“Isaac!” I screamed as I started to run. My heart was pounding in my ears when a scream shot through the dark. I changed direction and followed the sound. I wasn’t going to lose him. We weren’t going to lose him!
I broke into the outcropping. Isaac was lying in the dirt, a large shadow creature standing over him. I threw a fireball. It hit. The demon roared as it was forced back off of Isaac. I threw another and another, shoving the fucker back into the trees. I lit a ring of fire around us and threw my light into the air. It screeched as it retreated.
“You won’t be here long!” it hissed.
I rushed to Isaac. His body was a network of slashes and blood. I dropped to my knees and brushed the hair from his face. “Hold on, Cookie Monster.”
His eyes met mine. They were dark and so empty it made me catch my breath.
“Is it even worth it?” he rasped.
“What?” I asked gently, my fingers cleaning the blood from his face.
“Life?”
My heart shattered. “You haven’t lived your life, Isaac,” I told him. “You’ve been in the shadows so long that you’ve forgotten the good things: Ethan, your mom, your friends.” He shook his head.
“You’d all be better off without me anyway,” he mumbled.
“No, we wouldn’t. Losing you would break us,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes. “We’re all here. With you, fighting for you,” I said.
But even I could see he was tired. He was bone and tendon now, his hair almost gone. His cheekbones stood out on his face in harsh contrast. He was so tired… He really didn’t have anything left. This was it.
Resolve filled my heart. I held his face and forced him to look at me. “I love you. And I’m not about to lose you to this fucker. I'm sorry.” I kissed him before getting to my feet and running into the tree line.
“Lexie?” Isaac called out to me.
I ignored him and went hunting. I ran through the stone outcroppings, over desert ridges looking for the darkest parts and heading for them. It began to rain. The clay turned to mud, the rain plastered my clothes to me. Lightning flashed somewhere off in the distance.
“You want a soul? Come on, fresh meat!” I shouted as I ran further into the darkness. Chilling laughter came from every direction, reverberating off the rocks. I conjured a small light, just enough to see by, as I stepped into a large, flat clearing.
It finally came out of a dark cave, tall and long-limbed with a grotesque face and pointed ears. And I wanted its blood. It stalked towards me slowly, a frightening grin on its face.
“Oh, so the Necro wants to play.” It licked its lips. “I wonder how your soul will taste.”
I gave him my not-pleasant grin and dead eyes. “You might eat it, but I’ll make damn sure you choke on it,” I growled as I dropped my barriers. Energy rolled through me, brushing every party of my mind. Limes surrounded me as I focused that energy into my hands. “Let’s dance motherfucker.” I conjured gold light around my fists a heartbeat before I ran at it. It cackled and ran to meet me.
A moment before we would have hit, I kicked out one leg and slid under the demon, the light around my hands changing to a pair of short swords as I slid in the mud. I struck as it missed me, slicing the blades along the inner thighs of the demon. It roared. I kept sliding until I dug a foot into the mud hard, my momentum popping me back up to my feet. I turned back to the creature as he snarled and swiped at me.
I blocked with one blade, dissolved the other, and blasted the fucker back with fire. It screeched, the scent of burnt hair filling the clearing. I didn’t stop. I pushed after it, throwing fire, lightning, everything I had at it.
As the fight went on, my focus broke. My blade disappeared as I went to block. There wasn’t enough time to move. I ducked one claw only for the other to catch my ribs. I hissed and tried to back up as blood ran down my side. It wouldn’t let me. It bore down on me. I dodged and struggled to focus enough to make a weapon. I was hit again and again, each blow more painful than the last. A surprise kick from his clawed foot sent me flying. I dropped in the mud and slid several feet as I tried to relearn how to breathe. Its large foot pressed down on my chest, keeping me pinned in the mud. Weary, I lay limp under its clawed foot.
I tried to focus as the jaws came closer, but pain racked me as it continued pressing me into the ground. This was it. I was done. I was so tired of hurting, so tired of being exhausted...
“Too bad,” it taunted. Its jaws opened.
“Wouldn’t you rather possess a Necro than an ordinary human?” I pointed out as he pressed down even more, making it harder to breathe. It paused. “Think of the damage you could do with my body.”
“Is that an offer?” It eyed me. I was going to die anyway, might as well do it for a good reason.
"If you leave Isaac alone," I muttered as raindrops landed on my face. Its eyes glowed.
“Deal," it hissed. One of the talons on its foot lifted and then drove through my shoulder. I cried out as the talon dug into the mud under me. I gasped as pain flooded every nerve of my body. Its face moved closer. Smoke moved over its skin and ran into my body through the talon.
That boiling, tar-like goo ran through my mind as smoke moved through me, spreading along my veins, infecting me. I shook as it seemed like blades were dragging through my veins. That blackness drew closer to my Center. Everything grew darker... Sorry, Isaac… That ice-cold black surrounded my Center. My vision faded... Everything slowed.
Images of my life flashed before me, as if a movie was on fast forward. I saw it all again, felt it all again. Dad.… Rory… the guys… my True Self. No. This wasn't me. I wasn’t done yet.
Half conscious, I blasted that fucker off me. It flew across the clearing and slammed into the rock face. Pain racked me as I somersaulted backwards to my knees, but I didn't care. I wasn't done. I wanted my life, no matter how little I had left. Adrenaline surged through me, pushing the pain back as I got to my feet. I was still bleeding, still tired, still out matched. But I wasn't done fighting. I wasn't going to die here. My will burned strong and solid in my chest.
"We had a deal,” it hissed as it got to its feet again.
I smirked. “If you want a Necro body, you’re gonna have to earn it." I pulled energy into my hands again, forming a long blade. I brought it up.
It charged. I ran to meet it.
It swiped. I dropped to my knee and swung. My blade sliced through its leg as I slid through the mud. I scrambled to my feet and brought the blade up just in time to block.
It wasn’t long before my adrenaline was gone. I was gasping, my arms shaking, the pain coming back. Its face twisted. It reached for me again and I dodged, only for its other claw to get me. Fire burned up my back as I was knocked across the clearing.
I slid across the clearing, face down through the mud. I struggled to breathe without whimpering as I stopped. Gritting my teeth, I tried to push myself to my feet. My arms gave out, dropping me back into the mud. Fuck! I managed to move to my side to watch the demon stalk toward me.
Shit, shit, shit!
Before it could reach me, a bolt of lime green light blasted the demon away from me. I scrambled back out of reach before I turned.
Isaac strode into the clearing, still bleeding but no longer looking near death. “You don’t touch Red,” he growled, his body tense as green light moved around him. I pulled myself out of the way as much as I could.
The demon turned to bolt. I threw up a barrier of gold light that circled the area, blocking him from escape. “Oh, you’re not going anywhere, motherfucker.” I had nothing left to help Isaac, but I could stop the fucker from running.