It had white eyes, completely white, that moved in different directions as it scanned the room. Spikes as long as Selene's arm protruded from its back and joints, matching its purple skin coloring. Skin stuck to the creature's bones and made it look skeletal. Its mouth was opened as it scented the air as if it couldn't see her, and three rows of razor-sharp fangs glinted in the light in the doorway.

Selene gripped the nail firmly, ready to plunge it into those eyes if need be.

It took another step into the room on two legs, its knees bent the wrong way and talons as sharp as knives grew from its feet. It leaned against the door threshold, sinking its long claws into the wood and making it creak under the stress.

Its head scanned the room, landing right on her. Her breath caught in her throat until its head kept moving as if she were invisible.

It hissed as if frustrated and turned from the room, leaving the door open behind it.

Selene sat there for what felt like an eternity before standing and peeking out from the doorway, her legs barely holding her. She couldn't hear anything but the pounding of her heart, nor could she see the creature. She dashed out of the room, still clutching the nail, and sprinted from the cottage. She ran to the barn, not daring to stop and search for the boys or Arthur. Too panicked to think straight.

The barn, it seemed, had not been disturbed. Selene yanked the doors open and thanked the Angels when she saw Kadan still standing where she left him.

His ears were pinned to his head and when he saw her, he backed away and snorted in fear. He could smell the monster and knew just what trouble they were in.

"Hush, friend. We need to leave."

She ran into the Hayloft, not even bothering to grab the coins she'd been hiding. She snatched the dagger from under her pillow and shoved it into her boot and threw on her cloak before racing back downstairs. She didn't even put a saddle nor a bridle on Kadan before jumping on his back. She was about to kick him to move when she hesitated, she jumped back off and opened Tally and Leena's stall doors. She couldn't leave them here to be prey.

She pulled herself back onto the horse and kicked him into a sprint.

They shot from the barn, the oil lamp extinguishing as they passed. Selene struggled to wrap her cloak around her atop the horse, but the chill couldn't make her shake more than she already was.

She directed Kadan towards town, hoping to find help amid the chaos.

She didn't know where Lucius was, but she prayed with everything she had to the Angels that he was safe.

The night was pitch black as if it knew what demonic creatures lurked nearby. The forest to her right was dark and looming, seeming to call to her. She would get help for the Clarke's, for Lucius, and then she would run. Into the forest.

Finally.

It took them two hours to reach the town, unnervingly dark under the moon. She slowed Kadan, feeling a strange sensation come over her. Kadan felt it too, he stopped on the crest of the hill, reluctant to go on.

She kicked him with her heel, forcing him to move. He walked into the cluster of buildings, each dark.

Selene had come with the plan to yell until her throat was raw, to scream until someone came to her aid. But suddenly the idea did not seem so wise.

Instead, she forced Kadan into a trot and headed toward the bakery.

It took them minutes to reach the building, its doors locked shut. Selene dropped off the horse, not bothering to tie him, and knocked on the door.

It swung open with barely a touch.

Not good.

Selene swallowed her fear and stepped into the bakery, the scent of bread clouded her senses. She cautiously walked to the back of the shop, where the stairs to the Hedville's home was. She climbed them slowly, hoping not to startle them if they were sleeping.

"Mrs. Hedville?" Selene whispered.

There was no response.

They're just sleeping, she tried to convince herself.

Selene walked up the rest of the stairs, praying that the family who had offered her a sanctuary was safe.

She walked down the hallway of their home, pushing open the few doors as she passed. Nothing seemed to be amiss save for the absence of life. She reached the last door and pushed it open.

Selene backed away so quickly she tripped over herself and fell, bruising her elbows.

There, laying on the floor in front of the bed, were two bodies. Mr. and Mrs. Hedville lay in a crumpled pile, their innards turned inside out and spilled across the floor. Mrs. Hedville's mouth was parted in a scream and her eyes still open, glazed over with a grey film as she looked straight at Selene.

Selene crawled backward, trying to get away from her outreaching hand. As she scrambled down the stairs and threw herself out the doors, she noticed something.

Jack had not been with them.

She climbed up onto Kadan and kicked him into a canter. Scanning the allies and roads, she searched for Jack. No doubt calling for him would draw the attention of the demon. She kept quiet.

She passed the farmer's market, noticing the dark splatters that stained the walls. Selene willed Kadan to move faster, so they could leave. But if Jack was still out there, she would not leave him.

She left the market and continued on, Kadan's clacking hooves the only sound in the entire town. Now aware of the danger, Selene noticed the blood that formed puddles in the road and dripped from the walls, she even saw the corpses of the dogs that used to run the streets. Her heart ached for Bo, who she was not too hopeful had survived the visit from the demon to her home.

She slowed Kadan as they neared the edge of town, no sign of Jack. No sign of life in general. Kadan's ears flicked up with alert as he scanned for danger and Selene pulled her cloak tighter around her, holding onto the horse by his mane.

A gasp came from Selene's right and she halted Kadan, looking down an alley. She could only see crates and piles of garbage. She narrowed her eyes, scanning the darkness. A crate moved as if pushed.

Selene was immediately on guard, her hand on the dagger in her boot.

She slid off the horse, stalking forward. "Hello?"

The crate moved again and was followed by a quiet sob. Pity filled Selene.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

Selene walked around the crate to find a little girl sat curled in a ball, her blonde hair caked in blood. Selene immediately recognized her as the child who was playing ball with her friends.

Sadness filled Selene, that such a young girl should see such terrible things.

"Are you hurt?"

The girl shook her head, wiping away her tears with muddy hands.

"Come with me and I can get you somewhere safe." Selene held out her arms, beckoning her to come. She seemed to hesitate, fear shining in her eyes. Then she launched from the wall and into Selene's arms, latching onto her with a grip of steel. Selene picked her up and walked to Kadan, lifting the girl onto the horse.

"This is my very good friend Kadan. He's going to get us out of here."

The little girl nodded and tangled her fingers into his mane. Selene lifted herself onto the horse, pulling the girl closer to her, warming her.

"What is your name?"

The girl didn't respond at first. She felt so frail against Selene's body as if she would turn to dust at any moment. Selene put her arms around the girl, trying to give her warmth, and directed Kadan down the road.

"My name is Lily."

"Well Lily, we need to look for my friend. He needs our help and I know without you I won't be able to find him. Can you help me?"

Lily nodded and wiped her running nose. Selene rubbed the girl's head, ignoring the blood that stained her golden hair.

What has she seen?

After five minutes of searching, Selene knew they were running out of time. Soon the creature would find them, and they would be doomed.

Jack, where are you?

She racked her brain for an idea of his whereabouts. She remembered when they were children, he used to take her and the other boys to the abandoned barn far out of the way of the town. She disregarded that. If he were to even make it there, he wouldn't stay long.

Where would she go if she had been here?

Selene knew where he was. He went exactly where she would go.

To weapons.

Selene directed Kadan towards the weaponsmith, his hooves pounding against the cobblestone streets. The sound echoed around them. It was a ghost town now. They arrived within moments. Selene slid off Kadan before pulling Lily off behind her.

"Stay close."

Selene didn't think her saying so changed anything considering the girl was plastered to her leg.

Selene pushed the door open, poking her head in before entering.

"Jack," she whispered.

The room was dark, no fire in the hearth and no evidence of life. Lily didn't leave Selene's side as they walked farther into the shop.

Weapons still decorated every surface, axes and maces alike. Selene pulled an ax from the wall and held it out.

She knew little about weapons, but in this situation, she believed she needed one.

"Jack, are you in here?"

Selene looked around the dark room, questioning if she had been right. Suddenly a call sounded from the back of the shop.

"Selene?"

"Jack."

Jack cursed and appeared from the back door. Rushing forward, he grabbed Selene by the shoulders, inspecting every inch of her.

"Angels above, are you hurt?"

Selene shook her head, grabbing his hand to release the iron grip on her still sore shoulders.

"Jack, your parents-"

Agony flashed across his face.

"There no time for that now. I was getting ready to go and get you, but it seems you found me first."

Selene took a step back, "You were going to go get me?"

"Yes," Jack said, his eyes looked black in the dim light. Lily moved from Selene's leg, shifting to look at him.

"Lily? Oh, Angels' mercy."

He crouched down and brushed the hair from the girl's face. The action made something in Selene's heart hitch.

"How did you find her?" Jack asked Selene.

"She was in an alley. I assume she had been hiding."

Jack stood, and Lily latched onto his hand. He looked down at her and up at Selene.

"Have you seen it?" he said.

"Yes. We need to run."

Jack nodded, turning and grabbing a saber from the wall and putting a bow over his head with a quiver of arrows on his back, all while not letting go of Lily's hand.

"I have a horse."

"Can it carry all of us?"

Selene nodded; she knew Kadan could do it. They left the weapons shop, all of them quickly climbing onto the horse's back. His ears flicked in irritation at the extra weight, but Jack gave him no time to complain before kicking him into a walk, making their escape agonizingly slow.

They made it three buildings down before they heard it. A clicking so loud, Lily covered her ears. Jack cursed and kicked Kadan harder, but he couldn't go much faster with the burden he was carrying. The creature appeared behind them, crawling on the wall using all four of its spiny legs. It clicked again at the sight of them, its mouth yawning open and revealing those teeth.

"We're not going to make it," Selene said, terror coating her tongue.

"Yes, you are."

Panic set in at his words, "No. Jack, no!"

She turned around to look at him, but he was already gone. He jumped from the horse, stumbling to keep his feet under him. He pulled the bow over his head and nocked an arrow, he aimed and fired.

The baker's boy was no warrior and the arrow flew wide.

Selene was screaming for him. Begging him to run as the creature came at him, jumping from the wall to the ground.

Jack didn't move.

Lily was sobbing, tucked into Selene's chest. Selene looked down at Lily, taking her face in her hands.

"Take Kadan and run to the forest. Don't be scared, I have friends there and they will help you. Hold on tight or else you'll fall off, okay?" She slowed the horse to a stop.

"Take care of my friend, Lily."

Then she slid from Kadan's back, her boots hitting the dusty ground with a jarring crash that would forever echo in her head. She slapped Kadan's backside, sending him sprinting forward. Her mind flashed back to freeing Yersa just days prior, the fear of what she was to face. She didn't wait to see them disappear before turning and running to Jack's side.

He saw her and bellowed, "Damn you! Go, Selene!"

"I came here for you and I'm not leaving without you."

Something old and childish clicked into place between them. One that reminded her of poison ivy and an old barn.

Together they turned to the creature that rushed towards them. Selene drew the ax she had taken with her and took a deep breath.

Jack fired another arrow, this one closer to the creature. He fired again and again, until one hit the creature in its leg, black blood spouting from the wound.

"What is this thing?"

It was more than halfway to them, its eyes darting. Selene gripped the ax with both hands, preparing herself.

"Selene."

She didn't look at him, afraid to take her eyes off the beast.

"What?"

"I--"

The demon released a shriek loud enough to make Selene want to cover her ears.

Just then, it reached them, clawed hands reaching out. Both of them dodged out of the way. Selene lashed out with the ax, the tip of the blade connecting to its skin.

It screamed in pain and turned towards her. Selene planted her feet and readied to swing again. The creature seemed to be confused, searching for her. It opens its mouth and caught her scent, head shifting to look straight at her.

Selene recalled her bedroom when the demon had walked in and completely missed her. A realization dawned on her.

"It's blind. It can't see," Selene yelled to Jack, who was on the other side of the demon.

Despite the darting eyes, it didn't seem to be able to locate something without it moving. It used its hearing to see.

Jack nodded to her, darted forward, and plunged his saber into the creature's side. Its spikes blocked most of the blow, cracking under the force.

The creature writhed in pain and squirmed away from him, taking the sword with it. It reached around and tore the blade out. Selene flinched at the sound of muscle snapping and tearing. The demon turned to Jack and threw the blade.

It spun in the air so fast Selene could barely see it, heading directly for Jack. Selene didn't have time to call warning before it reached him, but by some miracle, he stumbled and fell. The blade continued past and embedded itself in the wooden house behind him, sinking all the way to the hilt.

Jack turned to look at the blade as it shook, his eyes wide in shock. The demon took the opportunity to launch itself forward and strike Jack. It reached out with its claws, releasing a triumphant scream. He had nowhere to go, his back was to a wall.

Selene just watched as it raked his abdomen. He cried out and grabbed his stomach.

She could do nothing but stare as he fell to his knees, blood leaking through his fingers as he struggled to hold himself together.

The creature prowled around him, ready to pounce. Selene let out a cry of rage. The creature didn't have time to look at her before she launched her ax at it. It hit true, lodging in the creature's back. It screamed an awful sound that almost forced Selene to her knees. It struggled to dislodge the blade, twisting and turning trying to get a grip on the hilt.

Selene ran around the creature, trying to get to Jack. She reached him and dropped to her knees, looking at his wound.

Selene knew he wouldn't survive it.

She heard the monster's clicking once again as if it were calling her. She turned to look at it and saw that it had dislodged the ax and now gripped it, standing straight on its hind legs. It towered over the houses. It seemed to have grown.

It clicked at her again, in a challenge. Selene drew her dagger, her only weapon, and stood up in front of Jack. Before she could blink, the creature threw out its hand, launching spikes in her direction. They flew at her faster than she could see, and she barely ducked out of the way before they flew past. One scraped against her cheek and she felt the blood well up.

She looked at Jack to make sure he hadn't been hit. He remained on his knees, his face white. He looked like he would collapse at any moment.

The creature came at her, practically flying over the ground. Her instincts kicked in, instincts that had been formed over years of avoiding blows and beatings. She jumped out of the way, rolling on the ground. The creature turned and went to meet her again, the ax raised over its head. She ran forward, falling to slide between its legs she lashed out with her dagger, cutting its ankles and severing its muscle as she passed.

At the same moment, the ax caught her shoulder, dislocating it with a sickening pop. She gritted her teeth as pain spread through her chest.

Since when was I able to move like this? She thought.

It toppled over, screaming in pain. Selene stood and twisted faster than a cat. She launched herself onto its back, locking her legs around its neck. She lifted the dagger over her head, ignoring the screaming pain in her shoulder as it popped back into place.

She prepared to plunge the dagger into its skull when it began to glow. The blue gem emit a bright light, illuminating everything around her.

Suddenly, a strength filled her, healing her cuts and scrapes. The pain in her shoulder eased as if it had never happened. She let out a roar, the sound echoing through the deserted alleyways. Then she plunged the dagger down into the creature's head with a war cry that rattled the ground around them. She felt the crack as its skull broke. Its body went limp, hands falling to its side from where it tried to grab her.

Together, they fell to the ground, Selene rolled from its corpse and into the dirt, the wind knocked from her. The glow from the dagger's gem faded, looking as if nothing happened. She left the blade in the dust and ran for Jack.

He had fallen over, his face turned into the ground. She lifted his head onto her lap and brushed the hair away from his sweaty brow.

His teeth were clenched when he said, "I didn't know you could fight like that, Clarke."

Selene couldn't help but laugh as her eyes filled with tears.

"Shut up, Hedville."

He spasmed and groaned in pain. Selene pressed her hand against his stomach, attempting to stop the bleeding.

"Selene?"

He grabbed her.

"I'm here."

She wiped her tears and reached for his hand with her free one.

"Is he gone?"

Selene nodded, her tears dropping onto his face. At this point, she knew Lucius was dead. There was no way he'd be able to escape from that thing. The only reason she survived was because of that dagger.

"Yes."

Jack released a breath of air, as if in relief.

"Selene, you're free."