Prologue:
“Hide.” Larissa whispered sharply, shoving her brother into a hollowed, fallen tree. Once she was certain he was hidden, she sprinted away into the main clearing. She would save him for as long as she could.
Her breathing was ragged, burning her chest and throat on the way out. ‘There’s only so long you can hide from a shadow,’ she thought ruefully. She hated herself for getting them into this. Why hadn’t she must listened to her brother when he said to stay away from the pale boy? It would have been so much easier. ‘Or he would have killed you right then,’ a small voice in the back of her head suggested. It was a valid point but she couldn’t concentrate on that right now. Across the clearing was a decently aged tree that she could hide behind that was also far enough away from her brother to make her ploy somewhat plausible.
Twigs cracked in the distance, not fast enough for it to be someone running, but still too close for her liking. “Dammit,” she muttered, running to the tree.
The bark was rough against her back as she pressed herself into it. Shaking fingers curled around the hunting knife she had belted around her dress. Most of what the forest whispered around her was lost in the rushing of her heartbeat in her ears. It had been a long time since she had run like that. The last time had been away from villagers who had called her mother a witch. It was supposed to be different this time, but Larissa had ruined that. She had showed the demon her mother’s apothicary. It wasn’t witchcraft, only potions to help those who were ill.
“Come out, come out where ever you are.” A sing-song voice echoed through the trees, making Larissa tense. When had he gotten so close? “I know you’re here little dove. Come on, I just want to play.”
Larissa chanced a small look around the tree, just to know where he was. She couldn’t let him get close to her brother. She had to keep him away from her. Enoch stood in the middle of the clearing with his back to her. His pale white hair gleamed silver in the full moon light, seeming the cast it’s own glow. If she didn’t know what kind of ‘thing’ he was, she would still think he looked handsome outlined in the moon like that. Now the sight of him made her stomach clench with fear and nausea. As she shifted to slip to another tree, her bare foot rustled a patch of dried leaves. The noise was so loud in the night, making her freeze. ‘Dammit.’
“Ah, there you are.” Enoch purred, looking over his should at her. Black eyes glinted at her hiding spot as he grinned. His sharp teeth were stained a deep red. The sight made her stomach protest. She knew whose blood that had been. “That boy isn’t with you though. He’s...” the monster paused, turning his head slowly, sniffing as if he was a dog.
Larissa tensed and darted out towards him, trying to distract him for a moment. Pressure coiled around her throat almost as soon as she hit the clearing, lifting her off of her feet so only her toes touched the grass. Her jaw ached as her throat closed. Instictinvely, her hands reached up to rip whatever was around her away but she couldn’t feel anything. There was nothing other then the feeling of her throat constricting. ‘What the hell?’
“Now that’s just rude Rissa. You should know better then to go after a Noxen in the middle of the night. There are so many wonderful things I can do with shadows during the night.” Enoch chided as if she were a little kid. “Be a good girl and stay right there while I go collect your brother. After all, we wouldn’t want him to miss out on all the excitment now would we?”
