stood there, the way he towered next to her. Eric Northman was pure, raw, dominant power. But no power in the world could stop what was about to happen.
Raven's heart broke into a million pieces again. Despite seeing him one more time, kissing him, flying, and being in his arms which is all she ever begged the Gods for, she couldn't help but wish she had more. Letting go of Eric was like cutting out her own heart, but she had to do it.
"In another lifetime," she told him, gently touching him on the chest.
His hand grasped hers, holding it strongly, not letting her go. Eric's eyes just gazed deep into hers, brows frowning in anger. She knew Eric was upset and angry at her for hiding the inevitable trial from him. But Raven knew this way was for the best. She just couldn't simply let him die like that. And now that she knew the truth, that too many people died for her or because of her, it was time to end it all. Raven had to be the one to make the sacrifice now. And it was an unfair sacrifice. It was unfair Eric and Raven had so little time together. It was unfair that so much got in their way, that they couldn't truly enjoy being together for longer than some mere moments. But at least they had those moments. And as Raven said goodbye to those intense grey-blue eyes, she realized they were worth sacrificing her life for.
Loving him was her greatest magic. She hoped she would live on him too.
Knowing if she held on any longer she would try something stupid, Raven let his hand go. She pulled her hand away, one last time, forever. If she tried to run now, the Mages would kill them both.
Raven walked down the porch steps and entered the circle, passing the tall men with the hooded figures. Their hoods were long, covering their entire body like a dark cape. Their faces were covered by glimmering dark brass masks that floated just above their skin. The masks were enchanted, so the Mages could see the defendant but not the other way around. There was a reason for it, but Raven couldn't remember it. She had read all about the wizard judiciary system years ago, but the books were insufferable boring. The Circle of Mages trial procedures were written in old languages, texts so complicated they were almost riddles, and the chapters were so convoluted and out of order, it was almost impossible for anyone to study enough to challenge it or change it. It was almost as if it were deliberately done that way, to keep the power in the hands of the few men around her.
Raven knew the hooded men were Bishops - why all the secrecy she had no idea. The man in front of her, the only one wearing a red hood was the Pope himself - jury and executioner. Highest power in all land. She wondered if her father were alive if he would let her die in her trial, or would he kneel beside her and confess to his crimes. Elijah let her die alone once, he probably would do it again. Raven kneeled at the center of the circle, as custom. She had to bite back a smile on the irony of it all - it had all started with a witch trial, and it was going to end with one.
A ring of pale and cold blue fire lit all around her, between Raven and the Mages. It was the circle of truth - Raven could no longer lie. She had to measure her words carefully.
"How do you plead, child?" The Pope asked, looking down on her from behind his mask.
Raven sighed. This system is bullshit. Bishops and Popes couldn't be charged with crimes because they would constantly backstab each other in order to seek more power, more influence and control over more land. There used to be hundreds of districts, now the whole world was divided into only 12. Out of all witches and wizards, these were the biggest criminals that existed. And somehow, they got to judge everyone else.
"To what charges, your Honor?"
She could see by the turning of heads, the Bishops didn't expect a pushback. She was going to die anyway, so fuck it why not? Raven had nothing else to lose.
"To what-" a Bishop to her right scoffed. "To what charges?! You caused an 8 hour long eclipsed that encaptivated all humanity! It is in every news cycle, from Japan to America, to everything in between! You changed the course of the moon, you effectively changed all the tidal cycles of all the oceans forever-"
Yeah, okay, that was bad.
"And," another Bishop spoke. Uh oh. "There is leaked footage of you performing said forbidden magic in a vampire research facility thus ultimately exposing magic and witchcraft to the entire world."
And it got worse. But at least it meant Sarah Newlin did as she was glamoured to do - she leaked the footage of the facility, of humans torturing vampires. It reminded her of why she was doing this in the first place. Damage control.
"You forgot one," she heard Eric's voice echo from behind her.
She turned her head and was caught by surprise by seeing Eric Northman enter the circle and stand behind her, within the circle of blue flames. Her heart almost jumped out of her mouth. What the actual FUCK was he doing? Eric could no longer lie, and he didn't even know it. If her father's death was brought up, it would be the end of him.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" A Bishop asked in a tone of detachment.
"Eric Northman."
"And to order do you belong to, Mr. Northman?"
"The vampire one." He smirked, raising his chin higher.
All the Bishops stood a little taller. Oh fuck. Oh fuck.
"A vampire?" Another Bishop screeched. "In official wizard proceedings?!"
"I have never seen such a thing in my life!"
"SILENCE!" The Pope demanded. He seemed unphased by Eric's nature. "Eric Northman, are you insinuating the Circle of Mages failed to uncover a magic crime?"
"Yes," he added. "She was possessed."
Raven then understood where Eric was going with this. He was going to expose Lilith and her Father, the prophecy, and all the deaths… And the key. They cannot under any circumstance not know about the key! Agatha published book after book on all matters of conjuration and magic circle craft but she never revealed this circle formation for a reason. The fourteenth circle Agatha chose to hide away. And Raven was starting to understand why: no one, especially no one in this circle should have it.
"I don't suppose you are familiar with our laws, Mr. Northman - witches are still held responsible for any laws or rules they break whilst under possession. Hence why we brand every witch and warlock at a young age against demonic or ghostly possession. You do bear the rune, don't you Miss Blackwood?"
"Yes, your Excellence," she agreed.
"Then the court dismisses the vampire's testament-"
"She wasn't possessed by a demon or a ghost." Eric interrupted.
Raven looked at him, fearing the words he was about to say next. There would be no coming back. Why is he doing this? Why can't he just let me go? He is going to get himself killed. Raven remembered watching Eric kneel in front of Roman. Eric also had to answer for crimes against his own government.
There are worse things than death.
"Vampire, do you take joy in delaying our proceedings? You talk foolish nonsense."
"I am a vessel," Raven confessed. "Created by my mother and father - the former Bishop of the North Eastern District of the Church of Night." The circle was silent. "Elijah Blackwood sacrificed his own coven and my mother in order to create a vessel for Lilith, so she could return to Earth."
"Are you insinuating you were created as vessel for a God? That would make you an illegal creature." Another Bishop noted.
Raven thought it interesting how the Bishop's tone was pointed at her and not at her father. This is why no one survives a Circle of Mages trial. Because it's rigged.
"Yes, it would."
"Which means this court failed to uncover a magic crime, which preceded all crimes you present against the defendant," Eric explained.
Raven wanted to let out a small smile. He was unbelievable. It wasn't at all how witch law or this court operated, but Raven admired Eric for trying to save her, despite everything.
"Bishops cannot be accused of crimes, Eric," Raven told him, leaning towards him. "It's probably why my father became a Bishop in the first place. So he could carry on the prophecy."
"What prophecy?" A very familiar voice asked. It came from none other than Alexander Randall, who stood to the left of the Pope.
"In the cold Moon, when the blood of the covenant is spilled, an immortal shall take her to the light. It's in the Book of Prophecies." Eric told the Mages.
"It appears my father took the prophecy as a guide. He forced each part to happen, in that order,"
The circle of men around her burst into angry protesting voices. She couldn't tell if they were yelling at her, or at each other, or both. Raven and Eric locked eyes amidst the chaos. He didn't want to lose her again. She didn't want to lose him either, but she had to. Actions had consequences. As they kneeled side by side inside the circle, Raven felt an odd sense of peacefulness. For better or worse, Eric was going to be next to her until the very end.
"Order!" The Pope demanded. "ORDER IN MY COURT!"
The men hushed at once. Alexander Randall spoke again. "Explain to me how Elijah forced a prophecy to happen?"
Raven swallowed the pit in her throat. "The Vampire Authority held the sacred blood of Lilith, as you know Mr. Randall," The men all around her shot confused looks at the Bishop. Oh yes, you aren't getting off scot-free. If I'm going down, you are going down with me. "At the last Cold Moon, my father encouraged me and my coven to go to war for the heinous crimes committed by the Vampire Authority. Elijah used necromancy to force Eric Northman to feed her blood to me. I died then was reborn as Lilith."
She was expecting another burst of questions, but all she met was more silence. Ugly silence. Disdain. Anger.
"You knew about Lilith's blood, Randall?" A Bishop asked.
"Sounds to me Miss Blackwood just admitted to another crime," Randall reflected. "She got involved in a human war, a blatant defiance of the Decree of 1913-"
That slimy motherfucker.
Eric broke the moment, turning the conversation back to where he wanted to. "Lilith took upon herself to create more witches."
Boom.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" The Pope asked.
"Lilith killed thousands of human infants in the past months, and for each soul taken, Lilith has turned a human child into a witch or wizard. She told me so herself."
"He lies!" A voice called behind them.
"They can't lie! They stand within the circle!"
More arguments ensued until the Pope spoke again. "Are you telling me Lilith has created a full-blooded witch or wizard made for every human baby who mysteriously died since the last cold moon?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying. A soul sacrificed for each. There are now thousands more of you-"
"That is not thousands of witches, Mr. Northman, that is tens of thousands-"
Raven felt a surge of courage through her body. She felt responsible not only for the thousands of lost children but for all of Lilith's creations too. All that magic has been unleashed in the world. Raven had to make sure they'd be protected.
"Wel... Where are they? What happened to all of Her creations?"
"They are asleep," Randall said, before she had a chance too. "In their human cribs. Being watched by their human parents. In their human homes."
Randall understood.
The weight of Lilith's actions really sunk in. Raven couldn't let it all be in vain. All or nothing. "Humans will eventually stop caring about the eclipse." She told them. "Eventually they will start believing the video was fake. Holywood made it, or whatever. Humans are easily influenced by crazy conspiracy theories, by the internet, by misinformation. The event will fade away in time, buried deep and forgotten sooner than you'd think. It will be nothing but a little footnote on history books in a generation or two."
"But if you stay hidden in the shadows," Raven warned. "If you just kill me for my crimes and pretend none of this ever happened… When these babies grow into children…Their magic will show. How well do you think their human parents will react then? They'll be sending their kids away to be fixed, to be healed or studied. They will be locked away or will grow alone, thinking they are crazy, that there's something wrong with them. Don't let them! Have a Great Revelation now. Offer them guidance, mentorship and safe haven. So many of us died because of what Elijah Blackwood and Marion Payne and I, under Lilith, did. Don't let any more blood be shed over this."
"Are you insane?" A Bishop behind her exclaimed. "You want us to expose ourselves?"
"Yes!" She cried out. "Stop living in fear! Stop running and hiding! You all talk about strength in numbers and force a coven upon all of us. Well, now you have your numbers! Stop preaching about honour, and duty, and the rules, and pretending you are one of us when clearly it's all lies. All of you, not Lilith, not Satan, not Asmodeus, not Hecate, but you and the Bishops and Popes before you, created these rules for us that you don't even follow yourself! You talk about being leaders but disappear or look away when your own witches need you most. You all have put self-preservation of our kind above everything else, but it is only us at the bottom who pay the price."
Another heavy silence. She could tell they were pissed.
Alexander then spoke out. "If you were meant to be Lilith, how come you are you again? The Goddess wouldn't have deserted us in a time like this,"
The key. The circle of Mages didn't care for justice. You can't care for justice if you are immune to it yourself. She could only hope one of them could carry the path forward. She could only hope someone would be brave enough to start a legacy worth having. Giving them the most powerful magic circle in existence would not push them forward. It would just add to the cycle of abuse of power that had always existed. And she couldn't lie. So she did the only thing left to do.
"I am guilty of all charges, your Honor." Raven declared.
"No-" Eric gasped.
"Your Honor," Randall interrupted. "I'd like to know how an uneducated witch from a barely magic coven managed to exorcise a God from her own body." Randall insisted. "Who helped you?! How?"
Raven bit her tongue. My family.
"I'm afraid I don't care for her answer." The Pope sighed. "This whole story is a nightmare, and I don't care for it one bit. Miss Blackwood," the Pope faced her again stepping inside the circle. "For breaking rule 2 of the Witch Rule book, this world's Natural Laws, for being an unauthorized creature, for exposing magic to the human world, and for creating unauthorized bloodlines under possession and for breaking the Human War Interference Decree of 1914 B.C., I hereby sentence you to be taken apart, with no chance of life."
No.
There was nothing he could have done. The second Raven got sentenced, a Wizard pulled Eric out of the circle with magic, pinning him against a post on Lafayette's front porch with such force the wood almost snapped in two. Eric pushed against the invisible hand holding him back, slowly making his way forward. He felt a heavy warm hand tug on his shoulder. It was Lafayette.
"Let her go, Northman." He told him, tears in his eyes.
Easy for you to say.
The men gathered in a smaller circle, blocking his view of her. He heard a slashing noise and a frail wince. The Bishop chanted words in Latin. They were taking her magic away. They were taking his witch apart. Another bright flash of red light illuminated the clearing of Lafayette's front yard before disappearing again. The magic wall let Eric go, his feet landed awkwardly on the steps, and he ran towards Raven's small body. She laid sideways on the dirt, alone and forgotten. His hand reached for her shoulder - dead cold - and turned her. There were blood runes marked on her chest and a wound on her heart. She was already passed out, no heartbeat to be heard of. She was gone. Real gone this time.
Eric had lost Raven before, and every time hurt just as much as the last. But this one felt different. Raven chose this. Raven sacrificed herself to him, and Pam, and vampires. Raven was always marked for death, but this time she went out on her own terms. Eric could finally let her go. He could finally bury her, and imagine her resting somewhere nice, with her coven. She deserved so much more than life in this world had given her. Maybe elsewhere she could be everything she wanted to, with everyone she loved.
"Turn her," Lafayette told him, kneeling beside them.
"What?" Eric asked, looking up at him, holding Raven gently.
"Turn her," he repeated.
Eric was still not quite sure he heard Lafayette correctly and that he had asked him to do what Eric thought he was asking him to do. Turn Raven into a vampire? Could he even do such a thing? He remembered the gut-wrenching feeling of unburying Willa. The failed progeny. Had Lilith cursed him forever? Would he never make another progeny again?
"I don't think I can," he muttered. "It didn't work last time. Lilith-"
"It will work." Lafayette's voice was warm and reassuring which only added to Eric's confusion. Lafayette had every reason to hate vampires, especially Eric. Why would he want Eric to turn his friend into one? He knew how much Tara hated him for it, why do it again?
"What makes you so sure?"
"Her sister was a medium, like me," he explained, caressing Raven's black hair. "She predicted Raven was gonna die three times. And Raven never even believed it because no one has ever died three times, not even vampires. Well, she already died twice, so..."
Eric remembered something he told Pam.
How many more times are you willing to lose her?
As many as it takes.
Eric held her in his arms for another moment, pondering his choice. Raven would be his forever. A bond no one could ever break. This is what he wanted for so long, and now that it was here why was he so… Hesitant? Would she hate it? She took a vow to be his, took a vow to love him and protect him. Would this be betraying her? No. This would be a chance for him to give her the real world Raven Blackwood deserved.
"She's a witch no more, Northman," Lafayette added. "And if there's one thing I know… Raven did not want to be human. Not even in death."
Lafayette was right. She was too good to just be human. If there was one last thing he could do for her, it would be this. He remembered the doctor shooting Lilith in the neck with Hep V. He wasn't sure exactly how the disease worked, and he knew there would be a good chance that he would die from it, just like Nora. However, he did have the antidote despite not knowing if it even worked. But he was willing to die for Raven, just like he always has.
He bit down her beautiful neck, tasting her blood. It was just as pure as he remembered. Rich, bold, intoxicating. Witch or not, Raven tasted exquisite. Eric had to force himself to stop, licking his lips as they parted from her skin. He bit his palm and let his blood drip in her mouth.
If this worked, Raven would wake up to be his forever. If it worked, Raven would be a part of him, and he would be a part of her. She would be his progeny. She would be his home. He would gladly avenge her death a thousand times over if she wanted. They could hunt down Bishop after Bishop and destroy the Mages as they destroyed the Authority. Or they could spend eternity watching the moon in each other's arms.
He cradled her cold body one more time, watching the moonlight highlight her sparkling white skin. Since they've met, she lost everything.
Raven gave up her entire world for him, but Eric was determined to give her a whole new one.
Eric woke up in the Bon Temps graveyard the next night, and without missing a second he started to dig Raven out from beside him. He pulled her out from the dirt then laid her across his lap gently. He brushed the dirt off her shoulders and hair. Eric marvelled at her for a second under the bright moonlight. She looked exactly the same. Did it work? Please let me have this, Lilith. Please let me. Eric knew she would wake up confused and scared, hungry, even angry. Angry for turning into something she did not perhaps want. Would she hate herself like Tara or Bill did?
Suddenly and without warning, Raven woke up in a jolt and he held her tight. He never felt relief release from his soul like this. It worked. She loudly coughed up dirt and gasped desperately for air, her gaze bounced off her surroundings, trying to recognize where she was. She pushed herself off him, with a strength he never felt come from her before. She was a vampire alright. He confined her body, locking her on his lap.
"Raven!" He called, and she immediately stopped and looked at him.
Her body was still tense, in fight or flight mode, but she had stopped fighting his grasp.
"Listen to me," he told her. "I am your Maker. I've made you my progeny. You are a vampire now," her eyes grew wide and her brows frowned closer. He could see the thoughts rushing through her mind. Fear. Grief. Hunger. Confusion. Anger. Life as she knew it was over. But that was the point.
"I know, but listen to me," he commanded.
His fingers pushed some of her hair off her face gently and he held her closer. There was no space between them. There would never be again. He knew this wasn't going to get any easier. He never turned anyone who didn't ask to be turned. He knew this life wasn't for everyone. For him, it was a blessing. But for others… It was the cruellest of curses. He just hoped she loved him enough.
"If you don't want this, I will give you the true death. It will be quick and painless." She didn't move, so he continued. "If you don't want to be mine, I will release you right now. I know this isn't the life you might have imagined for yourself. But I do know you Raven Blackwood, and I know you want a family - you deserve one. You are meant to be loved. So let me give you a family. Let me give you everything. Let me love you, Raven Blackwood, in this lifetime."
She didn't move for a minute. The world came to a complete standstill. Earth might have stopped spinning - he had seen it could happen. Eric looked at her blue sapphire eyes, filled with the same curiosity and wonder as the eyes of the young woman who answered a knock to her door, several lifetimes ago. Raven Blackwood had lost everything. Truly everything - her coven, her parents, her sisters, friends, her home, her familiars, her magic. And all he could promise her was to be her Maker. Would she accept it?
And then the most wonderful thing happened. She gave him something Eric longed for the most in this world.
Raven gave him the most beautifully warm smile.
THE END
A.N.
First and foremost, thank you so much for reading my story. I put so much care, thought and time into building this whole universe I am always astounded there are people (like yourself) who took the time to read it and ESPECIALLY if you took time to comment on it. It means so much to me.
"But it's going to end here?!" You ask. No, there will be an epilogue coming next week which is the official final piece of this story. But I just wanted to recognize that the story ends when Raven's deepest wish comes true: she wanted a family, and she longed to be loved - and she found both in Eric.
Writing endings is very hard (Black Moon Lilith was only supposed to be 12 chapters long lmao), and just as hard is to read endings. I hope you love Raven just as much as I do.
One last time, I will see you next week.