They sat in silence for hours before Selene left Lucius to his thoughts. She had felt his urge to be alone as he tried to will Saavni to reappear, to come back to him just once so he could find what he had been searching for. She knew he wouldn't find it.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon when she stepped back into the cottage to prepare supper, which she did on the days where she chores ended early.

Axl and his father must have been in the other room because only his mother was at the counter, chopping up vegetables when she finally noticed Selene.

"Where have you been?"

"With Lucius."

She let out a breath through her nose, laughing at Selene.

"It is a wife's duty to prepare meals. How will you ever get married if you can't even do that?"

Selene's gut twisted in anger at her words. Selene took a breath, pushing the fire down to the pit of her stomach, where it simmered. She willed it not to engulf her, imagining what would become of her if she let herself explode. She could almost feel the steel of the belt against her flesh.

"I apologize, ma'am."

Gwen returned her apology with a snort. Selene picked up a knife and began to help her with the food. Yet, she found herself unable to sink into her normal rhythm and after a few potatoes, Selene began to grow frustrated.

Why did Saavni come into her room? Was it when she was still sleeping? Or when she was awake and walking? Maybe it was just to check up on her.

She thought about Lucius sitting behind the barn in the dark, watching her walk to the forest's edge. She recalled a night when she had been beaten, her dress torn open so Arthur could reach the bare skin of her back easier. She remembered limping out to the forest, convincing herself to run away.

Was he what had stopped her?

She clenched her teeth, attempting to rid herself of the thoughts that refused to leave. A sharp pain shot through her finger and she lept back. Looking at her hand, she saw she had cut herself. A shallow gash stretched from her nail to her middle knuckle.

She grabbed a rag and wrapped it around the wound, knowing Gwen would skin her if she bled on the food.

"May I be excused for a moment?"

Selene was surprised at how her voice shook.

Gwen turned to face her, an annoyed look on her face until she saw Selene's finger wrapped in a rag.

"Leave! Don't go and spill blood everywhere."

Before she even finished her sentence, Selene was dashing out of the cottage. Her heart was pounding. There was just too much going on. Too many questions that needed answers.

The air had grown colder as night fell. The sky was black now, with just a slight glow that hinted twilight had just passed. Selene's breath came out in white clouds as she rushed to the barn. She just needed a moment alone to collect her thoughts.

She pulled the doors open and lit the oil lamp, illuminating the large room in a yellow glow. She unwrapped her finger from the rag and saw she had stopped the bleeding, yet her heart was still pounding.

Kadan snorted behind her and she turned to meet his black eyes.

"I'll be alright, you mother hen."

She smiled and scratched his cheeks; his ears flicked in her direction, perking up in delight. A sudden urge not to go back into the cottage overwhelmed her. She grabbed a brush and unlocked Kadan's stall, leading him out. She didn't bother tying him up; she knew he wouldn't run.

She began to brush his coat, watching the dust fly off his fur and float down to the floor. She circled with the brush and as his hair moved, she felt calm and her head clear.

She brushed and cleaned his coat until he was shining, then she picked the dirt from his hooves and checked his horseshoe.

Finally, she stepped back to view him. He looked pristine and even, if Selene was seeing right, he seemed to puff out his chest and lift his head.

"What a stud you are," she chuckled. She pat his neck and grabbed his halter to lead him back into his stall when a crash sounded. She and Kadan jumped in surprise. Leaving Kadan, she stepped out of the barn and looked around. The only place it could have come from was the cottage; Selene left the barn door cracked and walked to the run-down home.

She stopped in front of the door, tilting her head to the side in confusion. The door had always been crooked, but had it been that crooked? She walked up the steps to see if that sound had been Gwen dropping the cauldron, which was boiling soup.

She pushed the door open and as it shrieked, Selene knew someone had broken it more so than it already was. It seemed Arthur's temper finally exploded. She wanted to turn and go back to the barn and hide until morning, but something made her walk through the threshold.

The fire still burned brightly in the small fireplace, but the cauldron had indeed fallen over. The stew was spilled across the floor, soaking into the wood.

No doubt I'll be cleaning that up.

She looked around the kitchen for Gwen, who was nowhere to be found.

"Ma'am?" she called out.

Selene stepped farther into the house, the door swinging shut behind her. She didn't exactly know why, but the sound of the door hitting the frame sounded like a stone door sealing shut.

She picked up the cauldron and heaved it upright; almost no soup was left to eat.

She abandoned it next to the fire and continued on, searching.

She reached the small hallway that connected all their rooms to the kitchen and slowly stalked down the corridor, an etch of fear entering her heart.

"Ma'am..."

There was no answer. Not even Bo's panting.

Selene had reached the first room, Axl and Lucius' room. She stuck her head inside and saw both of their beds undisturbed, the air in the room still cold.

She moved to the next room, which was Cedric's, across the hall.

She investigated the dark chamber and squinted against the dimness.

Cedric wasn't in his bed. He was too weak to move without aid, which meant, for a reason Selene didn't know, someone had to have helped him. Maybe Arthur had decided to actually hand him over to the soldiers. That would explain the signs of struggle.

Before she left the room, something caught her eye. She stepped through the threshold, fear plaguing her heart, and slowly walked around the bed.

A dark color had stained the sheets, and as Selene stopped beside the bed, where the stool usually stood and saw it stained the floor as well. The stool had been knocked aside and now lay in splinters on the other side of the room. Selene furrowed her brows in confusion as the fear in her heart grew.

She reached out a hand to touch the dark stain, curiosity pushing her on. It was cold and felt almost like blood. She pulled her hand back and studied it. Rubbing her fingers together, she raked her memory of what Cedric last ate.

He most likely vomited up his last meal and her mother or father had to take him out so they could clean his bed.

But where were they?

She felt the stain again, still wondering what it was.

She left his room behind and headed to the room the parents shared. She wiped her fingers on her trousers, attempting to stop the shaking of her hands. She had to stop herself from running to see if Gwen was in her room; she imagined the scolding she would receive if she did.

A lady does not run! What did you think happened? Did you think we all disappeared?

She pushed open the door. It swung open with a creak and exposed the pitch-black room.

Not in there I assume?

Selene took a shaky breath and stepped inside, just to be sure Gwen wasn't in need of help.

The darkness swallowed her, feeling thicker on her skin than normal. She ventured deeper into the room, the temperature dropping as she grew farther from the warmth of the kitchen.

"Is anyone in here?"

There was no answer.

She lit a candle that rested on the wardrobe by the door, illuminating the room in a soft, yellow glow. She lifted it and turned around to look around.

Selene saw her before she heard her. Hung above the bed, pinned to the wall by ten-inch-long spikes. They protruded from her shoulders, wrists, knees, and feet.

Selene watched with horror as blood as thick as syrup dripped from the dark purple spikes.

Gwen's head hung limply against her chest, vomit, blood, and saliva dripped from her mouth. Her body was red, covered in blood. But as Selene looked at her longer, she realized she had no skin at all.

If Selene had anything in her stomach she would have vomited right then. She took a step back then another in sheer horror. The room seemed to be ten degrees colder; Selene must be going into shock.

Suddenly, the woman's head snapped up. Selene did vomit then, gagging on bile.

Her eyes were gone, gouged out by what looked to be claws. Deep gashes ran down her face, blood still gushing from her empty eye sockets.

Then she began to scream.

"Get away! Get away! I can't see! Where are you?"

Selene began to back away, the candle shaking vigorously on its stand.

She bolted from the room, tripping over her own feet and dropping the candle. She had just reached the end of the hallway when she heard it. It rummaged through their kitchen, tearing apart the uncooked chicken. She couldn't see it, only hear it. As quietly as she could, she backed away. She rushed to Lucius' room and closed the door, but its hinges squealed. The sounds in the kitchen stopped.

Selene backed into the corner and sank to the floor, trying to make herself as small as possible. She wished she had gone back to grab her dagger. She was completely defenseless. She noticed a loose nail in the wall and, using as much strength as she dared, pulled it from the wood and held it out in front of her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping this was just another one of her terrible nightmares. That any moment now, she would wake up in her bed and with a barn cat curled up on her chest.

Through the door, heavy breathing echoed. It sounded like a wolf, possibly from the forest. But no wolf could have mutilated Gwen like that. Maybe it was one of the ancient beasts that roamed the land.

Selene squeezed her eyes shut as a word came to mind.

Demon.

She had heard stories of entire towns vanishing in one night. Rumors of demons being their cause spread through the country, striking fear in the hearts of peasants and all those who were helpless to the will of the Realm of the Dead. Yet no one ever believed them, demons were myths. Even if they weren't, they hadn't woken up on the day the world fell into chaos.

Selene gripped the rusted nail in her hands tighter, her palms slick with sweat. She saw the shadow of the monster under the door as it inspected it.

Then, it swung open.

Fear unlike anything Selene's had ever know filled her as she beheld what had mutilated Gwendolyn.

The demon stepped into the room.