Fetin leaned forward in his throne and clasped his hands together. Staring at the door, he waited with a tightness growing in his chest, a stern set mouth turning down into a tart frown. The information he had required had been gathered, but it seemed that each piece collected called for impractical effort. Plans needed to be set in motion and could be initiated if his servant would make the time in his leisurely schedule to come when called. He took a deep breath. Time and time again, he insists on making me wait. Blasted fool, he should be severely punished. Useful though. So, very useful.

The door opened and he stepped in, the torchlight making a red bead glisten on his lip before his pale tongue licked it away. He loped across the room until he reached his master’s feet and bowed low over his knee.

“My lord.”

Fetin stared silently at his upturned face for brief moment, the tightness fading into his bones.

Montyk’s lips twisted in a grim smile.

“You see my lord, a laborer was uncooperative. No one else will dare rise against your efforts, I assure you.”

He licked his lips again and Fetin gripped the arms of the throne. Clenching his teeth, a fiery pressure pressed within his chest.

“I don’t have laborers to quench your appetite. You fed not long ago and if I’m not mistaken, you don’t need very much to function properly. I made you, so I should know. Don’t kill laborers unless you are granted permission, your brother will deal with rebellious servants.”

The pale man stared at the floor shortly, dark eyes gazing up moments later.

“You wanted me down here to find someone?”

“I need you to kill the Halfling children, I’m confident you know who I’m speaking of.”

A servant knocked once, pausing outside the door with trembling hands before he opened it and entered with a bowed head.

“My lord, there is a minor problem with the production of the weapons, sire. It m-may hinder the p-progress of the armor p-production.”

“Who gave you permission to enter?”

“Nobody. My lord.”

The grimy man peaked from beneath his lank hair, dry washing his hands. A fire burning in Fetin ’s chest, he rose from his throne and thrust a forefinger at him. A bolt of black lightning burst from it and hit the squabbling man between his eyes, a black scorch mark branding his flesh. His body swayed and then collapsed, twitching occasionally as smoke rose from his head. Smirking, Fetin sat back down and gazed at Montyk once more, lips curled in amusement.

“I need you to kill them, leave nothing to be found.”

“What about the grandmother?”

“She’s useless, do whatever you want with her. Her youth and worth waned years ago.”

Montyk’s face split in a smile. A game, what delight!

“You’re continuously generous, my lord.”

Fetin beckoned to him and he stepped forward eagerly, tilting his head back like a dog ready to be pet. Placing his hand above the man’s smooth brow, murmured words tumbled quickly from his lips, weaving and crawling through the air around them into something thick and dark, unseen. Montyk breathed deeply and rolled his shoulders, leaning his head to either side. A few pops crackled and his black pupils swelled into large cat-like slits, no iris splayed around it. He smiled predatorily, showing his pointed white teeth.

“The hunt begins.”

Josslyn stuck in the key and turned it in the ignition, rubbing her toes against the bottoms of her leather kickers. She sighed as the car rumbled to life and soothing heat touched her, warming her morning-chilled skin and coaxing her to lean back against the seat. With a small smile, she brought her thermos to pink lips, steam from the opening warming her lips and she sipped, only to hiss and pull it from her burnt tongue. Her brother, Fedren, should have been out here by now and if he didn’t come soon, they’d be late. He’d better not of gone back to sleep, Josslyn thought vehemently. Tension eased from her shoulders and mind. The boy was just a teenager, so things like this were common and to be expected from every one of them. But, grandma’s probably giving him her supposed ‘warning’ about the moon.

I walk out of my bedroom and shrug up my heavy schoolbag, tightening the strap. Grandma gives me a mug of hot tea, heat radiating from it and I bite into an apple I snatch from the bowl on the counter.

“Josslyn, I want you to be careful. It’s a full moon today and odd things happen to people; stirs their blood. You understand me, dear? I just want you to be careful.”

“I’ll do my best, grandma.” Josslyn said with a grin, “I promise.”

It’s a well-known fact that the moon affects the planet’s tides and the pull of gravity. Could the moon alter the flow of blood, though? Something so small surely couldn’t be changed by the moon. It hasn’t shown otherwise in the past, Josslyn reasoned. The tousled blonde cap of hair appeared in the door way, his eyes bleary with sleep and arms hanging loosely by his sides. He slowly trudged to the car, rubbing his eyes and with a jerk pulled the door opened before sliding in. She turned the radio dial carefully and a small smile lifted her lips as a familiar song came on. Josslyn leaned back, craning her head as she turned them around and out of the driveway.

Approaching the highway through green fields, Fedren begrudgingly pulled out his work from the previous day and began working on the calculations. Immediately he was grumbling under his breath and erasing furiously at the page. She looked over and bit her lip, stretching her arm and tapping the half-erased writing. He stopped moving and waited for her to talk, pencil loose in hand.

“Wait, you had it right just a second ago, just check your decimal points and multiplication.”

She paused as he scribbled in several missing elements and brushed the pink bits off the page.

“There, the rest looks great.”

He mumbled his thanks and stuffed it back into his bag, looking out the window at the quiet, pleasant morning. Quickly taking a sip of her tea, she pulled on the wheel and turned onto a ramp, entering the elevated highway. Vehicles of all shapes drove around them and sped to their destinations, glass glinting with early morning light. Miles ticked by, brick buildings springing up around the black stretch of road. The flow of cars dwindled to a scarce few, younger people occupying them and several talking into cell phones, their lips moving soundlessly. Turning down the newly paved road to the school, she sipped at her tea as she watched the pale light play through leaves of the trees growing around the drive.

A red brick structure rose in her line of vision and sprawled on the large expanse of grass, a gray stone slab proclaiming its title proudly out front. The school had been there for a little more than thirty years, when two schools, each housing either all girls or boys merged. Both schools had been around since the mid-1900s, but those buildings were long gone now; they were other public structures, perhaps a shopping center or even an inn. Things were always changing and with the demands of an ever growing population, would never cease.

Parking in one of the student’s designated spots, Josslyn let her eyes flit around the grounds. She observed the thick fog that swathed it and made it seem as though it were suspended in clouds. That too, would disappear and be swept away by change. Eventually, all things were. She knew that in several months, in fact, her life would separated from home, at least, the one she knew now.

She looked around and blinked at the person walking out from the forest. His dress was that of the school’s typical black sweater and pants. Black shoes gleamed dully as he walked calmly down the concrete walk. Dark eyes scanned the grounds and Josslyn’s breath caught in her throat. Inky blackness filled the entire eye socket. No whites at all. She glanced at Fedren and saw him sleeping against the window. When she looked back his eyes had white around black irises. He ran a hand over his hairless scalp and looked at her. A smile spread his bloodless lips and teeth gleamed. Mouth dry, she shrank into the seat and fisted her hands.

He looked away and the connection was broken, leaving a hallow sensation in her chest. He must be newly transferred. I’d remember a face like that, she thought. Minutes passed and she sat still, clasping her hands in her lap, staring at them with distant eyes. A car door slammed and she jumped, looking around. Students got out of their cars with bags slung across their backs, making their way towards the front doors as the lot began to fill. She shook her head and snatched her bag from the back seat, shaking Fedren’s shoulder.

“Fedren, come on, school’s going to start any minute.” Josslyn said, looking at the students brushing past the windows.

He stole a long breath and turned, hands reaching up to rub his face. Bleary eyes blinked and slowly looked around, mouth turning sour.

“’Kay, I’m coming.”

Grabbing their bags, they both got out of the car and stepped up onto the sidewalk, pausing to stretch. She smiled at him and touched his shoulder.

“Have fun, I know you love it.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Of course, you too.”

Grinning, she turned away and was faced with Tamica, her red curls bouncing as she ran to her side.

“Hey, Jossie!” She stepped up beside her and grinned up at her, her eyes level with her jaw. “Guess what?”

“Okay, what?”

“I’m going to a Celtic Women concert this weekend! Isn’t that great?”

Josslyn blinked as her eyes widened and eyebrows rose.

“You’re serious?”

“Dad’s boss gave them to him as part of his biannual bonus. It’s the one at the Helix Saturday night.”

She’s lucky.

“I wish I had the money to go, I’ve wanted to see them for ages,”

Tamica smirked and held her hands behind her back.

“I was waiting for you to say that. Turns out, they got an extra and dad said I could invite a friend. You want to come?”

“Do you really have to ask? It’s not like I just said I’ve wanted to see them.” Josslyn said, grinning.

“No, not really.”

“I’ll talk to her grandma tonight and I’ll tell you tomorrow in gym, ‘kay?”

Tamica nodded and smiled brilliantly, turning on her heel for class. Sighing with a smile on her lips, Josslyn walked the length of the hall and stopped at her locker, taking out her needed materials. She walked around the corner and into Mr. Ricci’s class, a mere handful of students sitting in their seats. Her seat was cool when she sat in it and creaked when she shifted to slide her books underneath on the rack. She adjusted her black sweater and the white blouse beneath.

Voices drifted near and the graying teacher walked in pulling a TV. Students filled in after him and sat in their seats talking in hushed tones. With just a few touches to the panel below the screen, the bulky and thick TV flickered to life. A menu screen greeted them with its famous title dedicated to the two Shakespearian lovers and the class groaned, several heads turning to complain at obnoxious levels with their fellow classmates. A single knock on the door turned every head towards it.

Mr. Ricci circled around the black cart and opened the door. A pale hand pressed a yellow slip into his hand and withdrew, silence stretching thin in the air of the room. He graced it with a single glance and led the guest into the room. Her heart thudded loud in her ears. Chest tightened and she stilled her fidgeting hands. I was right, she thought with dismay. Him. The boy from the parking lot was a new student and in her first class. Great.

“This is the new student Crais Lynch; please make him feel welcome.”

Crais caught Josslyn’s gaze and the corner of his mouth curled, her gut twisting in response. With measured steps he sat down behind a girl named Evaline, two rows from Josslyn’s seat. The thin girl sat on the edge of her chair, cupping the side of her pale neck. Several students fidgeted in their seats as many stole glances at him and whispered to others around them. Mr. Ricci huffed and shut off the lights, pressing a button on the DVD player on his way back to his desk. Music began playing, sweet and slow paced as a narrator began laying out the background of the film, the tone lulling and low.

She sighed and pulled her hair over her shoulder, twirling an end between slender fingers. This is perhaps the fifth rendition of Romeo & Juliet we’ve seen in the past two months, she thought bitterly. Countless days had been wasted watching parodies of the old play and writing elaborate critiques. Unpleasant memories, little yet welcomed.

The comforts of home rested heavily on her mind, pressing down the nausea in her stomach. Rather than wait for more work to be thrust upon her, she wished she could be at home in their neck of the woods. The aroma of dirt and leaves would be welcomed and cherished, in exchange for the rancid odor of dust and plastic.

Glimpsing through her veil of hair she observed Crais. He crumpled a piece of lined paper in his hand and dropped it on the tile floor with narrow fingers. On its own accord, the paper rolled under seats and stopped beside her shoe. It gradually smoothed and flattened on the floor to reveal a note in a neat crawl that read:

I know who you are, Josslyn, though you don’t know us. Crik'shi wants to meet you so very soon. He won’t wait long.

Smoldering orange flames snapped up around it and ate it away until only ash remained. Ice filled her veins with sharp pricks and her heart seized within her breast painfully. Turning her gaze up to him, his curled lip made bile rise in her throat. With little air in her lungs, she faced the front of the room as the teacher flicked the lights on and shut off the screen.

“Tonight, I want a Venn Diagram comparing this to the original play in your books. It’s due on Wednesday by two in the afternoon.”

She snatched her things and bag from the floor, skirting around the pile of ash and fleeing from the room. Her heart racing, she slid past tangles of students and squeezed by social circles at their lockers, trying with all her will to force down the interestingly ticklish knot of air high in her throat. I’m not about to laugh. Nope. Definitely not. I’m definitely about to reach hysteria, though.

Turning down a nearly empty hallway, she followed it to the last door and upon entering, the ugly darkness weighing on her chest lifted with a mere residue left behind. She sighed and dropped her bag under the table, sitting on the stool. After flipping through her sketchbook, she got to yesterday’s work and resumed penciling in details. She paused and put down her pencil, rubbing her temples with small, hard strokes. This is totally going to screw with my mind all day, God, this driving me crazy. Why, oh why, did this have to happen to me and today? I’ve got grandma giving me superstitious lectures and now this guy giving me…I don’t even know. With a sigh, she picked up her pencil and began sketching in thin, long lines.

Tracks of gray trailed behind her hand, progressively taking shape into knurled roots and completing bent branches. She breathed easier and leaned over the table, hand in hair. Several more students loped in, shrugging their bags off and her heart leapt as Crais followed in behind them, glancing her way with a smile. Gluing her eyes on the work, she let her bangs drop in front of green eyes.

The chatter among the students dropped to no more than a murmur, heads bowed over their work and creating a sense of productivity amidst them. Josslyn twisted her pencil across the page, conjuring up leaves and branches to dress the tragically bent tree. I sincerely hope that he isn’t in all of my classes, she thought despairingly. Her shoulders began to ache and she rolled them, putting the pencil down briefly.

Sighing, she looked down at her progress and froze, her mouth hanging agape. Staring out from the leaves were a large pair of black eyes, eerily similar to Crais’s. Her stomach dropped and she erased at them furiously, forearm pumping against the air in a flurry of movement. White holes glared back at her. Shaking her head, she jumped when the bell rang loudly beside her. She leaped up, snatching her things and hurried toward the door, daring a glance at the paper in front of Crais. Dominating the center was a grotesque image of her screaming open-mouthed, half of her cheek missing and exposing the underlying muscle and teeth. Her gut twisted viciously in her abdomen and she resisted the urge to vomit, putting a hand to her mouth.

He looked up and grinned, his eyes filled with sick amusement that gave him the chilling image of a man gripped with insanity. The urge to scream like a frightened child grabbed her in a firm grasp, but not enough to push her to it. Not yet.

“Like it?”

Blood freezing in her veins, Josslyn spun out of the room the moment he stood on his feet. Her stomach twisted and lurched, throat constricting. Students passed her in swarms and she ducked into a bathroom alcove, leaning against the cool tile as she breathed. The skin of her chest was tight and aching, heart pounding beneath it at an erratic pace. Josslyn looked both ways down the hall, contemplating which route to take to her physics class; it was in a separate building, just next to the main structure and the chance that she’d cross Crais there was small. It was an advanced course. Her class alone had a scant seventeen students.

Josslyn decided to go the less traveled route, ducking out of her hiding place and the moment she did, Crais was on the move, following in her steps several paces behind her. He delighted in the way she glanced around her, eyes flickering towards shadowed places and dancing away from black haired students. If he were a human male in another situation, he would declare himself flattered.

Turning into a small corridor, Josslyn made her way with two other students towards the door at its end. Crais moved nearer to her in a calculate movement and brushed her shoulder in passing, her head turning. Josslyn lost her breath when she caught sight of his face, flinching in the opposite direction as he walked through the door. I am not going to turn and go the other way right now; I’d be incredibly late for class.

Josslyn walked close beside another student—too close for their liking for the girl glanced back at her and made to quicken her steps—and using them as an effective shield. Once out the door, she caught Crais walking off the concrete path and into the forest, unbuttoning the collar of his shirt.

A boy ran by, catching her on the shoulder with his book bag and sent her tumbling to the ground off the path on hands and knees. Josslyn hissed at the fresh scrapes on her hands, hints of blood rising to the surface. Looking back at the path and science building in the distance, Josslyn gathered her books and walked off after Crais.

The flow of sunlight dimmed beneath the trees and she walked carefully as she crept after him, heart racing. I must be crazy to do this, seriously, he was just giving looks moments ago and now I’m snooping on him. Didn’t I bother to think this through?

Not once did he look back or give indication of hearing her. Regardless, her heart beat heavy and loud in her ears, drowning out the soft sound of her footfalls on the past year’s fall leaves. His head snapped to one side and she jumped up, a hand to her chest as she stifled a gasp.

Crais sniffed the air, nostrils flaring and he clenched his hands into fists as the scent filled his nose. It was the thick, distinct smell of a living animal, a metallic tang twisted effortlessly in it and the lifeblood playing a lively tune on his tongue. He grinned and licked the inside of his cheek in anticipation.

A small doe padded into the wooded scenery and lifted its bowed head as he shifted on his heels. Josslyn’s gut wrenched in her abdomen and she watched with distressed curiosity, hands fisting in the hem of her shirt. Uncoiling his lean figure like a spring, he launched himself at the poor beast as ripping growls fled from his throbbing throat.

He landed on its back and swooped down to bite into its neck. Gleaming teeth sunk it the skin and muscle, blooding seeping from beneath his lips. Gorge rose in Josslyn’s throat and she swallowed it back. He can do this to me. Oh my God, I’m going to die if he finds me here. Bleats of pain arose and with a twist of his neck, Crais cut them off. They fell to the ground with a thud and she gasped, scrambling back until she hit her back on a tree. She slid down its length. Hand clamped over her mouth, she tried to muffle the urge to scream and closed her eyes. Wet tearing noises carried into her ears and she covered them with shrugged shoulders, ugly images of death and blood bleeding across her eyelids.

The forest grew silent and she opened her eyes, slowly uncurling herself. Nothing moved and she sat there, waiting for something to happen, for something to move. She stood on her feet and walked up to the tree before her, trembling as she peeked around it. Blood pooled the dirt, clinging to the bones of the left from the doe. Many were snapped in two, splintered and the marrow sucked from them. Its entrails and meat were disturbingly absent from the carcass, filling the stomach of a disguised predator.

In the distance, he peered around a thicker tree trunk and grinned as she ducked into a bush, vomiting her stomach contents. She gasped and came up, spitting the taste back into the dirt.

“This can’t be happening to me. This can’t be real.” She said, a shaking hand covering her lips. With suddenly cold hands, she pushed herself to her feet and started walking towards the science building with trembling limbs. Crais wiped the last of the blood from his face, smearing it in the dirt and licking his teeth as he stood. She doesn’t even know what I have in mind for her and her brother. Poor child. Isn’t ignorance so blissful? He chuckled, low and rasping as he strode in different direction.

Josslyn spun around at the low rasp, eyes wide and tremors jerking her chilly hands. This has got to stop, she thought, hysteria coming up to strangle her breath. She turned on her heel and ran for her life, never looking back into the trees.

******

Styrofoam crackled between Josslyn’s clenched fists, cold sweat coating them in a thin sheen as she pushed into the bathroom and bolted herself into one of the empty stalls, free of grime or a student’s idea of quality art. She took a deep breath and rubbed her hands on her black skirt, snatching lengths of toilet paper and placing them on the seat before seating herself. Heart leaping into throat, she clapped a hand over her mouth and suppressed a sob, eyes burning. Like an album of horrors, images of the bloody carcass, her skinless cheek and smoldering ash flicker behind her eyelids.

No, she thought, this isn’t supposed to happen. Didn’t they see this in his files? Does he even have files? Do his parents know that he’s doing this? He must not have parents, they would stop this, right? They might be dead. Maybe he killed them, like some murderer or something. Maybe he killed the student who wore his clothes. He couldn’t have gotten them anywhere else. She blinked. Who did he kill? What if he stole the spares, killed the counselor?

She blinked again, pressing her icy fingers to her lips and waiting for the tremors to leave her. Disconnected gurgles rose and Josslyn sighed, snatching her pizza from her tray. Meat sunk beneath her teeth and she gagged, spitting it out before thoroughly scoring the piece of the small bits of meat. Once the heat hit her stomach, she sighed and nausea began to seep out of her. She allowed another bite, eating it all until only the pieces of meat sprinkled the white tray.

A hinge creaked and she froze, her hands growing slick once more. Heart pounded in her chest and ears. She watched with frozen terror as black shoes crossed the floor, pausing before her stall. She was alone, cornered and caught by surprise. Please go away, she thought. Finally, the feet moved and disappeared several stalls over, tension seeping from Josslyn. She would have laughed at her unease, but the feeling turned rancid within her body and she sat there for a moment, working her hands. She stood and opened the door, dumping her trash in the tall black bin. Stalling in front of the exit, her hand on the cool wood, she sighed and stepped out, glancing to her right.

I need to get Fedren and leave, talking to Grandma could clear things up, she rationalized. Something moved in her peripheral vision and she spun, heart leaping into her throat. Crais stood there, a hand covering Tamica’s mouth and the girl’s eyes widened at the sight of her friend. She stood in his grasp, visibly trembling and pale as a sheet while her hands fisted at her sides. Crais smirked, pointed white teeth peeking out from under his upper lip.

“There you are, my dear. I tried to seek you out, but I couldn’t find you so this girl here was kind enough to help me.”

Josslyn stared at him, heart thundering in her chest and ears.

“Why are you doing this? What have I done to get your attention?”

He shrugged.

“I have been ordered to kill you. I must admit, I am tired of this game of tag you’ve been so insistent to play,” he said, voice dropping to a dark tone, “You’re a fool to think you could hide from me.”

Without losing any composure, he knotted his hand into Tamica’s hair and shoved her face into the wall. It cracked and she stumbled back with a gasp, blood splattered on her face. He grinned at Josslyn and lunged forward, driving his clawed hand through the girl’s abdomen. Blood raced down his arm and dripped onto the white tile, pooling at her feet.

Tamica’s froze as she stared ahead, lips parted and bruised. Her chest jerked as air hissed in her throat, mouth opening wide. With a strangled puff of breath, her eyes rolled up in her head and she hit the ground, collarbone cracking upon impact. Josslyn gasped and tears sprung to her eyes before she spun away, bolting in the opposite direction.

“Running only prolongs your suffering! Either way your life is forfeit!”

Her stomach wrenched and knotted as she ran, turning down a hall. The bell rang and she flinched, taking another short hall. White walls flew past her in a blur, tiles indistinguishable beneath her feet and she slid to a stop before a green door. She threw it open and grabbed Fedren’s hand as he approached the door with the rest of the class.

“We have to run right now! Get moving!”

He blinked in surprise and she dragged him through the door, pulling him behind her. A teacher stuck her gray head out her door and opened her mouth to yell, but they sped past without a glance. Releasing his hand, she ran harder and spun into a stairwell.

“Josslyn, what’s going on?”

She shook her head and hurried, feet a black blur over the steps.

“Josslyn, please, why are we leaving?”

The desperation laced thick in his voice and she shook her head once more, throwing the outside door open. Light blinded her and she kept running, legs burning. They ran around the corner of the brick building and towards their car, sliding inside. She fumbled for her keys and stabbed them into the ignition, twisting it with a jerk.

“There’s a guy here and he’s insane, Fedren.” Josslyn shook her head furiously, yanking the stick shift into reverse. “He killed Tamica and did a lot of other things. Trust me, we need to leave. Right now.”

The car lurched back and she spun the wheel, pulling them to face the driveway. Without second guessing, she slammed down on the gas and they lurched forward down the pavement. Glancing through the corner of her eye, she noted his hands gripping the edges of the seat and the lack of color in his face, leaving him ashen-skinned. She attempted a calming breath, but it became one of near-hysteria and a fearful gasp. Biting her lips, she wove around the other cars and quickly reached the highway. Cars honked left and right as she cut them off, trying to get away from the school. Away from that monster.

Tears burned at her eyes and she blinked furiously, turning her head from Fedren. He can’t see me like this. White wording glared at her from surrounding green and she looked at the sign high on her right, her heart pounding. Here we are, we’re almost home. She flicked the directional lever and turned onto the exit, looking all around her. Almost immediately, she began driving through the residential roads and past the small houses, children happily playing on the green lawns. They have no idea what’s here, she thought, heart aching.

An image of them lying in their blood, parents’ arms frozen in death around their bodies and crusted with dried blood gripped her. She tried to swallow, but her sobs bubbled up and out, wracking her chest. Josslyn clapped a hand over her mouth, choking on the tight knob lodged in her throat as she blubbered, wiping the continuous stream of tears from her cold cheeks. On and on she cried, grabbing at her chest as if to pull the hysteria from her throat.

Finally, she swallowed it all down, gasping as she glued her eyes on the road. Fedren beside her paled, bones white against the skin of his hands on the seat. He couldn’t stop staring at her, his heart beating irregularly. Josslyn never cries, not even when she broke her wrist last year. He gulped, shivering. This can’t be good.

Fields sprung up and with no cars busying it, she pressed harder on the gas pedal. He flew forward and the seatbelt cut the side of his neck. The odor of tar filled his nose and he leaned sharply to his left as Josslyn spun them onto their driveway. Light flickered between leaves and she tore around a bend, pressing down on the gas pedal. The car squealed to a halt and she sat there, breathing quick, shallow gasps of air. Shaking herself, she stepped out and jumped up to the front door, Fedren at her heels. Letting them in, she ran into the kitchen and looked around.

“Grandma? Grandma, where are you? We need to talk right now.”

He watched her as she walked down the hall and flung the reading room door open, tears sparkling in her eyes. Not again, he thought, face closing up in a wince. His heart lurched in his chest and he looked away, moving towards the couch with heavy limbs.

A gray haired woman sat erect in a lounge chair, a thick book in her hands. She looked up from it and pinned Josslyn with alert blue eyes, which immediately widened. Josslyn walked in, closing the door and stared at the ground, hands clenched.

“I’m sorry, Grandma,” Josslyn said, voice slow and low, “I should have listened to you when we talked this morning. I just thought you were being superstitious.”

A tear ran down her cheek and she pressed her lips into a thin line, wiping it away. Maireal leaned forward, closing her book and searched her granddaughter’s face.

“What happened, Josslyn? This is not like you, honey. You’re making me worried.”

Josslyn covered her face with her hands and whimpered, another tear escaping her eye.

“There was a guy at school. He did so many things, but he killed Tamica. He stood there with her and broke her without effort, none at all. There was blood everywhere and I couldn’t do anything!”

Maireal jumped to her feet and grabbed her shoulders, eyes wide as she pulled her closer.

“He’s a murderer?”

“No, he’s a monster. He ate a deer raw, like some wild animal. He had teeth and claws just like a tiger, I don’t know. What was he, grandma? What is he doing here?”

“I will explain at dinner, but you must stay calm for Fedren, for me, honey. I fear things will have to change. We will find a new normal, but to get there we will need to make changes.”

Later that day, after dinner, Josslyn pulled her grandmother into her bedroom and retold what happened at school concerning Crais. She cried through an entire box of tissues and a hug, comforting words voiced through it all. No matter what grandma said, she still felt vulnerable and Josslyn looked up from her lap, wringing her hands.

“Do I have to go to school tomorrow?” Josslyn asked.

“Of course not, Josslyn. We’re all staying here until I make particular arrangements, ones that will get us closer to that new normal I was talking about.”

Josslyn nodded dumbly and glanced up, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

“Thanks.”

Maireal stood on her feet and with a thin smile, walked out of the bedroom. With a sigh, Josslyn tucked her legs under the covers and pulled them to her chin, shivering. She heard Fedren moving in his room and scowled. He must have been listening. The frown faded and she sighed. He must be so scared. A door clicked shut and she sat up, looking at the one to her bedroom. It was closed.

She frowned and crawled to the end of her bed, peering out the window. A pale figure stood at the edge of the forest and moonlight made his light complexion glow. His eyes were an inky black from corner to corner and a smirk lifted the corner of his bloodless lips. Her grandmother stepped out, her back straight and gray hair flat against her back. Leaning forward, Josslyn bit her lip and cracked the window open, voices drifting into her room as mere whispers.

“You are not welcome here, Crik’shi.”

Crais smiled wider, showing his pointed teeth.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but that is my brother’s name. Mine is Montyk,” he said with a mocking bow, “at your service.”

She grimaced and clawed her hand over her body, tearing at the air in front of her. Gray became brown and wrinkles softened to faint lines, skin filling out with younger years. Josslyn stifled a gasp and stared at her suddenly young grandmother. Now what’s going on? Grandma’s changing too?

“I am not your queen, so do not dare address me as such. From what were you made?”

He made a vague, approving sound.

“So you were, but no longer. You look remarkably young. You must be going into your fifth century; far too early to be alone. Where is your dear husband now, widow?”

“You didn’t answer my question. Where did you come from?”

Her voice shook, hands clenched by her sides.

"Fetin was able to produce me from some girok village woman. In fact, she serves still.”

"How dare you do that to a woman.”

Maireal trembled, heat rising in her cheeks and Montyk looked are her, still smiling.

"We’re perfectly identical, save for the eyes. But I’m not giving myself enough credit, after all, I am far more than his equal. You see, if I know just a little bit about a person and what they do, I can cause them the utmost of pain.”

He took a step forward and extended a single bone white hand. She crouched and threw her arms wide, moisture sparkling on the ground. In the blink of an eye, water shot from the ground and coiled around her arms. It twisted and bunched, glistening at her sides like starlight; with a flick of her hand, it sprung forward towards him. He grinned and chopped at the water, sending a spray of mist into the air. She pulled her arm back and in a flash, he stood before her. A hand shot forward and grabbed her arm, water falling to the ground with a splash.

Fiery pain burned in her arm and she fell to her knees, clenching her teeth until they creaked. He squeezed harder and she screamed, throat thin with the strain. Black dots flickered before her and she gasped, chest heaving as she bowed her head. His hand grabbed her neck and tears ran down her cheeks, unchecked.

Her legs began kicking and eyes rolling up to gaze blindly at the sky. Twitching, he dropped her and she laid deathly still. Montyk looked up at the stars and smiled grimly. This is worth all the trouble of coming her, he thought. The perfect reward. Maireal slowly touched her collarbone and winced as a pale light grew there. Touching her lips, she threw it into the air with a murmur.

“I summon thee!”

It leapt up and paused before shooting over the tall trees, out of sight. Montyk snapped around and snatched the back of her head in his hands. With a clench of his hand, his nails pierced the nape of her neck and her eyes rolled into her head, falling limp after a final, desperate spasm.

“Stop!”

Josslyn sobbed and immediately clapped a hand to her mouth. Black eyes caught hers and she scrambled up, running for the door. A second later, he crashed the window and hit the other wall. Glass tinkled and dry wall crunched as he got up. She was out the door a moment later and screamed at Fedren in his doorway, shards cutting her feet with stinging vengeance.

“Run, Fedren! Get out of here! Now!”

Their hearts thundered in their chests and ears, feet slapping the ground. Swinging around the corner, they dug in their heels and burst out the front door. More darkness greeted them and they ran for their lives, puffs of breath nearly upon their necks. Montyk ran at Josslyn and kicked her stomach with explosive force, sending her airborne over the grass. She hit the ground and rolled, spots dancing before her eyes as her shoulder throbbed painfully. Gasping, she coughed as she touched her burning abdomen and sat up.

Montyk grinned wolfishly down at her and turned for Fedren who laid on his side in the grass. Tension constricted her chest and she struggled with it to call out to him. Her hands burned and itched, needles prickling up her arms. A force built within her and expanded, as if her lungs were trying to stretch outward. When a small ease in her chest released her, she lurched forward and screamed.

“No!”

Heat burst within her body and burnt down to her toes. With a gasp of surprise, she opened her eyes wide and the ground trembled beneath her hand. Vines lurched from the earth and wrapped around Montyk’s limbs, slithering up his chest and down his legs. They tightened and thickened, overlapping each other like woven reeds. Growing skywards, Montyk hung suspended in the air through the middle of the strange tree.

Josslyn shivered and fell to her hands and knees, heart heaving with her lungs like she had run. This is all going to hurt so much later. Rolling onto her side, she labored a breath and spotted the white light descending until it touched the ground. Heat crackled in the air and pulsed with immense pressure, numbing her ears and making them ring. After a final throb in the air, light burst all around her with a blast of warm air, snapping her air back as she lowered her face into the safety of the grass. White light filled the clearing and made her eyes burn, moisture streaming from them in seconds and with a tickling slowness down her cheeks. In the midst stood a thin woman, green eyes flashing and blonde hair hanging in curls to her shoulders. She blinked and looked at them, mouth thinning upon sight of Maireal lying motionless on the grass. With a shake of her head, she ran forward and touched Josslyn’s shoulder, nodding towards Montyk.

“We need to leave. That will not keep him long.”

A moan escaping her lips, Josslyn fell back and closed her eyes as her head began to ache. Suddenly a rancid scent filled her nose and she jerked away, only to spy green leaves pinched between two fingers. She grimaced and rolled to her feet, swaying unsteadily. With a wince as stinging bit at her cut feet, she stumbled towards Fedren and opened her arms as he stood shakily. Tears welled in his eyes and she hugged him fiercely, her tears landing in his hair as she ran her hand through it. Thank goodness, he’s alright, she took a deep breath and smiled, he’s alright.

“You must take us to Glendalough with that metal carriage. I need to get you two to safety.”

Because everything is going wrong. Why is everything changing like this? Biting her lips, Josslyn turned and nodded towards the woman, already running to the car. Sliding in, she twisted the keys in the ignition and looked back, eyes wide and worrying the inside of her lip.

Montyk writhed in his entrapment, his snarls reaching them within the car. He sunk his fingers into the wood, pieces splintering beneath them. Pulling at the vines covering his chest, he ripped his confinement apart and set it to flame, fingers of blue fire licking at his arms. Slowly, he looked up with a sadistic grin. Josslyn had no doubt that it was meant for her.

Slamming her foot on the gas, they lurched forward and tore down the dirt road. Fedren hit the side of the car and groaned, wrestling with a seat belt. She spun the wheel and the back end of the car skidded. Don’t roll on me, please!

Heart pounding, she turned it in the opposite direction and straightened the vehicle, swinging out onto the main road. Trees raced past them and the engine roared, pebbles scraping at the belly of the car.

Josslyn sighed eased some pressure off the pedal, shrugging her shoulders. The blessing of a woman stirred in her seat and looked briefly in the rearview mirror.

“I know your grandmother sent me, but was it wise to trust a stranger so easily? You know nothing of my motives and yet you still place your lives in my hands?”

Josslyn swallowed, hard. She was out of immediate danger, but she hated that she was still so fearful in the presence of their rescuer. Because she can turn on you, too. Everybody can.

“Do we have a reason not to?”

The woman sighed, leaning back into the seat.

“No,” she said, “you do not. However, I am still a stranger to you.”

“If grandma trusts you, then we can trust you.” If for only that reason.

“Your faith is well placed in your grandmother. She was a cautious woman, never one to choose poorly of an ally. As one of them, I am here to protect and safely escort you both to my home. Things will be explained once we reach our destination.”

******

The leather bag jingled as he shrugged it higher up, carrying it through the doorway and dropping it onto the neat bed with a sigh. Josslyn flopped onto the red bedspread, inhaling the faint scent of detergent and holding her hands to her chest with a pleasant, if not relieved, sigh. The thin stranger walked in and after shutting the door firmly, sat in the plush easy chair, back rigid. She eyes watched them and Fedren tapped Josslyn on the shoulder, discomfort curling in his gut under her stare. She sat up and hugged herself, looking at the older woman warily. With an upward twitch of her lips, she leaned forward to listen.

“I know that you both are in the dark concerning the matter of Montyk, but I assure you that he is not here, not for a while at least.”

Josslyn shifted on her elbows. Hardly reassuring, but not surprising.

“There are many things I need to tell you, but we’ll begin with the simplest. My name is Nelari and I know both of yours. Working for the queen nearly all my life, I know why these things are happening. However, I must start from the very beginning for you to understand the depth of this feud.” She took a deep breath and looked hard at Josslyn. “First of all, I am not human like the rest of the people here. I am an Elf, of which I understand this land has lore and tales. This is the same for your grandmother. Her father in law, your great grandfather Salryn, had to choose the future king on the day of his seventh century. He had two sons, your grandfather Teloril and his older brother Fetin. Simply put, your grandfather was chosen and Fetin felt as though he were wronged, that as the elder brother it was his right by birth. He had always been troubled and after having studied the dark maegics in secret, murdered his brother. Your grandmother fled with their newborn child, your father, to this human world and never returned. Nearly forty years have past since she came here and now, I’ve been called by her to bring you safely back.”

Josslyn swallowed. I’m a princess? Are you serious? Fedren blinked beside her, his eyebrows drawn together.

“How old are you?” He asked.

“I just reached my two hundred forty-sixth year. I have barely reached my prime,” she said with a small smile on her lips.

“How old can you get to be?”

“Eight hundred is the average. Our lives are blessedly long, at least compared to that of humans here.”

Josslyn stared. To live that long, that’s amazing! How old was dad? Wait, only forty years ago? She blinked and wrung her hands together, looking up from her lap.

“Nelari, if my father came here forty years ago, wouldn’t he still be alive? Was my mother an Elf too?”

“He may still live, but we know nothing more. Fetin sent a creature here, Crik’shi or the one we just encountered, we do not know. Perhaps he was kept secret. Many of our original ideas are being changed and tested with all that is happening. Whoever came kidnapped your parents and we have not heard word of their whereabouts. Your mother was human and truly, this is all that I know. Keep in mind that I have not been here when this all happened. Your grandmother has kept in touch with me only until recently.”

“So, Fetin’s trying to kill me because I’m his brother’s great granddaughter? Why does that matter?”

“It seems that revenge is his only reason. If there is any other motive behind all this, they are unaware. Of this new creature, I only know that he is a carnivorous creature and has great strength. If he can do more, he has yet to show it.”

Nelari pulled a face, lips turned down and glanced at them as though seeing them for the first time.

“Get some rest, we all need it.” Nelari said, turning to her own bed.

With a hum of agreement, Josslyn and Fedren kicked off their shoes, slipping beneath the covers. She slapped the light switch on the wall and pressed her head into the pillow, energy seeming to be drained away by the bed beneath her. Cold crept over her feet and ears, chilling her flesh. She curled inwards and closed her eyes, dim moonlight sparkling at the corner of them as exhaustion stole her.

******

Piercing shrieks cut through the peaceful veil of sleep and Josslyn sat up, heart beating fast from the horrors that haunted her in her fitful sleep. Cold sweat made her hands sticky and looking across the room, she saw Nelari sitting up as well, the woman’s eyes trained on the door. One of the screams ended abruptly and Fedren stirred, blinking bleary eyes. Nelari jumped from her bed and snatched up her bag, cocking her head as the raw screams ended entirely. Eyes sharp, she gestured towards Fedren with a flick of her wrist.

“Wake him, we must leave. Quickly now. Should we wait, we shall join the number that are dead.”

A bang sounded and Josslyn clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a startled shriek while her heart pounded furiously. The glowing switch on the wall and light from under the door went out. Leaning over, she shook her brother’s shoulder vigorously. I can’t do this, I’m not cut out for this kind of thing. He sat up, rubbing at his face.

“Come on, Fedren, we need to go. Don’t ignore me, you can sleep later.”

She turned and threw the covers from herself, sticking cold feet into her shoes hastily. He followed her example and they pulled the door open, inching after Nelari into the hall as they looked around. Fedren slipped his hand into Josslyn’s, cold against cold and they peered down the black hall. Pre-dawn light touched the sky outside the windows at either end. Nelari pointed out the glowing exit sign and they immediately began moving towards the staircase. Each door they passed, only snores or silence emitted from the rooms behind them. Josslyn’s heart ached the closer they got to the door, nails biting into her palm.

Wood creaked and Nelari’s head whipped around, eyes wide.

“Run! Don’t wait for me, just run!”

A black shadow detached itself from the wall and launched out towards her. Tearing her eyes away, Josslyn ran with Fedren to the exit, throat constricting. A thump startled her and she stumbled, his hand falling from hers.

“Josslyn!”

Her heart leapt at his cry and she spun around, chills trickling down her spine. Fedren hung in midair, dense black shadows wrapped around him like a great hand. It constricted, darkness rippling and he grunted, eyes squeezed shut as his teeth clenched.

Tears burned at her eyes and she stepped forward, a gasp drawing her up short. She bit her lip, light glinting along a track down her cheek. No, not again. Not someone else. Thin, swirling air rose in her throat and she swallowed it back. Fighting hysteria, she blinked as she stared at Nelari leaning against the wall, clutching her shoulder as blood seeped through the cloth beneath it.

Montyk’s mouth twisted into a bitter curl, smiling at Josslyn.

“Come to me and all this suffering will end.”

“What about Fedren? What will you do to him?”

He tilted his head at a curious angle, one hand splayed opened palmed towards her brother.

“Don’t all humans die at some point? If I were to kill him now, it would end the suffering he would experience in old age.” He sighed, lips quirked. “However, if you come to me, I swear upon my honor that I will not kill him.”

Hot moisture filled her eyes as she nodded dumbly, looking up at Fedren’s wide eyes, horror lining his mouth. She shook her head and took a step forward, legs weak. Tamica died, grandma, the clerks and probably me too. Will it be quick? Or like what he did to grandma?

Her heart seized and she gasped, a sob rising onto her tongue when her knees hit the floor, bruising them. Air rustled above her head, but she delved her fingers into the carpet as shivers raced up and down her chest. Icy, her fingertips ached.

Josslyn looked up at him and gagged, heat rising in her throat. Oh no, please no. Not now.

“But I can see you have made your choice. To think you believed me for even a moment. A creature like me? What honor would I have to swear upon?” Her stomach heaved and warmth spread. His lips twisted in a sneer. “None.”

Suddenly, her shoulders tensed and electric shocks numbed her hands. Carpet threads caught fire and like orange lightning forks, they spread and branched, racing towards Montyk. He staggered back, eying the girl. What is this?

They twisted, curled and hit his shoes, erupting in a bright column of searing flames.

Josslyn wrenched back her sensitive, tender face and landed on her backside, touching her cheek with prickling fingertips. Nelari jumped forward and caught Fedren, grunting as her knee connected heavily with the floor.

Horrific, grating shrieks began, ripping through the brief silence and tearing at their ears painfully. They rose and fell as the fire ate away at Montyk’s flesh, crisping and burning. She winced and adjusted her hold on the dazed boy, maneuvering his arm over her shoulders. Josslyn crawled towards them and gathered the bag from the floor, slipping the strap over her head. She rose to her feet shakily, limbs feeling hollow and filled with a prickling sensation.

“Go, Josslyn. We need to leave now.”

She blinked and looked down the hall, morning light creeping over the floor like pale fingers. The screams, he must’ve killed the clerks at the desk. Poor people. The police will be here soon, if not already on their way. With a decisive nod, she spun for the stairs and pulled it open. Nelari slipped through and as Fedren stirred, she coaxed him into slowly walking with her. Even with his plodded steps, his weight was lighter on her shoulder and they made more progress down the stairs.

Once out the back door, they walked around the side of the building and towards the main road. No cars drove down it, being far too early for people to be up. Silence saturated the air, hanging on Josslyn’s skin like leaden weights and coagulating the adrenaline in her blood. Her skin prickled with chill and she shivered, eyes aching. Josslyn sighed and shrugged the bag, looking down the long road. We can’t go on forever this way, not with how exhausted we are and on the run. This can’t last forever…right?

Moving across the road, she followed Nelari, and they slipped into the forest standing behind a small concrete center adjoining a parking lot. The temperature dropped around them and another shiver raced down Josslyn’s spine, shadows coiled in the trees. Fedren and Josslyn trailed behind Nelari as she walked on an invisible path, their hands curled around each other’s.

Pale, smoky light drifted through the tree canopies, soft foot falls dying on last year’s autumn leaves. Their feet caught on small roots and stones, tripping over themselves as sleep tugged at them with a temptress’ hands. Fedren turned his head and stumbled, falling onto his hands and knees in the dirt. Nelari looked back, eyes hooded and smiled with low-lidded eyes.

“A little further, we need to get farther from this place.”

Josslyn stooped down and brought him to his feet, keeping a hand at his side as he struggled to stay standing. With a shrug of her shoulders, she slung his arm across them and started walking again with her head bowed low.

The minutes trickled by with an aching slowness, light steadily lengthening and touching the ground in whitened spaces, heat vapid between the trees. They trekked on and suddenly, after nearly half of an hour, Nelari scuffed the ground and stopped beside a thick, gnarled tree, her hands resting against its trunk.

“This was where we’ll stop for a while. We are safe for now, nothing else was sent after us.”

Reassured by her confident tone, Josslyn laid against a low rock outcropping and Fedren followed suit, eyes already closed. She sighed and tried her best to sink closer into her rough sleeping place, edges pressing into the side of her thigh. Shifting on the rugged stone, she shut her eyes as weighted exhaustion crept in and filled her from fingers to toes, light behind her lids growing dark. Finally, we can rest. Will a friend or enemy be there when I wake?

******

Murmurs drifted into her ears, distant and slow. She blinked and sat up, bracing herself with a hand on soft moss. Her cold, heavy limbs prickled with warmth.

Josslyn moaned softly, rubbing the corner of her eye and scrubbing her face with an open hand. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and looked around, rubbing her eyelids as they hung low. Nelari sat before her, gingerly touching black bruises running across Fedren’s ribs and he sat there with a flaming red blush across his cheeks, looking away. The woman looked up and dropped her hands, his shirt covering his chest once again.

“Are those…from Montyk?” Josslyn asked.

Dread filled her chest with ugly darkness and the elfin eyes blinked slowly.

“Yes they are, but he’s fine. It’s just some damage done to the surface.”

“Okay, that’s good.” She said with a nod, glancing at Fedren. “How do you feel?”

He shrugged and stood on his feet, stretching his arms behind him.

“I’m feel fine, I guess. My ribs are sore, but nothing that’ll kill me, so you can chill. I’m not a baby.”

Josslyn sighed, rubbing her cheek again.

“Fine, you don’t have to be touchy about it.”

Nelari glanced between the two, shifting from foot to foot. She pursed her lips and puffed a small breath.

“We need to get moving again. This portal is not very far, we can make it there before noon, perhaps.”

“A portal?” Josslyn asked.

“You will see, but we must get moving.”

Spinning on her heel, she strode further into forest and they lurched after her. Josslyn chewed on her lip and brushed her hair forward, warming her ear as she played with the ends. She sighed as she walked briskly after the retreating blonde. I just spent my morning sleeping on the forest ground and killed a man, with fire from my hands. Maegic and murderous strangers, what else is in store for us? What will be waiting for us behind the portal? She rubbed her fingers over her lips and sighed, squeezing her eyes shut briefly. Please, I want to live through this day. I want to live ‘til I’m old and gray.

Blue sky peeked from between leaves and shed light through them, bright before they dimmed under the tree’s canopy. They walked between thin trees and kicked aside crumbling leaves, bright green shoots peeking up from underneath. Nothing moved besides them, birds chirping far off in the distance. Fedren glanced over at his sister, watching as she stared at the ground in front of her feet and sighed at frequent intervals. He clenched his hands at his sides, eyeing the rigid back of the elfin woman with a prying curiosity. She had been walking the entire time with unyielding shoulders and a stiff neck, eyes staring forward with such intensity it made him want to scream something, anything to make her turn her eyes from the path ahead of them.

He yelped as he slipped suddenly, feet sliding on a slippery slope. Rocks and dirt scraped his hands and he stumbled, barely catching himself on a thin tree. The women walked by, Josslyn smirking at him with twinkling eyes. He scowled and stood straight, following them as they found a narrow rock shelf to lead them safely to flatter grounds. The rock broke off and they hopped down, Fedren and Josslyn landing on their knees with broken grunts.

Standing to their full height, they stared as Nelari approached the bulging rock before her, her hands reaching to brush its face. They turned and stood apart from her, watching as she knelt in the dirt and stuck her first two fingers into a pair of rough holes in the stone. Moss surrounded them in an indistinct circle, edges curled back from the center. With a sudden tug, it popped out from the surface and she released it. Josslyn blinked. What is that thing?

The air began to hum as it snapped back into place, hissing noises emitting from the strange, gray rock. A long crack opened in it, curving in peculiar ways as though it followed a natural fracture. Dirt folded as it pushed debris away, revealing a round metal ring set into the middle of the massive boulder. Fedren’s eyes opened wide beside her and he leaned forward, mouth agape.

“Is this the portal?” Josslyn asked.

“Yes, but it is currently offline. Step back several paces, it expands when it is turned on.”

She nodded and turned, snatching Fedren’s hand as she fell back nearly ten yards, watching with hands clasped. The woman stepped forward and touched a circular panel on the right side of the ring. Her head cocked to the side, she peered at the symbols glaring from the smooth surface and touched the screen, sliding her finger until an intricate design of circles and slashes appeared.

“Nelari?”

“Yes?”

“Are there more of these in the world? Where do they lead?”

She paused and looked at the ground, at the bottom of the portal.

“This is the only one built on Earth. There is one built on a fraction of the hundreds of other planets in space and they all connect to each other. We did not build them; they were here long before the people and before yours, built by an older race.”

Josslyn nodded and stepped back, watching her dial through several other panels before the hum shut off. Nelari stepped to the side and closed her eyes, hands clutched at her thin waist. Fedren sidled up to Josslyn and grabbed her hand, his palm slick with perspiration.

“Did it break?”

She held her breath, watching as light began to dance in the portal’s center. All noises cut off suddenly. Blackness filled the ring and a spectrum of shimmering colors sparkled in it. The rippling ooze lurched forward and opened up, as if to swallow the air. She jumped back with a shriek and clapped a hand over her mouth. Fedren flinched and squeezed her hand, cowering into the tree. It settled and stilled, shining like slick oil. Nelari opened her eyes and looked at them, gaze intent.

“Josslyn, walk through please. Fedren and I will follow immediately after.”

Hands tingled and skin prickled as she stepped forward, slowly and unsure.

“When you step through, do not stop breathing. You must breathe it in if you’re to live.”

Her heart leapt into her throat and she nodded, walking towards the black portal. With a deep breath, she looked back at Fedren and smiled.

“See you on the other side.” She said.

He hesitated and with a faint smile, nodded. Josslyn turned back and stepped into the portal, heart racing. Cold, pressing moisture coated her skin and she blinked against the sudden darkness that assaulted her. The only sound that reached her ears was the beating and thudding of her heart in her chest. Lifting a hand, she jumped when nothing came into view. She touched her palms together and lifted them directly in front of her face, blinking when she still couldn’t see them. No light existed in the empty space and her hands appeared no blacker than the rest of the portal.

The need to breathe became pressing and the strange coolness pressed on her like water, suffocating her. She looked around herself and raked her hand through the space, hysteria rising as she felt nothing but a damp chill. No air stirred. Does she know there’s no air here? How do I breathe without air? Is this a trap of some sort and she’s deceived us all this time? The possible prospect made her hands tremble and grow cold at her sides.

Her head grew light and light danced before her eyes. She said to breathe. With a soundless cry, she opened her mouth and sucked in. Cold ooze slid into her throat and she choked as it slipped down further, filling a foreign space. Coughing, she inhaled more through her nose and the same liquid filled her again.

The spots of light disappeared from her eyes and she fell, floating amidst nothingness and grasping her throat. Oxygen was surrounded and devoured in her lungs, destroyed by the inky shadows in them. Josslyn’s face contorted in a grimace, eyes wide and pale lips pressed tight together. Heart beats slowed and her lungs became heavy with blackness, weighing down on all of her body. With a final, desperate breath, she fell back into unconsciousness. Where do I go? Where will I be?