The air was thick with tension, the remnants of demonic energy crackling around me like static. Every nerve in my body was on high alert, my senses sharpened by the adrenaline that pulsed through my veins. The forest around me was eerily silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind.
My boots crunched softly on the ground as I moved, careful to avoid making any noise that might alert whatever was lurking in the shadows.
My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but I forced myself to focus. Aeliana and Nathaniel were out here somewhere, and I wasn't going to stop until I found them. I could still smell the lingering scent of Aeliana's blood, faint but unmistakable, and it made my heart clench in a way that I hated to admit.
I was furious—furious that she'd been hurt, furious that I hadn't been there to stop it, and furious at myself for caring so damn much.
Suddenly, a low groan reached my ears, barely audible but enough to send a jolt of alarm through me. My head snapped in the direction of the sound, and without thinking, I broke into a run. The trees blurred around me as I sped through the forest, my muscles coiled and ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation.
As I rounded a corner, the sight that met my eyes made my blood run cold. Aeliana and Nathaniel were there, slumped against a tree, their bodies battered and bloodied.
A wave of relief surged through me they were alive but it was quickly drowned out by a surge of anger as I saw the creature standing over them.
It was a thin, wiry demon, its eyes glowing with a sickly green light that radiated malice. Its bony fingers twitched as it stared down at them, a cruel smile twisting its grotesque features.
My vision went red. Without a second thought, I unleashed my flames, letting the purple fire roar to life around me.
It surged forward, a searing wave of heat that crashed into the demon with all the force of my fury. The creature shrieked as the flames engulfed it, its body writhing and twisting in agony as it tried to escape the inferno I had unleashed.
But the demon didn't die. To my horror, it began to claw its way out of the fire, its charred skin regenerating almost as quickly as the flames could consume it.
The sight of it made my blood boil even hotter, and I poured more power into the flames, letting them flare brighter and hotter until the very air around us seemed to shimmer with heat.
The demon shrieked again, louder this time, but it didn't back down. Instead, it lunged at me with a speed that took me by surprise, its claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. I barely had time to dodge, the razor-sharp claws grazing my side as I twisted away.
"Fuck!" I snarled, the pain only fueling my rage. I retaliated with a blast of fire, the purple flames spiraling out from my hands in a deadly arc. The demon dodged, but not quickly enough I caught it in the side, and it let out a blood-curdling scream as the fire seared through its flesh.
The fight was on, a deadly dance of fire and shadows as we clashed in the clearing. The demon was fast faster than anything I'd fought before and it seemed to anticipate my every move. It was as if it could sense my thoughts, dodging and countering with a precision that was almost supernatural.
But I wasn't going to let it win. I was stronger, and I had something to fight for.
With a roar, I lunged at the demon, letting my flames explode around us in a blinding flash of light. The demon shrieked as the fire engulfed it again, but this time, I didn't let up. I poured everything I had into the flames, the heat so intense that it scorched the ground beneath us.
The demon fought back with a fury that matched my own, its claws slashing and tearing at me as it tried to break free. But I was relentless, my focus narrowed down to a single, burning point. I wouldn't let it get away not when Aeliana and Nathaniel were at its mercy.
With a final, desperate surge of power, I unleashed a blast of fire that sent the demon crashing to the ground. It let out one last, ear-piercing scream before its body finally began to disintegrate, the flames consuming it from the inside out. The air was thick with the stench of burning flesh as the demon writhed one last time before crumbling into ashes.
I stood there, chest heaving, as the adrenaline slowly began to fade. The clearing was silent once more, the only sound the crackling of the dying flames around me. My heart was still pounding, the reality of what had just happened slowly sinking in.
I had won. But the victory felt hollow, overshadowed by the sight of Aeliana lying motionless on the ground.
I turned to her, my breath catching in my throat as I took in the extent of her injuries. Her clothes were torn and bloodied, her skin pale and clammy. She looked so fragile, so different from the defiant, strong-willed girl I had come to know.
For a moment, I felt a wave of panic, the thought of losing her more terrifying than anything I had faced in battle.
But I forced myself to stay calm. I had to stay in control.
I knelt beside her, my hands trembling slightly as I reached out to touch her. Her skin was cool to the touch, and for a moment, I feared the worst. But then her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at me with a dazed, pained expression.
"Ciara…" she murmured, her voice weak but filled with relief. There was something else in her eyes too, something that made my chest tighten. Gratitude? Maybe. But there was something more, something that made me feel uneasy.
"Shut up," I snapped, though the harshness of my words didn't match the gentleness with which I scooped her into my arms. She was light, too light, and the feel of her frailty against me made my heart clench in a way I didn't want to acknowledge.
"I'm fine," she protested weakly, but I could hear the pain in her voice, see it in the way her body trembled against mine. "I can walk…"
"No, you can't," I said flatly, cutting her off. "You're hurt, and you're not going anywhere on your own."
She didn't argue further, just closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. Her body relaxed against mine, and I could feel the tension slowly leaving her. I held her tighter, trying to ignore the way my heart seemed to ache at the feel of her so close.
Aeliana, despite everything, was a fighter. I knew she would have kept pushing if I hadn't stopped her, even if it meant hurting herself further. It was one of the things I admired about her, even if it also drove me crazy. But seeing her like this, so vulnerable and in pain, stirred something in me that I wasn't ready to confront.
I tried to shake off the feeling, to focus on the task at hand. We still had to get out of here, still had to find Nathaniel and figure out what the hell had happened. But as I looked down at Aeliana, cradled in my arms, I couldn't help but feel a surge of protectiveness that I hadn't felt in a long time.
It was terrifying.
But there was no time to dwell on it. I had to keep moving, had to get Aeliana to safety. The fight wasn't over yet, and I wasn't about to let anything happen to her. Not now, not ever.
With Aeliana securely in my arms, I began to move. The forest around us was eerily quiet, the shadows deepening as the last traces of sunlight faded away. The smell of smoke and blood lingered in the air, a grim reminder of the battle that had just taken place. But I pushed it aside, focusing only on the path ahead.
We had to keep going. We had to survive.
As I carried Aeliana through the darkened forest, the weight of the situation began to settle in. The thought of losing her, of not being there in time, had shaken me more than I wanted to admit. And as much as I tried to convince myself that it was just the adrenaline, just the heat of the moment, I knew deep down that it was something more.
But I couldn't let myself think about that now. I had to stay focused, had to keep moving. There would be time to sort out my feelings later if we survived this.
Aeliana stirred slightly in my arms, her eyes opening just a fraction. She looked up at me, her gaze softening as she took in my expression. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Don't thank me yet," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady. "We're not out of this mess."
But as I looked down at her, a small part of me no matter how much I tried to ignore it was grateful that she was here with me, alive and breathing.
And that was enough for now.