Nightfall

Chapter 7

Fire. Smoke. The feeling of choking. Everything was a blur and very warm. The orange from the flames reflected in his eyes. The black from the sky matched his perfectly combed hair. He stared at me for awhile before pointing off to the West. I looked over and there, in the middle of flames, unconscious, was Jace, Jacob, and Kye. Tied up back to back, the flame slowly enclosing on them. "Jace..." was the only name I could say. Jacob looked up at me, then, and whispered something, inaudible. Then, blackness covered me, swallowing me into the coldness.

I woke up gasping. I still felt the smoke in my lungs even though there was no flame around me. I looked at Jace, who was sleeping peacefully, not thinking about the events of the day. I got up and went to the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror. "What is wrong with me?" I said. I looked down and saw blood in the sink. Blood with little black spots. I touched the blood and was pulled in. When I regain my senses, I looked around me and saw nothing but stars. Then, a bright figure showed herself. "Wh-where am I?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

"You are in the land of past protectors. Every protector that has served his or her time, come here to go on to the next stage." The figure said.

"Th-then why am I here? I'm not dead. I've only just begun." I asked, standing up and looking around again.

"You, my dear, are here for a warning." She said grimly.

"A... a warning..." I stuttered.

"Yes. Someone is after your life. Your markings will help protect you, but they can also be the source of your destruction. Be very careful on who you trust Lumina. Even your most trusted can be your worst enemy."

"What do you mean? Who are you? Who is after me?" I asked, getting irritated.

"Those who wish to harm you will get your trust first. I am the spirit of the protectors. And I don't even know who is after you. The spirit of the one after you is not visible to me. Now, you must go. It is time for you to awaken in a way you have never done so before." the figure said, before disappearing.

"Wait!" I shouted, quickly being shot up and exiting the darkness. I woke up in bed, Jace looking at me.

"What's wrong?" He asked, the panic slightly entering his voice.

"Nothing." I said, blushing lightly and getting up.

"Sure. You just said wait in your sleep for no reason." I could hear the irritance in his voice.

"Wait. I was still asleep?"

"Uh, yeah. You never moved." Jace said, raising an eyebrow.

"O-oh. Ok." I said, going to the bathroom and looking at myself in the mirror.

"Lumina, you're bleeding.." Jace said, panic rising in his voice more. He grabbed my arm and studied it. "Someone cut you..." Then Jace let my arm go and stormed out of the bathroom. Before I knew what was going on, I heard a thud and ran out into the hallway. The door to my old room was opened. I looked in and saw Jace on top of Jacob, holding a fist. "What the hell did you do!" he shouted.

"I ain't done shit man. You know me." Jacob said calmly. "I was in here the whole time. I ain't bout to go into a room where my sister and her fiance might be fucking."

"Jace, stop! Get off of him!" I yelled, grabbing Jace's bicep. Jace quickly looked at me, his eyes a solid black. "Jace. Don't jump to conclusions." I said more calmly, staring Jace in the eyes.

"He fucking hurt you." Jace said, before shaking me off and knocking me into the door. "He must pay."

"Dude. You saying I hurt her! From the looks of it, you're the one hurting her more!" Jacob yelled, his eyes turning blood red. Jacob forced Jace's face towards me.

Jace turned snow white, the black from his eyes disappearing immediately, "Lumina..." He let go of Jacob and rushed over to me. I didn't look him in the eyes, instead I held my arm and looked down. "I... I'm sorry." He said, touching my shoulder which sent an electrical pain through my body. I screamed and gripped my arm tighter, trying to hold back tears.

Jacob pushed Jace out of the way and looked at my arm without touching it. "Where does it hurt?" He said.

"It... It hurts all over...." I said, wincing to my own grip.

"Do you think you can stand? It would be best to look at the arm in brighter light." Jacob said, looking me in the eye the best he could.

"I... I don't know..." I said. I let go of my arm and placed my freehand on the door handle. I pulled myself up, leaning most of my weight on my hand. Every move I made sent pain coursing through my body. I closed one of my eyes and took a step but fell again, causing more pain. "N...no." I said, wincing.

"Hm... Jace. Go get Amishka." Jacob said, looking at Jace.

"She is my responsibility. I'm not leaving." Jace said.

"Oh, so you want him to know you did this?" Jacob said.

With that, Jace looked at me and quickly disappeared. "Ja...Jacob.." I stuttered, turning my head a little to see him better.

"Careful Lumina. You are injured pretty badly." Jacob said, lightly touching my arm. I winced and pulled away. "So even a light touch hurts you. Hmm..."

"What is it?" I said, wincing.

"What happened?" Amishka said, appearing with Jace beside him.

"We aren't exactly sure. Apparently Lumina started bleeding before she got up and then when Jace saw it, he came over and tried to kill me." Jacob said, leaving out the fact that Jace pushed me against the door.

"What type of pain do you feel?" Amishka said, crouching down in front of me.

"E-electric. It feels like electricity is coursing through my body." I said, my eyes slowing closing.

"Jace." Amishka said.

"Yes father?" Jace said, getting ready to bolt.

"Did you bite her?"

Jace stopped. His breathing becoming really shallow. "Y-yes father."

"Lumina, I know it's gonna hurt. It is gonna hurt like major hell, but we need to get you to a bathroom with cold water in the tub." Amishka said, lifting me up said, picking me up slowly and gently. I winced and squeezed his shoulder as my body lit up in pain.

"Dad, you're hurting her." Jace said, grabbing onto Amishka.

"Well if you wouldn't of bit her she wouldn't be in pain to begin with!" Amishka yelled, making Jace let go and wince away.

"J-Jace..." Was the last words I said before passing out.

Jace's P.O.V.

"You are stupid Jace. Not even married yet and you already bite into her." father said, taking Lumina to the closest bathroom.

"It was in the heat of the moment, father, I didn't mean to, I swear." I said, almost ready to burst into tears.

"You still bit her." father said, lowering her into the tub and running cold water over her. "Thanks to you, she will have to go through the transformation at a very young age. What were you even thinking about at the time you bit her?"

I couldn't say anything. I could only watch as the love of my life had her life slowly drained from her. "Her transformation will happen soon. Should we leave her be until the growling stops?" Jacob said.

"Yes. Jace, me and Jacob will be in the living room. You, however, are to stay here and wait for her to finish both transformations. Make sure she stays live." Amishka said, turning and shutting the door behind him.

I looked at Lumina, laying in the cold water in the bathroom, jerking slightly. "I'm sorry that I did this to you. I didn't mean to, Lumina." I said, sitting down beside the tub and grabbing her hand. "I will help you through this."

Lumina layed there, her hand cold and her eyes pressed tightly together. She seemed almost dead. The color from her skin left and the red from her runes deepened like dried blood. I was scared that she wouldn't pull through this but I couldn't give up hope.