They Know Me

CHAOS

Without warning, the interval between consciousness of fear and acknowledgement of something greater, shattered. Buckling under the force, and powerless to resist, I was made to yield as the Shadow Person pushed aside my soul and took control over my body. With my peripheral view fogged so that I was able to see only what was directly before me, I waited as the swirling funnel slowed, and the airborne debris outside of it gradually settled back onto the floor. With my movements not my own, I stepped forth and stared at the being before me. Then, recognition hit.

Rhys.

It had sensed his weakness and knew him to be something easily destroyed.

Like a helpless bystander, made to witness everything as it happened and forced to participate, my eyes locked with his. Smiling wickedly, the Shadow Person took me to where Rhys stood and, faster than humanly possible, snatched the Ovilus from his grasp, and threw it to the ground so that it smashed into tiny pieces.

Unmoving, Rhys gaped at me.

Zaamee was suddenly at his side. Seeming to look through me to the evil entity, she took Rhys by his shoulder and moved him back a few feet with her, saying brusquely, "Do not feed it by your fear, or pose a challenge. Go back to the protection of the sage smoke."

She let go, but he stayed.

To their right, Zil cautiously moved from the shadows into view. His body tense and his stare vicious, he stopped a few steps behind Rhys and Zaamee.

The Shadow Person's rage overcame me – it wanted to harm Rhys, make him bleed, and see what the vampire would do. My head lowered involuntarily and the evil entity within exalted as energy waves pulsated through my body – and the agony of surprise registered in Rhys' eyes.

He glanced down at his arm. Seeing his own blood, he quickly looked to Zil.

A shadowy mist near Rhys and Zaamee moved.

The priest!

The monster, incensed by the holy man's attempt to protect the boy and his mother, started to make me move toward him – and stopped.

With a determined look of fearlessness, Zaamee slowly left Rhys and began to approach us; me and the beast in control of me, and then halted. She extended her left arm out, and holding a smoldering sage bundle, she began to slowly move it in a circle. The smoke followed, and just like before, a large, misty spiral gradually started to form. Kept intact by her magic, it began to move out from her, shifted in an odd way, and then went to enclose the shadow of the holy man where he remained, behind her.

The Shadow Person was angered – escape would not be allowed! It started to rush us in their direction – destruction its only motive.

Sounding panicked, Rhys said, "Zaamee, you'd better hurry. He, she ... it, what used to be Ashe and isn't any more, is on its way over here!"

"Stall her!"

"Stall her? I'm not going near her!"

Zil moved between me and them. "She is not speaking to you."

I felt my body stop.

Zil took a wary step toward me. "I will not be distracted by the mortal's blood. Tell me who you are and why you are holding the ghosts of the boy and his mother captive."

Baring my teeth and growling, I started past Zil to reach Zaamee and the priest before he faded and was gone. Taking my wrist into his cold grasp, Zil stood before me. "You are in human form. I can touch you now."

My arm wrenched free of his hold, and I was made to start forward once more, with only one desire ... to bring about their end, beginning with the priest!