The Amalgamation Of Two Worlds

Hayden’s POV

Hot breath. Rolling around. Searing pain as bones shattered, arching, aching, reaching...

A scream tore out of my throat, bringing raw blood up, spewing it from my mouth as my hands clawed at the dirt, bringing the dirt into my fingernails.

My stomach dry heaved, sending more blood flying as agony rolled through my mind, blackening my vision, shattering my thoughts and sending my sanity to the edge. Another scream, this time more of a roar, tore from my throat. It echoed around the darkness, repeating and repeating in my ears until all I could hear was my own fury. My lips curled back, teeth pushing forward, blood dripping down my chin. A gurgled snarl tore out and I found my back arching again, my hands clawing worse at the ground.

Hunger hit me, sending my body back to the ground, my hands-no, my claws- gripping my stomach painfully. My legs kicked out as my body convulsed, the hunger tearing at me from the inside, eating away everything there. I let out another roar, my eyes shutting against the pain and hunger.

The convulsions lasted too long, and when they finally did stop, it was only momentarily. Seconds later the hunger hit me again; blinding me. I gasped, throwing up more blood than I thought I had. My hands clutched my head, trying to block it out, trying to stop it. It had to stop.

The hunger kept coming in waves, sending my body on the ground over and over. It hit my stomach every time, as if it was tearing it out repeatedly. My mind went into a black state, not thinking anymore, not living anymore. I was hungry. I was pained. I needed the pain to go away, the basic of instincts. To do that, I had to feed the hunger.

Audrey’s POV

I listened to them, not daring to actually contribute to the conversation. If I contributed, I would be labelled an idiot. It always happened in The Dark Lands, so why would it be any different now? We may be out of there, but at the current moment, I was surrounded by the occupants of down there. And that fact alone was beginning to eat at me.

I had wanted out, and I got out. However, now it was all back, and I had to deal with this whole Damon marking me buisness. To add onto that, a group of insane demons were trying to kill everything off. It seemed the harder I tried for a normal life, the worse it, and everyone else’s, got. Maybe I was better off in The Dark Lands, at least there I wouldn’t have endangered Gabriel.

Gabriel was asleep next to the fire; the contained fire. We had managed to, well mainly the wolves, had managed to tame down the fire. So now we had a small camp fire, many naked men, and a very weird situation.

The wolves had saved us. Simple enough, or so I thought. Damon thought otherwise, but I suppose he knows more about these situations than I do, thankfully. He brought up the question of how? How had they managed to take out The Demonio as easily as they had? I figured it was because they had turned fury with razor teeth and sharp claws, apparently I was wrong. Very wrong. Even so, Damon hadn’t gotten much from Caleb. Just silence and a look. The look you give someone you want to mind their own business. Damon never listens to those looks, though.

A yawn escaped me as I leant my back against the tree behind me. I wrapped my arms around myself, but kept my eyes on Damon. He was...

I didn’t have a word for him. Him and Caleb had moved their argument off to the side, whereas everyone was still talking around me. I kept my eyes on them. Damon was standing tall, his back rigid, his eyes flaring furiously. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, and his lips were pressed into a thin line when he wasn’t speaking, and when he was, you could catch glimpses of fang. He was inhuman, but in a glorious way, and I had never truly noticed that.

I watched for a little longer, before giving into sleep.

Damon’s POV

A snarl tore from me as I lashed out on the nearest tree. Damn! Why the hell
wouldn’t he tell me? Why wouldn’t he admit he had done something? Tampered in areas he should have avoided? I knew he had, I could sense it! But I didn’t know what he did, and with that said, I didn’t know whether I could trust him, which was eating at me. Caleb, despite everything he had done, was in a sense, my best friend. And now I couldn’t trust him, for no reason because he wouldn’t tell me.

I stalked away from the trees, my legs carrying me angrily back to the site. There was nothing I could do about that at the moment. I wasn’t going to mourn over the potential loss of a friend. No. I wouldn’t do that, so instead I would move us forward. We had to get in place to receive the supplies.

When I returned, I caught a few wolves patrolling the area, but the rest sleeping. Who was left, anyways. Austin was sitting on a stump, sharpening some sort of sick weapon. I headed for him, a small smile tugging at my lips. Austin would always be Austin.

“Got one for me?” He tossed the weapon to me, pulling out a similar one. I caught the small piece, already admiring it. It had a carved wooden handle, with ancient writing inscribed into and around it. The weapon itself consisted of three blades all curving around one another, their blades glittering fiercely in the fire light. The weapon looked more effective of torture than killing, but what did I expect from Austin?

“You gonna tell me?” He asked, his eyes still on the blade. I scowled, pocketing the weapon.

“Tell you what?” He looked up now, his eyes meeting mine. They were emotionless, as they usually were. He stood, also pocketing the weapon. His eyes locked onto mine, before turning to something behind me. I glanced back also, and I felt my throat tighten. Laying near the fire, curled into a ball, her hands under her head, was Audrey, her eyes shut and her chest lifting gently. I glanced back at Austin, to find his eyes back on me.

“You fell for a human.” It was spat out with disgust and venom, and with his venom, came my own. I took a menacing step towards him, my eyes flaring at his.

“No. She’s nothing.”

“You marked her!” I gave a bitter laugh at that.

“And imagine her face when she found out.” Austin eyed me, his eyes narrowed. After a few moments, a small smile tugged on his own lips.

“Pity I missed it. I’ll just have to create my own fun.” I was fine with that, as long as he dropped the situation. His eyes twinkled as he walked past me, and I only spared him a glance... until I saw the direction he was heading in.

I didn’t care for Audrey. Never had, never will. Everything that had happened didn’t change that, but regardless, as I saw Austin head over to her sleeping figure, something in me boiled.

I felt it rise and I had no control over it. Without thought, without command, my body hurled itself toward her. Austin glanced back at me, drinking in my emotions. Emotions I had no idea were showing, or what the hell they were. It didn’t matter. What mattered was the fact that Austin was bending down towards Audrey. That he had that sick glint in his eyes, while he was over Audrey. No one was allowed to harm her.

Austin pressed his nail against Audrey’s cheek, and I smelt it before I saw it. Blood surfaced just as Audrey’s eyes flew open, a pained gasp leaving her. Her eyes went wide and her body back peddled, but not quick enough.

Austin wrapped his arms around her, yanked her into his arms an-

Caleb hit him from behind just as I launched myself at him. I hit the dirt in a roll, immediately jumping to my feet. Austin snarled, tearing Caleb off and throwing him like a rag doll. Caleb hit the ground hard, a grunt leaving him. A second later, his back began to convulse, bones beginning to rip his clothes as h-

My eyes tore away from him as I smelt her fear, the scent filling my nostrils. What was wrong with Austin?

I hit him in the back, between the shoulder blades, just as his hand had stretched out for Audrey. She scrambled away, barely avoiding our bodies. Gabriel was there immediately, pulling her far away, his eyes watching. For once, I was thankful for that.

That momentary distraction gave Austin enough time to slash my chest, and push me off of him. He stood, his legs bunching beneath him, his eyes flashing red and his hands clenching at his sides.

I mirrored him, trying my best to ignore the five long gouges on my chest, and the sounds of Caleb’s change. While my mind rebelled against any help from Caleb, the fact he had, and was, protecting Audrey, appealed to me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I hissed, my feet shuffling as he shifted.

“Me?” He growled, anger tainting the air thick. “I’m saving you, you stupid idiot! You’re protecting a damn human! You’re going weak! Soft!”

“Opposed to you? The one who was babysitting? Drop it, Austin. Audrey, in a sick sense, is apart of all this.”

Audrey’s POV

“I don’t think he likes you.” I ignored Gabriel who was stating the obvious. Of course Austin hated me, he always had. I went against everything he believed in. He believed in violence for the sake of violence, and killing for sheer pleasure. He enjoyed beating people senseless and the only companions he ever had were always at his fighting level, or just barely below. I knew that. It was why him and Caleb never got along, for while Caleb was a good killer, he didn’t have the talent for it, nor the stomach. So in Austin’s eyes, he was weak. As was I, due to my human nature. Yet somehow, I didn’t feel sad about the fact that Austin didn’t like me. I didn’t like him either.

My cheek stung slightly, where he had pressed down. But I was beginning to learn that unless I had a broken bone, or was bleeding my life out, I had no need to complain. For it could always be worse. Always.

My eyes stayed locked onto Damon. I had never liked him, either. But I had tolerated him, but now... now I didn’t know what to think. Why was he going through such lengths to save me? Why was he protecting me from every little factor? Did he mark me for some ulterior motive in The Dark Lands? Did he have something worse in mind? I doubted it, but what other reason could there be?

Damon continued trying to talk Austin down, but Austin didn’t seem to be taking any of it in. He just kept eying him, and inching backwards. Towards me.

Gabriel dragged me back further, and I allowed him. I didn’t seem to have movement in my legs. Austin spun, and I barely caught a glimpse of his face twisted into a snarl before Caleb in wolf form hit him in the back. They went down in snarls and growls, flesh and clothes ripping. Damon circled them, his eyes locked onto Austin. Caleb slashed Austin’s stomach just as Austin managed to wedge his feet under Caleb’s stomach. He kicked, Caleb was immediately airborne and flying. Damon filled his spot, wasting no time in pinning him.

“Listen, and listen closely,” he snarled, the harshness in the voice making even me step back. “She’s under my damn protection. You see the mark on her neck, you know what it means. Listen to it, or I’ll rip your head off.” No swearing, but no need for it. His voice was so low, so menacing, that even Gabriel seemed to pale. Austin was still for a moment, before smiling, his fangs slipping out.

“I’ve always wondered which one of us would win.” And with that, Damon was off him, but instead of Austin coming for me, he went for Damon, and they both went down, rolling as they fought.

This time Caleb circled, and while I didn’t wish to take my eyes away from the man who was trying to kill me, I found myself compelled to, by an odd... feeling. I turned, my eyes searching the darkness. I could have sworn I saw something, something different.

“Gabriel?” I murmured, directing his eyes to the direction. He frowned, but took my word for it as his eyes searched the darkness.

“I don’t see anyth-“ he shut up as I headed in the direction, leaving him to catch up. He did, not leaving my side. Sure, you should never head towards something that could be very well out there to kill you, but I wasn’t about to go wandering around. I just needed to get a better look, for something didn’t seem right. It was just too quiet. The only sounds were that of Damon’s and Austin’s fight, which seemed like background music to me now.

There was no wind. No rustling grass, no animals making a sound, no crickets, just nothing. It was quiet.

The darkness moved again, and I found my body spinning, following it. Fear filled me, and I felt my legs moving faster. Gabriel had to jog to keep up with me, but I didn’t care. Something was out th-

“Over there!” I spun and followed Gabriel’s gaze, to catch a snippet of the same darkness moving, in the other direction. Hadn’t it just been moving the other way?
“And there!” Gabriel spun again, and again, I followed his gaze. I barely caught this one, and I frowned.

A small shiver ran down my spine, and I inched closer to Gabriel, a sense of dread filling me. This wasn’t right.

“Damon,” I murmured. He didn’t even look, just kept up his fight with Damon. The darkness, or shadow, or whatever it was, darted again, this time faster, more urgent. It was big, that much I could tell. “Damon.” I said, louder, but again, no response.

“They’re surrounding us,” Gabriel said, pressing his back against mine, as he stared in one direction, myself staring in the other. I agreed with him, but said nothing. It was moving again, but this time, instead of sideways, it went... up? It seemed to stretch upwards into the tree tops, and I felt my heart catch in my throat? What was th-

“Holy shit!” Gabriel cursed. I didn’t even bother reprimanding his language, because for once, I agreed with him. The creatures, for I knew no better word for them, all reared upwards. I counted at least three before I lost what little bearings I had left.

“Damon!” I screamed his name, but only half of it was made out as the creatures all let out an inhuman screech, echoing around the whole forest. I screamed with them as pain ricocheted through my mind. My hands clamped down over my ears as my knees gave way and I dropped, Gabriel following me.

The sound tore at my eyes, as it burned through my system. White agony shot through my veins and I felt my whole mind blacken momentarily before the pain began to subside.

Gabriel pulled me away from where I was, as the screeching stopped. I didn’t get a glimpse of the creatures, or of Damon, before Gabriel pulled me under the protection of a small rock shelter. He pressed me to the back, despite my protests. I couldn’t just leave Damon and all of them out there! I had to-

Do what? What could I do? Other than distract Damon to come and rescue me? Another screech rang out, sending both mine and Gabriel’s hands to our ears. This one was shorter, followed by more inhuman sounds, only less painful. Gabriel gave me a half-hearted smile, his eyes showing fear.

“Damn. Life with you is interesting. What’s next?” Again, I chose to ignore him.