Warm blood ran down Selene's shirt, coating her in red. The man clutched her, one hand around her waist, his long nails digging into her skin, and the other tracing idle circles on her body with the dagger. She was covered in small cuts, each bleeding.

Selene's mind traveled back to her nightmare, the way she had felt trapped in her own body. The way her clone had been covered in cuts and bruises. Something had tried to warn her. And she didn't listen... again.

The man pulled her closer, laughing in her ear at her helplessness. Selene felt enough through his cloak to know this man was built just as Aiden, muscle packed into his lean frame. She would not be fighting her way out of this.

"He'll be so pleased to know I have you," he purred, "You're not expected for another week and I say we have some fun."

His voice made chills travel down Selene's spine. She knew that he could use that dagger for a great many things, and he no doubt yearned to use them on her.

The man turned her around in his arms, tilting her head up to look into those strange eyes. They were just as beautiful as the rest of him.

Selene couldn't look away once her eyes locked with his, as if he had trapped her mind with them. Every inch of her body screamed to run, to escape and get back to the burrow. Yet her mind purred in pleasure.

She couldn't help but lean forward into him. He closed his arms around her again, trapping her. She paid no heed and buried her face into his chest, aching for him to save her from the sadness that had tortured her for years.

"My dear, who am I?" His voice had turned feral, and a growl rose from deep in his throat.

"You are my ruination," she whispered into his cloak.

A thought flashed through Selene's mind. Arthur staring at her in horror as she threatened him.

That monster will be your ruin.

She had been wrong.

The man raised her chin once more, his strange eyes holding her. She wished she could let herself fall into the black abyss, never to hit the bottom.

That flame inside her grew colder.

Wrong. This is wrong.

Her mind snarled in argument, seeming to say this had never been more right.

The man raised the dagger, pressing the tip to her chest, right where her heart beat beneath the skin.

Her mouth opened and before she could stop herself, she whispered, "Please."

The man smiled, his lips stretching into a smirk.

"Patience, all comes in due time. I guarantee it will be slow. That's what you want, isn't it? To pay for your sins and sorrow?"

Selene nodded, her eyes still locked with his. No. She didn't want that. Why did she say it then?

The man's smile grew, entrancing her. Still, that cold fire spread through her body, as if telling her to stop. She ignored it, trying to push down the growing chill.

The man's hand released her chin and gripped her waist, his fingertips gripping hard enough to bruise and his nails digging into her skin hard enough to draw blood. Her shirt slid up, giving her gooseflesh as the cold air touched her exposed skin. She felt his other hand slowly slide under and up her shirt to grip her--

A screech erupted from the man's throat, an inhuman sound, and he jerked back his hand. The skin had turned white and blue, steaming as if she had burnt him.

He looked from his hand to her, a look of shock plastered on his face. The man had looked away, his eyes leaving hers even for a moment. The fire in her seized the moment and broke her from the trance. She felt his magic crack and split as if it were right in front of her.

Selene moved. She picked up the dagger he had dropped in his shock and bolted. She turned the way she had come and pumped her legs until she was flying across the forest floor.

She barely made it a hundred yards from the man before she collided with something large and hard. The breath was knocked from her and she rebounded, tripping over her feet and landing in the fallen needles. How had me moved so fast?

She saw his cloak and averted her eyes, careful not to fall under his spell again.

"You dare try to face me? You are nothing," he snarled at her. She felt his hands close around her throat and she lashed out with the dagger. She saw the slice bleed gold as if he were a dragon from an old legend.

Not possible.

He recoiled, looking at his hand and back at her.

"You have just sealed your fate," he growled.

Selene believed him.

He reached for her again, this time his nails had grown into black talons. They closed around her wrist, squeezing until the pain made her lose her grip on the dagger. Before it even hit the ground, the man had Selene pinned against a tree. His hand was again around her throat, her feet not touching the ground as he held her up. Still, she did not look into his eyes.

She struggled to free herself, gripping his arms and attempting to pry away his hands. The talons puncture her neck, the blood sticky against her skin.

The cold flame inside of her rose again, turning her hands white. They seared into the man's arms, yet he did not let go.

His skin was burning away as if she actually wielded fire in her blood. Yet he didn't let go.

"I'm going to skin you alive and eat your flesh while your body cools," he snarled. His voice sounded more animal than human. But this man wasn't human.

She saw him smile from the corner of her eye. He leaned towards her and whispered in her ear again.

"Didn't your little friend die like this as well? Held by the throat while someone who loved her watched helplessly. Pity you couldn't save her. I did, however, enjoy hearing her screams."

Selene erupted. A blinding white light surrounding them, so unboundedly cold she felt herself burning as it encased them. She barely felt the man let her go, retreating as he was tortured. She dropped to the forest floor, choking and clutching her throat.

The man staggered away, trying to escape the light, but there was nowhere to run. Selene grabbed at the power that emanated from deep within her and pulled. She felt the light grow colder, burn brighter.

His screams grew savage as agony ripped through his body.

Selene pulled at that power until it recoiled, sinking back into her. She collapsed to the ground, her limbs utterly useless.

Her body ached so much that she couldn't move, couldn't breathe without searing pain coursing through her.

She laid there on the ground, the darkness closing in on her, she knew, for a final time. She embraced it, ready for it to take her.

Footsteps sounded to her left, heavy and urgent. Someone was running to her. The demon man had returned, ready to end her once and for all. She wouldn't fight him.

The figure dropped to their knees, reaching out to touch her. She heard a hiss and felt the figure recoil. They laid something soft around her, a jacket. Then she was in their arms, strong sturdy arms.

Aiden.

He carried her through the trees, away from the man, the creature, that had almost taken her.

He'll be so pleased to know I have you, he had said.

Who was he? Why did he want her?

Selene was too exhausted to think. She began to drift away in Aiden's arms, letting the calm blackness swallow her. She heard Aiden telling her to hold on, to stay awake. His voice was distorted, deeper and richer. She must have been too drained, to close to the end to function properly.

She barely felt anything but pain as he ran. She hung limp in his arms, her head rolling as he jumped over fallen trees and pushed through the underbrush. After an eternity of agony, he stopped running and laid her down on the ground. The floor felt warm, hot even, against her skin.

Aiden left her lying there, his absence making her shiver. He returned less than a moment later, speaking. He knelt next to her once more, his hands hovering over her. She couldn't focus on his words, the ringing in her ears too loud. Couldn't see anything past the white that still blinded her eyes.

Quickly, the numbness receded, the flames retreating. The pain flared as feeling returned to her body. She began writhing in pain, anything to escape the agony that wracked her body. A scream escaped her, bloodcurdling as her throat burned. Hands closed on her wrists, pinning her to the ground and stopping her movement.

"Please, Selene. You have to stay still," a voice said. It didn't sound like Aiden. Then again, she couldn't hear much past her screams. She begged for him to make it stop, screamed out his name in a plea. She would do anything just to make the pain stop.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He was right next to her, and she was about to turn to grab him when she felt his hand touch her chest.

The agony burned so brightly, she thought her heart would give out. She saw red, blood pouring from her eyes. She was on fire, the flames eating at her skin until she was nothing but bones and ash.

Is this what Lily felt in her final moments? This pain that had no end.

For a moment, everything went silent, as if she had finally given up. Then the world exploded around her, everything more vivid and sharp. She could smell everything from the charred grass around her to the dust on the birds in the branches. Her eyes could see the tops of the pine trees as if they were inches in front of her face. She heard the scuffling of the mice beneath the ground as they burrowed for winter.

Then the blackness came crashing down.

***

A throbbing wracked Selene's body, pulling at her tight muscles and rattling her fragile bones. The pain pried her eyes open and shrieked in her ears.

She was in the burrow, the fire in smolders next to them. Aiden was spread out next to her on the ground, an arm rested underneath his head as he slept.

His brows were furrowed, as if he were dreaming about something unpleasant. Dark circles colored beneath his eyes, a stark purple compared to his cream-colored skin. Those eyes shot open the moment Selene tried to rise from the furs.

Fatigue grabbed her, binding her to the soft pelts. Aiden was crouching beside her, one hand to her forehead and the other holding her wrist.

"What are you doing?" Even uttering a few words drained her.

"Checking your temperature."

He kept his hand pressed to her forehead for a few moments more, making Selene hold her breath at his sudden warmth. She still felt cold, as if she had taken a bath in a frozen pond and hadn't dried yet.

"I don't have a fever," Selene tried to move out of his grasp but the hand on her wrist kept her still.

He stayed like that until he was satisfied before he leaned back on his heels and fixed her with a stare.

"What?" Selene couldn't sit still while he watched her. She felt as if every fiber of her was vibrating with unease.

"How long have you been able to summon?"

She furrowed her brows and crossed her arms, accusation pouring off of her.

"Excuse me?"

Aiden shifted into a sitting position, resting his arms on his knees, and repeated himself.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

A smile flashed across Aiden's face as if he were laughing at her ignorance. A sudden urge to strangle him surfaced.

"Summoning. When a being can bring forth an element of this world and control it. Usually, it takes immense practice and strength, yet you seemed to be able to muster enough power to torch a whole clearing."

Selene's body had gone cold, her fingers growing numb.

"Do you mean magic?"

Aiden glanced down at her hands, sensing her growing panic.

"That's what the mundane call it, but yes."

The fear in Selene spiked, sending shots of pain through her body as her muscles tensed.

Magic.

She was an abomination, no better than the demons that slaughtered everyone she knew. Yet the words Aiden spoke made something within her click as if a puzzle piece had finally found its rightful place inside of her.

"Was this the first time it surfaced?"

Aiden's voice pulled her back. She blinked her eyes at him, shock and rage overwhelming her.

She pondered the question.

She thought back to the night in her village when she had slain the demon. The gem had glowed, that blinding light very similar to what she endured. Yet she hadn't had that string to pull on, no power to summon.

"Yes."

Aidan chewed on his cheek, most likely pondering their next step.

Selene jolted as a thought came into her mind.

What will he do with me? Is he a witch hunter? That would explain why he's so deep in the forest. Then why would he save me after that man attacked--

"There was a man. I saw him in the forest. He said he had come to get me."

He asked her to tell him exactly what happened. She hesitated before speaking, her last question of his trust, but the seriousness in his eyes made her speak.

She spoke quickly, describing everything from the mind grip the stranger held on her to the clothes he wore. Her voice faltered when she began to tell him of the cold. How it had eaten at her skin and licked at her bones. Recalling the pain was almost unbearable for Selene.

Aidan didn't interrupt or stop her until she had finished telling the encounter, only watched with curious eyes. When she concluded her story, he looked down at the dirt floor.

"We need to leave."

He pushed himself up and hurried to his pack. The burrow had been kept clear save for the bed of furs and the ruins beside her that was once their fire.

Selene didn't move from the furs when she spoke, "Go? Where? I barely know you and you expect me to follow you blindly?"

Aiden didn't turn to face her when he responded, "If I recall correctly, I've saved your life not once, not twice, but three times. I'm the best chance at surviving you've got. Also considering your newfound talent, I suggest you stick with me because at my destination there's someone who I believe can help you."

Selene rose from the bed and shoved her shoes on. Her laces had been practically ripped from the leather as if whoever removed them had done so with haste.

"And where exactly is your destination?" Selene asked.

"The foot of the Stormspear Mountains."

Selene blinked at him in utter disbelief. Clearing her throat, she replied, "You do know that's at the border of Väldir, correct? And that Väldir is not only a frozen wasteland but the home of the Fae and monsters such as them?"

Aiden chuckled, turning to her with his pack slung over his shoulder.

"Your horse waits for you outside. I managed to find him wandering around your deserted camp after I brought you here."

A flower of joy bloomed in her chest. Kadan was here. Anger followed her happiness.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she said, stepping closer to him, "That is my horse and yet you withhold such information. Where is he?"

"I knew if I mentioned him, you would have bolted out of this cave. You had to stay still," he bit his cheek before finishing, "He's in an alcove about two hundred feet behind the burrow. But I suggest you wait for--"

Selene was already running. Damn Aiden's words, she was too excited to care whether she proved him right.

She scrambled around the burrow's entrance and searched the forest for her friend. She let out a low whistle, the same she used to call him to her before they had been separated.

No reply sounded, and Selene believed she had been tricked. Aiden emerged from the brush behind her and sighed.

"Tell me again why I bother helping you."

Selene couldn't help but smirk, her hopes lifted for the first time in weeks. Aiden waved for her to follow him before he turned and walked away. It took only moments for them to reach the edge of the tree line where a vast meadow stretched.

The sight caused Selene to stop dead. Such a large, cleared space into the dense forest was very surprising.

At the opposite side of the grass sea, stood a familiar black and white horse. His head bent to the ground and his tail swishing in contempt. He looked completely uninjured.

A shriek of joy escaped Selene and she launched herself forward. The grass whipped at her arms, leaving red marks, but she was too happy to care.

Kadan jerked his head up at the noise and studied her as she ran towards him. For a moment, she was scared he wouldn't care that she was there. But she pushed down the thought, of course he would care.

As she neared, he snorted and trotted the rest of the distance to her. Selene reached up and wrapped her arms around his thick neck, laughing as he nibbled at her hair.

She stepped away, patting his cheeks, and turned back to Aiden. He was a few feet away, stroking a bay mare. She hadn't even noticed the second horse in her rush to Kadan. That explained the saddlebags.

She turned back to her friend and combed her fingers through his forelock. A huff of a laugh escaped her, "You won't believe how much you've missed." His only response was a swish of his tail.

None of it made sense to her, the magic, the man who attacked her. She found herself speaking the story quietly to Kadan, who seemed to be listening with his ears perked in alertness.

Selene felt as if her whole life had been ripped out from beneath her, as if she were still falling down into that seemingly bottomless chasm. She couldn't help but reach up and brush her brow, where the sprite drew its mark. What had it done to her?

So many unanswered questions.

She heard Aiden make his way towards her, the grass crunching under his boots. The man was still a mystery to her. His actions unknown. Yet, she felt she had no choice but to trust him. Surviving on her own didn't seem like the wisest choice.

"We need to leave soon," he said, his voice carrying a hint of pity. She looked at the ground, gathering the strength to look at him and nod, to pull her pack over her shoulder and get the hell away from this forest.

No huntsman will pity me.

Selene took a deep breath. The air tasted of soil and frost. Aiden's face was unreadable when she met his eye and said, "Lead the way."

He glanced back at Kadan, "He worries more than a first-time mother."

Selene couldn't help but grin, "Yes. He does."

She followed Aiden back to the burrow, helping to pack up the few things he had arranged. She was busy folding the furs of his makeshift bed when she felt his presence close behind her. She turned to see him standing over her, his eyes seeming to glow in the shadow. He held out his hand to her, in his palm sat her dagger. The dragon on its sheath seemed to writhe in pleasure.

Her eyes flicked up to Aiden's, "You'd give me a weapon?"

He looked at the ceiling, "You're not a prisoner, Selene."

She reached up and accepted the blade. As her fingers touched the metal, the blue gem flickered. She dropped it by reflex, the gem's light dying. Her eyes found Aiden's, his brows furrowed.

"What was that?" she asked. Her mind traveled back to the demon that ravaged her village.

"Your strength is growing. Rapidly. But for the gem to glow..." He trailed off, lost in his thoughts. "Where did you get this dagger?" he asked. Selene found it was hard to swallow, as if someone had squeezed their fist around her throat.

"A blacksmith gave it to me," her voice wavered. She hid her shaking hands in her lap.