Page 74 of Demonic Affliction

I am sorry… so… so sorry I could not protect you. From them, from me…

I pull her tiny, fragile body tight to my chest, and I carry her out of that place.

The clearing is quiet now. No chittering. No screams. Just the slow drip, drip, drip of blood as it slides down my back to the frozen ground.

Must… make it… find the others… help Willow…

My wing is all but gone, hanging on by threads of skin, and deep, oozing wounds cover the rest of my body that I must have received from my fight. My vision goes white at the edges, and I know I do not have much longer. The pain, the anger, the voices in my head… It is all too much. Too much, too much, too much…

For a moment, I forget where I am, and I go down hard, knees cracking against the frozen ground. At the last moment, I twist so Willow lands on top of me instead of being crushed underneath. I try to rise, realize I can’t, and settle back against the ice, listening to the steady ebb and flow of Willow’s breath.

A halo of fluid spreads out from me, warming my skin and coloring the frozen ground a beautiful, dark hue. Somewhere far away, I’m aware that I’m losing a lot of blood and life force, and that soon, my body will give out. I just can’t find the will to care all that much, though.

Knowing I cannot protect her in this state, I curl around her instead, wrapping my arms tight and tucking her into the hollow of my chest where nothing can reach her. Blood soaks into her hair, her clothes, and I hate it, but I can't move, and I won't let go.

It’s okay, my angel. I have you now. I… I have you. You are safe.

We stay like that for a long, long time. My thoughts start folding in on themselves, coming apart at the edges, and the voices overtake it all, as they always do. I hold Willow, allowing her to tether me to this plane. Warm. Breathing. Mine to protect.

I hold on to those thoughts for as long as I can. Then, slowly, I begin to forget why I came here at all.

A sound reaches me through the fog, and I lift my head, the movement causing a fresh wave of agony to flow through my body.

Three demons emerge from the shadowed forest, their movements cautious. As soon as they lock eyes with me, their expressions close off, but the fear shining in their eyes is too strong to hide.

One turquoise, one pink, and one orange. It takes me a moment to remember that they are my brothers. Even longer to recall their names.

They look terrible.

Nyx favors one side, dragging a leg behind him. Rhune's face is a mask of dried blood, his hair matted with it, and one of his wings hangs at an awkward, painful-looking angle. Dravik is the steadiest of the three, and even he is covered in wounds and limping.

Vhalthor comes behind them with what's left of his army. A few dozen soldiers, maybe less. The king's chest is torn open, one horn cluster on his shoulder sheared clean away. He wields his blade in one trembling fist, like he’s afraid if he lowers it, he will never rise again.

Rhune glances down, his eyes widening as he sees Willow in my arms, and he breaks into a full sprint. “Willow!”

All three of them are running now, closing the distance fast, and I want to tell them she's alive, that I have her, that she's breathing. But the words will not come, and the fog is rolling back in, and I cannot remember how to make my mouth form words.

I clutch Willow’s body tighter, and I wait for them to reach us. They crouch near me, their mouths moving around words I can’t make sense of. I think… I think they want me to let her go.

“No!” I lash out, one of my claws clipping Rhune in the face, spraying a fresh arc of blood across the clearing. “No! You cannot have her! She is mine! MINE!”

I curl my body around hers once more, teeth bared and snarling like a rabid beast. I think, maybe, I have fully lost my mind.

Nyx steps closer, slowly lowering into a crouch. He lays a gentle hand on my shoulder, his voice speaking softly through the bond, easing me out of my panic.

It’s okay, Cin. No one is taking her from you.

“Willow…” My voice is rasped, animal, not mine.

Nyx’s eyes crease in sympathy. “Yes. Willow. You saved her, Cin. She’s okay now. She’s safe.”

I gaze down at the small body in my arms, trying to make out her features through my hazy vision.

“She… she’s safe… I… saved her…”

“Yeah, Cin. Yeah, you did.” Nyx’s voice cracks. Whether it’s with relief for Willow or sorrow for what his brother has been reduced to, I do not know.

I doubt it matters.