Shadow

Idonia Torbet

The shadowbeast grabs me, making a scream escape my mouth. It shakes me before I grab my dagger and burry it into his arm. The thing lets out a cry then releases me, dropping me to the ground. I land on one of my arms, causing pain to shoot up my arm into my shoulder.

"Khanelea?" "Idonia?"

"I'm fine just kill it!" I scream, cradling my hurt arm with the other. The sound of metal unsheathing rings through the air before I hear the shadowbeast roar again. Someone hits the ground, then more growling and clanking. My mate growls, I know it is his growl. It fills me with warmth instead of fear. A painful roar, then the sharp cry of my mate. I can't hear Danal anymore, I can't sense him nearby.

No smell, no heartbeat.

I stand from the rocky ground, drawing my bow and an arrow from my quiver. It is hard to pull back the bow, as my supporting hand is the one that is injured. I close my eyes, not that it does anything, but I close them. It is hard to concentrate with the pain burning up my arm and the sound of my mate.

The wind carries another faint smell of fresh blood. A growl, the shadowbeast's growl. I arm quickly and fire. The arrow whistled through the air and sticks itself into something. A body I hope is that of a shadowbeast's and not my mate's.

A large body hits the ground, one far too big to be my mate.

"Rae?" I yell, returning my bow to my back and falling on my hand and knees, keeping the injured one tucked to my chest. "Rae?" My good hand searches the ground for anything that could lead me to him. I have to find him, I have to hold him. If he's hurt he needs me. If he's unconscious, then I need to help him wake up.

We have to leave before another shadowbeast finds us.

One is dead, that is enough for me. I don't know if it was my arrow or his sword, but one is dead.

"Id-" some coughing, the sound leading me to him. "Idonia?"

"I'm here," I grab something, heat rising through the contact. Our hands meet and I pull him close to me. "Are you okay?"

"Your arrow, it hit him and me--" he coughs some more into his hand that then touches me. There is blood on his hand because it is now on me. "I buried my sword deep inside him. He's dead, but he clawed me first. It all hurts."

"Shh, shh, it's okay. Can you stand?"

"Where is Danal?"

"I-" my head swivels around. "I don't know."

"Is he dead?"

"I don't know," a tear rolls down my face. "I haven't heard him."

"Danal!" Rae scream, trying to sit up from his head laying in my lap. "Danal! Where are you?"

There is no answer when Rae tries to shout again but only ends up coughing more. I can smell fresh blood on his breath. "Calm yourself," I run my hands through his hair. "I will try to find him."

When I go to stand, both his hands grab my arm, "No, stay."

"He may be hurt," I remind Rae. While I have never cared for Danal, Rae does, and I don't want to leave this darkness with less than I came with.

"Are you hurt?"

"Minorly."

"Stay with me," Rae begs.

"We need to get out of here before another one comes."

Rae takes a deep breath, "I'm so tired, Iddy."

I slap his cheeks a few times, "You need to stay away. I can't tell where you're hurt, but you need to stay awake."

"It all hurts, it all hurts. Just let me rest for a while and then we can look for Danal."

I nod once before I start running my hands through his hair. The smell of his blood is all over Rae. He is very hurt and letting him rest may help it heal or may make it worst, it is hard to tell. I try not to think it, let alone say it, but when I was listening to the battle, I heard a man fall. I heard Danal hit the ground and my mate kept fighting.

Danal is dead, that is the only conclusion. I had heard five Viker die before, all in different ways. One had been torn in two, one went out screaming as he bled to death, but some died quietly, some died instantly. It only takes one well-placed blow to the head to kill a male, and shadowbeasts were experts on how to do it.

Even though, I listen sharply for any sign that he is still alive. A groan. A movement. A heartbeat.

There is nothing. Nothing but the sound of my mate's movements, my mate's heartbeat, my mate's raspy breathing. It still hurts, even though I never cared for him, I didn't wish death upon him. Maybe I was wrong leaving Rikki behind. Maybe if I had let him come Danal would have lived.

But then maybe it would be Rikki who was unresponsive, then it would be my fault for orphaning a pup. No, it is best that Rikki is safe at The Last End.

"Rae?"

"Hmm?"

It is hard to say anything as all the emotions overwhelm me. "I'm so sorry," my voice cracks. My body trembles as tears overflow from my eyes. "This is all my fault, I should have--"

"No," he moves his head from my lap. A small groan falls from his lips as he gathers me into his arms and holds me close. He is holding me awkwardly, in a way that isn't necessarily tight nor comfortable. "No, don't say anything."

He plans a small kiss on my forehead. "But--"

"If it had gone any differently you would be miserable. If you hadn't challenged me, if you had just simply left with me you wouldn't be you. Everything you have done has been for my betterment and I love you for it."

"How do you love me when I just killed your Viker?"

He stiffens before running his hand up and down my back. "You didn't kill him, you didn't kill those Viker either, from your first hunt. What were their names?"

"Criciro, Perrius, Iccnus, Toutus, and Dagomarus," I state, remembering each of their faces. Criciro was the last to die, he stood between me and the shadowbeast as the creature ripped him into shreds. Every arm, every leg, was ripped from his body. Watching the strongest Viker I had ever met awoken the beast born inside of me. "When the last one died, I shifted."

"What?"

His question was cut off by another rumbling growl of a shadowbeast. "We need to go."