A Shadowed Romance

Chapter 1: How it Begins

Chelsea:

"Theo, keep up!" I call over my shoulder my seraph blade drawn. The knife and it's sheath, which came in the form of a cane serves as a reminder of where I came from. Of the family, the family that I never got a chance to know.

"Right here." He says his hand on my wrist to tell me he's there. "I've got your back." He promises he takes my hand in his and I know he has his blade drawn in his other as soon as he lets go I hear him draw his second blade.

My runed blade and my knife in my hands, his long blade and seraph blade in his. "Come out come out wherever you are." I taunt the demon.

"On your left." Theo yells a warning. We quickly spin in sync and he slays it.

"Thanks." I tell him, "So you really want to go through with this. It's rare." I bring back the topic that seems to never leave my mind.

"I'd lay down my life for you; I know you'd do the same." Theo says. "We both already act like parabatai, why not become parabatai?"

"This is true." I tell him, "I've always wanted a parabatai." I tell him, "On your right." I warn we're still back to back, but I hear him slash the demon. "I just know you didn't want one for as long as we've known each other, I don't want you to do it just for me."

"I want to do it." He says stepping in front of me now I'm looking over his shoulder and he's looking over mine as we survey the area for demonic activity, "The way you talk about it. The way they say my father and his parabatai were, I want to have that, and I can't see a better person to have that with than you." He says. "We already fight side by side; all we'll have is a rune to prove it."

"Have I ever told you how much I love having you as a best friend?" I ask him before stepping around him to slash a demon. I turn back around and face him.

"Only every day." He answers, "But I don't mind hearing it again." He grins he gives me a big hug. "You're pretty great too, I think even Sashi, would agree."

"You know she hates that nickname." I tell him grinning, "She says it reminds her of sushi. And she hates fish."

"That's why I call her that, she knows it. And I'm pretty sure you know it." Theo says as he begins tickling me. I back into a wall laughing so hard. He pulls back abruptly and pulls his seraph blade out turning around. I listen carefully for what might have startled him, but I can't hear anything.

"Theo, what is it?" I ask him drawing my own blade my knife out and the cane strapped to my messenger bag.

"Something bad, we have to go, we have to go now." He says, he grabs my hand and takes off. I run trying to keep up with him. "There's a greater demon disguised as a regular downworlder. I only recognized it because of the marking on its skin." He continues, "Did you put the heightened speed rune on before we left?" He asks as I struggle to keep up.

"I thought I did." I answer him. "It's right here." I tell him showing him the rune on my torso; it's already faded and is almost completely gone.

"It shouldn't have faded; we put our runes on at the same time. Mine's still fine." He pulls the collar of his shirt aside where his rune is still prominently showing.

"Theo." My own voice sounds distant, "I don't feel very good."

~.~.~

Theo:

Chelsea's weight increases as she falls unconscious. I pick her up as I continue running, I try to draw the iratze rune on her on the way; it doesn't stick only fades as soon as I draw it, before I can even finish drawing it. I try other healing runes, but none of them work. I can't even complete a rune before it fades. I burst into the institute and to the hospital.