Chapter 1

Without warning, two women and a man burst through Carmen’s front door.

The male was wearing a blue tailcoat with dark gray accents. One of the females had to duck her head to get through the door.

She looked like a mouse with extremely long digi-jointed legs. Her tall ears twitched in different directions as she looked around.

The brunette stepped forward; she was wearing a dark teal tunic. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword.

“Carmen! They are on their way. Our spies alerted us that he is coming in person. We knew you would need assistance. You cannot delay in taking the girl.” The woman expressed with urgency.

Carmen stood from her seat. The chair fell on its back. “Wait, I thought I had two more days!”

She glanced at the trio; all three of them were wearing blue bandanas around their necks.

The brunette shook her head, “No, they found my wild shape and he is coming. Iris is coming now.”

Carmen’s eyes widened with fear, “I was just writing a letter to Thokath.”

She snatched two envelopes off the table. One was already closed with ‘cash’ written on it. The other, empty with ‘Thokath’ on it.

She took the letter from the table and shoved it into the empty envelope.

“Let me put this in the car. Then we will get her.”

“No, Carmen, let me do it. You need to get the girl now. We do not know how much time we have.” The woman’s emerald eyes bore into Carmen’s.

“Thank you, Valdaria.”

“My father is waiting at the airport. He will help make sure she gets on the plane,” Valdaria held out her hand for the letter.

She took it in her hand and exited the house through the front door. Carmen watched Valdaria leave.

The man wearing the tailcoat paused and looked at Carmen, “Wait, Thokath? Are you sure you want to do that to Lexy?”

Carmen locked eyes with him, “I do not have time nor desire to explain further, Alcore.”

He scowled but did not give a response.

☆———-☆

Valdaria stepped outside. Her eyes darted in every direction. She was looking for any sign of confrontation.

When she reached the trunk of the vehicle, she heard a branch break. Valdaria opened the trunk and placed the letter inside.

“I was hoping you would not come, Haldor.” She closed the trunk, pivoted, and drew her swords.

“Well, when we discovered your wild shape, I knew you would be here,” Haldor smirked.

Evil intent danced in his right eye. The left was covered with a black patch.

The ends of his yellow tailcoat swayed in the soft breeze. The sun reflected off his neatly combed blond hair.

A matching mob stood menacingly behind him. The large group of people all had black markings around their eyes.

Haldor drew a blade from his black cane. He raised the rapier, “I have to keep you busy to give Iris’ men a chance.”

He motioned for the mob to rush the house. They all nodded and sprinted for the front door.

“Haldor is here!” Valdaria hollered to her colleagues inside.

He took advantage of her slight distraction. He attacked her with his blade.

She let a wicked smile cross her face as she blocked it with ease. She glanced back and cursed under her breath when she saw the mage use a spell to knock the door off its hinges.

☆———-☆

        Carmen paused at the top of the stairs. Her attention was caught by the forced entry of Iris’ men.

“Damn it.” she swore under her breath before rushing down the hallway.

☆———-☆

Alcore was ready when the door crashed to the floor and a group of enemies burst into the room.

He looked at the female with large ears, “Fendres!”

Fendres looked at the ceiling and its vaulted height. She nodded before she hopped on top of the kitchen table.

She pulled two crossbows from the harness on her back. One of the enemies received an bolt in the shoulder before his head was severed by Alcore’s blade.

A cultist rushed for Fendres. She jumped to the opposite side of the table to avoid his grasp.

The long rectangular table acted like a sawhorse. The foe was catapulted into the vaulted ceiling. He fell to the center of the table, and it snapped under his weight. Fendres hopped off while reloading her weapons.

Alcore gracefully spun with his leg out. He tripped a cultist as they went to stab him. This forced the attacker to fall with his blade first. Right into the unconscious colleague lying upon the remains of the table.

Fendres then fired an bolt into the man now trying to retrieve his weapon from his ally who tripped. The man gave out a gasp before life left his eyes.

“Alcore, you should not even be here. You have no idea what you are protecting.” The mage started a fire spell.

“My presence is of no concern to you.” Alcore spat with venom.

The mage caught a bolt just above his heart. Alcore took advantage of this, and his blade sliced his head off. The surviving attackers watched in horror as Alcore severed the head of their lead mage. They fled in fear.

☆———-☆

“Why are you even part of this Valdaria? You have no ties to this conflict.” Haldor snarled as his blades clashed with hers. His back against the tree.

With a sly twinkle in her eye, “Oh, Haldor, my motives are none of your business. But while the girl is under my eye, you and yours will always meet failure.”

A guttural growl escaped his throat. Haldor pushed off the tree. knocking Valdaria back.

She jumped, keeping her balance. “You cannot stop them from leaving.”

His gaze fell upon the old car. “I can if I destroy their pathetic vehicle.” He sheathed his weapons and prepared for a spell.

“Oh no you will not get away with that.” Valdaria sheathed her swords. She was faster in her spells then him, but only by a second.

She cast a protection barrier around the car to prevent damage just as Haldor cast a flame spell to destroy it.

The two spells collided, creating a backlash of flames that consumed the tree in the front yard.

He growled in frustration, knowing he would be stalemated in a magic fight against her.

His fear of the warden made him resort to steel again. He drew his sword. “Valdaria!” He shouted in anger and rushed to attack her.

Valdaria’s left hand went to the hilt of her twin scimitars. She bent backwards avoiding his initial attack, as she pulled it loose.

Spinning and taking a defensive stance, she blocked his second advance with grace. “Is that all you have?” She smirked as four enemies left the house in fear.

Haldor scowled. “You outnumbered them, two to one. Why are you running?!” His blade sparking against Valdaria’s.

“Because they are cowards, Haldor. Sadly, out here is not any safer than inside.

She turned, disengaged his sword. Her right hand grabbed the boomerang at her hip.

Instinctually she threw the deadly weapon. It had a perfect 90-degree angle, the edges razor sharp.

With deadly accuracy, they didn’t have a chance. Each one having their head severed by her assault.

Their bodies fell to the ground. Their heads rolled. The path to the old car, now littered with pools of blood. The magic flames from the tree spread across the dry grass and engulfed the bodies.

☆———-☆

Carmen barged into her bedroom. “Lexy!” She grabbed clothes from the dresser. “Put these on, now!”

Lexy bolted upright, her blond hair drenched and clinging to her forehead. Sweat dripped from her brow, her storm blue eyes wide. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

“What the—”

Her mother’s fiery glare made her words freeze in her throat. She got dressed and nodded once more to signify she was ready to go.

Lexy lunged toward her father’s knife on top of her dresser. A harsh jerk backwards prevented her from obtaining it. Lexy’s vision blurred and her ears rang, glass fell at her feet. It took a moment to realize her mother had her within her embrace.

Carmen winced as she took the brunt of the blast. “I need you to follow my lead and do exactly as I tell without deviance. Do you understand?”

Lexy gave a curt nod. Carmen took her daughter by her slender wrist. She followed her mother down the stairs.

The scene she entered twisted her stomach. Two dining room windows were shattered. There were dead bodies on the wooden polished floor.

Alcore and Fendres stood guard near the door. Alcore’s blade dripped with blood.

Something touched Lexy’s foot. Her gaze dropped to see what it was. Fear seized her body. Her heart almost stopped.

The eyes were a haunting orange, and lifeless… just staring back at her.

She almost vomited when she realized her white sneakers were now stained red. The shock she felt deepened at the realization that all the bodies shared the same eye color. The young blond, frozen in place.

“Lexy let us go.” She could not get her legs to work. Carmen pulled her daughter’s wrist, “Come, I don’t have time to explain anything.” Lexy’s legs barely worked, but she managed to avoid touching any more bodies.

Carmen rushed her outside to the car. Fire licked the burning bodies in the yard. The air smelled of charred flesh. The concrete driveway was stained with blood.

“Swiftly, child, we are running out of time. I need you to get into the car,” the two rushed to the car.

Lexy dodged the pools of blood between her doorstep and the car. Tears dripped down her face when she splashed into one of the puddles of blood.

Spatters of crimson fluid now speckled her pant leg. But she couldn’t stare long as Carmen pulled her along by her wrist.

Her mother let go of Lexy’s wrist after opening the back passenger door. Lexy jumped into the car and slammed the door shut.

Lexy’s hand’s trembled as she watched her mother take the driver seat. Terror filled her veins when the old car refused to start.

The front passenger door opened and Alcore slid into the seat. “Carmen why such an old vehicle?!”

The back seat then opened and Fendres slid in and closed the door. Lexy took one look at Fendres and scooted away.

“Shut up, Alcore!” Carmen kept trying to start the old vehicle. The grinding brought more tears to Lexy’s eyes.

She looked out of her window and gasped. The fire being born of magic engulfed the house. Smoke clouded the view.

The young blond watched in horror as a monster emerged from the smoke.

Carmen’s hands were shaking uncontrollably now. Pumping her foot and turning the key only to end in more useless grinding.

“Carmen. Now is as good as any time to get this stupid thing moving!” Fear could be heard in Alcore’s voice.

Absolute terror filled Lexy’s expression. When this figure with a face of twisting shadows walked slowly, and with purpose directly toward them. The same haunting orange eyes fixed menacingly on Lexy.

“Carmen! We have to go now!” Alcore screamed at her.

“I know! I know!!” Carmen tried harder to start the vehicle.

Closer. And closer. It came. The monster was within a foot of the vehicle before the old car roared to life.

Carmen threw the gears into reverse burning the tires as she floored the accelerator. “Yes!”

The tires left their mark on the concrete as they flew backward into the middle of the road. Without hesitation Carmen forced the vehicle into drive, it lurched forward as if the car itself felt the fear of its riders.

☆———-☆

Valdaria disengaged Haldor turned toward the car quickly. She spoke an incantation that erected a shield between the monster and the car, allowing it to get away.

 Haldor took advantage of Valdaria’s lack of attention and bound her with ropes. To his surprise this did not make the spell drop.

The monster set his gaze on Valdaria. For a moment within the shadows there were extra eyes. “Valdaria, this is not your fight, why do you bother?”

She spat at his feet, “you do not scare me, Iris. I have done what I came here to do. They got away. And you lost this round. Valdos!”

A tall man materialized between the two of them. He grabbed Valdaria and the two disappeared.

Haldor looked into Iris’ face of twisting shadows, “So, what is next?” He crossed his arms.

Iris chuckled, pearly sharp white teeth showed through the shadows, “I hunt.”

☆———-☆

The tension in Carmen’s muscles did not loosen until there were miles between them and their house.

Carmen glanced back at Lexy through the rearview mirror, “When we stop at the airport, Alcore and Fendres will escort you through the building and ensure that you get on the flight safely, by yourself.”

She gave Alcore a warning glare. He nodded with agreement.

When they arrived, Carmen got out of the car first. Fendres and Alcore followed.  Carmen opened Lexy’s door. Lexy stared at her mother in utter shock. She could not move.

“Lexy, now. I need you to get out and move with haste.”

The young girl obeyed but was unsure of herself. She looked around while fidgeting with her fingers. “Mom, who were those dead people?”

“I don’t have time to explain, I am sure that there are more coming.”

She went to the trunk and pulled out the letter and cash. “Here take these. Do not trust anyone. Get to the address on this letter as quickly as possible.”

Lexy took a moment to look at the amount of cash. It was a thick stack of twenties. There at least had to be five hundred or six hundred dollars here.

She sighed before she walked away with Fendres and Alcore. Lexy paused and turned back to Carmen.

“You aren’t coming with me, mother?”

Lexy could not determine if her mother was sad or irritated when she responded. “I cannot. I am sure he does not want to see me.”

“Who is he?” Lexy asked.

Carmen was about to answer but paused and looked at Alcore. “He will explain when you get there.”

Alcore looked at the young girl, “Come on, it will be alright Lexy. I don’t know where your mother is sending you, but I am sure she is sending you somewhere safe. Fendres and I are here to make sure you make it to your flight safely.” He patted Lexy on the shoulder and smiled.

In Lexy’s pocket, she carried the items her mother gave her. She shoved her hand deep into her pocket.

She could feel the coarse paper of the envelopes she held along with the cash weighing down her right pocket.