Love and War (Book 1)

Chapter 21

The group reached a covered clearing and stopped to take a rest. When everyone else left to go hunt, Selina woke up slowly, and caught the scent of a newly dead human. She struggled to stand, and went over to where the scent led her. She stood over the dead human, knelt down, and drained the lukewarm blood from its body. After which, she gave the human a decent burial and returned to the camp where she sat on a log and waited for her friend's return.

When they did return, they found Selina sitting on the log, looking down at the dirt where she was drawing patterns with her foot, then erasing them, then starting over.

"Hey you're awake! How are you doing, Lina?" Brandon said.

"I'm fine...I guess..." Selina stated inaudibly. "But I'm glad you're all ok." She continued, smiling softly, not daring to look up.

"Kitten...why aren't you looking up.." Roselyn said, looking suspiciously at her.

"No reason...I just don't feel like it. That's all." Selina replied sweetly, turning her head away from them.

"Lina...I want you to look up." Brandon said gently, kneeling down in front of her.

"No...I'm sorry..." She stated softly in reply, closing her eyes, and turning her head away from him. "Please...don't ask again..." she continued softly.

"Okay...also Allan is here by the way."

"He is? He's alive?" Selina asked happily as her head snapped up, and her eyes opened. For the first time, Brandon was able to see her now solid black eyes with a thin crimson circle in the center.

"Selina your eyes...what happened to them??"

"I...I don't know...I drank from a dead person...maybe that's why...but I don't know...I'm scared...Shadow I'm scared..." Selina whimpered as she burst into tears.

"Did...did you call me Shadow?" Brandon said, surprised. Roselyn's eyes widened, and her head snapped in their direction.

"I...I guess I did...I..I'm sorry...he...he was my brother...you remind me of him so much...I'm sorry...I'm so so sorry..." Selina cried. "Its my fault...he's gone and it's all my fault..."

"Hey...it's okay. I'm sure he doesn't hate you for that...I promise." Brandon said.

"No...he'd never hate anyone..."

"You need to stop blaming yourself Lilly. It wasn't your fault."

"But it was...don't you see? Our aunties are gone...Mother is gone...everyone's gone...and it's my fault...if I wasn't born none of this would have happened...everyone would still be alive...I cursed our family why can't any of you see that?!" Selina screamed, her voice rising in pitch as crimson light emanated from her being, only to glow brighter and brighter, until it dissipated, leaving Selina in a crying mess on the ground.
"Lina...have you ever stopped to consider why you're still alive?" Brandon said softly.

"It's a mistake...it's all a mistake..." she softly replied.

"There's a reason we're all here, Kitten. You included. For you, it's because whatever your purpose is, it's extremely important. Say what you will, you're here for a reason."

"I'm a curse...not a blessing...I'm nothing important...everyone important to me gets murdered..."

"I said the same thing and I'm still here." Roselyn continued. "What the reason is that we're here I don't know but we can make the best of it and work to eliminate the darkness..."

"That isn't possible...not without the Universal celestials...but they're all gone...the darkness eliminated them a long time ago.." Selina whispered. "There is no hope of defeating the darkness...we have no hope..."