Infernos (ManxMan)

Chapter IX

Rowan

The following day the Seer woman introduced us to her daughter, Elie, but we didn't have long to get to know each other before the woman was ushering us out of the door. None of the people living in the giant building wanted to see us off - which was mainly Nioky's fault - so we set off in silence.

I watched Blaine and the sirens - well, the siren and the half-siren - cautiously. I wasn't sure what it is about him that drew sirens to him, but Nioky's was holding onto Blaine's arm for dear life and Elie was strolling close enough to brush him occasionally.

"What are those things?" Luca whispered to me, and I narrowed my eyes as I examined the black tendrils that snaked around her limbs with the slightest movements.

I had been trying to figure that same thing out myself. "I'm not sure," I muttered back, frowning. "But you can smell the faintest hint of death on her."

"But she's not dead?" Luca mused, and I sighed.

"That's the suspicious part." Our short conversation ended, and I hated the way my stomach tightened whenever Nioky tugged Blaine closer to him. It was as if no matter how close he got to him, he couldn't be close enough.

I rolled my eyes and forced myself to stop thinking about it. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood erect and I glanced around, finally taking in what was going on around me.

We were in a forest, the same forest we had been in earlier, but for some reason the sounds from before had disappeared. Instead of hearing small animals and bird calls, it was just silence. Goosebumps rose on my skin, and I pinned my eyes to Blaine. I had a bad feeling about this, and I couldn't let him out of my sights.

Luca seemed unbothered, and in front of us the siren said something that made Blaine laugh and his sister pout.

Even if I was the only one to sense it, my instinct told me something was following us like prey.

As I stepped forward to tell Blaine, a shadow loomed overhead and I knew it was aiming for him. I lunged forward, wrapping an arm around his waist as I pulled him to my chest and moved out of the way, the creature's talons just barely grazing my shoulder. From the sting I could tell poison was embedded within its claws; fortunately it was so small a cut I could heal easily, but in Blaine, Nioky, and Elie's case the smallest cut would kill them.

I shoved Blaine behind me roughly, keeping one hand on his wrist, ignoring his surprised shout. "Stay back," I ordered, eyes darting around to find any sign of motion.

Elie was holding her head and moaning, and Nioky was a little ways away, shivering. A loud growl seemed to shake the forest and the siren released a blood curdling scream, pinned in place from fear.

I heard Luca curse and I saw him fly forward to snatch him out of the way before it came down on him. He grabbed Elie as well and ran to my side, dropping them more abruptly than he needed to.

"What the hell is that?" he spat, arms coming up in preparation of an attack.

I didn't bother answering, glaring as it turned around slowly, it's long black tail swishing dangerously. It stared at us with furious black eyes, black fur rippling as foam dripped from his jaws. It was hideous, but I knew exactly what it was.

It seemed Elie had the same idea. She clutched the bottom of my shirt, gasping, "Hell hound."

Was the Hell Hound being controlled?