Lonely One

Chapter 11 - The First Fight

××Stormy××

Niton kept his mouth closed as his dark eyes looked right through me. I grumbled lowly in frustration. I marched up to him, my steps loud against my own ears, and jabbed a finger into his chest.

"Tell me Niton." I wasn't going to leave room for an argument. There would be no avoiding this topic.

Niton's eyes grew sad as he looked down on my small, angry form. My finger turned into a fist clinging to his shirt, crumbling the dark brown fabric.

"You won't like what I have to say, Stormy." Niton's voice was small and quiet. He brought a hand up to my cheek, gently swiping away a tear I hadn't realized had escaped. I wished that I had seen nothing that day. I wished for us to go back to just a few days ago, where we were having breakfast together laughing over a stupid joke.

"If you really care about me like you say you do, you'll tell me," I said quietly back. Niton gripped my hand wrapped around his shirt in his own, looking down at our entwined fingers longingly. Despite the situation, it still warmed my pained heart.

"The man you saw me with was a High Demon, Raum. He was coming for the lower demon blood I've been collecting. I am also a demon," Niton began. His words were a lot to take in. The least surprising information was that he was a demon.

"The vial..." I trailed off, brows furrowed as I connected the dots.

"Yes. It was filled with the demons blood," Niton nodded in confirmation as he spoke.

"What demon?" I questioned, still entirely confused as to why a demon would be collecting demon blood.

"There was a demon who attacked Fae Isle. I'm sure you've heard the stories." Niton had no idea of my heritage. We had shared many things in our months together but family and bloodlines had gone unspoken of, by both of us. But the story of the lower demon breaking through the Fairy Kings magic barrier was one spoken of for years and hence taught in the school on Fae Isle.

My own parents had faught in the battle. At least my mother had. The forest I lived in had been destroyed and evidence could still be seen today if one were to look hard enough.

"Why does he need the blood Niton?" I feared the answer would be another attack. The panic in my voice did not go unnoticed.

"He wishes to attack Fae Isle again. His first attempt being a failure brought shame upon him."

"He caused the first attack?"

"The demon was under his command. Raum was the one to figure out how to find a way through the barrier," Niton explained. This information was unknown to the fairies. I was told no true culprit was discovered. Only the method of breaking in. The demons heart was transported along the sea floor and then allowed to regrow once on land.

"I don't understand though. The method is no longer viable. The barrier now dips into the sea. And I still don't understand why you are helping him? Who are you?" I said, my distaste clear on my tongue. I stepped back from him, out of his warm embrace.

"The demons head landed on the edge of this land. Its blood traveled across this portion of sea from one side to the other. That link will never be cleansed and left Raum an opening for a full attack." He answered all my questions but one. His purpose in this.

"And you?" I could feel Nitons hesitancy, his eyes boring into my own.

"He owns me Stormy. My soul has been his since birth," Niton spoke softly.

"What?" I breathed.

"When I was young, I was sold to him for a good price. I've been doing as told for a long time."

"If he's been behind all this, why would he let me stay here? Why would you want me here?"

"I followed you because I needed an alibi," He sighed softly, "incase anyone of authority questioned my being here. This may be no man's land but anyone in Minril Village would turn me inside out if they discovered Reums plan."

"You were using me." The thought broke my heart but it made sense. It gave Niton being so helpful and nice to me a real reason.

"Once I learned of your needs, I realized I could use you as a deception over others. I could say I was here only to help you if anyone were to find us or the cabin," He continued, "Raum agreed with this plan." Pain was clear in his eyes. Eyes that brought me back to Raums.

"That man from before, Raum. His eyes, they were red. The same red as the frog and lizard monster." It wasn't a question but I needed to know if Raum and Niton were behind that as well.

"That was my idea. I thought if I saved you, you would agree to come with me and trust me." He looked ashamed. Good.

"I guess it worked," I mumbled, reaching up again to wipe harshly against my eyes. A headache was quickly growing.

"I'm sorry to have tricked you like this. I was using you at first, I can't take that back," Niton spoke, my glare at his words had him talking quicker, "But I was not lying when I said I love you. I grew to love you over these months." He was closer now and he took the chance to wrap me up in his arms again.

I didn't move but offered no words of love in return. Of course the first stranger I chose to trust would be a demon enslaved by evil.

"I must go." I spoke, turning quickly in search of Fallow. Pulling myself from his arms was harder than I wanted to admit.

"To where?" Niton asked, attempting to follow me.

"To warn them." I grabbed Fallows reins and began to hoist myself up. Niton was quick to grab me, holding on to my upper arm firmly.

"How do you expect to get on Fae Isle?" I narrowed my gaze on the ground at his words. He had revealed himself to me, it was only right I do the same. Even if he didn't deserve it in the moment.

"My mother is a fairy, Niton. My home is Fae Isle. I will not sit here and wait for Raum to destroy it again." My confession widened Nitons eyes. It took less than two seconds for him to recover.

"Then I'm coming with you," he urged, "I can't kill Raum myself but I can help."

Niton wrapped his other hand around my other arm and lifted me onto Fallow before jumping on after me.

"Fallow take us home," I said, squeezing my knees gently against his sides. Fallow took off through the woods, knowing them as well as Niton and I. It took him a little longer to take off from the ground due to having two on his back but soon we were in the sky, Fae Isle already in view. As we grew closer to the Severance Sea, Niton spoke.

"He's already there. You can see his magic in the water. We need to hurry."

Niton was right. Dark red and black runes lined the sea floor across the two land masses. As if feeling our urgency, Fallow sped up. I shivered when we passed over the second half of the sea, feeling the sensation of the magic barrier.

"I think I always knew you were a demon. Since the cave," I said over the wind a few moments later. I glanced over my shoulder to see Nitons eyes trained on the forest ahead, shifting quickly to meet my gaze.

"I know my part in this changes things between us," He spoke in my ear, leaning against my back to get closer, "I was trying to get you to fall for me before I told you everything."

I said nothing, although my heart pulsed at his words, and turned forwards again. Niton did not move back though and continued speaking.

"In the beginning, I didn't really care what happened. I didn't care about Fae Isle or the fairies living there." My fists tightened around Fallows reins.

"Everything changed when you came into my life. Everything I thought I knew became twisted. I went from wanting nothing to simply wanting to live a life with you." I shut down the conversation.

"We will be there soon and then we will speak after the battle is won."

I needed to focus on the fight ahead of us. It would be my first and I would be putting Nitons bow training to use. I wouldn't let my family or people down.

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Rewrote half of this from the original version so let me know if it flows bad