The wagon jerks forward as Lucas clucks at the horse. I watch the light reflected on the horse’s sturdy flanks, outlining its muscles. The animal is truly beautiful. It has a pale golden coat with a cream colored mane and tail. Its eyes are the color of amber.
After awhile of watching the horse move steadily forward, I turn my gaze to Lucas. He is watching the road ahead intently and his pale hair shines in the lantern-light. I assume it’s darkened in the rain, but his hair is still almost white. My eyes travel to see what Lucas has on. It appears to be clothes from the eighteen hundreds. I wonder where he found them.
Then, my eyes drift over to Jensen. His hair is wilting in the rain and he seems to be focusing on the passing trees. He has on the same sort of clothing.
“Where are we?” I ask suddenly.
“You don’t know? Huh.” Jensen says. “We’re in Hamburg.”
“I’ve been to Hamburg before. This is not Hamburg.”
“Ah, but it is.”
“No way. We have to be in Ireland or Scotland or something.”
“No, we’re in Hamburg.”
“Jensen! Stop it. We’re not in Hamburg. We’re in Dublin.” Lucas scolds.
“You should’ve let her think we were in Hamburg.” Jensen mutters.
“I apologize for him. He’s a bit of an ass.” Lucas gives me a small smile.
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” I pour on the sarcasm. That causes Lucas to laugh a loud, contagious laugh. Jensen glares at us until we shut up. The rest of the ride is silent.
The wagon slows to a halt in front of a brightly lit, wooden building. I look up at the sign. It reads “O’Donovan’s Pub”. Perfect. They took me to a bar.
“I’ll take Brogan to the stables. Order me a good beer.” Lucas says, leading the horse, apparently named Brogan, behind the pub.
“Will do.” Jensen shouts back. He grins at me. “Have you ever been in a pub before?”
“No. I’m not old enough to drink.” I reply.
“What? There’s an age limit?”
“Uh, it’s just that my parents don’t like me to drink,”
“Well, they won’t find out about this.”
“Alright…” I sigh. Jensen walks up to the heavy looking door and pushes it open for me. I walk in slowly. Jensen doesn’t seem to realize that I’m going slower than him and he crashes into me.
“Sorry,” He says curtly. “Crevan! We’ll have three of your finest brews!”
“Coming right up!” The man behind the bar shouts. He grabs three wooden mugs and starts filling them with a liquid from the barrel behind him. An attractive woman grabs the glasses from the counter and brings them over to us.
“Here you go,” She grins.
“Thanks, Siusan,” Jensen smiles slowly. His lips curve gently.
“Thank you, Siusan!” Lucas beams, just coming in from the stables. Siusan nods and walks away. He takes a huge gulp out of one of the cups.
“What’s your name, anyway?” Lucas asks.
“Karsyn,” I quietly say.
“That’s an unusual name.”
“I suppose it is.”
“Where are you from?”
“North America,”
“Really? Which state?”
“Maine,”
“Peculiar… We don’t get a lot of Americans here. I suppose I should have guessed it from your accent. Jensen’s parents came to Ireland from Connecticut.”
“Oh, that’s cool,” I sniff the liquid in my cup. It’s beer. It smells awful. Jensen laughs and takes a swig of his beer, “You drink beer, you don’t smell it!”
“It’s alright, I prefer smelling.”
“Why? All the fun’s in drinking!”
“It smells revolting. Why would I drink it?”
“Because it’s marvelous!”
“No thank you,”
“Jensen. They’re here.” Lucas sighs.
“Who?” Jensen wonders.
“Torrin, Brennan, Orrin, Rosaleen, and Keiran.”
“Damn. Do you think they’ll cause any trouble tonight?”
“I hope not.” Lucas murmurs. I look over at the group of people I assumed they were talking about. There are two very beautiful women and three very handsome men. They look rowdy.
“The tall woman with the bright red hair and the pale blue eyes, that’s Rosaleen. The other woman with the long blonde hair and dark grey eyes, that’s Torrin. Orrin is the strong looking man with short brown hair, Brennan is the one with the shaggy blonde hair, and Keiran is the man with the disheveled pale brown hair.
“Keiran is the… ring-leader… of the group. The others worship him. Rosaleen is very violent, try to stay away from her. Brennan is a good man. I don’t know how he got mixed up with those guys. Actually, I suppose I do. He fell in love with Rosaleen. Anyway, Orrin is strong but not very bright, I suspect that’s why Keiran keeps him around. Torrin is more cunning than the rest of them, but she doesn’t always think things through.
“My point is that they do bad things to good people. No one’s ever been able to catch them. That’s why they’re so dangerous. Because they truly believe they will never be caught.” Lucas explains.

“Gotta pee,” Jensen announces; standing and walking through a door in the back of the tavern.
“Isn’t he charming,” An unfamiliar voice says behind me. A hand rests on my shoulder and slowly trails toward my waist. I try to resist the urge to punch the person.
“Keiran. Leave her alone.” Lucas hisses.
“I would, but she’s just so adorable. I could just eat her up.” Keiran’s hand starts to stroke my hair.
“I’m not joking around.” Lucas shoves his barstool away from the table and stands up roughly. “Leave her alone.”
“She hasn’t protested my touch.” The hand trails down my back. A shiver of disgust runs through me. This man is absolutely vile. Keiran swivels me around and plants a harsh kiss on my lips. I slap him as hard as I possibly can. Keiran falls over.
“The reason I haven’t protested is because I figured my lack of response would bother you and you would leave. It turns out you’re just more obnoxious than I expected.” I growl, pushing away from the table and standing with my hands on my hips.
“Mmm… Feisty… I like it.” Keiran purrs. He stands up easily. There’s already a bruise forming where I slapped him. That bruise made me glad. Lucas grabs Keiran’s shirt collar and raises his fist.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You see, there’s five of us and only two of you.” Orrin grins evilly.
“Ah, but in reality there are three of us.” Jensen’s voice says from behind Orrin and Brennan. “Will you really make the mistake of underestimating us again?”
“Of course not,” Rosaleen smirks. She draws a knife out of the folds of her dress. Jensen smiles, as if he pitied them. He proceeds to take two scary looking knives out of either of his pockets and twirls them around his fingers before lunging at Brennan.
The knife slices through Brennan’s neck easily, almost as if it were butter. I gasp and back up. I run into something squishy and warm. Torrin. She grabs me and puts a knife to my throat.
“Since you got Brennan, we get her,” She snarls. The cold metal presses against my neck. Something warm trickles down. Blood. Jensen looks at Lucas, who is bent over a bleeding Keiran. Lucas looks up with worried eyes.
That one expression has haunted me from that moment on. With that one little look, I knew I was done for. I’d never gotten to go to Jamaica, France, England, China, and Japan. I never got to go to a club. I never drank any alcohol. I never went skydiving. I never got to say goodbye. All of those things I wanted to do, they would never happen. It was all going to end here. In some weird nineteenth century Ireland.
I don’t know what happened exactly. One minute I am about to be killed; a knife biting at my skin. The next, Torrin is clutching her hand and shouting obscenities and I’m crying against Lucas’s chest and Jensen is standing in a corner with two knives at his neck.
Crevan stepped in then. He shouted at us in Irish. I had no idea what he was saying, but it seemed like he wanted us out. Torrin and Rosaleen stalk out of the pub. Orrin and Keiran pick up Brennan’s body and follow them out.
“Thank you for getting them out of here. But, nonetheless, you guys are banned for a fortnight.” Crevan says grumpily. At that, Jensen and Lucas nod and Jensen strides out of the bar and Lucas puts his arm around my shoulders, leading me out.
“Do you mind getting Brogan?” Lucas asks.
“No, of course not.” Jensen says sympathetically. He walks back to the stables quickly.
“Are you all right?” Lucas questions. His expression is hard.
“I think so,” I sniffle. My nose is red and my eyes are still teary. I try to imagine looking at me right now. My tear-stained cheeks, my red-rimmed eyes, my ruby lips trembling, my rose colored nose, my beautiful, but filthy white lace dress, my odd leaf shoes, my pale arms and legs, my lifeless raven colored hair, and my slender shoulders shaking. I look absolutely terrible.
“No, you’re not,” He says gently, his expression softens. Lucas lifts his arms slightly, as though he wanted to hug me. I walk straight into his arms and cry against him again. His shirt is a bit wet from my tears. We’re still standing that way when Jensen leads Brogan, hitched to the wagon, out to the front of the pub. I can tell he feels bad for me.
Lucas nods to Jensen and Jensen hops into the front of the wagon and grabs the reins. Lucas mounts the back and helps me up. He lies down on the wooden floor and motions that I can too, if I wish to. I plop down next to him. We look at the stars as the wagon bumps along the road. It remains relatively quiet.
After about thirty minutes, we pull up beside a small house. It’s surrounded by incredibly green trees and small flowering bushes. I see a lighthouse in the distance. The same lighthouse I saw when I first got here.
“This is our humble home,” Jensen grins brazenly. Jensen had leaped out of the wagon and Lucas and I stand up shakily. A young woman walks out of the house with a curious expression. I shyly look away.
“That’s my sister, June. She’s quite friendly.” Lucas whispers to me. I suddenly realize I was hiding behind Lucas. I quickly step out from behind him and end up falling out of the wagon.
June hurries over to me and smiles reassuringly, “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I am,” I sigh.
“Are you sure about that? That’s the second time someone has asked you that tonight.” Jensen grins deviously.
“Shut up,” I mutter.
“What happened?” June queries, looking at her brother.
“Keiran and his posse happened.” Lucas says grimly.
“Would you care to elaborate on that?” June smirks.
“Sure, Keiran is a pretentious bastard who thinks he can get whatever he wants, so he decided to put his hands all over Karsyn. Karsyn slapped him, Jensen killed Brennan, I beat Keiran to a bloody pulp, Torrin pulled a knife on Karsyn, we panicked, Jensen got cornered by Orrin and Rosaleen, Craven stabbed Torrin’s hand, Torrin let Karsyn go, and we got the hell out of there.” Lucas rants.
“You forgot the part where Keiran knifed you,” Jensen says blatantly.
“Oh, yeah, that.” Lucas says sheepishly.
“How bad is it? Let me see.” June commands. “Actually, first let’s go inside. Can you handle Brogan by yourself, Jensen?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He smiles. And with that June ushers Lucas and me into the house. The door shuts with a soft thump. Lucas’s hands go down to the bottom of his shirt and start pulling it off. June walks up to her brother and looks at the wound.
“It doesn’t look so bad,” She says. “That’s lucky.”
I peer at the wound around June and notice that it actually runs quite deep. My father was a doctor and he showed me pictures of the wounds that would kill a person if they didn’t get stitches or be operated on. I remember one picture of an old woman who had fallen on a branch while hiking. It looked as bad as Lucas’s deep wound. And if I remember correctly, that woman had died during the operation.
“June, Lucas,” I speak up. “I’ve seen my share of injuries in my day. My father was a doctor. If we don’t disinfect the wound, the infection could be fatal. There’s a chance we’ll need to operate or stitch up the wound. This isn’t the worst I’ve ever seen, but it’s definitely one of them.”
June’s eyes widen and she stares at her brother, unsure of what to say. Lucas looks at her with a soothing expression and whispers something to her. June looks at me with a pained look and says, “Okay, will you be able to do anything needed? We have some alcohol you can use to disinfect him and I think there are some bandages under the furthest bed.”
“Actually, Jensen and I took those to patch up Brogan about a month ago. Remember that huge cut he had on his leg?” Lucas quietly says.
“Lucas…” June sighs.
“We don’t specifically need bandages. We just need something that can…” I trail off, thinking. The two of them look at me curiously, but I’m too deep in thought. It has to be something that’s common enough, but strong and clean enough to be a makeshift bandage. Of course! I’ve got it!
My hands go to the hem of my dress and rip a strip of the slip off. I walk outside absentmindedly, with the fabric in hand, and find a rock with a dip in it. I return inside. Lucas and June are staring at me with expressions that say, “What on earth are you doing?”
“If you could get me the alcohol, please, that would be great.” I say to June. She nods and reaches into a cabinet. Her hand withdraws with a glass jug filled with a clear liquid. June glides over to me and delicately hands the jug to me.
I place the rock on the ground and pour a bit of alcohol into it. The smell of the liquid bites my nose. I wad up the strip of fabric and put it in the alcohol for a few seconds. I quickly tear another piece off my dress.
“Can you put your left arm above you head?” I ask Lucas. He nods slightly and lifts his strong arm up. I walk up to him with the wet cloth.
“This might sting,” I warn him. I take the alcohol-soaked fabric and press it against the wound, clearing up the dried blood. Lucas takes in a sharp breath and June gives him a worried look. I try not to think about how much it must hurt.
My legs drag me back over to where I left the other piece of fabric on the floor and I bend down to pick it up. I tread back to Lucas and motion for him to put his arm back up. He watches me closely as I carefully wind the fabric around him.
“What an interesting sight,” Jensen laughs from the doorway. My cheeks redden slightly, but I continue to wrap the cloth around Lucas’s waist.
“Be mature, Jensen.” Lucas rebukes. I hear June giggle behind me. She has a nice laugh, like wind chimes. I rise up after tying a sturdy knot in the wrappings.
“I don’t think you’ll need stitches, but just to be safe, we should get some thread and a sanitized needle.” I tell Lucas. June scurries off to find a needle. Jensen picks up a spool of thread from on top of a plush looking bed. He hands it to me with a silly grin.
“Did he scream?” Jensen asks me.
“…No.” I reply.
“I did not.” Lucas sticks his tongue out. Jensen mimics him. They start laughing after a minute. My eyes widen suddenly.
“Lucas! Stop laughing! Your cut!” I shout.
“Oh, crap,” He says, looking down. The bandages are dripping with blood. Jensen looks a bit green. My eyebrows knit together. June comes running back with a needle.
“I found one! And I soaked it in some alcohol,” June says.
“Good, it looks like we’ll need it,” I gesture to Lucas. June gasps and runs out of the room.
“Is she all right?” I ask no one in particular.
“She’s just not very good with large amounts of blood,” Lucas sighs. I notice that the blood is trickling down his abdomen and staining his pants a brilliant red.
“I’m going to go check on her,” Jensen runs out of the room.
“Do you have any spare linens or any form of cloth?” I ask Lucas.
“Yeah, I think they’re under June’s bed, the one with the lilac comforter.” He replies.
“Okay, I found them. You’ll have to lie down so I can put the stitches in.” I smile grimly. “Are there any knives?”
“In the china cabinet, on the third shelf, there should be some,”
“Good, good. I have them. Do you have anything that will numb the pain?”
“What exactly do you plan on doing?”
“I plan to make a small incision along the outside of the cut so I can get a better look inside. To see if there’s any internal damage.”
“I really hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do too.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing. Do you have any sort of pain killers?”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
“Then you might want to put this in your mouth. So you don’t bite your tongue off.” I hand Lucas a small piece of cloth and he bites down on it. I gently undo the wound’s dressing and peer at it.
I pick up the silver knife and press it against his skin. It’s hard to cut it without putting too much weight on Lucas. Already, Lucas’s face is twisted with pain and sweat is beading across his body. I whisper softly to him, saying everything will be fine and that this will be over soon. Of course, that’s a lie.
The grey bed Lucas is laying on soon turns a dark red. I keep working. Probing him with the blood-stained knife, threading an already bloodied needle, I’m amazed my father was able to this for a living.
I gently tug Lucas’s skin away from the open wound and look at it. Kieran’s stab seems to have ruptured an artery. I start to panic. What if Lucas bleeds to death? How do I stop internal bleeding? Why doesn’t this place have pain killers? Where did my knife go? Where’s the needle?
Lucas sees me start to panic. He stays calm and that calms me down a bit. He puts his warm hand over mine. I smile thankfully at him. My heart slows back down, and my hands quickly find the needle and thread. Hands that look unfamiliar to me weave the needle through Lucas’s skin and tie a firm knot at the end of the stitching. I realize they’re my hands. And that I feel sick.

My face pales, but I wrap the wound again. I keep myself busy so I’ll forget the feeling in my stomach. The wrapping goes around and around. I watch my hands tie a gentle knot just tight enough to stay in place. Lucas takes the cloth out of his mouth and tries to sit up. I push him down.
“You don’t want to break the stitches, do you?” I scold.
“I guess not. Thank you, Karsyn. You hardly know me and you still helped me. Thank you.” Lucas says softly.
“It’s no trouble. But just so you know, I have no idea how I just did that. I actually feel a bit sick.” I whisper, my crimson-dyed hand presses against my stomach. I will myself not to lose my… whatever I had in me.
“You should wash up. You’re covered in my blood.”
“I suppose I should. I should find June and Jensen first though. Tell them you’re all right.”
“Yeah, go do that. You could probably rally Jensen to help you carry the bath-bucket in.”
“Any idea where they might be?”
“They’re probably in the barn or by the well. The barn’s behind the house and the well is near the sea cliffs to the north.”
“Will you be okay here?”
“I’ll be fine, Karsyn.”
“Okay…” I walk out of the house and towards the barn. The doors push open easily. All I see is Brogan, a small, dapple grey horse, a massive amount of hay, and the wagon. I walk over to the horses and stroke their velvety noses. I walk out of the barn and close the doors.
“Now, which way is north?” I say to myself.
“It’s that way.” A male voice says from behind me. Hands grab me and hold me still. I’m turned around by Orrin and Rosaleen and I’m face to face with the ringmaster. Keiran.
“I thought you were too bloodied and broken to go around torturing people,” I spit.
“Quite the contrary,” Keiran grins. “I have a secret to tell you, Karsyn.”
“How do you know my name?”
“It’s common knowledge now, Karrie.”
“Don’t call me that.”

“Now, my little secret, you have to promise not to tell anyone.”
“Not even over your dead body.”
“Tsk, tsk, that’s no way for a lady to speak. I’m a demon, love.”
“Yeah, and I’m Santa Claus.”
“One of us is telling the truth here, and we all know it isn’t you.”
“Fine then. Prove it.”
“Very well. Just keep in mind, you asked.” Keiran’s eyes roll and they turn white. The iris, the pupil, the sclera all disappear into creamy white. I maintain a calm exterior, but my heart is racing and I feel a bit dizzy.
“That’s all there is?” I taunt. “I thought a demon would be more impressive.”
“Oh, honey, there’s so much more I can show you.” Keiran responds.
“Really? Because the ivory eyes totally had me convinced.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t become you, Karrie. Let’s show her the real deal.”
“I wonder what that could be.” I roll my eyes. Then I notice that black fog is pouring out Keiran’s mouth. I have no idea what’s happening. All I know is that it’s going to be bad.
Keiran collapses on the leafy forest floor. The moonlight highlights his body. Pale skin seeming to glow, bright green eyes a few shades darker than normal, light brown hair shimmering gently. The moon brings out the details in the planes of his face. A sharp, angular nose, soft, curving lips, delicate ears. He looks so innocent.
But that black fog is swirling around Keiran’s body. Almost as though it is protecting him.
“This is my form in the human world.” Keiran’s voice emanates from the black fog. “As you can see, it’s not very substantial. That’s why we take over human bodies. So we can do more things.”
“Seriously? You seriously want to use ‘things’ to describe the horrible stuff demons do?” I ask incredulously.
“Yes. If I describe all of the things we do, I’ll be killed by a greater demon.”
“Such as?”
“Lilith, Samhain, Azazel, Lucifer, Drekavac, Orobas, among others.”
“Huh.” I wasn’t familiar with any of those names. Except Samhain, but all I know about him is that he’s supposed to be strongest on Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve.
“So, I assume you’re enjoying your little time warp.” Keiran interrupts my thoughts. The black fog retreats back inside his body and he stands up slowly.
“What?” I say, still partially submerged in my mind.
“The time warp you’re in. It’s nice, isn’t it? Lilith designed it just for you. I’m not sure why she would do such a thing. I suppose it’s merely for her amusement.”
“I feel so special,”
“Now that the mortal’s friends aren’t around we’re free to do what we wish, right Keiran?” Torrin queries. I hadn’t noticed her before. She had been hiding behind a tree.
“I suppose. Just keep her alive. We don’t need Lilith to smite us.” Keiran waves his hand dismissively and starts striding to a dark carriage a little ways into the woods. He climbs into the coachman’s seat and clucks at the midnight colored horses. The carriage disappears within seconds.
Orrin laughs menacingly. I am in a bad place. I need to get out of here fast. My heart is pounding against my rib cage as Torrin draws closer to me. A shiny dagger gleams in her hand.
The blade is on my bare arm. It cuts through my skin swiftly. The metal burns. Torrin cuts odd designs into my skin. The symbols appear to be a different language. She draws a pentagram on my wrist. Blood blooms from the slender lines.
I scream as Torrin begins on my other arm. Tears flow from my eyes. It hurts so much. Rosaleen laughs at me.
“Torrin, are you going to save some fun for the rest of us?” Rosaleen chimes.
“Of course, Rosaleen,” Torrin offers her blade to Rosaleen as she takes hold of my arm.
“Thank you, Torrin,” Rosaleen takes the dagger. She presses it against her lips and then slowly drags it along my arm. I keep on screaming. Someone will hear me. I have to hope.
Rosaleen carves her name into my fair skin. Blood flows quickly from the shallow cuts. I can hear the blood rushing through my veins, all too eager to get out. At that point, Torrin and Orrin drop me on the ground. I don’t try to get up.
Orrin picks up a knife and begins to draw on me with Rosaleen. The metal thirsts for my sweet blood. Minutes pass, and my throat is raw from screaming. They seem to have had their fun because they stand gracefully and dash away.
I remain silent. I’m too scared to move. I just lie in the pool of blood. What if they come back? What if I die here, in a forest? Where are June and Jensen? Could Lucas hear me scream?

Footsteps. Heavy footsteps. Like a man running. I brace myself for Orrin or Keiran. I squeeze my eyes shut.
“Oh my god, Karsyn!” Jensen shouts. “I found her!”
“Is she okay?” June yells back. “Where are you two?”
“We’re near the old shed.”
“I’ll be over there in a second.”
My eyes slide open and I see Jensen squatting near me. He looks concerned. June appears behind him. She looks worried, too.
“Oh no,” June says.
“Lucas said she left the house about two hours ago to find us,” Jensen grimly says. “I feel bad about walking to the old theater now,”
“We need to get her to the house,”
“I’ll get her. You go on ahead and tell Lucas we found her.” June runs off towards the house. Jensen stands slowly and bends over me, extending his arms and gently sliding them underneath me. He picks me up smoothly.
Jensen’s arms tighten around me as he walks quickly in the direction June disappeared in. Within minutes, we are at the house. Jensen is smeared with my thick blood. Lucas is standing next to June when we get inside.
I look at each of their faces. They all have one thing in common. They all have a pained look on their face. The three of them seem to know that it’s unlikely for me to be able to live through this. And for the second time in one day, I black out.
I come into consciousness a few times, but I hardly know what’s going on, I’m up for such short amounts of time. I wake up to Lucas, June, and Jensen quarreling several times, to Lucas looking down at me, twice, to June sitting next to me, also twice, and to Jensen walking past, once. If they notice I’m awake, they’ll try to talk to me, but I am always too tired to understand them.
After what I think is a few days, maybe a week, I am able to get up and stay awake. The moon is low in the sky. Lucas is the one who finds me sitting in bed, looking at my carefully washed dress hanging on a rocking chair next to the foot of the bed. I realize that I’m wrapped in stiff bandages. My arms hurt.
“You’re awake,” Lucas states.
“I hadn’t noticed,” I grin.
“Jensen didn’t think you’d wake up,”
“Well, next time I see him, remind me to call him a moron,”
“I will. What happened to you?”
“I…I’m not entirely sure. One minute, I was walking out of the barn, looking for the well, and the next Keiran was coughing up black fog and then he left after the fog went back inside of him. And Rosaleen and Torrin and Orrin had knives. They cut me. It hurt.”
“I’m glad you’re alive. You’re lucky to be alive.”
“Believe me, I know. About that being lucky part, not the-you-being-glad part. It makes me happy that you don’t want me to die… Uh… I’ll just stop talking now…”
“Don’t stop talking. It’s nice to hear someone say something that sounds absolutely insane.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just that it’s refreshing to have a person that doesn’t talk about how foggy it is or how many sheep they have or how long it took them to get to the pub.”
“Oh, when you put it like that, it makes every damn thing all better.”
“You’re absolutely impossible,” Lucas smiles widely as he says this.
“I try my hardest,” I grin back. “How’s your wound?”
“Much better, thanks to you. The skin has closed up.”
“I’ll cut the thread once it’s fully healed.”
“That’ll be interesting. Just don’t cut me.”
“I already cut you, so I think I’ll be fine for awhile.”
“You have a very odd sense of humor. That was very random of me to say.”
“It’s alright, being weird is much better than being normal. All those dull normal people go to their daily work grind and fax papers.”
“Fax?”
“Oh, it’s just slang for writing letters.”
“Oh,” As Lucas trails off, Jensen walks in.
“Am I interrupting anything? Good, I am. Okay, now I get to grill you.” Jensen laughs maniacally.
“What a pleasant laugh you have,” I smile.
“Thank you. Where are you from?”
“Maine,”
“Why are you here?”
“I’m not sure.”
“How did you get here?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“How do you not know how you got here?”
“I just don’t…”
“Tell the truth!”
“I am!” I shout. I can feel my eyes get teary. Lucas comes over to me and sits down on the bed.
“Just tell him what you remember,” Lucas whispers to me. I nod.
“I remember being on a beach. It was warm and sunny. I am positive it wasn’t in Ireland. And I got in the water. I was swimming and there were fish swimming near me. They looked like salmon.” I shudder as the memories flood back to me. “They were salmon. But then they changed… It looked like they morphed. Their scales rippled and they turned into piranhas.
“I knew I had to swim faster, but my leg hit a chunk of coral and I started bleeding. The fish started going faster and faster. They were gaining on me.
“Then they caught up with me. Their little teeth ripped into me. It felt like thousands of little needles were being pushed through my skin. I guess I lost too much blood, because I saw a light, a very bright white light, and then I blacked out.
“I woke up on a cliff overlooking the ocean. I could see a lighthouse and there were trees and little shrubs all around me. The shrubs were shaped like boxes. I got up and started walking, but my feet started to bleed. So I found that tree and made shoes. Then you guys found me. And that’s all there is.”
“That sounds horrible.” Lucas says sympathetically.
“Yeah, now, do you have any idea how you got out of the water?” Jensen questions.
“No, I really don’t. I’m not even sure how I got on that beach.” I reply. Jensen stalks off, buried in his thoughts. He almost runs into a wall. Lucas smiles softly at me.
“Put down your weapons or she dies,” Rosaleen’s voice says from outside. Lucas and I are outside almost instantly. Jensen is swearing under his breath. His knives are on the ground. Torrin and Orrin are restraining June. She has a gag in her mouth.

“What do you want?” Lucas growls.
“Her,” Rosaleen smirks, pointing daintily at me. “We have orders to take her into our custody for the time being.”
“And who ordered you to do this?” Jensen snarls.
“Who do you think?” Rosaleen laughs gaily.
“Keiran.” Lucas hisses.
“Lucas, give her to them,” Jensen whispers harshly. “She means nothing to us.”
“Karsyn’s a human. We’re not trading her like an animal.” Lucas sighs angrily.
“June’s a human, too. Should we just let her be killed by those savages?” Jensen retorts.
“Jensen, Lucas,” I say. “Give me to them. I don’t mean anything. That’s your sister, Lucas. Jensen, you try to hide it, but I can see what you feel. Don’t let them take her away from you.”
Jensen and Lucas exchange a look. Jensen clearly wants to trade me for June. Lucas appears to be heavily conflicted. I sigh. I walk up to Rosaleen.
“If I let you take me, will you let June go?” I ask her.
“Yes, you have my word.” Rosaleen says somberly.
“Then take me.” I say.
“Very well. Let the blonde go.” Rosaleen commands. Torrin and Orrin instantly release her. Torrin undoes the gag. June runs to Jensen and Lucas and hugs them. She mouths to me, “Thank you.” I nod to her and let myself be led away by Rosaleen, Orrin, and Torrin.
Once we get out of eyesight, they slap a blindfold on my face, shove a gag in my mouth, and bind my hands behind my back. One of them keeps a hand on my shoulder, guiding me somewhere. Someone, I assume it to be Orrin, lifts me into something. I realize it’s a carriage when I hear Torrin cluck and we lurch forward.
The ride is long. I’m not sure how long it truly is, but it seemed to take about four hours. My captors are silent the whole time. It was kind of awkward, seeing as I still had bandages wrapped around my body. I would give nearly anything to have my dress back.
Once we stop, Orrin lifts me out of the carriage and starts leading me up a hill. After the slope flattens out, they take the blindfold and gag off of me. The destination had been a castle.
I recognized it from pictures. I was at Lismore Castle. It was absolutely beautiful. There are lush trees and green grass all around. Small flowering plants dotted the fields. The castle itself was majestic. The grey stone stood out against the green-ness of everything else. I could see the dark carriage that Keiran had driven away in the other night. I think that’s the carriage we just rode in.
Rosaleen pokes my back and I start walking. They lead me to what I assumed was the dungeon. It had been transformed into some sort of cult-worshipping room. There are pentagrams painted on the floor and the ceiling. There are altars covered in animal bones and plants. One of the skulls, it looks like that of a cow, appears to be staring at me. It’s quite unnerving.
That’s when I notice Keiran chained to a wall with bloody lashes across his body. I didn’t want to know what had happened. Then I see the flashy throne. The throne appears to be made of a gleaming white metal that is unfamiliar to me. It’s encrusted with jewels.
A little girl is sitting on the throne. She has bright white hair and the same sort of eyes that Keiran showed me before the smoke came out of him. Except her eyes are bright red.
The little girl starts giggling when she sees me gaping at her. Rosaleen pushes me onto my knees and whispers in my ear, “Stay like that unless she says to move,” I stay on my knees.
“Hello, Karsyn Sanders. I am Lilith.” The little girl says formally. “You’ve caused some trouble for me and I was hoping you would come to your senses.”
“I am sorry to have caused you any trouble, Lilith, I can assure you I did not mean to.” I respond just as formally.
“Please stand up, Karsyn.” I stand as Lilith says this. “As you have already been informed by Procel, or Keiran as he has taken to calling himself, that you are in a time warp, I will require you to spill the blood of a hunter before the full moon. If you fail to do this, I will have to send Purah, Xaphan, and Amy after you again. Purah is Torrin, Xaphan is Orrin, and Amy is Rosaleen.
“After I finish speaking with you today, I will have Procel escort you back to your companions, Lucas, June, and Jensen. He is fine, do not worry. He merely broke my rules, so he had to be punished.
“Jensen was the one who killed Cassiel. I would very much like to have his head for that, but if you spill a hunter’s blood by the next full moon at midnight, I will leave him and the other two with their heads attached to their shoulders.
“I assume you would wish it to be that way. I also need you to give updates to Procel or Amy every few days. They will help you find a hunter, but they will not help you kill one. Azazel, I am finished with her now. Do let Procel down so he may lead Karsyn back.”
A red man with small horns slowly undoes the cuffs that hold Procel to the wall. Procel falls onto his knees and stands up unhurriedly. He walks quickly to me and whispers urgently, “Bow to Lilith and then back up slowly until you’re about thirty meters away.” So, I bow at the demon queen and back up. Procel does the same. Once we reach the doors, he raises himself up elegantly and pushes open the doors.
“I’m sorry about that.” Procel gestures at my arms.
“I’m not sure I should trust you. In fact I’m sure I shouldn’t trust you.” I growl. “I don’t need your apology.”
“I didn’t think they would go that far. They’ve never done that before. They have never almost killed someone.”
“Well, they have now.”
“Procel means fallen angel who can speak of hidden and secret things. That’s why I told you I was a demon. Because I could. Purah is the Demon Princess of Sorrow, Xaphan is the fallen angel who fires the fires of Hell, and Amy is a president in Hell. We all fell from up above and now we’re outcasts. Cassiel, Brennan, fell for Amy. Both with his body and his mind. He wasn’t officially a demon yet. If he had gone back, they would’ve taken him. He was the angel of solitude and tears.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I need you to listen.”
“You’ve gotten my attention, Procel.”
“Please, don’t call me that. Please just continue calling me Keiran.”
“Why?”
“I don’t like to be reminded every day that I am a monster. The eyes are sometimes too much for me. I can hardly look into a mirror without falling over and crying. It may seem odd for me to tell you that, but I’ve found that truth is often a good thing to use.”
“Why tell the truth? Aren’t demons bad? Don’t they like to trick people and lie?”
“I tell the truth because I don’t want to lose myself. And not all demons are bad. Granted, there are ones that gain pleasure from lying and trickery, but there are ones that cling to their old ways. Most demons used to be angels.”
“Really?”
“The angels had a dispute… And those of us who sided on what was deemed the ‘wrong side’, were expelled from heaven.”
“So, there’s a god and stuff?”
“If you look at in a certain perspective, there is. I can understand that some people don’t believe. Some humans are programmed so that they need cold, hard facts to believe in certain things. Take Jensen and Lucas for example. If they never know that I’m a demon, they won’t believe.”
“Huh.” We’re outside of the castle now. The sun signals that it is around noon. I have been in the castle longer than I thought. Keiran and I walk in silence to a cluster of horses. I recognize the two midnight colored ones that pulled the carriage away the last time I saw him.
“Hey, Bane. Hey, Dusk.” Keiran coos at the two shiny black horses. They trot to him and nudge his hands. Keiran strokes the two horses gently. He clucks suddenly and starts walking to the carriage. Dusk and Bane follow him closely. I trail behind, fearful that I’ll be kicked.
“Karsyn, they won’t hurt you. They’re sweet animals.” Keiran smiles at me encouragingly. I don’t buy it.
“Yes they will. They’re scary.” I say. One of the horses looks at me and snorts. I jump. Keiran rolls his eyes.
We reach the carriage and Keiran begins strapping the strong animals to the harnesses. When he’s done, he climbs limberly into the coachman’s seat and takes up the long reins. I look hesitantly at the carriage, tempted to sit in the back, but I don’t want to be in there alone.

Keiran offers his hand to me and I take it. It’s only then that I realize my hands have been unbound. He pulls me up easily. There isn’t much room on the bench so we’re forced to squeeze together. I’m very conscious of the fact that all I’m wearing are bandages, which someone had the insight to wrap completely around me. Even the parts of me that hadn’t been cut were covered in bandages. I hope June was the one who wrapped me up.
I’m lost in thought for awhile. Then I realize that Keiran is saying something. I glance at him and his lips are moving, but I don’t hear anything. I listen more closely and realize he’s singing softly to himself. I’m only able to make out a few verses.

A hall of shots rang out, crowd taken unawares

There were people lying, creeping, running, screaming everywhere

Bullets coming from all directions, under fire when we moved our heads

Though we approached the soldiers with our hands up in the air


Now the ropes slip gently neath your back

Lowered to a peace that you have gained

Among the living dressed in black

I’m left standing over, standing over your grave


Running by the rubble barricades just past Glenfada Park

I was dragged out by my hair on the ground, crawling to your side


A man took his coat off, put it under your sweet head

Father Daly whispered last rites, but you were gone

High up on a hill of Creegan Derry mourned the fall

When I pray to god I ask him what's the meaning of it all.

Keiran has a nice voice. It’s clear, sweet, and melancholy. He doesn’t seem to notice that I’ve been watching him sing. The words at the end of the second verse I heard haunt my thoughts. My mind keeps replaying that one verse.

Now the ropes slip gently neath your back

Lowered to a peace that you have gained

Among the living dressed in black

I’m left standing over, standing over your grave.

I can’t help myself. My brain starts imagining a heartbroken Keiran standing over a deep hole, holding pale lilies, with his sad eyes looking down. I wonder if the song has any truth to it.

Now he notices me watching him. I blush and look down at the horses’ feet.

“It’s a lovely song, isn’t it?” Keiran says softly.

“Yeah, it is.” I reply, equally as quiet. After I say that, an air of awkwardness fills the space around us. The rest of the ride is relatively quiet.

“We’re almost to the house. If you prefer to have clothing on, I asked Rosaleen to leave a dress in the carriage for you. You appear to be about the same size.” Keiran says when the bold flames of the lighthouse are in sight.

“Thank you.” I respond. He slows the horses to a halt. I hop off of the coachman’s seat and open the dark door and climb inside of the carriage. A dress of ivory had been laid across the velvet seats. I touch the fabric. It’s silky and smooth. I look carefully at the dress, searching for any buttons or zippers. There aren’t any.

I pull the dress on. The long bell-shaped sleeves stop right at my wrist and the flowing hem halts when it just barely brushes the ground. I spot a pair of shoes whose color nearly matches the dress. I slide them on. My leaf shoes had been thrashed by Torrin. The shoes are comfortable to wear.

“Are you almost ready?” I hear Keiran say. I realize I must’ve been in the carriage for about ten minutes. The door opens smoothly and Keiran is standing on the other side of it. His eyes widen slightly when he sees me. I look down and see that the dress hugs my hips and my breasts. I look older than I am. My shod feet poke out from under the hem of the dress.

Again, Keiran holds out his hand to me. I take it and step down carefully. He helps me up to the coachman’s bench once more. We sit in silence until we reach the little house.

“You look beautiful. I’m sorry if that’s forward, but I had to say it.” Keiran quietly remarks.

“Thanks,” I say. He helps me down and as soon as my feet touch the ground, Jensen and Lucas are bursting out the door with silver knives in gripped tightly in their hands. I see June’s pale face peering out the window.

“Let her go!” Lucas shouts.

“Must I remind you that she chose to go with Rosaleen and the others?” Keiran sighs. I poke him, and when he looks at me, I give him an annoyed look.

“Did you do anything to her?” Jensen yells.

“No, he didn’t. Neither did the others. Rosaleen gave me this dress. And these shoes.” I say, exasperated. Jensen and Lucas share a surprised look with each other. My eyes narrow slightly.

“I’ll see you soon, yes?” Keiran asks me.
“I am obligated to see you again. So, yes.” I grin. I knew that grin would mess with Lucas and Jensen’s minds.
“Then, farewell for now, Karsyn.”

“Bye,” I say softly, but he’s already back at the ebony carriage and driving away. Lucas hugs me unexpectedly once the carriage disappears into the distance. Jensen even grins at me without a tint of sarcasm. By now, June has rushed out of the house, and as soon as her older brother lets go of me, she has her arms wrapped around me.
I didn’t expect her to hug me. I thought June disliked me a bit. Perhaps saving her brother meant more to her than I thought it would. Or she has somehow befriended or grown fond of me over the past few days.
The three of them question me about the ‘adventure’. I tell them mostly everything, but I exclude the parts that involve angels and demons. And I modify some of the details. Such as the part where Keiran was chained to wall by a little demon girl. And the part where Keiran sang to himself.
I’m not sure why I excluded the singing part. I suppose part of me felt that it is too personal to share. Or maybe I was afraid they might not believe that Keiran could actually have emotions.
They bought the botched story though. That amazed me. I absolutely sucked at telling them the story. I stumbled over words and stammered when I wasn’t sure what to say.
June had gotten up in the middle of the story and had begun to cook something. By the time I finish telling Jensen and Lucas, the food is done. It smells incredible.
“It’s Irish stew. It has lamb, potatoes, parsley, onions, and some carrots in it. Some spices, too.” June explains, handing me a small bowl and a spoon. She scurries around the small kitchen and spoons three ladlefuls of the stew into the remaining bowls. Jensen and Lucas stand up and grab a bowl and spoon.
“We normally eat outside this time of year. It’s still warm out.” Lucas explains as he walks out the door. I stand deftly, taking care not to spill the warm broth. Jensen has quickly followed Lucas out the door. June lingers behind, waiting for me. I walk slowly, following her with light footsteps.
We go behind the house and I notice that there are several logs on the ground, lying around a small pit. Jensen is already sitting on a log, eating the stew. Lucas is piling wood in the pit. His bowl is balanced on an empty log. June sits down the log closest to her and pats the wood beside her.
“You can sit with me, if you want,” June says to me.
“Thanks,” I sit next to her delicately. The three of them chatter throughout the meal. I chime in occasionally, but I mostly remain silent. I like listening to them.
They ask me sporadic questions. I answer them as best as I can. Normally, the questions are about Maine or what life in America is like. I try not to use any terms such as electricity or technology.
After we finish eating, Lucas starts a fire in the pit. The stars had just begun to come out once the fire was burning brightly. Jensen and June picked up the dishes and scuttled inside.
“So, how do you like Dublin?” Lucas grins.
“Aside from being carved like a turkey and being abducted? It’s pretty nice.” I grin back.
“I suppose that’s good.” Lucas says as June and Jensen hurry back out. The two of them are carrying several instruments.
“It’s song time!” June sings. “Can you play any instruments, Karsyn?”
“I can play guitar, violin, and cello.” I say quietly. The three of them smile widely at each other. Jensen cradles a lute in his arms and June has a fragile looking viola. Lucas has a snare drum at his feet.
“Take your pick of the three. You can just listen to get the tune down and then join in.” Jensen beams at me. I notice there are several guitars, a small violin, and a heavy cello. I stand slowly and pick up the instrument I am most familiar with.
The guitar I pick up is perfectly tuned. It’s lighter than I thought it would be. I carefully take my seat next to June again and experimentally pluck a few notes. The strings make a soft, melodious sound. I grin as my fingers slowly go over each of the notes
I pluck a random tune. It’s Scarborough Fair. I’m not sure how I learned it on my guitar back home, but I love it. Only once I finish the song do I notice that the others had joined in. The harmony of the notes astounds me.
“That was beautiful,” Lucas sincerely says.
“Thank you,” I blush.
“Should we do The Minstrel Boy next?” Jensen queries. To answer, June plays the first few notes of song. Lucas joins in with the snare quickly. Jensen grins and plucks at his lute. The three of them break into song.
The minstrel boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him
His father’s sword he hath girded on
And his wild harp slung behind him
“Land of song!” said the warrior bard
“Tho’ all the world betrays thee
One sword, at least, they rights shall guard
One faithful harp shall praise thee

The minstrel fell! But the foeman’s chain
Could not bring that proud soul under
The harp he lov’d ne’er spoke again
For he tore its chords asunder
And said “No chains shall sully thee
Thou soul of love and brav’ry!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They shall never sound in slavery!”
I start playing in the middle of the song. My voice stays silent; I want to know what the lyrics are. June has a clear, high voice. Jensen’s voice is lower and a bit harsh, but still beautiful. Lucas has a voice like a cross between Jensen’s and Keiran’s.
At the end of the song, they grin at each other. The three of them look truly happy, despite all of the issues they’ve had, what with Lucas getting stabbed and finding a random girl who ends up being a danger magnet.
“Are there any songs you know?” June asks me.
“I know a few.” I reply.
“Why don’t you start one and we’ll join in?”
“Okay.” I start plucking the chords easily. It takes me a minute to decide on a song. But then, I know exactly which one to do. The notes flow out of the guitar sweetly. My voice sings lightly.
I hear your voice on the wind
And I hear you call out my name

"Listen, my child," you say to me
"I am the voice of your history
Be not afraid, come follow me
Answer my call, and I'll set you free"

I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice, I will remain

I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow
Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long
I am the force that in springtime will grow

I am the voice of the past that will always be
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
I am the voice of the future, bring me your peace
Bring me your peace, and my wounds, they will heal

I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice

I am the voice of the past that will always be
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice of the future
I am the voice, I am the voice
I am the voice, I am the voice

At the end of my song, I smile gently. I realize that none of them joined in and my smile fades. Was I really that bad?
“That was so pretty, Karsyn!” June beams. She hugs me awkwardly. She still has her violin and bow in her hands. I hug her back. I think we’re friends now. The thought of being friends with such a sweet woman makes me smile.
“Encore!” Jensen claps, grinning goofily.
“Are you sure?” I ask shyly.
“Damn right, I’m sure!” Jensen smiles. I decide quickly on a song. They might know this one.
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there I do not sleep
Do not stand at my grave and cry
When Ireland lives I do not die

A woman’s place is not at home
The fight for freedom it still goes on
I took up my gun until freedoms day
I pledged to fight for the I.R.A.

In Armagh jail I served my time
Strip searches were a British crime
Degraded me but they could not see
I suffered this to see Ireland free

I pause here, my fingers still gently strumming out notes. The others know the song. They play along quietly. My voice wavers slightly when I sing again.

Gibraltar Rock's the place I died
McCann and Savage were by my side
I heard the order loud and shrill
Of Thatcher’s voice, said “Shoot to kill”

So do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep
Do not stand at my grave and cry
When Ireland lives I do not die
When Ireland lives I do not die
After I sing this song, the others smile and start a lively tune. I exchange the guitar for a fiddle. We play for a while. The four of us singing off and on. Eventually, we grow tired and bring the instruments in. Lucas and Jensen stay outside, waiting for the fire to go out.
“You can sleep here, Karsyn.” June says to me. “While you were recovering, Lucas and Jensen made a bed for you.”
“They didn’t have to do that,” I say, shocked.
“Lucas wanted to. I believe he’s taken a liking to you.”
“Still, they didn’t have to do that. It’s not like I’ll stay here forever.”
“If you want to stay, you can.” She looks like a wounded puppy as she says this. I instantly regret my remark.
“I’ll stay, okay. Just for a little.” I hug June. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” She smiles at me, forgiving me almost instantly. I let her help me into one of her old nightgowns. We’re just curling up into our separate beds when Jensen and Lucas burst through the door, cracking up.

June glares at them and they shut up. I giggle at that. The guys give me an odd look and they grab their own nightclothes. The two of them go behind a screen and change quickly.
They’re wearing nightgowns. I draw the blankets around my head, so they don’t see my grin. I have to bite my lip hard to keep myself from laughing. I’ve seen movies where men have worn nightgowns, but I never thought it would look this hilarious in real life.
We all drift off to sleep rather quickly. I sleep until the sun begins to peer through the windows. My eyes adjust to the light at once. The others are still asleep.
I take this time to run my hands through my black hair, which has inexplicably grown until it reached the small of my back. On the beach, I remember my hair being in a bob. My hair hasn’t been this long since elementary school.
My feet swing out of bed and I stand silently. I grab the dress Keiran had given me and I glide behind the screen in the back of the room. I peel the nightgown off and start unwinding the bandages that cover my body.
Most of the cuts have faded into smooth scars. Only the deepest ones still have scabs over them. I pull the alabaster dress over my head. My arms slide easily into the sleeves. I walk out from behind the screen and slide the matching shoes on.
I gather the bandages in my arms and carry them to my bed. I’m unsure what to do with them, so I start folding them. Despite the dried blood on the bandages, they’re relatively easy to fold.
The sound of someone stirring spooks me. I realize it was Jensen rolling over in his sleep. After I finish folding the wrappings, I wander outside. My feet carry me toward the sound of waves breaking.
I sit on the grassy cliff and watch the waves break over the rocks. I don’t hear the soft footsteps coming closer to me. A twig snaps behind me and I whirl around. There’s only a rabbit. I turn back to the sea.
“Do you know your way back?” A voice asks me. I twist around and see Keiran.
“Not really,” I sigh. I still can’t help but feel unsafe around him. My tone of voice is very guarded when I speak to him.
“I’ll show you back,”
“Thanks,” I stand and follow him. Keiran shows me a path that leads back to the house. He waves at me and walks away. I follow the path back up to the house.
I ease open the door, expecting the three of them to be panicking, but they’re still asleep. I guess I wasn’t out very long. To busy myself, I start walking around the small rooms. I peer at the little table and chairs in the kitchen and I observe that the screen I changed behind has small patterns of angels on them.
It is so quiet. There are hardly any birds chirping. There is no rush of water I can hear while inside. The only sounds I hear are soft noises that sleeping people make. Occasional snoring and gentle breathing. I sit on the bed that Lucas and Jensen made and lose myself in my thoughts. How I missed all the books I had back home.
I find myself asking questions I can’t answer. Why did Keiran really help me? What is a hunter and how am I supposed to find one? Will Rosaleen and Keiran really help me? Why do I have to kill one? Will Lilith come through on her promise not to harm these people? How do I know I can trust her?
That last thought lingers in my mind. I have no idea how I’m supposed to trust her. She’s apparently an evil little demon girl. Am I just supposed to know that she won’t break her promises? I doubt that.
I’m still mulling it over when Jensen comes up to me and taps my shoulder. I jump and he smiles. He puts a finger to his lips, signaling me to be quiet, and leads me outside. I follow him to what I assume is the well. So that’s where it is.
“I didn’t mean to startle you earlier,” Jensen says, staring down into the pit. “I thought you saw me,”
“It’s alright,” I say quietly.
“About your little journey, I don’t buy it. I doubt that the carriage ride was more than four hours, so that’s only an eight hour travel. You were gone nearly fourteen hours.”
“If I tell you, you’ll think I’m insane,”
“Try me,”
“Will you promise not to tell anyone?”
“I promise,”
“Okay. I really don’t know how I got to Ireland, but the other night, when I got cut up, Keiran told me some things. He told me that he is a demon. His eyes, his real eyes, are white. There’s no iris or pupil or anything. They’re just pure white, like milk.
“Black smoke came out of his mouth and he collapsed and then the smoke talked. It was his voice. I believe that he’s a demon. He told me that ghosts and angels and things really exist. And that Lilith put me in a time warp.
“I didn’t believe that part at first, but then last night, er, two nights ago, they took me to see Lilith. She’s just a little girl. She had Keiran chained up to a wall and he was bleeding.
“Lilith told me that I had to kill a hunter by the next full moon, or she’d kill you, June, and Lucas. But I don’t know what a hunter is. She also said that Rosaleen and Keiran would help me find a hunter, which is why Keiran brought me back.” I explain carefully. Jensen’s eyebrows are knit together.
“Alright, so, Keiran and his gang are demons who are controlled by Lilith?” He asks slowly.
“Rosaleen, Torrin, and Orrin are Lilith’s pets. Keiran, he’s different, he was the one who told me straight out that they were demons. The others looked like their mouths were full of nettles.”
“Keiran can tell the truth?”
“He claims that he normally does. Apparently, he’s the fallen angel who can speak of hidden and secret things.”
“That’s just dandy. What about Brennan? Wasn’t he a demon too?”
“No, he was an angel.”
“Now I feel bad about slicing his head off. You don’t think that’ll come back to bite me once I die, do you?”
“Well, he fell because he was in love with Rosaleen.”
“Love makes us do stupid things,”
“You’re one to talk,”
“What?”
“You and June aren’t as discreet as you believe to be.” After saying that, I leave Jensen staring at me angrily. I walk swiftly back to the house. Lucas and June are awake as I burst through the door.
They look surprised when they my grumpy scowl and hear my stomping feet. I sit in a corner and start to scowl at my fingernails. The door swings open and shut. Heavy footsteps march toward me. Jensen.
I stick my tongue out at him. His eyes narrow furiously. I raise myself up and give him a taunting smirk. I think, “Go ahead and hit me,” Jensen’s fist swings at me, but I dodge easily. I see Lucas start to come over to us, to break up our fight.
I’m not letting that happen before I kick Jensen off his high horse. My arm flies forward and Jensen catches it with a glint in his eyes. But he doesn’t realize that my other arm has come sailing forward. I hit him right on his nose.
Lucas is pulling Jensen away from me. But I have a stupid grin on my face. It says that I win. Jensen is pulling on Lucas’s grip, his face twisted with rage. Lucas pulls back harder and they fall to the ground. One look at each other and the anger in Jensen’s face diffuses.
They stand up. Jensen’s nose is bleeding heavily. June sighs and rushes to find some rags. Lucas looks at the two of us pointedly. He wants an explanation. Now it’s my turn to share a look with Jensen. He nods slightly.
“I pissed off Jensen. It was surprisingly easy to do.” I crack a grin.
“That’s not all that happened.” Lucas states.
“Should we tell him? I don’t know if we should tell him.” Jensen says to me.
“Which part? The part with the two people or the part with the other special people?” I ask.
“I think just the part with the special people.” Jensen simpers.
“All right, then, here’s the story.” And I proceed to tell Lucas all about Keiran, Lilith, the other demons, and the angels. He just sits there quietly. I expect him to jump, shout, and scream that there is no such thing as demons, but that never happens. Lucas just takes it all in, like Jensen.
I worry about their mental health as I tell the facts. How could any sane person believe in demons straight out? Considering I just took Keiran’s word for it, I might need to worry for my sanity as well. Then a thought occurs to me. What if they already knew that demons and such exist?
June had come back in during the middle of the story. I kept talking, hoping she didn’t think I was mad. At the end of the tale, the three of them exchange a look. I begin to worry. What if they think I’m insane and decide to kill me off?
“I believe you,” Lucas says carefully, as if he is worried he’ll say something to upset me. “I think it’s time for us to tell you.”
“Lucas. Are you sure? I like her, but I’m not sure.” June worries, touching her brother’s arm in warning.
“I like her. Despite the bloody nose she gave me.” Jensen grins.
“If we don’t tell her soon, she might figure it out for herself, possibly in less desirable ways.” Lucas says gloomily.
“Very well,” June sighs. Her silvery blonde hair is falling over her face.
“Karsyn, we’re hunters.” Lucas and Jensen say in tandem. My eyes widen. I realize what this means. I’m going to have to kill one of them. Lilith will kill all of them if I don’t.
“I suppose that explains the skill with knives,” I murmur. I feel dizzy. The room appears to be spinning around me. “Excuse me,”

I run outside to the sea cliffs. I hope they won’t follow me. I’m only alone for about a minute. Light footsteps resound behind me.
“Go away!” I shout.
“Are you sure about that?” Keiran asks. He crouches down next to me. I feel myself beginning to trust him, despite my resentment of the idea. His arms extend slightly and I let him hug me.
“I don’t know what to do,” I whisper.
“Everything will be okay. We’ll find other hunters.” He says delicately. His words are unconvincing.
We stay there, hugging for a while. He starts to hum softly to me. The tune is the one he sang on the carriage. The sun begins sinking into the ocean. The sky purples. I begin to rise up.
“I’ll walk you back,” Keiran offers. I nod evenly. He offers his arm. I stare it for a second before I remember that people often linked arms to walk in older times. I slide my arm into his and we stroll leisurely.
It’s funny how Keiran always shows up at the most emotionally turbulent points of my little time warp. He’s always there to comfort me or egg me on. I find it a bit demoralizing.
Within ten minutes, we’re back at the house. Lucas, Jensen, and June are waiting for me outside. They seem a bit surprised when they see Keiran walking me back. Jensen looks amused.
Keiran releases my arm. I smile at him and he flashes his dazzling teeth. He disappears into the trees. June comes up to me and touches my shoulder.
“You shouldn’t speak with him. He’s dangerous.” She advises me.
“He won’t hurt her,” Lucas says with a pained expression.
“You don’t know that,” June argues.
“I do,” Lucas sighs.
“How? How can you know that Keiran won’t hurt Karsyn?” June responds fiercely. Her gray eyes seem to glow with fire.
“He’s smitten with her,” Lucas practically spits.
“Lucky you,” Jensen says sarcastically to me. My eyes seem to be the size of saucers. I sit cross-legged on the wooden floorboards. This is a lot to take in. I sincerely hope it isn’t true.
“Oh,” June whispers. She crouches next to me and holds my hands between hers. I hear people whispering around me, but I don’t quite understand what they’re saying. It’s like I’m in a daze. I understand that things are happening around me, but I don’t notice what.
June’s hands grip mine tightly and she’s speaking to me in a low voice, that I’m sure only I can hear. My ears don’t register what her lips are saying. I nod slowly and a slow grin creeps across my face. It’s a smile that says I have absolutely no idea what’s going on.
Laughter erupts out of me. My sides ache and my ears are ringing, but I keep snickering. June looks bewildered. She smacks the top of my head lightly and I snap out of it.
My eyes feel like they’re going to explode. Legs drag me up and I’m standing. Those same legs pull me over to my bed and make me flop down on the fluffy comforter. I’m lying on my back with my feet dangling over the side of the bed and my arms are spread out.
Lucas, June, and Jensen lean over me. It makes me feel nervous. A sigh escapes my lips followed by a small yawn. Lucas smiles softly, but the others appear to get bored because they walk away to their own beds. Lucas trails after them, nodding goodnight to me. I nod back, but he is already striding away.
My sleep is dreamless, yet frightening. All I see is blackness and that causes me to become anxious. I’m not sure why, but complete darkness always freaks me out; which is kind of odd, because even if there’s slight light, I’m fine. It’s only the pitch black inkiness that messes with me.
When I wake up, I smell the light fragrance of bacon frying and the gentle tones of bread. My eyes slide open. I see the beams of sunlight reaching through the windows. They warm my body.
Someone had wrapped me with blankets sometime during the night. I think it was probably Lucas. He seems to like me; which is good, because if it weren’t for him, Jensen probably would’ve ripped my throat out by now.
At least June would probably keep Jensen from murdering me. I hope. Sometimes, my brain wanders off and thinks about random things, like now. But, my feet have swung down and hit the floor and I’m standing smoothly.
I stagger over to the little cabinets and look out the transparent window. I can see Lucas chopping wood and June darting around the grass, picking up small twigs. They chat idly while working.
Jensen walks up behind me and pokes my ribcage. I have a feeling that it will bruise later.
“They’re good siblings. They don’t fight as much as I did with my brothers.” He smiles sadly.
“You have siblings?” I ask.
“Yeah, I have three brothers and one sister. I’m the oldest.”
“Cool.”
“Do you have any siblings?”
“I had an older brother. I don’t really remember him though.”
“How come?”
“He was sixteen years older than me and he overdosed when he turned seventeen.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, really.”
“I know that if I lost one of my siblings, even if I didn’t know them all that well, I’d be pretty messed up about it.”
“I just don’t know much about him. My parents never talked about him and I only know what he looked like because of old pictures.”
“Does someone need a hug?”
“Seriously? Yes.” I walk into Jensen and he squeezes me gently. I pull away rather quickly. He smiles at me, then walks out of the room. I’m left staring out the window thinking about my dead brother, Aidan.
I remember one picture that sat on a tiny coffee table next to a brown leather sofa. It was of an attractive teenage boy with wild brown hair and stormy blue eyes. I remember asking my mom who the boy was when I was three. All she said was that his name was Aidan.
Later that day, I had asked my dad who the boy was, too. He told me that he’s a family friend. They never told me who the boy really was. I only heard about him being my brother when my parents had their college room-mates visit. They had asked how Aidan was doing. That was when I was eight.
My parents had gotten really sad after their friends asked about Aidan. I was just confused. I thought he was just a family friend. Then, the room-mates asked how Aidan had died and where he was buried.
My mom was crying at this point and my dad was looking at her worriedly. They replied with a name I can’t recall. I asked again who Aidan was, but this time I got the truth.
Dad just looked up at me, really sadly, and said that he was my big brother. He took out his wallet and showed me a picture of the same wild-haired boy holding a baby with raven-colored hair. He told me that that was me when I was little and Aidan was holding me.
I didn’t understand why Aidan had died. I asked them how and why, but they didn’t tell me the full truth for another few years. By the time I got the whole story, I was twelve. Aidan would’ve been twenty-eight.
I was always asking about Aidan, hungry for more information. When my parents finally told me the whole story, I grew sad. Aidan had been so happy and he was funny and kind.
Aidan was a good student, he got all A’s and never got into fights. He was athletic, but not over-competitive. He never did drugs or drank alcohol. He only drove when he was allowed to. He was one of the best swimmers on the swim team.
His friends were popular and considerate. Teachers and students loved him. Aidan had a beautiful girlfriend named Elyssa. She would help him babysit me sometimes. He had no reason to kill himself.
That’s before a small group of kids started to bully Aidan. Those kids were outcasts. Something tragic had happened in all of their lives. One of them had gotten hit by a car and couldn’t get his major football scholarship, one girl had lost her entire family in a hurricane, another one had started doing drugs when their parents started beating them, and the rest of them thrived on the seeds of discontent because their families were really screwed up.
It was small things those kids said. They never did anything that would physically harm Aidan. They just knew how to tick him off and crack his shiny ego. They would say that he has no reason to be so high and mighty or that his swim team is all he had going for him or that he was a teacher’s pet. They would call him harsh names and spread cruel rumors.
My brother was also very secretive. If something was wrong, he would bottle it up inside of him. Then at random intervals, he would explode. The kid who was beaten said something that really bothered Aidan, and he just blew up. That was Aidan’s first fight. And more quickly followed.
Eventually, he was kicked off the swim team and his grades began slipping. He still had some close friends, but most of them were shallow and vain and believed every rumor they heard. His circle began to turn on him and they even threw hamburgers one day.
Elyssa and I became the only people he would talk to. I remember some days there was a young man looking down at me, cooing, and laughing. I only realized that it was Aidan once I grew older. Then, Elyssa’s ex moved back to town.
That was really the final straw for Aidan. Elyssa’s and his break-up. He talked to people less and less and he started skipping school because he made himself physically ill by worrying about the things that would happen. He would only talk to me, but I was only a baby, so I wasn’t able to comprehend what he was saying to me.
Since my parents had long hours at the hospital where they worked, they couldn’t keep an eye on him and me. They called Elyssa and asked her if she could watch us. She said yes.
My parents were confused when they got home and saw only Elyssa sitting on the floor, playing with me. They knew that she and Aidan had broken up, but Elyssa hadn’t seen Aidan for a few hours.
She didn’t know where Aidan had gone, but she told my parents that he was probably sitting on the roof. That’s what he did when he was mad. They went to check if he was there, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t in any of his normal hiding spots, the attic, the garage, behind the sofa, under the porch.
Then they checked his room. He was flopped on his bed with several empty bottles of cough syrup and a bunch of brightly colored pills. They called an ambulance and he was carried out in a black bag.
Tapping interrupts my thoughts. I notice that June is clicking her heels on the floor out of boredom. I didn’t know she had come inside. My brain feels muddled and I walk slowly outside.
I find the sea cliffs and I sit down on the edge with my feet dangling over the water. Tears slide down my face, despite my prior claim of being fine. I don’t bother to cover them up.

This time, I’m left alone at the one time I wish Keiran would show up. This irks me. I sit looking at the waves slam against the jagged rocks. My mind begins to wonder how cold the water is.
Before I know it, I’m standing with my arms raised, as though I plan to dive into the icy water. My feet begin to push off the grass covered precipice. There’s the sensation of falling and only then do I realize what I have done.
Screams burst out of my mouth, ripping through the air. My arms flail wildly, looking for something to latch onto, but the rock face is too steep. I try to use my legs to push away from the wall, in hopes that I won’t crash against the pointed rocks below, but they can’t find the face. Then I notice that I’ve stopped falling.
My breathing is ragged and heavy. The intake of air burns my lungs. I quickly realize that a sharp pain is in my ribcage. I wobble to my feet and see that a small rock had been digging into my side.
My eyes peer cautiously over the edge of the small piece of rock that protrudes from the cliff. The waves are much, much closer than they had been. My heart is pounding in my chest. I hope I don’t fall.
A small chuck of rock breaks off from the ledge I’m on. I watch it bounce into the ocean. My hands start to search for a root or something to hang onto. Underneath me, the stone shifts slightly. The waves seem determined to bring me to them.
I find a sturdy seeming root and latch onto it just in time. The rock seems to groan and it crumbles beneath me. At this point I don’t try to hold back the screams that erupt from my lungs. Hopefully someone hears me.
Right now, I can’t help but feel that Keiran has been watching me the whole time and is laughing in the bushes, waiting for me to fall. Then, a head pops over the cliff. A young man leans over the cliff. He has wild hair and stormy eyes. I don’t recognize the man at first, but then it hits me. Aidan.
The first thing that runs through my mind is how much I’d like to kill Lilith. I blame her for everything that’s happened to me so far. I don’t care if she’s six. She’s going to die.
“Hang on, Karsyn! I’m going to get help!” Aidan shouts to me. He disappears back over the cliff.
“It’s not like I have anything better to do, moron.” I grumble. Hanging off a random root makes me glad that I’ve always had good upper body strength. I’m left hanging onto the root for a few minutes, but then I hear shouting.
Four faces appear above me. I look up and see Lucas, June, Jensen, and Keiran. I guess I mistook Keiran for Aidan. They look similar enough. I still plan to kill the little b**** though.
“Are you all right?” June shouts down to me.
“I’m fine, just hanging out.” I couldn’t resist the pun. I see Jensen shake his head with an amused smile. “Either way, it would still be nice not to drown. Are you guys going to get me up?”
“Yeah, we brought rope!” Lucas chimes. He begins to lower it down the cliff, but Keiran stops him.
“We need to secure it to something or we’ll lose both Karsyn and the rope.” Keiran informs.
“Need anything else, slave-driver?” Jensen mutters, but he walks back to secure the rope to a tree.
“Actually, yes. If you could get me an iced beverage and some fish that would be great.” Keiran grins.
“I’m not comfortable with addressing you as a friend.” I hear Jensen hiss.
“You’ll get used to me eventually. Time warps are funny like that.” Keiran laughs to himself.
“What? A time warp?” Lucas queries.
“Oh, it’s just a joke. Karsyn knows the punch-line already.” Keiran covers. The rope starts swaying down the cliff side. I grab it with one hand and wrap it around my arm.
“It’s stable up there, right?” I ask.
“You’re good. Lucas, Keiran, and I are holding onto it just in case it breaks.” Jensen yells.
“I’m not that heavy…” I grumble. I release the root and grip the rope tightly. I’m dragged up slowly. When my eyes are level with the grass, June rushes to the rope and latches onto it as Lucas detaches himself and dashes to help me onto the cliff.
He reaches down with both arms and grabs me just below my wrists. His arms flex as he lifts me up, and once I get up a bit higher, his hands release my arms and grab my waist. Lucas pulls me up onto the cliff. He draws me close to him.
I wrap my tired arms around him and his burly arms encircle me. That hug comforts me momentarily because before I know it, June is crashing into us, joining the hug. She’s quickly followed by Jensen.
“Can’t breathe…” I squeak. Their grip on me loosens slightly. I see Keiran wave slightly as he saunters away. The three friends eventually release me and we collapse onto the grass.
We watch the fluffy white clouds float through the sky. The sun shines brightly overhead. I look at each of my companions. June’s pale hair shimmers gold in the yellowy light. It spreads out behind her like a cape. Her soft eyelids encase the silver orbs that are her eyes.
Jensen’s dark hair is slightly ruffled. The wind blows through it gently. His face is turned up to the sun, basking in its warmth. Lucas’s blonde hair is tangled by the wind and his bottle green eyes squint at me. I turn my gaze away and watch the wind tickle the leaves of the trees.
Lucas scoots next to me and I lean absentmindedly against him. Jensen’s eyes flash in our direction briefly before he stands, helps June up, and strolls away with her. Their hands interlock once they get a few paces away.
Lucas’s hand finds mine and rests over it. I can tell what’s coming next, but I don’t want to stop it. His body shifts towards mine and his hand cups my face. Almost reflexively, I tilt my head back. His lips press against mine gently. The heat spreads throughout my body. He pulls away slowly.
My eyes slide open. I didn’t realize they’d been closed. His emerald eyes gaze into my misty ones. A flash of heat runs through my cheeks as he leans in again. The kiss is a bit more unruly than the last, but it has the same affect on me.
When he pulls away this time, I have a silly grin on my face. Lucas stands unsteadily and holds his hand out to me. I take it and stand just as wobbly. The two of us wander back to the house. We walk hand-in-hand.
“You guys look cute,” Jensen grins at us.
“Shut up, Jensen,” Lucas scolds, but he’s laughing as he says it so I can tell he doesn’t mean it. He frees my hand and goes to help Jensen gather some firewood.
I go inside to help June cook lunch. She gives me a simple red dress and I change quickly. We make some sort of meat. I’m not really sure what it is, but it’s absolutely delicious. We chat while we cook.
“So, you and Lucas?” June asks passively.
“I guess so,” I blush. “What about you and Jensen?”
“You know about that?”
“I notice details. You two act differently around each than when you’re around Lucas and me.”
“Oh. Please don’t tell Lucas about us though,”
“I won’t,”
“I’m curious about something,”
“That’s nice,”
“You fell off a cliff. How did that happen?”
“Oh, that. Well, Jensen was interrogating me about my dead brother and then he left. I was standing right here for awhile, thinking about Aidan, that’s my brother, then you came in and I went out to the cliffs.
“I was watching the waves for a while. I don’t know what came over me, but I stood up and spread my arms and jumped.”
“You jumped?”


“Yeah. I landed on a little ledge though. The ledge started crumbling, so I grabbed onto a root and held on. Then, the rocks were in the water and I was dangling from a vine above very scary looking boulders.
“Someone popped their head over the ledge. At first it looked like Aidan, but I realize that it must’ve just been Keiran. The two of them look rather similar. Keiran left and got you guys… And you know the rest…”
“So, your dead brother saved you after you jumped off a cliff?”
“If you say it like that I sound insane,”
“You are insane,”
“Thanks,”
“I meant insane in a good way. Normal people are kind of dull.”
“How long should we leave this meat cooking?”
“Just a little longer,”
“Okay,” After that we cooked in silence for a little. The meat finishes cooking swiftly once I understand what to do. Its aroma is breathtaking. It smells almost like beef and chicken cooked perfectly.
For all I know, there is actually chicken and beef cooking in the broth. June and I get out small plates and serve the meat alongside some fresh vegetables. We call for Lucas and Jensen and they come running in.
The two of them are covered in mud. Leaves stick out of their hair and are glued to their clothes.
“What on earth happened to you?” June shrieks.
“Well, there was a little incident at the well, and we decided to settle it with a wrestling match.” Jensen explains.
“Yes, and I won,” Lucas grins.
“The two of you are not eating until you’re cleaned up. No buts.” June commands.
“Race you to the tub?” Jensen asks.
“I’ll see you there!” Lucas says, racing out of the room with Jensen on his heels.
“I swear those two are just man-children.” June sighs.
“I can see what you mean,” I snicker. We grab our plates and utensils and head outside. We can hear the two guys shouting at each other. June and I laugh softly.

I cut into the meat and stab it with my fork. The flavors dance on my tongue and I eat it with gusto. The carrots crunch loudly. They have that sweet taste all carrots have, but they have that certain tang only the most awesome carrots have.
June watches me eat while she delicately chews her food. I look up at her and grin with a carrot between my teeth. She snorts and the two of us start cracking up.
We sit and laugh and talk until the guys come back. Water runs down their faces and drips off their hair. They grab their plates and eat quickly.
“I think we should train Karsyn,” Jensen says suddenly.
“That seems smart, considering all the freak accidents that keep happening to her.” June grins at me.
“Yay! Training.” I cheer. Lucas looks at me oddly then takes a knife from a sheath on his belt and hands it to me.
“Show us what you got,” Lucas orders. I twirl the blade around my fingers swiftly. Then, I throw it toward a tree trunk. It sails through the air and sticks in the bark neatly. That was the luckiest throw I have ever had.
“Impressive, but can you fight in close quarters?” Jensen questions. He drags a dummy that has clearly seen better days out from behind the house. He gestures to it and returns to his log.
I snatch the knife back from the tree and stand in front of the practice dummy. My hands whirl and straw pours out of the slash-marks left by the blade. The dummy’s head thumps onto the ground. I step back so the others can see my work.
“I’m not sure you need training,” June laughs. “Have you ever done this before?”
“No,” I reply curtly.

“I think the next step is to teach you to use a bow and arrow or a crossbow,” Lucas says to me. “And to teach you better form and different ways to attack.”
“Sounds interesting,” I respond, intrigued. The next few days, the three of them teach me how to shoot arrows and guns, climb trees, walk quietly, and fight better.
I am worst at climbing trees. Every time I either get a splinter, fall down, or get distracted. The one time I made it to the top, Jensen clapped me on the shoulder which caused me to lose my balance and fall twenty feet. Luckily, Lucas had been standing under the tree, watching, and broke my fall.
June says I am really good at shooting arrows, but I don’t really believe her. I almost always miss the target, but the encouragement helps a bit. When she took me to shoot guns, it was a completely different story. I shot the target every time.
Often, Lucas and Jensen watch me shoot at the little targets. Them being there puts pressure on me, but I keep going. I hit near the center of the bulls-eye every time.
Walking quietly is another one of my strengths. Already, I can walk with light steps, but with the few tricks that Lucas teaches me, I’m as silent as a woodland animal. I always feel like a ninja when we’re in the woods doing the silent walking exercises.
The silent walking exercises aren’t very interesting. We pretty much just walk through bundles of twigs and dead leaves and try to make as little sound as possible. Occasionally, Lucas and I will follow an animal through the woods, trying not to spook it.
Jensen and Lucas trade off on teaching me to fight in close quarters without weapons. I prefer Lucas. Mostly because Jensen insists on sparring with him and he’s incredibly strong, whereas Lucas will ask me if I want to spar.
Normally, I’ll just fight the dummy or a tree, but after awhile I realize that fighting trees is very unrealistic. That’s when I start to spar with the two men willingly.
Since I’m lighter and smaller than Lucas and Jensen, it give me an edge. I can dodge more quickly and strike more consistently. My brain tries to think things through logically, striking only when I’m sure to get a hit. Occasionally, my hair gets tangled in branches and the guys get a few hits in, but they punch me softly.
The few times I’ve fought with June were incredibly different. She’s a bit smaller than me and since we both have about the same strength, we hit as hard as possible. After training, we normally end up with aching bones and bruised flesh.
With Lucas, I suspect he tries not to hurt me more than Jensen because he’ll merely tap me rather than clout me. Jensen swears often whenever I get a hit in when we spar. I’ve learned to tune him out.
Sometimes Keiran will come and watch my training. I don’t think the others notice him, and if they do, they don’t acknowledge him. Keiran encourages my progression, which is a bit strange since he’s what I’m being trained to kill. He’ll flash me a thumbs up or high five me if I get knocked back near him.
After six days of training, the trio deems me ready to fight. The training stops and we go back to leisurely walking and gathering twigs. Intense training makes these everyday chores seem a bit dull, but much easier.
One night, June and I go on a short walk and when we get back, Brogan is hooked up to the wagon. Lucas and Jensen are sitting on the coachman’s seat waving and shouting.
“It’s been a fortnight! Let’s go get drinks!” Jensen yells.
“C’mon! Let’s go!” Lucas hollers.
“All right. We’re coming!” June shouts back. She grabs my arm and we race toward the wagon. We sit in the back on the hay bales. The moon lights up the road ahead of us.
We arrive at the pub much more swiftly than before. The guys burst through the doors laughing. June and I trail behind them, rolling our eyes. Lucas grabs a table and Jensen orders drinks.
June and I join Lucas and Jensen sits down soon after. Crevan comes up to us and chats for a while. I mostly just nod politely. A woman, I think her name is Siusan, brings our drinks and I notice that mine is a clear liquid this time. I sip it and realize it’s just water.
Lucas and Jensen have great mugs of beer again. After a little, the two of them are singing drinking songs with the rest of the people in the bar. June is smiling over a clear glass of ruby red liquid that I assume is wine.
Within minutes, June is singing along with the guys. I can’t help but laugh at the three of them. They convince me to sing along too. We sing gaily and off-tune.
The doors thwack open and in walks Keiran and his posse. Hopefully we don’t get a repeat of what happened last time. My hand goes to my thigh, making sure my sheath is still wrapped around it.
Rosaleen comes over to me instantly and makes small talk. I chat with her politely while the other people in the room stare. They remember that last incident with Brennan and the knives.
The singing has stopped and the room’s atmosphere has darkened significantly. A sense of dread has fallen over the people. Then I see her. The pearly hair bobs over to me.
Lilith has arrived. She tugs on my sleeve and I lean down.
“You’ve located the hunters. Choose one of them. You have sixteen days.” She hisses.
“Why? Why do I have to…?” I plead.
“Because it amuses me. And if you don’t I’ll slice your precious brother in two.”
“What? Aidan is dead.”
“Oh, but he isn’t. He just pulled a disappearing act.”
“No. He’s dead.”
“I really didn’t want to do this, but bring him in.” Lilith commands. Orrin comes in, leading a young looking man with a bag over his head. Torrin yanks the bag off. It reveals a young man with wild brown hair and stormy blue eyes. Aidan.
I lunge at Lilith, but she gestures and my body slams against the wall. I try to move, but I can’t. Aidan and Keiran are shaking their heads furiously, telling me to stop. I struggle against the invisible rope that has me tied against the wall.
Lilith laughs a light laugh. “You won’t get out by doing that, Karsyn.”
“Then let me down. Unless you’re a coward.” I growl.
“If I let you down, you’ll kill me. If that’s cowardice, then what is being smart?”
“Being smart is when…” I huff. I don’t have a good answer. Out of the corner of my eye I see Lucas, June, and Jensen creeping towards Orrin, Torrin, Rosaleen, and Lilith. Keiran gestures slightly and they move back. The trio tries to resist the force that appears to be pushing them back, but whatever it is, is too strong.
I fall to the ground suddenly. I stumble to my feet and draw my dagger. Lilith giggles and walks away.
“Let’s go. I’m bored now.” She trills. The group follows her out, with Aidan in tow. Keiran looks at me forlornly before heading out.
This time, we got off easily. Crevan didn’t ban us from the pub. He just made us fix anything that had broken, which hadn’t occurred since the last time we were here. While I fix a table, Crevan tells me that he used to be a hunter, but he grew tired of it.
Crevan had been a good hunter and was trying to follow Lilith and her army of cohorts. Then his wife got killed by Orobas. Crevan’s description of Orobas frightens me. He’s described with glowing yellow eyes, a skeletal figure, and sharp teeth. His head is a metal coated skull.
I hope to never run into Orobas. That meeting would not turn out well, seeing that he has the power to turn you to dust. Luckily, he was cast back into Hell recently for a little mission to be a better soldier for Lilith. So there’s the one good thing about him.
I’m too busy thinking about this Orobas character, so I don’t notice Jensen swing his hammer down, narrowly missing my fingers.
“Crap!” Jensen mutters. “Move your hand!”
“Heh… Sorry…” I sigh, placing my hand on the top of his head. He growls at me and Crevan cracks up.
“Well, you said to move my hand,” I say defensively.
“Stop being a smart-ass, Karsyn,” June giggles. I grin broadly and let my arm flop to my side.
“I’m not sure that’s possible.” Jensen groans as someone starts poking his shoulder blade. “Stop poking me.”
He glares at me, but I hold my hands up, proving that it’s not me. Jensen whirls around, shocked at the sight of a snickering June crouching in his shadow. He tackles June to the ground, seemingly ferocious, but he nuzzles her neck and plants a sweet kiss on her forehead.
“Uhm…” Lucas huffs. “What?”
“This is a tad awkward.” Jensen blanches, standing jerkily and hoisting June up. The couple looks at each other, cheeks burning. Lucas’s face is red as well, but I’m quite sure it’s from anger rather than passion.
“Lucas,” June touches his arm, an attempt to calm him, “Don’t get all protective. I know I’m your little sister, but really? Jensen is your best friend. You of all people should be happy.”
“Ugh. I know.” Lucas sighs heavily.