The night air was stiff with cold and a soft rainfall. Malcom gripped Feya's hand tightly as they raced through the low fog, over large boulders and under bare trees. There were no stars glittering that night, only gray clouds rolling past the bright cresent moon in the sky. Feya clutched her dark shawl tighter around her shoulders as tiny drops of rain stuck to her face. Malcom pulled her behind a boulder and sat her down on the damp moss and dirt, crouching next to her.
"Stay here, and stay hidden," Malcom whispered to her, his voice calm as it always was, but his face looked feverish and there were dark shadows under his eyes. "I will lead them away from you."
"No, please don't go! I need you..." she tried to protest, but she began to shiver violently. The rain wasn't doing much good, for it was as freezing as the night air.
Malcom smiled and stood, "Have faith, Princess. You must flee when I have lead them far away from you." With that, he turned on his heel and sprinted into the darkness and fog, leaving her shivering and cringing behind the rock.
She heard the hooves of horses pounding against the damp earth, coming closer to where she hid. She moved farther into the shadows, biting on her tongue to keep her from screaming. They raced past her, blurs of sleek black and dark brown, the riders on the backs of the large horses hidden in jet black cloaks, their hoods disguising their faces. The Circle. They took off after Malcom with full force. Suddenly, Feya heard a loud cracking noise that disturbed the night and a bloody scream that she recognized as Malcom.
Melody walked slowly along the grand hall, her Mary Janes' heels clicking softly on the tile. One of her delicate hands trailed along the wall, her colorless pale eyes staring in front of her. Her pale blonde hair flowed down her back as she walked, cut just above her waist. She suddenly heard the soft sound of paws on the tile. She turned slowly as she heard a small crash and the crying meow of Rou.
She bent down as she felt the soft cat's fur on her legs. She picked him up in her arms, holding him tenderly and rubbing his head with her fingers.
"Rou, you know I have to clean that up now..." she said in a soothing voice, stroking Rou's fur slowly.
She swung her katana at the demon again, the blade inches from its throat. It sneered at her, its teeth razor sharp, its fingers enlongated into silver claws. It looked like any other teenage boy. It had blue spiked hair, peircings all over his face, and he wore a dark green trench coat with black jeans that had chains and zippers on it. The only demonic features it had were its black eyes, no irises or whites, its teeth, and its claws.
The demon leapt into the air, soaring over her and landing softly on the old tile floor. Its claws gleamed in the moonlight that shone from the glassless windows of the old ballroom. The demon jumped again, heading for the second floor of the large room. Ume clutched her katana blade in her right hand and searched for her oni blade with her left. It was stuck in her belt, and she pulled it out swiftly. The demon landed on the rusted gold railing and looked over its shoulder at her, grinning widely. She flung the dagger as hard as she could, and felt an evil pleasure as it sunk into the demon's back. It howled as it fell backward, hitting the tiled floor with a sickening crunch.
.........................................................................................................
Ume pulled herself out through the grate from the basement of the old hotel building to the alleyway. She stood up and slid her oni dagger back into her belt, the blade still covered in a black liquid that was demon blood. Her katana was sheathed by her side, and she clutched the hilt as she began to walk toward the mouth of the alley. She sighed.
It was another Friday night, and the crowd went wild with applause as the band ended their last song. Clary hurried off stage, her brother Carter on her heels.
Their band wasn't all that popular. They didn't even have a name for it yet. But they continued to play the gigs that Carter managed to find. Clary was on guitar while Carter played the bass guitar. They had recently recruited a singer and drummer, and they all played well together for only practicing two weeks together.
Clary jumped into the back of Carter's van, putting up her guitar. "That was an awesome show, Clary," her brother smirked at her as she took his bass and put it up as well.
"Yeah, the crowd loved us!" Clary exclaimed, a bit breathless. She was only sixteen, about to be a junior in high school in another two months. She ran her hands through her long hair and sat down in the back of the van, breathing heavily.
"I'll be right back with the other guys," Carter said as he hurried off through the back door of the club. They had parked in the alley so it would be easier to load up the equipment. Clary sighed and picked the strings of her electric guitar, feeling exhausted from burning all her energy during the performance.
Miya sniffed softly and wiped away the tears that dared to spill from her eyes. Her hands were clenched into tight fists as she rubbed away the salty water from her cheeks. She sat in the back of the cafe, the only person in the small room of tables and chairs. No one was even at the register.
She slipped her phone out from the pocket of her jean skirt and checked the time. It was 10 o'clock exactly. She pushed her phone back into her pocket and put her arms on the table, then rested her chin on her arms.
That day had been the most miserable of her life. Her father had yelled at her constantly that morning and had literally thrown her out of the house. She had tried to call her mother, but she didn't answer, like always. She had wandered around town that afternoon and was phoned by her eldest brother. He had nothing to talk about except for the fact that he was finally over seas and working hard for the Navy. Her closest friend, gone when she needed him the most...
So now she sat at the small table, walloping in self pitty, her eyes blindly watching the small television in the far corner of the cafe.
