Heartbeat

"I am not your enemy."

The ruby eyes were wide and I could hear the Kodessa's heart beating widely in her chest. I was a hairs breath away. One hand extended so it was braced against the door frame whilst my other was still cocked back, ready to send forwards into the attacker in front of me.

I don't know why I hesitated.

The darkness had screamed, I'd leapt and then I had frozen. Fist raised, eyes wide as sapphire met ruby red. The Kodessa didn't blink. She simply stared but I could see the fear in her eyes as she looked at me. I could feel the darkness clawing at my insides, but I didn't know if it was on my skin. For a moment I wondered if the runes were rippling across the pale flesh as they did when I hunted.

I wondered if she saw the same monster in this moment that had ripped apart her home all that time ago.

"I am not your enemy." She repeated and I blinked but didn't move from my position, feeling locked in place.

"They want to hurt them." I hadn��t meant to speak but the words came anyway. Her eyes widened at my answer and she looked back for a moment.

I noticed for the first time that she was alone. No others stood around her but that could always be a ruse. A trick to make me lower my guard before they began the attack. Relax my posture could bring about our end.

"I swear to you on my honour no one here will harm you and if they do they will be punished." A soft hand touched my clenched fist and I knew it was Elise without turning. "You have nothing to fear from me dakri."

I frowned at the last word and a small smile flickered on her face.

"Dakri is our word for a wounded animal." I blinked.

A wounded animal. It was oddly fitting for what I was.

"You have nothing to fear from me dakri. Please." She raised her hands, palms up and I realised she was trying to sedate me. To stop my attack before it had even begun.

"Please."

The word was whispered behind me. Said so quietly no one else would have heard it. But I did. I felt my hand drop back to my sides as I straightened, taking a small step away from the elf in front of me. She let out a slow breath and I heard her speeding heart begin to slow as I looked away. Elise was still watching me, her eyes soft and her smile sad. She looked at me this way a lot I realised. She didn't look at the others like that. I noticed Arti sheathing her sword to my right and I wondered how I hadn't noticed her take it out before. Perhaps I had been to locked in to what the Kodessa was saying.

Ta'Kul was watching me again, heart slower now but her eyes were flickering from me to Elise and back. They widened somewhat as Elise took my hand in hers, the Princess shaking slightly as she did so.

"It's okay." She whispered. "I promise." I didn't know what she was promising but I nodded anyway.

The motion seemed to appease her, and she looked back to Ta'Kul whilst the Kodessa continued to watch us. She was probably confused as to why Elise would let a monster so close to her, but she didn't speak on it.

"We know your people are anxious." Elise said her voice holding the same power it had when we had first met the Kodessa. "We do not wish to cause any strife. You have heard my fathers decision. Will you join us or not? We shall linger here only for as long as is needed."

Ta'Kul flickered her eyes back to me before standing slightly straighter. The older woman looked straight into Elise's eyes as she spoke.

"My people have seen much loss and hardship. Humans have not always been kind to us… but we have not always been kind to humans. Your King asks us for help, sends his own daughter into our home… this bravery is noted." Elise didn't even blink. "This man you speak of, this monster form the past times must be contained… must be destroyed. If you are willing to stand and fight we shall to. The Kaunaz tribe shall stand by you."

The fire burned beneath my skin, but it didn't knock into me as hard as it did before. Still I released Elise's grip as she stepped forwards and was thankful she didn't seem to notice. I clenched my fist as my veins bubbled and the fire licked its way inside me looking for a way out. The darkness battered against me again and I fought hard against it, forcing it down as far as it would go. I couldn't let it release here or everyone in this room would die. Everyone in the cave would die.

Jays eyes passed over me, gaze lingering on my clenched fist and I forced my hand to steady hoping no rune pulsed against my skin. It would do no good for anyone if he were to attack me here. It would break what little self-control I had leading to bloodshed in moments. He didn't speak but his gaze was hateful as he looked away.

"My father will be happy with this news. He wished for us to stay, for our people to talk more but I do not want my group to overstep. We will return at once to tell him the news, but I thank you your majesty. I hope we can defeat this evil together. May the Prophets and Sul watch over us all."

Ta' Kul seemed surprised she knew that name and her smile was softer as she spoke.

"May they guide us home when it is over."

They smiled, something passing between them I couldn't place as they clenched hands in the middle. It wasn't the same as when Elise took my hand. This seemed stronger, as they held each other and there was a strength passing between them I couldn't place. They held a power I didn't understand but it felt the same as when Elise had spoken to her people the day we met, the strength and age of something I would never understand. Not suffocating as the masters power was but there all the same.

They stepped away from each other in the next moment and the power hung in the air though neither seemed bothered by it. Ta' Kul bowed her head slightly to Elise, the younger woman doing to same back as they released each other hands.

"I can not leave my people to come to your King, they need me here in order to prepare but I instead will send my Ko'Irri, Na'Kia to accompany you along with a selection of Irri. I hope this will be satisfying."

Elise nodded.

"We shall need a way to contact you."

"I shall make sure my Irri can contact us should they need me. We shall gather you some supplies and I shall make the announcement." She bowed her head again and then was gone, disappearing through the doorway.

The others let out deep breaths I hadn't realised they were holding. Elise seemed to relax, shoulders sagging slightly before looking to Arti.

"What does she mean by Irri?" Arti ran a hand through her hair.

"Irri is their word for soldiers or warriors. Ko'Irri… well I think it's a higher rank but I could be wrong. My elven comes from old books and some things have changed." She smiled, blue eyes twinkling. "Seems we got what we came for Princess."

Elise sighed.

"Let us hope it is enough Captain."

Orla came back for us after a while, bringing food and water with her. She smiled kindly, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet and I wondered why she was so excited. Her eyes found mine and she grinned before waving slightly. My eyes widened as I copied her movement and her smile somehow got wider before she skipped out of the room. Red raised her eyebrow.

"You making friends kid?" I cocked my head to the side, eyes still trained to the doorway where the elf had left through, my hand still raised in a small wave.

"I don't know." She laughed before eating and I grabbed what I thought was another form of cooked meat before joining her.

Elise sat next to me as I crossed my legs on the floor, but she sat sideways, legs tucked underneath her to one side as she ate. Rex stood by the door eyes watching the elves who walked by and I could see he never relaxed. The elder warrior stayed on guard even as Arti brought him some of the food or a drink. He thanked her softly, but his eyes never strayed from the space before him.

Just like I never stopped listening.

I wondered if we were waiting for the same thing. Were we both waiting for the attack? For something to jump out and charge us. For the screams of those coming towards us. It never came but neither of us lowered our guard.

"You are fed?" Na'Kia stood in the doorway, fully armoured and head held tall. Rex looked her over but did not speak as Elise stood once more.

"Yes. Are we leaving?" Na'Kia nodded.

"Whenever you are ready. The trek down the mountain is perilous, it is best do tackle it during the day."

I remembered how Elise had almost fallen on our journey up, only caught because I was faster than most. Perhaps daytime would be best.

We left the cave with little fanfare. A small group of elves followed after us, the Irri we were bringing but otherwise only a few said goodbyes to their loved ones. I watched as the small elf who had brought us food was hugged by a larger male before she skipped into line, smiling at a smaller male as she did so. The larger one was looking at me, glaring really and I stared back. It wasn't until I had to look to the cave entrance that we broke eye contact. His eyes had been the same as hers but angrier, colder. Where the small female had been curious when she had looked at me, he looked angry, volatile as piercing eyes tried to burrow there way inside. As though he hoped I would fall to his eyes alone.

The journey back began and I kept pace with Elise as we moved past the rocks where we had first met the elves. The smaller male elf jumped upon one of the boulders, looking around as he did so before jumping back down. The female did the same, scrambling up larger rocks in order to see ahead before re-joining us. I vaguely remembered her name was Orla.

We walked fast and in silence passing Dragon Ridge with relative ease though I watched curiously at the nervous looks the elves sent it. They did not seem happy to be so close to the large spines, as though expecting something to burst from the shadows and devour us all. The darkness swirled but did not pulse and so I ignored the looks. We began to move down the mountain which seemed to be harder than going up. Though they did not get as tired I could see that humans were not good at finding their footing going up or down a mountain, even the elves slipped on rocks at times. The small male elf was one of those, rocks crumbling beneath his feet as he began to tumble backwards. Orla reached for him, fear flashing across her features but my own hand was faster and it wrapped around his wrist pulling him upright with ease. He blinked, eyes wide and I hastily released him. Tension seemed to wrap itself through the air as we stared at each other, Orla stepping closer and I heard a small tap as Rex's hand rested on his sword hilt.

"Mol' Tura." The elf muttered, bowing his head and I felt my eye brows raise. My own eyes skittered to the side and Arti caught my gaze.

"It means thank you." I looked back to the elf and he smiled hesitantly.

"Mol' Tura. Thank you. You saved my life." I didn't know what to say. I was very rarely thanked so I instead nodded, hoping it was enough.

If the growing smile on his face was a positive thing then it was.

"Let us keep moving." Na'Kia called and the party began to move again.

Elise took my hand, giving it a small squeeze and a soft smile as she did so. I didn't understand why she seemed so pleased I had saved the man. I had saved her hadn't I? Maybe she just liked seeing my less demonic side. Though she hadn't seen much of that one either.

We wondered down the mountain with me and some of the others helping when jumping down certain rocks. Some were too high and as I leapt down I noticed the trepidation in some of the others eyes. How they were careful with how they fell so as not to roll ankles or break bones. That was another thing I didn't need to worry of. Any bone that broke would heal in a matter of moments with the darkness licking across wounds and healing them. It was what made us such a force to be reckoned with. Fighting a creature that was faster, stronger and self healing would be a losing battle for all.

It took less time than the ascent had taken but we still had to break at points before we reached the end of the mountains. There was still a long walk ahead of us but at least there was no worry of falling to our deaths this time. Once on flat ground I watched Red cheer and Rex smiled fondly at her. Arti rolled her eyes, something she did often around the red head but she smiled also. Jay seemed uncaring, only a slight twitch of his mouth when he looked to the woman before he glared once more at me. I paid him little mind. Elise giggled as Red cheered, a soft, melodic sound leaving the Princess's lips. I was simply confused, and Elise laughed again when she looked at me.

"We should find a place to camp for the night and start fresh in the morning." Arti called and Na'Kia nodded, speaking in low elvish to her group who were watching slightly perplexed at the red headed soldier before them, though Orla and the young male were grinning.

"We camped just past that tree line." Arti pointed to a small outcrop we had spent the night prior. "Rex is a good hunter but we'll probably need some more." Na'Kia looked to the elves.

"Orla is our best hunter she will go with your man. Ko'Nar as well." Arti nodded.

"Jay, Red go set up a fire, a big one. The rest of you lets go make camp." Those given tasks moved to complete them.

Ko'Nar was not the small male that had been flitting around with Orla but a larger one with a bow and arrow on his back just as Orla did. Ko'Nar nodded stoically to Rex who nodded back. Orla on the other hand bounced on the balls of her heels, speaking in fast elvish to the bewildered but charmed looking Rex. It was only when Ko'Nar placed a large hand on her shoulder that the smaller elf seemed to calm and they spoke slower, deciding on a trajectory before setting off for the hunt. I could hear deer in the distance, if they kept walking they would cross its path soon enough.

Jay began to collect sticks whilst Red was sat on the ground once more, trying to set fire to the dry grass in front of her. Arti moved to take out a map and brought it over to Na'Kia, with both the leaders then discussing the routes they could take through the forest. I tuned them out, instead choosing to watch as from the small group of elves left came the little male. He bounded up to Red sat on the ground, smiled as she looked up at him, eye brow raised.

"May I help?" His voice wasn't high like mine or Elise's but it lacked the low tone that Rex's owned. It had a younger quality which added to the youthful look in his eyes.

"Go for it."

The young elf smirked and then sat cross legged, taking a small part of the grass into his palm. He glanced up catching Red's eye with a smirk before clicking his fingers onto the dry grass. Sparks flared for a moment and he blew softly on the bundle, clicking again before a small amount of smoke began to grow from his palm. Red's eyes went wide before she grabbed more of the dry grass, softly placing them on the man's palm causing him to grin. He clicked again and the spark caught, a small flame beginning to grow across the kindling. He gently brought it down, all the while blowing on his palm to coax the flame to rise. The small fire was placed on the ground and the pair worked together to keep it fed with the small amount of sticks they had around them. Jay had frozen, sticks and twigs clenched in his arms as he stared at the fire beginning to grow.

"H-How did you do that?" Elise asked awed and the elf looked up smirking still.

"Our tribe is known as Kaunaz for a reason." He said grinning, clicking his fingers again and showing the sparks that came from such an act.

"Huh?" Red looked as though she was in shock and the boy laughed.

"Kaunaz it means-"

"Fire."

His eyes flickered to me; hands clenched as I watched him warily, body shaking slightly with the effort of keeping the darkness at bay. Each time he spoke the darkness spasmed, boiling under my skin in order to try and force itself to the surface. I wondered if, as his eyes met mine, he could see the burning inside me, the flames licking their way through my veins.

He didn't react if he did.

"Yes. Fire has always been as large part of our people. The great Sul blessed us with this skin so we could bring forth the sparks that would bear fire. It is our way."

"Neat." He snorted at Red's reaction and the woman smirked. Jay dropped the sticks he was carrying before spinning towards the mountain.

The edge of the mountain at this part was flat up, no human able to climb such a thing but it covered them from the cold. The boy placed his pack down, sitting with his back to the rock wall before unsheathing his sword and sharpening it. I ignored the way his eyes flickered to me as he did so.

When the hunters returned it was Ko'Nar that carried the deer to a tree before both he and Rex strung it up and began to skin it. I watched intrigued as they gutted and skinned the animal, carving off slices of meat and placing them into the fire. The others moved around, and I found myself watching them in silence. The darkness bubbled under my skin, but I ignored it as I watched the two groups work. The elves seemed to keep to themselves for the most part except for Na'Kia who stood with Arti and the two hunters that had gone with Rex were still helping with the food. Red was still looking at the young male on the ground as he showed her his hands and explained in a patient voice how his skin was harder on his fingertips allowing for him to create sparks.

It was odd how you could see both the division of their two people and a new join beginning. Postures were still wary, eyes still watching every minute detail but I was strangely reminded in that moment that this could perhaps be the longest humans and elves had spent together in decades.

The day began to darken, and night slowly took to the sky. The moon was bright tonight, glinting alone in the dark expanse. Small dots glinted in the blackness above us and soon I found myself enraptured with them. I had always loved the stars. Even the small part that could be seen from the caves was something I clinged to when attached to the table. On rare times outside Marcus would sleep but I would watch the sky, looking at the stars that twinkled in this inky blackness and imagine, for fleeting moments, that it was the light in the darkness. That the stars proved that somehow, someway there could be some form of light in any sort of dark. It was a fools' thought really. Something that was dashed as soon as it was made. Light couldn't survive in the darkness, it was suffocated before it could grow into anything worth mentioning.

"Kid!" Red's voice echoed and I lowered my head noticing her looking at me and holding a piece of cooked meat. "Time to eat, shorty!"

Shorty?

I stood moving silently to her side and she gripped my pale wrist pulling lightly so as to bring me to the ground next to her. I allowed her to bring me to my knees and then gently took the cooked meat I was offered.

"Isn't that fire skin thing cool!?" She said excitedly. The young male smiled softly from across the flames but his eyes flickered over my pale skin for a moment.

"It is simply part of our biology Miss…?" He paused and Red chuckled.

"Just Red kid no miss. I'm a guard of the Princess and Malia is her highnesses friend." He bowed his head.

"I am Tyrat." He looked over to me, eyes intrigued. "I am honoured to sit with the friend of your Kodessa."

I tilted my head looking back to Red.

"Friend? That word… what does it mean?" Her eyes dimmed, smile dropping alarmingly quick and a sad expression dawned onto her face.

"A friend is someone you meet and like. They make you happy and stuff like that. Do you enjoy being around the Princess?"

I didn't even have to think.

"Yes."

I did enjoy being around her. Elise was kind to me, even with me being what I am. Even though she knew I was dangerous, a monster she still… hugged me. She touched me without pain, looked at me with soft smiles and sweet voices. It was nice.

"Then she's your friend and your hers. Trust me, shorty."

"Shorty?" Tyrat smirked from across the fire.

"Well I can't keep calling you kid, and you are pretty short." Red laughed as she spoke. I looked down at my body making her laugh harder.

Tyrat seemed to think for a moment before he leaned forwards, lit up by the fire his eyes glittered in the lowering light.

"I am intrigued by something. Would it be rude of me to ask you a personal question regarding your… upbringing?"

I blinked slowly before shaking my head. I didn't mind questions, but I didn't know how much I could answer.

"I have heard the stories, as all of mine have that you do not change from what you are now. Why would your creator make you so… so small?" He seemed unsure of his words as he spoke. As though worried, he would somehow hurt me with his voice alone.

"I am afraid I do not know. My Master does not speak of our creation only that we were designed to destroy. I have found though it is easier for others to underestimate those who look small."

"You really do not age?"

"We do not change in the way humanoids do but we do change." They seemed confused so I clarified. "I am changed by my master randomly. The runes are altered to give me more abilities or checked to make sure they are still working."

Reds eyes widened, as did Tyrat's and they looked both confused and interested.

"Runes?" Red said quietly and looked down at my porcelain flesh.

"The marking you saw, the ones across my skin. My master calls them runes."

"May we see?" Tyrat asked.

I thought for a moment, knowing how unpredictable the darkness could be, but I didn't want to upset them. I raised my hand. The newest ones were always the easiest to call upon.

"Kaunaz."

It burned. Twisted. Wanting more as it writhed under my skin. Fire dancing right inside my bones as I sat as calmly as I could. Only the stiffening of my spine showed anything changed but none of them seemed to notice. Their eyes were only on my palm.

"Well damn."

"Broda."

It wasn't often we allowed the runes to flow across our skin without falling into the darkness. It was painful and difficult to hold. The darkness tugged harsher than before, tearing at my self-control even as I forced it to only bleed into the rune I had called out. I took a moment to look at the design, looking almost like a deep cut but it seemed to glow a demonic red. Like blood but stranger somehow. Wrong. I knew my own was different than theirs. I had seen the blood that came from humans, red and darkening the deeper the wound became. No glow to it only a warm wetness. My own blood, like my brothers was black and cold. Another way we were shown as the monsters we were. It didn't move around our bodies as a humans did but simply sat beneath our almost impenetrable skin.

"Does it hurt?" Red's voice was quiet, brow frurrowed, and my sapphire eyes flickered to her as she stared down at my hand.

"Yes."

The pain had not changed since the first time I had felt it consciously but my ability to handle it had grown. Monsters did not fall to the first slash of pain after all, they were ruthless until the end.

"How did you get it?" Tyrat was the next to speak, eyes quizzical as he looked up at me before back down to the rune on my palm.

"My master carved it into me."

Red flinched, face paling as her eyes snapped to meet my own. Tyrat's face drained too though he was not nearly as pale, and his eyes widened considerably. I cocked my head to the side unable to understand the shock on their faces. This was how runes were always gained. Abilities were carved into the skin, weaved into our bodies until they became part of the darkness that swelled within our cores.

So why did they look so unsettled?

"He… He c-carved into you?" Red's voice was higher than before. Sounding strained in a way I had not heard yet.

"Yes. I do not understand how the master is able to do this, but he did once say that the runes worked best when they were attached deeper inside the body." That did not seem to make them any less pale. Red actually looked slightly green now.

I didn't know humans could change their colours so much.

"Have I said something wrong?" My head tilted to the side once more, confusion evident upon my features.

"No." Tyrat swallowed sounded almost out of breath. "No you… you have done nothing wrong. We were simply… surprised. Your master should not have done that to you."

I frowned.

"The master is the master. He can do as he wishes." As it should be. The master's word was law and he was not to be questioned.

Questions brought forwards punishments.

"He shouldn't hurt you." Red muttered.

"I am a slave." My words seemed to make both flinch away as though struck. "The master owns me, and his word is law. If I am to be p-punished he can do to me as he sees fit."

Phantom hands clutched at my throat and for a moment I was back in the cave, long pale fingers wrapped around my neck and squeezing hard. The crushing weight of his hold, the burning in my chest, the way his eyes would bore into my own as he forced me to my knees. It seemed even when not around the master still made his presence known.

"Hey kid," a soft hand on my shoulder made me wince and I flickered my eyes up to see Red no longer sat around the fire but crouched next to me. I hadn't heard her move and her eyes were filled with pain.

How long had I been remembering his hands?

"It's alright shorty. I promise. Why don't we get some sleep yeah?"

I nodded unsure of what else to say. I hadn't noticed the others beginning to lie down during our talk. The light was already getting darker by the second with the glow of the fire the main source of light now. I moved to do as I had before and sat down closer to where Elise was setting up her blanket. She smiled at me, passing me the blanket I had been using even if I didn't need one. She wasn't far from the fire, not many were except for Jay. The man was sat by the edge of the cliff glaring at me as he had before pulling his own blanket across of him.

"Malia?" Elise's brown eyes were worried, but they became steelier when she glanced at who I was watching. "Pay him no mind. I will ensure he is not with us on our next journey."

The darkness flared inside my chest.

I paid it little mind.

A few hours later I wished I had. A few hour later it screamed.

Danger.

Danger.

Wake UP!

I shot up silently, eyes already open wide as they searched for whatever had awoken me. The darkness was howling. Screeching. Danger. DANGER. Something was wrong. I could feel it. There was something watching me, burning holes into my skin as it lurked somewhere in the darkness. I pushed out my hearing forcing it to go further, listening to all the sounds around us. The humanoids around me were calm, not even noticing as I stood in silence. Rex was awake and two elves I didn't know the names of. There was a bear snuffling around by a small river but it was making no move to come any closer.

Danger!

I winced as the darkness ripped around inside me. Hoping to tear through my control and slaughter whatever it perceived as a threat. Other than the bear there was nothing else around that would be a danger. I didn't understand. Why was it so angry? What was it sensing? What-

Thump-thump.

Thump-thump.

I snapped my eyes to the north. That was a heartbeat. It had to be. Getting closer and louder as it did. My eyes scanned the night, but I could only see the cliff wall. Was it coming through that? Burrowing its way through the rock face? I knew of no animals that could do such a thing or at least none that would have such a loud heartbeat if they did. The thrum of such was deafening, louder than any animal I had heard before. I looked around. Perhaps I was mistaken. Could animals get so large? There were none in Marcus's books except for perhaps what was called an elephant but that seemed like an altogether loud beast whereas this one was silent.

Danger! Danger!

"I don't understand!" I screamed inside my head at the writhing darkness. "I can't see anything! Where is it!?"

Never had the danger been so elusive. It was always there. An animal. A soldier. The Master himself. I always knew where the danger could come from, always found it in moments but for this I was at a loss. There was no animal around me. Nothing scurrying or clawing its way through the undergrowth as it stalked towards us.

A shadow passed across the moon.

Oh.

I had forgotten some animals could fly.

The beast was huge. Its wingspan blocking my view of the moon that hung high in the night sky, beak wide, talons glinting. Its black feathers seemed to glisten as it moved, shimmering with something so familiar and yet so foreign to me. If it had been smaller, I would have classed it as an Eagle, one of my brother's favourite birds, or perhaps something of that family but never in any book he read did he speak of it being so big. If standing on the ground it would perhaps be only slightly smaller than the trees that made up the forest but whatever its height it made no noise. Not even a whisper. Only its heartbeat gave away its position.

For a moment it simply hung there, floating in the sky like some sort of strange mirage and I was captivated by it.

By the time the darkness screamed once more it had already begun its dive.

Sleek lined it flew through the darkness towards the cliff. No. Not towards the cliff but towards the bottom where one single human sat curled, his back still leaned upon the rock. I leapt, shooting off the floor, hearing those awake yell, those asleep surge up… but we were all too late. Jay's eyes opened blearily, glancing at my sailing form for half a second he reeled back in shock. He reached for his sword, eyes still on me and the beast caught him in its beak.

He screamed as talons caught his arm, then his leg, holding him down as the beak pulled up still holding on to his quickly soaking skin. My fist made contact with its side and the beast screeched now, releasing his flesh and squawking angrily at me. Jay's blood sprayed from its mouth and his body arched as it snapped its jaw. I dodged its beak hearing the unsheathing of swords as I raised my fist once more. The darkness began to seep through as it always did in conflict and I pushed it down. I couldn't lose my grip here.

The creature moved its head back towards its prey, snapping at a piece of dangling intestine making the boy beneath it scream once more and I charged. I struck its head again and this time it reared back, slamming into the cliff wall before it decided I was the bigger threat than the human. It launched and I had one moment to see the blood dripping talons come towards me before they connected with my chest.

Pain.

It laced through my shoulder and my hip where arm length talons dug into my skin. The same skin that had seen off swords and spears, that rarely crumpled under anyone but the masters touch. But this beasts' talons dug deep, and I saw the black blood pool around the wounds, though it did not spurt as Jay's red blood did.

"Kid!"

The beak snapped and I was shook out of my slightly morbid curiosity of the fact the animal could hurt me. The darkness began to burn. Snap. Claw. Tear. I caught the beak in my hands as it bit once more onto my chest. Black and red covered the mouthpiece. I struck towards its eyes knowing that blinding it would work best. If it couldn't see, we would have the upper hand and-

Blue.

Its eyes were blue. A shocking, glowing deep blue. Like sapphires glinting in the sun light.

Like mine.

"NO!" I was being lifted. The one claw had made it all the way through my shoulder and my back rested on the other as it carried me up into the sky.

Marcus had eyes like that. Eyes I'd never see again.

"Let her go!"

I was almost at the top of the cliff; it was rising slower than it descended obviously wanting to protect the prey in its clutches. The words being shouted were getting quieter but I couldn't stop seeing those eyes.

"I'm so sorry sister."

He looked so weak. So sick. Lying in our room, bathed only in the candlelight as I fed him the meat that had been left for us. His hand rising to touch my cheek even as black blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Brother."

"Live for me."

"NO! Malia!"