Abomination

Smoke danced in intricate patters in the night sky from the cracking, high flames of an illegal bonfire. The flames popped and crackled, the sound being drowned out by drunken laughter, and too loud music. But none of the partiers knew of the danger that lurked just beyond the light of the fire. They couldn't hear the growling, the snapping twigs, the cynical chuckle at the drunks lack of security, and awareness. And soon...the laughter died down, the alcohol ran out, and the music stopped. Winding down had begun, and the night still had hours of darkness to go. No one dared venture into the woods to grab more twigs and dried out leave to keep the fire going, so flashlights were brought out, extra batteries lying around 'just in case'. They would do no good. Not against what waited for them.

The fire died completely and the creatures in the dark took their chance. One good, yet awful thing, about being in the middle of the woods for a party is that...no one would hear the noise.

Screams and cries went unheard, howls of terror and laughter ringing in the deadly silence. Blood stained the grass, but the attackers were cruel. One would think they left no survivors, no one to tell of the tale...but they did.

They left me.


"And that's all you can tell me?" A scruffy looking detective sat in a hard chair across the table from me. I think he was trying to make me confess that I killed them all. My friends. The guy I was with.

"That's all I can say." I muttered avoiding eye contact.

"No other details? No clues, or anything that stuck out of the ordinary?" He glanced at me, his deep brown eyes narrowed, suspicion radiating off of him.

"They came out of the woods when the fire died."

"They who?"

The same question I'd been grilled about for hours, but I couldn't say who. No one would believe me until it happened to them...and I knew it wouldn't happen to anyone else.


I wouldn't let it.

His hands slamming onto the flat surface of the blank table made me jump. "They who?!" The man yelled at me.

"I don't know." I replied. Never did my voice raise, never did my eyes leave the table in front of me. "You want me to admit that I am one of them," I tilted my head to the side, my light colored hair falling over my shoulder. "but I'm not."

Sighing, the detective placed his chin in his hands, staring at me. I could see him doing it, and it bothered me. "Can you describe them?"

"No." My answer was simple. Immediate. I knew he was going to ask me.

"No scars, or unusual features?"

This time my answer wasn't immediate, and it wasn't easy to explain. "Their teeth." I frowned. "Filed to a sharp point...nearly blackened."

"How did you see them if there was no light?" The man was questioning everything I told him.

"I saw the teeth marks in my friends, and when one of them came after me..." I paused and took a breath. "as I was screaming and crying for someone to save me..." —my brow furrowed, and slowly I looked up at the detective sitting across from me— "I saw the sharpened teeth, bloody and blackened."

"What did they say to you..?" The detective's voice got softer, and I knew why. It wasn't because he was interested in what I was saying, and it wasn't because he felt sorry for me.

"They told me I'd become what they are. That I would follow the same fate as them. But I won't." His dark orbs never left my bloodshot sea green eyes; he was locked.

"How do you know that?" He was fighting to look away from me, frustration evident in his eyes.

"Because I'm not a killer." I turned my eyes to the camera up in the corner. "This tape will be deleted as if this never happened." —my gaze captured the detective again— "You never spoke to me...I will walk out of here and you will never mention me again...I was never involved." I closed my eyes and stood as he walked over to the door and opened it.

As I passed him, I felt the shudder shoot down his spine.

The reason he was acting strange was not because he cared, but it was because of my Glimmer. A new gift, I guess one could say, that my attackers had given me. No one looked at me as I walked out of the police station, not even one second glance. And later, when the cameras were looked through... I was not on the screen.

The motel on the very edge of the city was sleazy; rooms with little to no sound barrier between them, unclean beds, crumbs and rat droppings littering the floor. It was revolting, but necessary. I needed somewhere inconspicuous to hide out. Somewhere where the smell of the place muted my own scent.

I had to be undetectable. Untraceable. If they found me, they would try to force me to be like them. Murderers. Sadistic, cruel murderers, and I didn't want that. By no means was I innocent, but I was not so twisted that the sounds of people choking on their own blood, as the life left them, was entertaining. For some... arousing, even. It was hard enough to fight the urge inside, the craving, the mind-numbing hunger, without others egging me on to just give in.

I lifted the corner or the curtain, the crusty fabric almost crunching in my fingers, and peeked outside, making sure to keep myself from being seen if someone were to look up. The parking lot was empty, the outside world dead for all intents and purposes. I gazed for a second longer than I had intended, letting the curtain fall back into place. It was nearly dusk, my pulse sang loudly in my ears, the silence was worse than the loudest noise.

I had to move. They would be looking for me, as I had 'awakened' and their new play toy was free. Fear held me there, though, in that nasty room, for if they found me I knew what they would do; but I couldn't stay there. The more time I spent in one place, the more time I was allowed to think on all the things I had lost, the people I loved who had died. No, I did not love the guy I had been with, but I had cared for him and now he was gone. I couldn't tell him how sorry I was, I couldn't tell him that my heart ached when I thought about his laugh, or his wide blue eyes, and the time we spent together. So much regret, so much sorrow. It was nearly unbearable.

Blinking the moisture from my eyes, I shifted away from the window and grabbed my black duffel bag, ruffling through it to find new clothes. The ones I was wearing reminded me too much of the life I had to leave behind. I was a new person, a new being, and I was nothing like I was before. I had to let go of my life, to accept my Death. Technically, I was not dead, but as I was I could not return home. Another pang of sadness made my chest constrict, but I forced myself through the motions.

The water from the shower was cold, and the pressure was shit. The water ran red with the dye from my hair; my appearance needed to change, even slightly. I had to be as invisible as possible, and my near blonde hair, I think, was one of the reasons I was alive.

“I like blondes...”

His voice, so eerily cold, rang inside my head. I had to choke back tears, again. Even his phantom voice inside my head made me feel things I didn't want to feel. As the one who Made me, my blood called to his, in ways I yearned for him, to be near him. It repulsed me, and yet I felt a deep sadness every moment we were apart. His name was Daemon. He was tall, lean, broad-shouldered, his own blonde hair short, slicked back from his face. His dark brown eyes were piercing; I could see him perfectly in my mind, like he was standing right in front of me.

I hated him.

When I had finished in the bathroom, I went back to the window once again making sure that it was safe for me to leave. The sun was almost completely gone now, the lights in the parking lot flickering on, illuminating the still empty lot. Good. It was safe.

Yanking the bag close to me I slipped out of the motel room, slinking close to the wall towards the road. Hitchhiking would be easy, if a car even drove by this desolate place.

“Adalynn.”

My body froze, eyes closing a sigh escaping my lips. Half of me rejoiced, the other half shriveled, cowering in fear in the depths of my mind. How had he found me?

“How disappointing, love.” He cooed from directly behind me. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck; I had to physically restrain myself from turning and falling into his arms. “You changed your hair. You were so beautiful as a blonde. It's a shame, but it will fade in Time.”

He walked around me, slowly, coming to rest in front of me, leaning a broad shoulder against the worn building. I fought to keep from looking at him, but there was only so much fight left in me, and I failed. Our eyes locked, and I felt an immense relief spread through me. My body slacked, all my strength leaving.

“Ah, gotta love the Makers Bond.” He smirked, catching my chin in his hand. He ran his thumb lightly over my cheek, gazing, almost fondly, down at me.

“How did you—?”

“Find you?” Laughter. “Love, how could I call myself your Maker, if I could not simply locate you? I will always find you.” He added tenderly, softly. It was hard to believe that this monster had torn into my friends and drained them right before my eyes.

“The others...”

“They have no business knowing where I am, or who I am with.” Daemon got defensive, his dark eyes narrowing. “You are mine.”

A shiver rolled down my spine, as if I was excited by being his possession. I was most certainly not, but I couldn't shake the giddiness that had risen within me.

A slight breeze blew hair into my face, and in that moment I was able to pull my gaze from his. The cool air felt great against my hot skin, the smell of tar and gas, mold and dirt, the fresh scent of night time flooding my senses, pulled me back to reality. I did not want to be with him, near him. I wanted to escape, to be free.

“I don't want to be yours.” I said pathetically, I knew I didn't have a choice in the matter, but it didn't stop me from wanting it. Stepping back out of his reach, I found myself trembling. “I don't want this.”

“You don't have a choice, Love. You're mine. Now and forever.” He reached to grab me, but jerked back, a nasty look twisting his handsome features.

It took a moment for my eyes to see just what made him pull away; an arrow was protruding from his right shoulder, the skin around it hissing, burning. A young man, close to my age, ran forward, a crossbow held firmly in his hands.

“Back away from her, vermin.” he said, his voice low, unafraid.

Before Daemon had a chance to react, another arrow followed the first one, striking him in the back. He growled lowly, glancing threateningly at me and then he vanished, disappearing into the darkness.

The stranger approached me, and I recoiled from him on instinct. He was a Hunter. If he knew what I was, even if I was new, he would kill me. It was what they were raised to do. Born and bred, Hunters were, taught to kill first and ask questions later. He was incredibly attractive, though, for a Hunter. Dark hair, spiked, and striking blue eyes. He was a bit taller than Daemon was, more muscle tone, and not afraid to show it off either. His black tee, and dark jeans were tight, form fitting.

“Are you alright?” It didn't seem that he noticed my scrutinizing gaze.

“Fine.” I responded, softly.

“You shouldn't be out alone at night. It dangerous. Especially for a young girl like you.” He let the crossbow fall to his side, his beautiful blue orbs scanning the area, as if he were searching for more Cursed, like me.

“I'm fine.” I repeated, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“Even still,” He turned his attention back to me, “you should let me take you home. It's not safe here.”

“You're a stranger. You could be a mass murderer for all I know. I did just see you shoot a man. Twice.” I tried playing the typical, frightened girl. Maybe it would stop him from noticing my abnormally pallid complexion, my too cold skin, my bright eyes.

“That was no ordinary man.” The stranger frowned down at me. “That was... an abomination. Besides, I wouldn't hurt an Innocent.” His low voice made me shiver. He was so serious, so dedicated. Yet he was clueless as to what I was. Maybe I could use him to my advantage, to get as far from Daemon and the others as possible.

“You can't take me home,” I murmured, switching from frightened, to upset. “He... he murdered them. All of them. I have nowhere to go.” It wasn't a complete lie, albeit a bit twisted to make me seem more pathetic.

It worked. His gaze softened some, and he placed a large hand on my shoulder. “I can take you somewhere safe.”

“Nowhere is safe.” I looked over my shoulder, half-expecting Daemon to be there. “He'll find me.”

“His kind won't be able to find you. I promise.” He offered a smile.

“Ok,” I resigned after a moment. “I'm Adalynn, by the way.”

“James.” The Hunter nodded and grabbed my hand, leading me to his concealed SUV. I glanced over my shoulder, feeling eyes on us. I could sense Daemons hatred, and rage even though I could not see him.

A part of my soul screamed in agony as we pulled away from the motel and Daemon, heading toward the highway. To safety.

Safety is a lie. Just because you're steered from something that may put you in “danger” does not automatically mean you are safe. I thought I was safe with James as we peeled from the parking lot, leaving my Maker behind. I could not have been more mistaken.

For a while we drove, the lights from the distant city fading as the white lines on the highway blurred. I could tell James felt awkward with the way he was gripping the steering wheel, and the odd glances he'd give me. For a brief moment I wondered if he had figured out who I was, but I knew that was impossible. I was brand new. I did not radiate the unnatural energy as Daemon, or his Others, I did not attempt to feed upon him like the rest, and besides that I still looked like a normal me. Albeit a terrified me, but still me. Another thought crossed my mind that I considered for an equal amount of time: what if he was trying to figure out way to get me to not spill his secrets of supernatural beings to the world? Maybe he was trying to think of something to say to me that would help soothe my, not so obvious, depression about my family being murdered.

Finally, with a soft sigh, I turned my attention to him, and opened my mouth to speak, but before I could suck in the air required for form a sentence out loud, James cursed and hit the brakes.

Thrown forward as he swerved to hit something I had obviously missed, I felt something inside me swoon.

“Daemon...” I breathed. I could feel him, like he was sitting right next to me. I could smell him, his aftershave drifting lazily on the wind coming through my open window. My body felt light, an ease falling over me that I resented with every fiber of my being.

Hearing me speak the creatures name, James turned has gaze to me for a second as he realized what I was. He looked as if he were reaching for a weapon, but the sound of metal crunching, and glass breaking, along with the sudden halt of the vehicle stopped him. Unluckily for me, my seat-belt snapped and I was tossed out of the car and across the asphalt like a worn out rag doll thrown in the trash.

My body crashed into the ground hard, and in that moment I lost consciousness. Not completely, though. I had my moments of coherency, blurry images and muffled sounds rushing through my ears, dulled by the outrageously loud sound of my beating heart. I saw Daemon kneeling in front of the broken window of the SUV. Then I saw James struggling out from withing the twisted metal, glancing in my direction before pulling a massive shape from the car. It was too blurry to see completely. Daemon again, a wide, cruel smile on those beautiful lips. He seemed to be mocking James, and from what I could make out in the dying light from the busted headlights, a fight was breaking out.

Then there was darkness.

“Adalynn~” Daemon dragged out my name in a sickening sing-song way that made my heart melt. “Wakey wakey, Love.”

I drew in a rattling, pain filled breath, my eyes fluttering open. His face was close to mine, and before I could see, I knew James was dead. I could smell his blood, I could see it on Daemons face. I felt like crying. How could I love someone like this? He was obviously ecstatic about ending the life of a human being just for trying to protect me; that was sick.

“No...” I gasped, weakly, my lip trembling as moisture filled my burning eyes.

”Oh yes, Love. Oh yes.”

His smile broke my heart, and made me want to puke all in the same moment. I loved him, I needed him... and yet I loathed the very fact of his existence. I was a walking contradiction.

I can't remember how many times I've checked my phone. And my watch. And the clock on the wall. For a Crusader, James was usually very prompt, a stickler for time. We made fun of him pretty often for it, but if I am being honest, I appreciate it. Being able to count on someone to actually be reliable was a rare thing, even among the Hunters association. Most of them were either lazy, fat, fat and lazy, or so gung-ho that I'm pretty sure they've killed humans on accident.

When my phone finally buzzes, I check the time. Five minutes. Of course eating Chinese food and sipping on oolong tea wasn't a terrible way to spend time. I didn't even look at the display after I pulled it out of my pocket. Bringing it to my ear as I swiped across the screen, I spoke quietly.

"This is Ragnar," I mutter, still chewing on a long lo mein noodle.

"Ragnar, this if Father Presley. There's been a complication."

Immediately my heart stops. Father Presley never calls unless something has gone horribly wrong, so I could only assume the worse.

"What happened?"

"Dylan had a vision. James is about to be murdered. He's bringing someone in, a woman of some importance. We need you to go pick her up. But be warned: she's not alone."

James is going to die? My mind spins as I try to comprehend what I'm hearing. James is a powerful Crusader, with many years behind him. For someone or something to kill him...

"What's there, Father? What kills him?" I'm already on my feet and walking out the door.

The only response I get is the soft beep of my phone, telling me that I'm no longer on the phone with anyone.

Closing my eyes, I tried to block out my Maker and the pain pulsing through my body with every beat of my heart. I had caused another death. My friends, my boyfriend, and now James, a man I'd only known for a very short time. But in that time he was kind to me. He was going to try to bring me to a safe place, get me away from Daemon. I should have refused his help, just walked away and he might still be alive.

Something hot trailed down my face, I wasn't sure if it was blood or tears, but it didn't matter. "How could you?" I rasped. "You're a monster.."

"Oh, my dear, sweet little Love." Daemon wiped the moisture from my face, lifting my broken body off the ground. "You really have no idea."

I could hear the smile in his words. "Don't touch me." I bit my lip and pushed against him, but it was no use. I was useless.

"Don't be like that, Adalynn, you know I would never hurt you. You are far too precious to me." He carried me like I weighed nothing, but I knew it was because he had unjustly stolen the life from someone else. It wasn't his strength. It was theirs.

"Daemon, please.." I begged pathetically. I didn't want to feel comfort as he carried me, knowing he was trying to help me. "Stop!" I twisted hard, jerking myself out of his arms.

While I was now part of the supernatural my healing had sped up some, but not quite enough to completely fix my injuries, and I stumbled. I watched the smile fade from his face.

"You are trying my patience." He growled, his lips curling. His sharpened teeth were now visible and I could finally see the man, no, the creature, that had taken everything from me. It helped to harden my resolve, and I straightened up, pushing down on the part of me that yearned for him. "You will never heal properly if you don't eat."

"I don't want to be like you." I replied stubbornly, slowly backing away. "I won't."

"You dont have a choice." Daemon stalked towards me and grabbed my wrist, roughly yanking me in front of him. His lips captured mine and I could feel him transferring some of the life he had stolen into my body.

My wounds healed, my skin getting some color back to it. Bruises faded to nothing and I was, once again, injury free. He released me and I stepped back, my hand on my lips. "You can't keep doing this to me!" I cried.

"I can, and I will. You are mine. You will succumb to me. Your will is mine." A smirk spread across his face as he stared down at me, his dark eyes catching mine. I was unprepared, I had no defense. My weakness had shown and now I couldn't escape.

The world around me faded, the noises of nocturnal beasts fading to nothing. My vision seemed to tunnel, zoning in on the beast before me. Like a fly in a spiders web, I could not move; I could struggle and cry and beg, but I knew then that I would never escape. Somewhere deep inside me I felt my world shatter, yet my immortal soul rejoiced as Daemon closed the distance between us.

"You are mine, Adalynn. Now and forever, you belong to me."

So many thoughts swirled around in my head. James was a good man, and a very good fighter. Whatever it is that killed him had to be old and powerful. But old and powerful does not have to mean impossible to beat, so I dropped gears and push the gas pedal to the floorboard, whipping down street after city street, retracing the route that he was supposed to take with hopes of still saving my friend. I wondered why the seer didn't see it coming sooner. Were her powers fading, or did she just not care enough about her job to do it correctly?

To my left I saw flashing lights. Emergency vehicles were already being dispatched, which meant I was too late. There was no time to mourn though. James was there to save an innocent, so I was going to make sure he didn't die for nothing.

Skidding around the corner I finally came across the wreck. James' vehicle was on its top, crunched on all sides from the roll. My tires squealed as the rest of my car came to a halt. Despite the wreckage, which might have been much more interesting to most people, my eyes were fixated on the shape in front of me. The outline of a girl, standing alone amongst the debris, her clothes covered in blood and her eyes dull and lost. It had to have been her that James had died trying to save. But how did she survive when he didn't?

That's when it hit me. She was no innocent. She wasn't human. She was an Abomination, a dweller of the depths. Not completely though. Her aura was not completely corrupted, which told me she was just recently turned. If that was truly the case, I began to wonder if I could save her soul. Perhaps I could extract the evil essence from her body and cast it out completely. Sure no one had ever done it before, but why would that stop me from trying.

What unnerved me even more was another lingering presence. It felt the same as hers, only much more powerful and way more sinister, like a cold wind that just wouldn't go away no matter how much the sun shined. It was fresh... must have just left. I kept the purifying flame held inside me as I step out of my vehicle, leaving the engine running.

"Hey... Are you alright?" Out of the corner of my vision I see a lump of flesh on the street. James' body, no doubt. I yearned to go to him, to give him his final rights and insure that he takes his proper place in the afterlife, but he had all of eternity to get there. If the woman was injured and he did not help her, his conscience would never let it go away.

I stepped closer to the girl, noting just how blood stained she was, wondering how much of it was hers, James', or the thing that left not long ago.

Daemon left me when the emergency personnel began to arrive, but not before he swayed them to completely ignore me, as if I were not there. He had said there were other interesting things he must look into, but not to fret because he would come to me when I was ready. Ready for what? I didn't want to be ready. I didn't want him to come to me, I wanted him to stay away from me. Far, far away.

The wreck in front of me tore at me, guilt swelling in my chest. How many people were going to lose their lives because of me? Tears dripped down my face, but I hardly noticed. No one here was concerned for me, so for what reason was I sticking around, other than my lack of places to go? I couldn't go home. They thought I was dead. I couldn't return to school for the same reason, and all of my friends died the night I became... this.

A voice, however, cut through my haze of growing depression and, confused, I turned to see a man standing nearby. Was he talking to me? Looking around to make sure I was the only that he possibly could have been talking to I just nodded.

"I'm fine." My voice, even to my own ears, sounded dead. "You shouldn't be here.. he'll come for you, too."

Despite my crippling guilt, and overwhelming loneliness, I backed away from this mysterious new person. Everyone who came around me seemed to die, and I didn't need to add another person to that list. Didn't he know Daemon just left? My Maker could still have been lingering around, watching from the shadows. I knew that wasn't true though; Daemons prescence had faded shortly after the paramedics and police arrived. He was long gone.

Movement from the corner of my eye drew my attention back to James, whose body they were covering with a white sheet, and I felt tears coming again. He was gone and it was my fault. "I'm sorry." I gasped. "I should have said no..." clearing my throat, I pursed my lips and glanced at the other man, who, now that I was looking at him, felt different than the other humans. Like James. James had felt different than everyone else, and now so did he. It was different from James, and different from the others. So, he wasn't human either?

"You knew him, didn't you? I... I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't mean..." Clearing my throat again, to keep myself from dissolving into a crying, useless mess, I sighed. "You should go. It's not safe here."

As i stared into the eyes of the young woman in front of me, I could see that something was definitely wrong. The way she looked at me, like she was looking through me, told me that she had not been the cause of what had happened to James. Something far darker took his life, and she was an unfortunate bystander in the whole ordeal. I could see the guilt in her eyes, the profound sense of responsibility she felt. She didn't want him to die.

"Look," I begin as my eyes turn back to the body, now covered in a sheet of white marbled with crimson. "James was a big boy. He knew the risks of the job just like the rest of us. But he died trying to help you. If you don't come with me, then his death was pointless." The pain in my voice would have been easy to detect. My voice shook as I tried to hold back the sadness and grief I felt. I always thought we'd die fighting the darkness together, go out in a blaze of glory. I never thought I wouldn't be there...

No. I have to focus. There will be time later to grieve for my friend. "So get in the damn car and let me finish what he started."

This man was James' friend, it was quite obvious by the way he looked at the sheeted body, and his trembling voice. Was he right? Should I go with him to make sure James didn't die in vain? My gaze shifted to the body on the ground, then back to the man in front of me. He was right. James would have died for nothing if I just walked away now. But I couldn't let him know what I was. If he was friends with James then he would be out to kill me, too.

"Okay.." I murmured, deciding not to tell him my name. If he had an untimely demise like his friend then knowing my name wouldn't do any good. I turned towards the car he had come in, my duffle bag over my shoulder.

I was glad that Daemon wasn't around because I wasn't sure how many more deaths I could handle, but at the same time it brought a strange deep loneliness. It was like I missed him, which terrified me. How could I be so twisted? "Where are you going to take me?"

"Good. Let's go," I replied, ushering the unnamed girl to his car quickly so as to avoid suspicion. It was bad enough that he had to be on the same scene as his dead friend, but it was worse that local authorities were starting to look in his direction, as if they tried to determine who he was. A simple glamour made him rather unnoticeable in most circumstances, but the charm didn't last long around people who were extremely focused on details.

Once she was safely inside the vehicle, I moved around the back of my vehicle, only to stop suddenly on the driver's side of the vehicle. A familiar voice had brought my vision up from the blacktop to rest on a rather ragged looking individual, a young woman who appeared to have gotten in a fight with a professional meat slicer. Her skin was pale and pallid looking, with a tinge of blue that seemed extremely unnatural. Her hair, dirty and caked with blood, hung from her scalp in knotted, stringy clumps. Under her chin, a grievous gash had been carved out of her neck.

"Found yourself a new girlfriend, have you Ragnar? Have you forgotten me already?" I couldn't move, still stopped dead in my tracks, shaking my head violently as I spoke, my voice deep and quiet but filled with anger.

"No... you aren't here. You are dead."

"Oh please. What do we both know about death, hm? You know that mortality isn't enough to get rid of us. Not completely."

"You are a nightmare, an apparition and manifestation of my guilt. Nothing more."

"I was going to be your wife. Remember? You were going to propose. Down on one knee, ring in one hand and your heart in the other? Ring any bells, Ragnar?"

"Go away!" I yelled. Thankfully the emergency crews were not paying attention. When I opened my eyes again, she was gone, and I was left alone with the car, the mysterious woman, and a blood-covered mass under a white sheet. After a moment to steady my breathing, I sat down in the driver's seat, started the car, and carefully left the incident.

I sat in the car and waited while the nameless guy yelled at someone who wasn't there. Was I curious? Absolutely. Was I going to say anything about it, or ask? Absolutely not. It wasn't my business, it wasn't my ghost; not my business, not my problem. I had enough problems of my own. The temptation to run away was growing stronger with each passing second, and while I knew where I wanted to go, I also had to fight with every ounce of strength I had to stop myself from going there.

The connection between Daemon and myself was terrifyingly persuasive, and if I wavered just for one second, he would have me exactly where he wanted me. And I couldn't have that. It was easier to resist, however, once he got into the car.  I couldn't escape with him sitting right there next to me, and even if I would survive it, I wasn't about to throw myself out of a moving vehicle.

So, I sat in silence, staring out the window, praying that Daemon stayed away. My reflection didn't look like me anymore, anyway, and it was far more interesting than the seemingly mentally unstable guy sitting to my left. My eyes were dull, dark circles around them from lack of sleep. My hair was matted with blood, lacking the luster and softness it used to hold. My skin was pallid and bruised, a smile nowhere to be seen. Who had I become? This person reflected in the window couldn't have been me. But it was. What happened only weeks ago, had turned me into a completely different person. And I hated her. She was weak. Useless. A stain upon the Earth. I should have died with my friends.

After a few minute of silence, I figured out that the mystery woman in the seat next to mine had been paying attention to my outburst. Whether she was just being polite or she was terrified by was not important. She wasn't going to comment on it, and neither was I. I tried to distract myself by focusing more on the road, but then I suddenly realized that I hadn't answered her question.

"There is a safe house. Not far from here. It is well fortified and warded." I can only guess that she didn't feel safe, given her protesting to getting into my car, but also felt like she didn't have much of a choice. If I left her alone, then whatever she was afraid of would definitely catch up to her. Plus it will give me some time to learn more about her. Maybe there would be hope for Uhlsten after all. Maybe i'd have a chance at redemption.

"It's a couple of hours away if you need to rest, but..." I paused a moment, just then realizing that we had not introduced ourselves yet. "...but you're welcome to stay awake just the same. I understand if don't trust me. By the way, I am Ragnar. What is your name?"

Ragnar, he said his name was. That was unique. He obviously thought there was some reason to introduce ourselves, but I hesitated in saying my own name. What difference would it make if he knew my name or not? Everyone who knew me met a horrific end, and I feared it would be the same for him. Yet, it was incredibly rude to just sit there in silence while he attempted to be polite. I decided to return the favor.

"I'm Adalynn." My voice was soft, my hesitation clear. "Are you sure this place is safe? He won't find me there?" I tore my gaze from my reflection and looked over at him. He said it was warded, and I wanted to believe him; a part of me I was still unfamiliar with sensed magic within him. Some sort of light burned deep inside. The human part of me was curious, while the darkest part hissed and recoiled.

"What are you? You're not like him.. or me. You're not human, either. Are you?" Despite my earlier apprehension my curiosity was winning. I had so many questions, and if I was going to survive in this new world, I needed the answers. I couldn't fight Daemon as the person I used to be. I had to adapt, and change.

But did I have to? What if I failed? My whole body and soul ached to feel him with me. Couldn't I just give in and let him have me? How bad could it really be.

My body and mind were at war, and it was exhausting.

"It is safe enough. No where is really safe." My accent was slight, very easy to understand but with just a hint of my heritage shining through. Given the amount of time i'd been around, one would think that I would have been rid of any accent at all, but I was so proud of my ancestry, and intentionally made efforts to hold onto it.

When Adalynn started poking around my story, I smiled slightly. "What am I? You don't beat around the bush, do you? That's okay. You have a right to know. Just remember that curiosity killed the cat." Far enough away from the scene, I slowed the car down to a normal pace, which felt entirely too slow to me, but then again I enjoyed action. Fast cars were meant to be driven fast.

"I'm none of those things, really, but my world is All of them. I'm human, but I don't die of age. I'm not a holy man, yet I wield the powers of light and justice. I'm not... like, yet I do not bathe in darkness." My smile persisted. It's not every day that I get such a curious creature in my car, so I don't waste the opportunity to show off my slightly crazy and unnerving side.

"If you have to call me something, you can call me by my name, or you can call me Exorcist. What about you? What are you, Adalynn?"

I considered what he said for a moment. Ragnar, or Exorcist? Was that his title? It seemed to fit him, oddly enough. Brushing the thought aside, I thought about his question. What was I? I didn't know. And I was going to tell him just that.

"I don't know. I can tell you what I was... a college student. I had a life. I had my career planned out. I liked to party with my friends and.. now I'm this. This thing. After he let his, whatever they are, murder my friends.. he made me into this thing.. and I don't want to be... this." I shook my head, and looked out the window again. I didn't know what I was, how I was supposed to survive, or even keep the silent vow I had made to myself. I refused to turn myself into what he wanted me to be.

I sighed, looking out at the road. "I won't be like him, like them. Every fiber of my being is telling me to go back to him, to give in, and to be what he wants. But I won't. I can't."

The answer to my question came pretty quickly. Quicker than I thought it would, in fact. I knew what she was from the moment I saw her, but I didn't think she'd be so quick to express it to me. Not that I was going to complain. It wasn't a common conversation, and it sounded like Adalynn still wasn't completely sure of what she was. I decided not to share my knowledge with her just yet. No sense in overwhelming her on the first date.

"Can't and won't are different things. You can go back to him. That's easy and it's what you want to do. But you won't because you are making a choice to be different. He has 'children' like you all over the place. Just try to keep that in mind if you decide to strike out on your own again."

I know my tone may have been a little harsh, but I wanted Adalynn to understand the gravity of her situation, just in small doses. I figured the best thing I could do was stress to her that no matter what he said, she was not special to him. I worried that if she did, it would make it much easier for her to go back to him.

"Try to remember that you are who you were. The what is the only thing that changed. You will adjust and adapt in time. But for now, just try to focus on trying not to kill me, yes?" I chuckled a little to show my efforts at making a joke, just in case it wasn't clear.

"I'll try not to kill you," I tilted my head at him,  noting his attempt at a joke, and I tried to joke back, but I'm not sure if he'd understand.  I have a dry sense of humor so it doesn't always get across to people. "Don't think I could if I tried though.  I haven't killed anyone before. Wouldn't know where to begin." While that was true, I neglected to tell him that I've taken life energy unwillingly.  Daemon insisted on 'feeding me' because I was too stubborn to hurt anyone, even though if I took a little at a time the person wouldn't necessarily die right away.  Their life would just be... shortened.

"You say the what is the only thing that changed,  but I don't even know what that is.  You know.  I know you do. Don't try to be kind and ease me into all of this, though I do appreciate the thought, but I'm past slow learning. There is no easy transition for me." I tried to sound grateful, I really did, but I was dying inside, guilt tearing at me every second. I'm pretty sure I sounded like an asshole. That's not who I was supposed to be.  I was supposed to be a normal human, I was supposed to get a nice job, marry a stupid human boy, have a family, grow old and die, not be whatever I was now. He said the 'what' changed, but it was more than that. Everything changed. 

"I watched my friends get torn to pieces. I watched my boyfriend choke on his own blood.  And Daemon... kept me alive because I was a blonde. I'm past slow and steady."

I sighed deeply, sitting in the driver's seat and roaring down the road. I may have been at the helm of the vehicle, but it seemed I had no control over anything, really. That's what the Priests tried to teach me, anyway. Giving up on the notion of having control lets one think outside of himself, to serve others completely. But how could you just blindly dive into a situation without doing your homework? That's what got people killed.

"You can't give a flower a year's worth of water in one day, or you'll drown it. I understand that you're... well... broken about all this, but flooding you with facts and history isn't going to bring any of them back." I tried to sound sympathetic, because I truly was. Her's was a fate I would not wish on anyone. But she couldn't afford the luxury of losing her head over everything. If she wanted to survive, she needed to keep her head on straight.

I stayed quiet for a minute to let that thought soak in. We were nearing our destination, so I decided to wait until we got a little closer before I made any promises. "I'll tell you what you are now... if you can wait until tomorrow. Tonight you must grieve for the ones you lost. Tomorrow we'll start again, okay?"

I maneuvered the car into the long driveway of a building that, on the outside, looked like it should have been condemned. The windows were broken and boarded up. The landscaping had been taken care of in many years, leaving it full of thorny weeds and dead flowers. Several trees dotted the front area and there were no lights, save for my own headlights. I come to a stop and place the car in park, then I turn toward my passenger, leaning my head against the steering wheel.

"This place is heavily guarded. Daemon won't be able to get you in here. He can still find you, since the wards only protect the property and that makes it obvious, but there are enough blessings, enchantments, and spells protecting this place to keep The Dark One himself out. You should be safe here."

I considered what he said, and I wanted to protest, but I wasn't the only one who needed time to grieve. I had cost his friend his life, and he hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye. Staring out the window, I nodded once. "Okay. Grieve tonight, start over tomorrow." Did I even need sleep? I hadn't slept at all since I had lost everything. It was, what, about a week since then? It felt like an eternity, but what did I know.

With a long, deep sigh I got out of the car. Instantly my senses expanded through the area, almost seeking out Daemon, and it made me shudder. I wrapped my arms around myself tightly, though I was not cold, and receded further into my shell. I didn't want him to find me, to know where I was, but the exorcist told me I should be safe inside the barriers. Should be. Wait. If I could get inside, couldn't he?

A hard shudder rocked my whole body, and I pressed myself against the car, sinking down to the ground. My will to stay away from my Maker was wavering, I wasn't confident in my ability to stay away from him. If I couldn't stay away from him then I was putting this guy in danger. It would be another person that would die at his hands because of me. Panic began to wind it's way through my body, gripping me tightly in its grip, pulling me down even further. "I can't do this." I gasped, clamping my eyes shut. "I can't... I can't..."

"Oi, easy now. I just had it detailed." A silly thing to say, I know, but I was trying to take her focus off the crushing anxiety she was feeling. My own anxiety could be just a crippling, and the only thing that ever worked was some sort of major distraction... something my brain could hone in on to make it forget what drove me to catatonia. "Besides, it's dirty there. You have no idea how many bums have pissed and horked all over there." Neither did I, but she didn't have to know that.

With a sigh I turned around and made my way back to Adalynn. It's possible that my sigh expressed more frustration than anything, but that was the truth. I was frustrated, but not necessarily at her. It just... it wasn't the day I imagined myself having. Most days were quiet, or at least predictable. Adalynn was a new set of problems in and of herself.

I hunkered down in front of the girl, staying on my toes as I lowered myself to her. I kept my voice low and calm; no need to alert anyone else of what she was going through. If I could pass it off as her feeling sick or weak, it would bring fewer questions.

"Look, I know what you're going through. This Daemon guy... he's like heroin. You crave him and you think you need him, but at the same time you hate him and don't want to be anywhere near him. You're addicted to him, somehow. It won't be easy, but you can break that habit. You gotta be willing to do the work though."

Softly I placed my hand on her shoulder, hoping to help her feel anchored in the moment rather than lost in a sea of sorrow. "So are you, or aren't you?"

He was frustrated. Why wouldn't he be? I could tell by his sigh, but I didn't blame him. He was stuck with me. Addicted to my maker like some sick crack whore, itching for her next fix. I hated it. Could I really break that habit? It wasn't like I could go to rehab for this sort of thing. I didn't even know what I was, much less how to break myself from this twisted desire. I wanted to, though.

"Is there a way to fix me?" I knew I couldn't go back to who I was before Daemon, I never could, but maybe he could really help me. "I am. I'm willing to do anything to stop this.." I looked up to him, and focused on his face, and what he was saying. I had to. If I didn't, I was afraid I was going to go back to the one person I didn't want to. Part of me resented Ragnar for trying to help me, it wanted Daemon. It wanted to feel his arms around me, his prescence nearby. Something, anything from him. But the logical part of me, the part that was still me, latched onto the exorcist, putting my faith into him.

"I'll do it. I can. I have to." I pushed myself back up to my feet, but I didn't move away from the car just yet. My body was still trembling, and I was afraid to move. I had agreed to grieve that night for my friends, but I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I had attended their funerals at a distance, but I hadn't allowed myself the time to be sad over it, to allow for closure. Was I ready for that? Could I? Did I have that right? Once we went inside that house I feared the weight of everything would crush me.

There she was. She was back.

I stood back up and leaned backward, stretching my lower back. Just because I aged more slowly, and still appeared to be very young, didn't mean that I was as spry as a 10 year old. A good stretch or back rub did wonders for me, a memory which reminded me to find a new masseuse.

"Fix you? That implies that there is something actually wrong with you. You're not broken. You're lost in unfamiliar terrain. So no, we can't fix you. But we can help you find the proper path." Daemon's influence over her was powerful, no denying that. But the girl needed help and I was there. My partner... my friend... died trying to protect her. Whether he was right about her or not didn't matter. All I cared about was finishing his mission. Get her to safety, return her to the monastery, and have the monks take a look at her.

"C'mon," I beckoned, feeling a chill in my spine. "It's cold out here. Let's get you inside." I offered my hand to Adalynn to escort her inside. Temperature wise it wasn't terrible, but I could feel the eyes of the darkness focusing in on the mysterious woman in my care. The shadows were watching her like a hawk, their interest piqued. She seemed to be important to them, and I intended to figure out why.

"If you're hungry we have... well let's just say that we can cater to a lot of different diets here."

"No thank you." I took his offered hand, not minding the escort inside. He said he felt a chill, that it was cold, but it was not a chill from the dropping temperature that I had felt. It was one that came with being watched. Something was out there, and it hadn't taken its eyes off of me. "I don't know what I can eat.. what I'm supposed to eat..." I trailed off nervously, moving to the window to look back outside.

It was at that moment that one of the things hiding in the shadows lunged at the house, only to be repelled and thrown backwards by the enchantments protecting the place.  With a cry of surprise (and fear) I stumbled back away from the window, tripping on my feet and falling flat on my ass. Scrambling backwards as fast as I could, my eyes glued to the window, I only stopped when my back hit the wall.  Something was trying to get in.  I could hear its angered screeching as it tried again and again to get inside.

"Stop... leave me alone.." I gasped, panic surfacing, pushing forward and taking over any comfort I had felt with Ragnar. They were coming for me, I couldn't escape.  I wpuld never escape them.

The lights within the mansion began to pulse rhythmically, a sort of soft warning setup by the House Elders to alert the brethren of activity against the barrier protecting them from the dark forces that lurked in shadow and night. It was an uncommon courtesy that I had come to appreciate deeply ever since my first day as a resident. Calmly, with light and dark swinging back and forth like a pendulum, I stepped toward Adalynn, hunkering down next to her. I placed my hand on her shoulder and turned my eyes toward her, soft like the ocean after a storm.

"You're still safe. This barrier has been tested countless times and it has always held. If something did get in, it would face an army of my kin. If it got through the army, it'd have to face me before it got to you, and I guarantee that would not happen." Truly I wasn't worried. I wasn't just being optimistic, it was math. Not one attack had ever succeeded against my House. The numbers were so staggeringly against whatever attacked the wall that I could have taken a nap while it tried.

"Come here. Let me show you something." I offered a hand to Adalynn as I rose from the floor. "It's not a secret place, but no one really uses it anymore, so i've kind of taken it over and made it my own little space."

I stood with Ragnar, but had a hard time pulling my focus off the screeching creature throwing itself at the barrier. The sounds it was making... Ugh.. A shudder ripped through me and I couldn't help but glance back at the window. Why wouldn't it stop? It couldn't get in so why would it keep causing itself such pain when it could just quit? Was it even after me, or was it just pissed that it couldn't get sonething that it wanted. Too many unanswered questions.

I followed the exorcist quietly, trying not to think too hard about any one thing. I let my mind go from one thought to another no matter how random it may have seemed. If I focused too long on anything specific all thoughts would lead back to the same thing: Deamon, and I definitely didnt want to think about him.

"So.. Is this where you always stay.. Or is it just a safe house?" I turned my attention back to him as he lead me to... Wherever he was leading me to, nearly successfully blocking out the horrid screaming of the night. "I don't imagine you have many.. Guests like myself.." I could hear the tremble in my voice and kicked myself at how pathetic I sounded. Then again I was never adventurous in my days as a normal human being, always keeping to myself, really startled. Maybe Ragnar was right, and I want so different from who I used to be. Maybe it was just the 'what' that changed.

As we left the common room behind us, the sounds of screeching and bashing against the enchanted dome faded away, until it disappeared entirely. I lead Adalynn deeper into the compound, through the richly decorated hallways, eventually ending in a single oak door with iron hardware. There was a knocker on the door, which may have seemed odd for an interior door, but that was just a part of the charm that I had fallen in love with when I first discovered it.

"As of eight months ago, I live here. Used to have a place of my own, but there was an incident, so I decided to come here. It works out pretty well. I can take a broader view of a situation now, whereas before I was just too close to see the big picture." I lifted the heavy knocker and banged it twice against the wooden door. After a single second it slowly started to open, its well-oiled hinges making not a sound. Behind the door was a single set of stairs, well lit and carved out of the stone itself.

As we descended, I took Adalynn's hand and escorted her, not because I held onto some forgotten matter of etiquette, but because the steps were rather short, and people tended to face plant, were they not careful. "I found this place on my third visit here during a thunderstorm. It wasn't nearly this nice, but I spent a good bit of time renovating it. I think it must have been an old bathhouse back in the day, so I turned it into a little relaxation hideaway."

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, the room came into view. It was large, roughly 20x20' with a tall ceiling. In the center of the room was a pool of water, appearing to be a natural feature, rather than man-made. In one corner was a reading area, and another served as a small kitchenette. In the far corner was a small bed, neatly pressed. Everything was almost perfectly clean.

"There's a hot spring underneath the mansion. I guess they built the building around it, so I just sort of updated the features and cleaned it up. A few basic enchantments here and there and it became kind of an oasis. It's heavily protected; i've never known anything to be anywhere close to being able to influence someone in here. Maybe this is a place you can go to block him out when you need a break."

I wanted to push Ragnar for more information on 'the incident' but it didn't seem like a proper question to ask. Perhaps if I were nosy, or had no tact whatsoever, but I was more polite than that. Instead I turned my attention to the fact that he was holding my hand. It wasn't as if I'd never held hands before, and he was probably doing it so I didn't fall, but his hand was so warm in mine.

Since I had become whatever it is I was, my skin had become like ice. I did not feel cold, but naturally warm things felt burning hot to me. It never hurt to touch them, but it fascinated me, and scared me, at the same time. How could I be so cold?

My attention was once again diverted as we entered the room. Almost instantly I felt like my mind was my own again, no thoughts of Daemon or how to get to him, no itch to leave and seek him out, no fears or worries about what was going to happen to me. It was like I was me again. "Oh, my God.." I breathed. Not only was that feeling relieving and euphorically freeing, but the room itself was absolutely gorgeous. "You did this? It is beautiful in here. How did you manage this in eight months?"