mark of the moon child

The Shadow Demon

She couldn't sleep. Though she felt her eyes burn she just couldn't sleep. Elle sat by the window looking out to the ocean and the moon. The longer she was here the more they called to her, calmed her. She pulled out her phone from her back pocket and ignored the sixteen messages and seven calls she missed from Mia and saw the time was four am. She sighed and looked back out the open window and gasped when a shadow raced by. She hurried to close it and stepped back.

She evened her breathing even as chills covered her entire body. It must have been a trick of the eye. She was so tired. That must be it. She backed into the wall with another gasp as it flew by her window again. She hurried to the door and into the hallway. She needed to find Jay. He wouldn't tell her she was just seeing things. He would reassure her, tell her she wasn't crazy. Where was he?

Elle hurried down the hallway then the staircase. Once she found herself on the main floor again she continued down the grand hall looking through each archway trying to find him but every room was empty. She found a big room with dark green couches, a floor to ceiling window, and two levels filled with books. She stepped tentatively inside and the lights brightened. She spun to see if anyone was there but found no one.

She stepped in further, going through the isles of books, stopping at a large and old looking book left on a pedestal. She turned the pages and saw different creatures, a page dedicated to each with symbols and descriptions. She fell on the Shadow Demon. She recognized it from that day at the beach and her countless dreams. The shadow that had cut her with its fingers in her dream and bleed when she'd woken. 

A demon bound to obey its creator's biding. It does not stop its hunt until either it or its prey has been destroyed.

The lights flickered and a shadow crossed the window again. She knew she wasn't imagining it. Two more crossed over with shrieks that brought Elle's hands to her ears. She spun around as the lights in the room and hallway shone brighter and an alarm rang. Her heart was racing as people dressed in black with swords and other weapons strapped to their bodies raced towards the front door in the hallway.

"They're trying to break through." She heard one say.

"Get to your stations. Now!" Another shouted.

The shrieks grew and Elle began to shake. She ran to the back of one of the aisles and backed herself into the side of one of them as her mind flashed between what she was hiding from and images of a battle in her head every time she blinked. Her breathing unsteady as panic set in, she slid down to the floor cradling her head.

"Stop!" She pleaded and squeezed her eyes shut, the battle vivid in her mind now. "I can't do this. I don't want this." She cried. Swords slashing through dark shadows that shrieked and exploded into a putrid dust. Cries and blood shed from the warriors. She could feel their adrenaline, feel their pain every time one was cut. She didn't hear him call her name when he finally burst through the archway. He could hear her cry. Jay raced through the aisles to find her and crouched down to grab her by the arms.

"Elle!"

"It won't stop. Make it stop!' She begged, the pain unbearable. "Please."

"Elle you're safe. Open your eyes." Elle shook her head repeatedly saying "no."

"Make it stop. Make it stop!" She pleaded again, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Elle I'm right here. Listen to me. You're okay, you're safe."

"They're getting hurt. I can feel them. It hurts." Tears ran over her cheeks, her lips. "Why are the shadows here? Why are they hurting them?"

"Elle, open your eyes. Look at me." He was still holding her, his face only inches away from hers when she finally opened her eyes, filled with fear and pain, and found his. "I'm right here with you." He gently took her hands away from her ears and her breath slowed.

"Why are they here?" She asked shakily.

"You're safe Elle, they can't get in. No demon is strong enough to break the protection shield." Jay tried to soothe. Elle let out a cry when an image of a dark shadow sliced through the arm of a soldier and she grabbed hold of her arm where she felt the warrior's pain.

"It hurts. Why are they here, Jay?" Elle was terrified of the answer.

"I don't know." Elle snapped to the window as she heard more shrieks. "Come on, let's get you out of here." Jay helped her stand with him and walked her out of the library. He held on tight as she doubled over, feeling the pain in her side. He took her further down the hallway and slipped into the kitchen. Jay drew a sign before the doors shut and the room went quiet, other than the quick and shallow breaths coming from Elle. She could already feel her mind beginning to quiet down.

He lead her to the kitchen island to help her sit on one of the stools. He started by lifting her hand from her arm and found nothing there. Placing her hand on her lap, he took hold of the one wrapped around her side. He reached for the hem of her shirt then stopped to look back at her. Elle, still trying to calm her breathing as the voices and battle faded from her mind, leaned back. Jay lifted her shirt where she'd been holding her side and only found smooth skin. With an inner sigh of relief, Jay moved to prepare a glass of water for her to drink.

"Drink this." He said as he placed it on the counter in front of her. With shaking hands she took it and sipped. The water cooling her throat down to her stomach. She finally took a deep breath and let it out, her mind finally quiet again, as she leaned forward with her elbows on the counter and hands over her face.

"Can you still see the battle? Feel it?" Jay asked softly.

"No." She answered. "Jay, what's happening?"

"There are shadow demons trying to get in but they can't." He added quickly when she looked up at him. "We have protective measures in place. Only Nephilim can get in."

"I read about them in a big book in the library. It said that they attack because they're after something or someone." Jay stared back. "Who are they after?"

"We don't know that yet. There has been an elevated amount of occurrences with Shadow Demons and others similar here in the recent months."

"Have they ever attacked the institute before?" She asked.

"No." He answered honestly. Fear flew back into eyes, red from crying and exhaustion.

"Jay-"

"We don't know why they're here. We'll find out more in the morning."

"But-"

"In the morning." He repeated. Elle hunched her shoulders, hands around her glass of water but not drinking it. "What were you doing in the library?" She averted his gaze.

"I saw the shadows in my window. I-" she sniffled, "I tried to go find you in one of the rooms on the main floor and found the library. I went in to look at the books but then," she stopped as tears threatened again. He watched her as she spoke. She looked so small, so helpless. Her eyes swollen.

"You need to sleep." He said.

"I can't." She whispered, forcing the tears away.

"I can help with that." He turned to fill the kettle and reached into two different cupboards for a cup and tea. She watch as he drew a sign with his finger on the cup before pouring the hot water. "Drink this. It'll help you sleep."

When he placed the cup in front of her the doors opened and Noah came into the room. He stopped in his tracks and took in the scene. Jay on one side of the island, placing the tea cup in front of the girl, who looked as though she'd been crying for days. Her eyes were small from exhaustion and crying, her hair a mess. He looked back at Jay.

"Where were you?" 

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