Finding Demons

Part 2

"Stop..." Allya awoke to see Golding's round eyes staring into hers. "Woah!"

The horse backed up, then nudged her until she opened her eyes fully. They were  in a clearing in the forest, not anywhere that Allya had explored before. The branches of the trees that surrounded the clearing wove so tightly together there was no way Allya could think of that the two of them could have gotten in there. The sun made the vivid green grass shine, and patches of red flowers were scattered around. It was strangely beautiful.

"What are we doing here Golding? And more importantly, how did we get here?" Allya asked softly, not quite wanting to break the silent calm that the clearing was offering them. She knew the horse wouldn't be able to answer her, but it felt reassuring to ask the questions aloud, even though the answers were out of her reach.

That's why it was such a surprise when the voice in her head decided to speak.

We can't go back. Not now, not ever. You will not see your mother again, not until we vanquish them all.

Allya froze. The voice in her head wasn't her own. It was the voice of the boy who had said her name yesterday. Where was he? Why couldn't she see her mother? Who did they have to vanquish? Why did it have to be her?

Those questions swam through her head as Allya picked on of the red flowers, which turned out to be roses. At her touch, the colour drained from the rose and seemed to go into her finger tips. Allya stared at the pure white rose she now held. Golding, who stood behind her, snorted gently. She turned, and her hand, against her will, reached out to touch the rose to Golding's snout. At his touch, colour filled into the rose, a rich, gold colour.

Allya adruptly dropped to her knees, and threw the rose away. Things like this didn't happen. Demon dog/snake things, roses changing colour. It was all a figment of her imagination. Wasn't it?

We are safe in this clearing. The Demonaie cannot venture in here, it is magically protected, to be a safe house for us. It will supply us with food and water. But we will have to leave.

There it was again. The calming voice in the back of her mind, the one that sounded like the boys'. What had happened to him. And what were Demonaie?

Demonaie are animals of hell. They come to destroy, basically suck the life out of everything, to gain power. They grow stronger by drinking the blood of those things pure. Most animals, virgins, babies. And there was no boy yesterday. It was an image you created in your delirious state.

Those things pure? Virgins? At least she wasn't available for blood sucking...

And the boy? She knew she hadn't imagined him. And she wasn't going to rest until she knew the truth.