EBONY'S POV

"Eb, to your right," Jake yelled as he slit the throat of a creature in front of him.

"Thanks." I turned and kicked the creature charging at me from the castle onto Henry's sword, slicing its body into two pieces. "Teamwork," I smiled, giving Henry a high five.

"Good shot." Henry smiled. "The door is this way. I will clear your path, and Jake will take you inside."

"What about you?"

"I must stay out here and keep the creatures away from you. Callan is waiting for you inside quickly Ebony; we don't have a lot of time." The ground shook beneath our feet once again, and the blood-red sky rumbled as lightning struck the earth around us. "Whatever happens tonight, Ebony Summers, I want you to know that I will always..."

Three creatures jumped onto Henry's back suddenly and pulled him back into the darkness of the forest.

"Henry!" I screamed, running towards him.

"We don't have time for this. We must stop Leon right now, or no one will survive this night."

I started to panic at the thought of losing Henry. I couldn't see him anywhere in the crowd around me. "HENRY!" I screamed, looking around me.

"I'll find him Eb; you need to go inside," Jake said calmly next to me. "Go, I'll find him."

"Jake, I can't lose you again. Please."

"Go, I will catch up." He kissed my forehead softly and then took off towards the creatures approaching us from the portal.

"This is not right. Something is not right." I could feel it inside me, something was happening, and it was not good.

"I can feel it too. We must get inside." Ariel's voice sounded confused, and for the first time, I was actually starting to doubt things. "This is where I take over. Hold on, Ebony Summers." Before I could even process what was happening, Ariel had taken off towards the castle at such a speed that the world around me became nothing but a blur. I couldn't hear anything but the air rushing past my ears as he charged towards the castle. I started to feel dizzy and tired all of a sudden, like I was on a roller coaster at a fairground. I could feel my body getting weaker with each step.

"He is in here, Ebony Summers." I opened my eyes slowly and saw a massive wooden door in front of me. I could once again feel Carter calling to me, screaming at me, but I couldn't make out the words. It sounded like he was in a huge amount of pain, and I started to cry at the sudden overwhelming fear I was feeling.

"Something's not right, Ariel."

"I know. I don't understand what is happening. Something is telling me not to allow you through that door. Something has gone terribly wrong, Ebony Summers. Something even more powerful than me is awaiting you on the other side of that door. We need to get out of here."

"What? No, I'm not leaving Carter inside there. He told me what I must do, and I won't fail him. Ariel, we have to go in there."

"On the other side of that door is an evil that even I can't comprehend. Whatever dark magic has been used to summon this, it will be our end. I hear the screams in your head, and you know I am right. Carter is warning you to stay away."

I was frozen with fear as I listened to Carter's warnings in my head. What are you saying?

"Ebony, is he in there?" Callan said next to me, making me jump.

"I...I don't know? Something is not right, Callan. Can you feel that?"

"Yes. He stopped calling for me, and then I heard the sound of screaming and death." I looked into Callan's brown eyes and saw the fear he is feeling as well.

"I can't just leave, Callan. What if he needs us?"

He nodded his head. "Stay back. I'll kick the door."

"Do not do this, Ebony Summers. Behind that door is pure evil, and nothing but death awaits you."

"I'm sorry; Ariel, but I can't just leave him." I felt dizzy again and dropped to my knees as a loud screaming suddenly filled my head.

"Ebony Summers, you must run. I am being pulled from you. Someone is ...Danger...Certain death .....RUN..." Ariel's voice became quieter in my head, and then I felt a rush of lightning spread through my body like it was ripping off my skin. "Get out of here!" The pain suddenly stopped, and I dropped to the floor as Ariel's last words repeated in my head.

"Ebony? Holy shit. What just happened?" Callan was by my side with his hand on my back as I lay on the floor, unable to move. "Ebony? Please wake up. I don't want to do this alone. Please don't leave me here." I could hear the pain in Callan's voice as he touched my face. "I don't want to be alone. I need you, please."

I couldn't move. I was frozen with absolute terror and defeat. Ariel was gone. He had been pulled from my body, leaving me weak and empty. I could feel the loneliness and isolation of my body without him, and I knew I would never be the same again.

"Ebony, can you hear me?" Callan's voice was the only thing keeping me conscious right now. "Ebony, please, I'm scared."

I knew I couldn't leave him. I knew I had to fight whatever this was and be there for my family.

"I don't know what to do?" I heard him again. "Don't leave me like everyone else in my life. I can't handle losing you as well."

His words made me gasp out for air like my lungs were completely deflated. I coughed and gasped again as pain filled my chest. My heart pounded in my chest like a drum, and each beat hurt like a punch to my body.

"Ebony, what do I do?"

My body ached with every breath and beat of my heart. My body was trying to function again without the assistance of an angel. This is what Carter had warned me about.

"Ariel is gone. Something ripped him from my body. I can't do this as a human Callan. I can hardly breathe without him." I whispered with each painful breath of air.

"He might be gone, but I'm still here, and I will not let you die. You got this far being a human."

I tried to slow my breathing down and concentrate on my heart. It felt like it was about to explode inside me.

"I need you, Ebony."

I took a deep breath and slowly started to stand up. "I'm not going anywhere just yet." I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my breathing.

I felt Callan's arms around me. "Thank you." He whispered in my ear.

"You owe me a beer and a car." I tried to smile.

He smiled against my cheek. "I'll buy you a country if we survive this."

"Ok, are you ready?" I felt a tear run down my cheek.

"No, but I'll definitely be there with you whatever is on the other side."

I nodded. "Okay, let's do this. Can you kick down that door?"

"Does Jake have an STI?" He smiled sweetly as he turned towards the door. "Yes, the answer to that question and yours is yes. Stand back. I have no idea what is behind here."

I quickly moved back and took deep breaths.

"On the count of three...One...Two..."

"Holy fucken shit balls! Have you guys seen the...Oh, sorry, you're in the middle of something." I heard Jake's voice behind us.

I turned to see his handsome face at the top of the stairs and reached out for him as he ran towards me and hugged me. "You found me." I smiled as he lifted me off the ground.

"You should know by now that nothing will keep me from you, Eb."

"Did you find Henry?"

He put me back on the ground and cupped my face with his hands. "I looked everywhere for him. I couldn't find him."

"What? Jake, he ...."

"Guys!" Callan yelled. "Are you ready for this or what? We are kind of running out of time here."

"I spoke to the king Ebony. He is looking for Henry as we speak. Henry will be fine." I could tell by Jake's eyes that he was lying to me. "What are we up against here anyway?" He looked towards Callan.

"Umm, certain death?" He shrugged. "Maybe a little suffering before that?"

"Cool, Cool." Jake nodded and cracked his knuckles in front of him.

"Okay, we go on three," Callan yelled as Jake took my hand in his.

"We got you, Eb," Jake said, looking straight ahead.

"One...Two...Three..." Callan kicked in the door and charged inside the darkroom.

"Stay behind me," Jake said, pulling me forward.

"Jake, Ariel is gone. It's just me."

"Just stay with me." He yelled as he pulled me through the doorway.