Demon Heart

Chapter 6.1~The Shadow and the Prince

DEL

The moment Del's consciousness returned, he leapt to his feet only to stagger backward into a tree. He cursed as he spun around, closing his hand into a fist, only to stop. An annoying bout of dizziness hit him, and for a gut-wrenching moment he thought he was going to have a vision, but it passed quickly enough for him to realize it wasn't that. He did feel abnormally weak, though. Exhaustion weighed on his muscles that he would have thought were remnant affects from jetting, but there was an emptiness that was not normal for that kind of flying. Another thing that was heavier than they should be were his wings. They felt like they had turned to lead. Pushing away from the tree and taking a few steps forward, nearly had the Anahalian stumbling back again. He was so off-balance. What was going on?

Taking a few breaths, he set himself in a stance that allowed him to stand firm and take in his surroundings. He was obviously in the middle of a forest. He was also, quite apparently, alone. Del's eyes narrowed. Anahalians night vision had never been a strong suit, but it was obvious that neither Kai nor the other two were close by. Glancing up didn't help any. The trees had to at least be over fifty feet tall, each with their own canopy of leaves that twisted and tangled into each other, blocking out even the smallest speck of sky. The only things that was visible besides a bunch of trees and random shrubbery, were a few fairy lights in the distance. Del wasn't sure if he could trust them. They were living on the Isles and were most likely loyal to the elves. They'd probably turn him over to them, which Del wasn't sure would be the best idea without Kai.

Del had to find them, but he didn't have the faintest idea how. There was a spell that could help you find another Anahalian, but they had to send out the call first, and it was only to be used in dire circumstances. Perhaps he could fly over these ridiculous trees and spot them. The Anahalian glanced back at his frustratingly dense wings. He tried to raise them, which was possible, but strained the muscles in his back and shoulders. He gritted his teeth. Now to see if he could make lift off with these stupid things. Del gave them a few hesitant flaps, before a hiss sent him whirling back around, leaping back into a fighting position.

A silent, fluid shadow seeped down from the trees, landing roughly ten feet from Del. He narrowed his eyes at this being, waiting.

"You hit the barrier, Anahalian, you won't be able to fly or use any of your power for at least twenty-four hours." Rasped the form before him.

Del still didn't speak to the creature. They seemed to have form, but the loose black garments that blew softly in the breeze, and the strange way it swayed back and forth so that it seemed to move in and out of the night, gave it a dark ethereal feel.

The shadowy being advanced a little, appearing to float over the foliage as there was no sound. Del held his ground. "You took forever to wake up." The shadow whispered. Del wasn't sure if it was to disguise their real voice or if that was actually how the spoke. "I've been waiting."

"Well, that's not creepy." Del muttered.

Del didn't even see it move, but he barely had the chance to blink before the creature of darkness was inches away with a galvanized steel blade pressed against his throat. "Care to tell me what you're doing here, traitor?" The shadow hissed, increasing the pressure into Del's neck.

The Anahalian continued to glare at the being, not flinching or daring to take a step back. He opened his mouth, slowly as though to reply, but instead his hand swung up, managing to catch his assailant's wrist. It was thin, but solid. It could be an elf, but it was hard to tell if it was male or female. Both genders were unnaturally slender in their race.