Blood so red it was almost black trickled out of her mouth. I could hear the hounds in the distance, ready to let their masters know that we were near. My heart was still beating fast from running and I could feel my power beating along with it, surging every once and a while, trying to get out. I couldn’t concentrate and found myself anxiously fingering the leather straps on Auriel’s boots. My power would be too bright and give us away, but I had to help her.

The long, amber arrow shaft had Wiccan writing on it. They were so naïve, did they really think that they had to carve Wiccan spells into amber arrows to kill us? We were people, just like them, we had just harnessed the ability to use our full brain power and, therefore, were able to harness magic.

“Tanaes,” Auriel coughed and the black blood flew out of her mouth and specked my ivory skin. Her teeth were a faded purple color from the metallic body fluid, “Tanaes, run, don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,” she attempted to give me one of her careless smiles.

“Hush, you. You know I’d never leave a wounded soldier,” I tried to calm myself and focus on the task at hand. I closed my eyes and willed my power to come forth slowly so I could control the light and the energy. Auriel coughed again, trying to laugh at me. She knew that I’d had the most trouble containing my magic out of our whole class and thought it funny that I was attempting to save her.

“Tanaes, you’ll get yourself killed doing that,” she raised her hand to push mine away. I held still, not letting her weak and shaky grip interrupt my process.

I could feel my power spreading from my heart into my arms. A warm sensation made my skin tighten and prickle. It flooded my hands, burning like boiled water on my palms. Through my tightly closed eyes I could see light emerging and cursed under my breath. I didn’t want that.

I opened my eyes and saw the bright light wash over Auriel’s chest. Her veins glowed a white-blue and pulsed, taking on the beat of my heart. I could tell the heat was helping and that her wounds were healing.

“Over here, boys,” I could tell that the men were still a few hundred meters back but it wouldn’t take them too long to get to us, “we’ve got them now!”

Hearing this made me panic and my light surged blindingly. I closed my eyes in shock, instantly scorning myself for loosing focus. The bright light wouldn’t go away even when I retracted my magic and stored it deep within myself. I would just have to carry Auriel and find a place to hide and pray that the dogs didn’t find us.

“Tanaes, you’re not there anymore,” An elegant voice floats toward me almost like a lost echo.
“What the,” I start and open my eyes. Auriel is no longer on the ground in front of me. I look around; the place I’m in is completely white. There’s a strange woman in gold laced garments. She smiles at me brilliantly.

“ We've been waiting for you,” she says, the smile fading from kind to sadistic.