Essence

Chapter Eleven

It's black, everything is black. This can't be happening, this wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to die.
I keep seeing his face flash in front of me. How he looked when he died, how he died haunts my dreams. Why is this happening?! What did I do to deserve this?! The blood, it stained the walls. He fought, my love fought so hard and yet he took my love from me. I can still feel those blasted chains around my body. I can remember what they forced me to watch. They threatened to kill me if he retaliated, why, why would they do that?! It beat him first beat him so much I couldn't even recognize him. I remember the sobs racking through my body. I remember how the blood splattered across the wall as they ripped his arm off. He didn't scream, he showed no emotion. They just kept ripping into him, they wouldn't stop no matter how much I begged. They tore his stomach open. It was when they ripped his heart out of his chest that i finally broke. Why would they do this to me, why would they cause me so much pain? I though they were my family, I thought they loved me. But no they took him away from me. They killed my perverted pointy eared freak, they killed Raven.
Selene jolts awake with a scream of what can only be described as pure agony. She jerks out of Raven's arms where she had fallen asleep. Raven had awoken when she screamed and was now looking at her with concern in his beautiful eyes. Beautiful eyes hat had stared at her as the life bled from them in her nightmare. Selene sobs hysterically and Raven reaches for her.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screams at him. All the noise brought the familiars and Nixie back to camp from where they stood guard. Shadow and Frost rush to comfort her and wrap themselves around her body offering her warmth and comfort. Selene buries her hands into their fur and starts hyperventilating. Raven doesn't know what to do, his mate is in pain and she won't let him touch her.
Everyone in camp is distracted by Selene's mental break down and don't notice the threat that is quickly approaching them. Suddenly Raven is sent flying through the air and crashes through a couple trees. Selene's head shoots up and she yells Ravens name completely forgetting about why she is upset. All Selene can focus on is the fact that her mate was just thrown through some trees. Raven curls in on himself groaning in pain, he has several broken ribs and a broken arm. Selene looks towards the demon that managed to sneak up on them.
    It's horrifying, the worst she's ever seen and she's seen quite a few since she arrived. It's skin looks ashy as if it's been burned many time. It's skull like face has antlers that branch out far and wide, that look brittle and dead. It's mouth, nose, and eyes glow red like the heart of a fire, burning at its brightest. Embers flack off of it floating around like fireflies. The demon draws a black sword from a sheathe on its hip. The swords edges glow a deep red color. The demon advances on Raven who is still unable to move. Selene's heart lurches in her chest.
    "Frost, Shadow, Klaus! Take Raven and run. Nixie head into the woods I'll need your help in a bit." Selene commands not knowing what came over her. She once again throws her hand in the air and starts chanting in the ancient elvish dialect.
English Translation:
         I call upon the moon.
         I call upon the stars.
         I call upon the the shadows of the night.
         Protect me with your unknown light.
    Instead of light bursting from her palm, shadows seep out. She glows black and her hair once again floats around her. The demon is paralyzed by the shadows already present on this moonless night. Selene's shadows wrap around the demons neck and ever so slowly choke the life from it. It's eyes go wide and it tries to claw at the shadows, however it is still unable to move. It's light gets dimmer and dimmer into finally dying out. Selene's shadows search the surrounding area for more demons to kill before seeping back into the palm of her hand. Selene collapses on the ground once again unconscious. Nixie emerges from the trees and trots towards Selene's motionless body. Nixie uses her magic to place Selene on her back and heads back towards Mother Earth.