"Sally? Ryan?" Kindle peered around the corner as we entered the living room, and I did as well. I did not expect to find my two friends and my father all sitting in a circle with Ryan trying to hold something that kept slipping from his fingers. It was a strange, ethereal sort of light. It vanished once Kindle stepped fully into the room.

"You have got to show me what else you can do." Sally declared, and my dad walked up to us.

"Unfortunately, that has to wait. There's more important things."

"Yeah, speaking of it, did you get what you need?" Ryan said, crossing his arms as he looked at Kindle and I, furrowing his brows.

Kindle gently nudged me. "Go on. Show them."

I nodded, flexing my fingers and staring at the ring that now rested on my right hand. I willed the light to come present itself at my will, and I was soon being dragged down by the bow again, which Ryan attempted to help catch this time. I hefted it into my arms, wheezing a bit.

"Joseph's bow? How did you..." My dad offered to take it from me, and I handed it over.

It seemed much lighter in his hands then it did mine, and his eyes almost seemed to glow with it. He probably had a better connection to the weapon anyway, he was Joseph's son after all.

Kindle still eyed it uneasily, and I offered to take it back.

"With this, I think we have a chance of stopping Rae for good." I said, narrowing my eyes down at it as I willed the weapon back into a ring and slipped it onto my finger once again. "Just... once I figure out how in the hell to use it."

My father was silent for a long moment, and he turned, suddenly walking into his room.

"Dad?" I called, quick to follow after him. The others lingered for a moment longer but soon came after me, too.

He walked to the closet that sat across from his bed, opening the doors and beginning to push boxes, bags, and old clothes out of the way. I took comfort in knowing my own room was in better shape.

He soon stopped, having come upon the back of the closet now. I could see a small indentation in the paint, much like the outline of another door.

"Jade expected something like this to happen." He said, tracing the outline with his finger. "Once you were born, Matthew, she made me swear to keep these to protect you, at least until you were old enough to understand."

I was tired of being clueless.

"Keep what?"

_____

"They were given to your grandmother by Joseph, and then passed down to Jade and I."

My dad held two small, curved daggers. The hilts were crafted of a similar black stone as parts of Joseph's bow. The blade was ivory.

"They can be used for fighting, but that's not their true purpose. They create a gateway to both heaven and hell. The intended use was to call Joseph if something went wrong... but he's gone now. They can be used against demons and angels if need be."

He carefully handed one to Sally, which was marked with a circle at the hilt, who clutched it in her hands like it was the most important thing she'd ever been given. He then turned to Kindle, who grimaced at his expectant look and turned away.

"You know just who I am. Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kindle muttered. "Best to give it to Ryan."

"But I also know that my son trusts you, for whatever reason. For now, you're one of us." He held the blade out, arching a brow at him. "I'm willing to trust you too, demon."

"Kindle." I urged, grabbing at the fabric on his arm to spin him around to face me. "You're worthy of it. Believe me."

Kindle looked at me for a long moment, giving me the chance to study his dark eyes for the thousandth time before taking the weapon from my dad's hands.

"Just don't slip up."

Kindle nodded firmly.

"We need you to prepare a spell." My dad then said as he walked past Ryan, and disappeared into the garage. Ryan nervously stuttered.

"For what?"

"We're sending that demon back, I'm guessing. That's been the plan for a while now." I said. "Just this time, no splitting up." I added quickly, though I'm not sure that everybody heard.

"I don't know if I can..."

"I'll help you." Sally offered. "With anything you need. Weird ingredients, emotional support-"

"Look, guys, I'm not so sure we're ready." Ryan says, a bit firmly now. Surprised, we looked to him.

"We considered that last time and look where it got us." I commented.

He bristled. "What, just cause you find a fancy new bow and some daggers you think we can fight our way to victory? We need more time.. More people. We aren't enough. Who knows how many demons we'll need to face."

"If we wait any longer, something terrible could happen and you know it. We had no clue what we were up against, now we do. We're a good team. And we can get better, still." Kindle said, his voice raising a little as he chided him. "Need I remind you we almost lost-" he stopped, catching my gaze for a second before shaking his head and turning around to face Ryan. "Matthew was taken for months. I'm not going through that again."

"Oh of course, go ahead and act like its not all your fault. You know it is!" Ryan's voice suddenly turned edged. "You didn't even try to look for him. You didn't even try and save him. You let her take him, at the barn. Did you consider that? You're so selfish, Kindle! You ran. Yet again, I wouldn't expect anything more from a creature like you."

"I'm so sick of seeing the ones I love get hurt because of me!" Kindle's eyes flicked to black. "I'm trying to fix things! I'm trying to fix myself! I looked for him until I ran my power to its limits. Do you not fucking understand that? Does that not even matter to you?"

At that, I lurched forward and pressed a hand to both of their chests, pushing them farther away from each other. I narrowed my eyes at the both of them. "Stop. You two need to cut it out and stop being dicks to each other, okay? It's not Kindle's fault, I told him to go, and I chose to go with Rae. Yeah it fucking sucked, but it's over now, and we don't have the time to be looking back on it and pointing fingers at who did what."

My suddenly burst of courage slowly diminished, and I stood there, pulling my hands back.

I felt the ring on my finger hum just slightly, perhaps in response to my thought, but probably from the hostility radiating from my friends.

"Ryan, lets take a breather. Sally, talk with Kindle." I slowly suggested, and the demon frowned, which really was beginning to become a common expression of his. I missed the slightly childish, curious Kindle. Ryan followed after me, and we made our way back upstairs into my room. I was pretty satisfied that my idea seemed to work.

Ryan walked up to my room, his hands deep in his pockets. He bit his lip, looked at the floor and then sighed. "I didn't mean for that to happen, alright? I just blew up. I'm sorry." Ryan adjusted his glasses, sitting down on my bed. "I know- I know I'm supposed to be level-headed here. Who else is gonna look after you idiots? There's just been a lot going on. Kindle and I haven't been on the best of terms."

"What do you mean? You guys were getting along just fine earlier. Well, besides the outburst, that is."

"You didn't have to deal with him in the state he was in while you were gone, okay? He was... genuinely scary. Yeah, I guess we're friends but I can't help but doubt that. We keep turning our cheek to the fact that he's literally a demon. It's great he's trying to better himself, but he's still from hell, he's still a murderer, he still is manipulative and ruthless. Just in his own way. Listen to me as your voice of reason."

I sat down beside Ryan, listening intently like he asked as he talked. I knew there were things about Kindle he hasn't told me, or shown me, but I still believed I could trust him.

"When we were at the barn..." I said, slowly. "Kindle told me what that vision was. The one I had when he possessed me? It was a memory. His memory. But not just that, I was there. I felt his emotions and his pain. He killed his family, Ry. And we can't look past that. But he honestly didn't want to. He tried to stop his father, and got dragged into the mess that made his dad such a terrible man in the first place. Don't you turn into Jade and start telling me the bond we have is screwing with my head, because that's not the case. If anything, it's helped me better realize who he is. Kindle has his faults, obviously. We all do. He was misled for a long time, but I still believe he's a good person. Give him the chance to prove that he is one. He's never had a chance before."

Ryan was quiet for a few minutes, before snorting and muttering "Wow, I've officially had my best friend stolen away by a demon, haven't I?"

I punched him in the arm as hard as I could and he yelped, apologizing.

"Fine, douchebag, you've apologized to me, but now you gotta go say it to Kindle."

_____

The demon sat on the couch, his hands clasped and resting in his lap. Sally sat beside him, her head on his shoulder, which I found to be an interesting development. Something crucial must've happened when they had their conversation. I felt some part in my chest do a weird little flip, but I couldn't figure out why.

My dad was still nowhere to be found, which weirded me out a little bit. I contemplated trying to figure out what he was up to, but decided to stick around with my friends instead. Part of me really didn't want to have to deal with anymore of the extra, unwanted knowledge. But knowing my luck, I felt like I'd have to soon.

"Kindle." Ryan voiced, approaching the demon and holding out a hand tentatively. "Everything I said... it was completely uncalled for. I was being a shitty friend, I'm sorry, I hope you know I didn't mean it. Are we good?"

Kindle stood and shook Ryan's hand, the corner of his mouth quirking downwards for a second or so. "Yes, we're good."

I rolled my eyes at that. Obviously not. I can recognize passive aggressive behavior from a mile away.

"Kids, I found an old summoning area." My dad suddenly appeared, holding out a blue book that I had previously seen before.

It was usually stored away in our garage, on one of the tallest shelves on the walls and tucked back very far. He probably hadn't been too concerned about me finding it, once again due to my height. I hate genetics.

"This is going to be one of the easiest places to break the barrier since it's been used before." He tapped the book.

He held it out, and it seemed to have an old, partially yellowed map of the roads and basic geography of Nightshade stuffed inside. A small area of land was enclosed in an inked black circle. It was near a crudely drawn lake... I remembered that. Lake Allen, we'd go fishing all the way out there when I was younger and less inclined to staying inside like the hermit I had become. It was at the north edge of Nightshade

Part of the map was ripped and missing. There was scrawled writing all over the place, too, but I couldn't read it at my angle.

"Where even is this? I don't recognize the area." Ryan said as Sally and I peered over his shoulders.

"That's Lake Allen, I know where that is. But I can't say I know this part here." I gestured to the circled area, which was a small ways away from the lake and in an open area. I tried to dig up past memories to try and determine what was there. We'd always follow the road, but I never noticed wide open land like that.

Kindle suddenly took the book from my dad, touching his fingers to the page and pursing his lips.

"How old is this map? It clearly has some age to it, wherever this map is marked may not even be recognizable at this point."

"It's from the 80's." Sally pointed out, and sure enough, marked very lightly at the bottom of the page was a crinkled Nightshade, 1980. Coincidentally enough, the rest was part of the missing section of the map.

"It's definitely changed, then." I said, standing beside Kindle and turning one of the pages. It was full of scribbles and pieces of cut out newspapers. "Whoah." I exhaled, and my dad took the book again.

"That's for another time, okay? From the looks of it, it should've been a forested area at one point. It could possibly still be. I wish I had a current map of the city to compare..."

"I can go get one. Just tell me where to look." Kindle said, and I glanced at him quickly as he gave me a sort of half-smile.

"Well, I would say the public library but I doubt they'd let you get one right-"

"Got it."

"Wait, Kindle-" I started, my voice not traveling very far before Kindle vanished.

"Does he do that? Like, is that a normal thing for him?" Sally asked.

"Occasionally." I tugged at my sleeves. "Though I wouldn't have wanted him to go alone, as the last time he did something like this he was captured and tortured and I ended up getting kidnapped and possessed. So I can't say I'm too happy about what just happened." My heart did another nervous little flip, but out of pure fear this time. Memories of my horrific time in the barn were starting to flood back. I felt claustrophobic. The idea of going outside suddenly became very enticing.

"Ohhh, that's really concerning. Should we call for him?"

I ran a hand through my hair, thinking. "Uh, probably."

Sally opened her mouth to talk but I waved my hand at her. "I got it. Y'know, we kind of have a blood bond and all."

A bit satisfied at her wavering expression, I quickly walked to the front door, opening it and stepping out.

I took a breath, still feeling a bit of an uncomfortable pressure as I mentally grumbled to myself about Sally stealing my friends, and then stood in confused silence. The air was cold and damp as usual, and even still little drops of rain fell across my face and shoulders. Wait a minute. Was I jealous? Of Sally?

That was all sorts of weird. I knew part of me changed since I took on the ring, that much was clearly obvious. But there were still some things I couldn't notice. It felt like it was amplifying some of my smaller, hidden emotions and wishes. Back when Ryan and Kindle argued, I wondered if I could do something, and there I was, the mediator. I rubbed my eyes, sighing and staring out into the road.

I was reminded of not too long ago when I called to Kindle's impersonator. He was just...Ugh. Not sure I can find the words. Part of me was worried he'd show up again. I attempted to reassure myself I was safe, for now. I wouldn't have to face him and Rae again just yet.

"Kindle." I called out to the sky, hesitant as I stepped forward. I wondered how he did that traveling trick of his. Was it a normal demon thing? Could all of them just vanish and go as they please? I'd have to do some research, and that probably meant learning how to decode the book of demons.

I focused on the noise around me. I heard my voice fading as the wind carried it, and the soft orchestra of crickets and toads that roamed the soft, mist blanketed yard. Wind-chimes echoed at every other house, creating an eerie, but beautiful symphony. I watched as a few bats darted across the sky, just small black smudges for a few seconds. The trees around me were dark, and groaned as their ancient forms almost seemed to be dancing to the noises around them.

I felt a sudden pressure in the center of my chest. It was faint, at first, but it was there. The pain spread outward like a dark wave, overtaking my neck, shoulders, arms, torso, and finally my hands. I could no longer feel them. I tried to take in a deep breath, but it felt like something was stopping the air from flooding into my lungs. Panic overtook me. Not again. It burned like lava was being poured down my throat.

I realized I had pressed my hands to my neck, gasping and gagging. Attempting to walk forward, the pain brought me to my knees and I hit the ground, hands still clutching my throat. My nails dug into my skin like talons, and tiny beads of dark red were beginning to appear underneath my nails.

I was suffocating. My head was beginning to go fuzzy, I couldn't concentrate on what was ahead of or around me. My gaze fell to the sidewalk below, and I felt tears well in my eyes as I realized that maybe this time I wouldn't be able to save myself.

And I was right. I didn't.

Kindle was prying my hands from my throat before I even realized he was there. I took a huge breath of air, coughing roughly into my sleeves, then taking a wheezing breath, savoring the feeling as it seemed to flood out the burning in my chest before I coughed some more. The more air I took in, the clearer I could see.

"Matthew?" He lifted my head, eyes wide and concerned. I just nodded pathetically and rested my head on his chest, still struggling a bit.

I didn't even know if I wanted to speak. Or if I could. I just sat there, the damp ground was as icy and cold as my skin as I finally just got to breathe.

"I thought I could make it back quickly." Kindle said, his voice beginning to speed up. "I didn't even- I didn't realize. Matt, you were strangling yourself. This isn't good. Rae is nearby or she somehow still has a hold on you. We need to find the summoning area your father told us about, and fast." He grabbed my hands and hauled me to my feet, and I gingerly pressed my fingertips to my windpipe.

That whole event was payback. I could feel it. Part of me wondered just how strong Rae's vengeance could be.

"Yeah." I finally said, voice scratchy. "I agree."

_____

"Okay, it's official, always have a buddy when we go out to do something or investigate something. We aren't taking any chances anymore. Whatsoever." I explained to my friends, who either sighed or nodded at the declaration. Kindle looked incredibly guilty.

My dad and Kindle had managed to figure out an idea where the summoning location would be, though it wasn't exact, so we'd have to do some searching ourselves. As he dropped us off near the wooded area, he stopped me before I could walk off with Ryan, Sally and Kindle.

"I'm going to search for your aunt." He told me, voice low. That stung, like cold rain.

"Dad... I don't think..."

"Jade has played this kind of thing before, and Rae isn't to be trusted. I feel like she's still around. Just believe me here, okay, Matthew? Remember, we're just finding the area for now. Don't by any means start the ritual without me there. I'll have my walkie-talkie so try and contact me if you can. Phones may not work." He handed me the other, which I hooked to my jeans.

I had changed from my previous outfit into a dark pair of pants that had an accidental rip in the knee from being tripped outside(courtesy of Jay). I took one of my dads old jackets to throw over my embarrassing skull t-shirt, which was a partially faded, navy blue bomber jacket. I wondered where he had got it.

"I know it's a little old fashioned, but I think you'll manage." He said, and tapped the car door. "Be careful, Matthew."

"Ready to go?" Sally gently pushed at my shoulder, and I turned around with a nod, flicking on the flashlight in my hand.

"Let's do it."

____

It was... unsettling. These were a different kind of woods, as compared to the ones I had briefly been in when Kindle and I had our fight against the other demons. One noticeable difference was just how utterly dark it was. And the tall pine trees that seemed to stretch on forever. We were supposed to be looking for some sort of building, I guessed, but I had no idea why the area would have anything hidden inside.

Well, actually, now that I think about it I don't even know if I'd call it our fight. What good did I do? I gave him some power, sure, but was unconscious and unhelpful the entire time...

Ugh. I blinked my eyes a few times, focusing ahead and breaking my train of thought. I shouldn't be letting that doubt overtake me. I did what I could. Besides, breaking that down wouldn't be the best idea. Not here.

Whoah. That was a new thought. I held a hand to my head as I walked, grimacing a bit as a pressure began to build near my temples. Everything had been taking quite the toll on my body. The possession, the new power I acquired, not to mention the endless stress and what seemed to be a change of personality. But if that was the case, was it really my personality? Maybe carrying Joseph's weapon had something to do with why it felt so different.

I felt a little dizzy, and ended up stumbling into one of the pine trees nearby. My palm pressed against something grooved and cold, and I quickly straightened myself and pulled my hand away. I staggered back and swung my flashlight around.

Deep gashes were cut deep into the bark and flesh of the pine tree.

"That can't be good." Ryan said, appearing beside me. Kindle popped up beside me as well, leaning in close to observe the gashes. They were slanted, and seemed to become deeper as they went down the tree, like they had been made by something running past, possibly using the tree to propel itself.

"Guys." Sally suddenly said, and she tugged on my sleeve. I turned to face her, and watched as she pointed into the deep, dark part of the woods.

"Ghost girl, we can't all see what you see." I commented, and she furrowed her brow.

"There are weird shadows. They keep jumping from the darkness of one tree to the other." She said, making her voice a bit quieter. "We should keep moving."

"Keep behind me." Kindle voiced, and I wasn't going to argue with that. We continued forward, until we started to notice some sort of worn out path driven into the grass. It was hard to see at first, as it all was the same, dark green to our eyes. But just barely, we saw that the grass was shorter in some areas, making a path that was about a foot or two across. It snaked under trees and around bushes. Pretty soon it got a lot colder than we expected.

I found myself clenching my jaw to keep myself from shivering as I walked, my flashlight beam biting through the heavy veil of darkness that shrouded me.

Then we came upon the structure. It was just an off white building from what I could see. No, wait, this wasn't just any building-

"It's a church." Kindle said with a surprising bitterness, which was what Ryan and Sally were probably mulling over in their heads at this point.

I walked to the structure, and an eerie dread had returned to dig its claws back into me. I finally shivered, and watched as my breath formed a soft cloud that blotted out the light from our flashlights momentarily.

"We have to go inside." I said, looking back behind us. I wasn't sure if my mind was playing tricks, but I was starting to see the shadows, too.

We entered into the chapel, startled by the overturned, seemingly scorched pews and shattered and melted stained glass windows. Grime and dirt littered the floor, some new sprouts even beginning to push their way through the dirt along the foundation. A piano with many missing keys was crushed underneath a large part of the ceiling that had caved in. A large, wooden cross that hung overhead was the only part that seemed untouched, save for the lichen that formed along its base.

"This place..." Kindle said, approaching the steps that lead to the cross. He tilted his head up, eyes turning into a deep obsidian color. His fingertips touched the wood. "This is it. I can sense it."

I understood what he meant. I could too. There was a deep, rhythmic thrumming noise that seemed to be coming from underneath us. It very faintly shook the rubble, and shifted the overturned pews at each solid wave of sound.

It felt like a heartbeat.

Sally covered her mouth, looking down and staring at the floor. She seemed terrified.

"Sal, what's wrong?" Ryan asked, and I watched his face as his anxiety skyrocketed. It was nice that he was attempting to comfort her when he was petrified himself. Sally gripped his hand, her chipped fingernails becoming bright in the glow of our flashlights.

"You don't hear them?"

Kindle turned towards the entrance of the church suddenly, and I watched as he tensed, and placed himself in front of us all. He revealed the weapon he'd been given, gripping it tightly in his fist.

Immediately, I stepped forward to stand with him. I had the firepower now, I could try and help.

Something was crashing in towards us. It was loud, and clearly didn't care for being noticed. It's steps were heavy, but quickened. It didn't seem possible that it would be moving as fast as it was at the moment.

Kindle, faster than I'd ever seen before, whirled and launched the dagger out into the dark that the door bordered. The crashing stopped suddenly, it was silent, then something hit the ground with a thud.

Kindle and I rushed outside, and I moved my flashlight to cut through the dark and try and spot what had caused the noises.

Almost instantly, I shuddered as my light fell across a fallen stag. The dagger was embedded in its skull up to the hilt. But that wasn't the only injury I saw.

I carefully stepped around the fallen animal, my light gliding down it's scarlet soaked fur. Deep, ragged gashes split down its chest, parts of the animal spilling out into the forest floor. I squeezed my eyes tight and turned away, accidentally bumping into Kindle. He steadied me, and I reluctantly looked back at the stag. I recognized those gashes. They were the same ones that were in the tree.

"Matthew!" Ryan suddenly called from the church, surprised and urgent.

Kindle and I exchanged a glance before he nodded at me, and I attempted to will the ring to transform into a weapon. It had been humming at me for a little while, but now the noises ceased. It refused to show itself, and that really was a problem. Kindle wrenched the weapon from the stag's skull and handed me the dagger instead, and I watched as his nails extended into sharper points, like razor blades, and the yellow glow of his eyes became a bit brighter.

I lowered my gaze, trying to ignore that he looked scary to me, but no matter how much I wanted to I couldn't lie about that.  I wondered if he realized my unease. We marched back into the church, not so prepared for whatever we'd face, but concerned for our friends.

I was stunned. Most of Ryan's urgency had vanished, I could tell that in the way he held himself, though his face still held reluctance. Sally stood next to him, her soft blond hair seeming to have changed to silver from the faint blue light in our flashlights. Then, near her, stood someone else that was familiar.

I lowered the dagger, arching a brow as I carefully made my way to them.

"August?"

"I had a feeling it was you out here." They grinned at me, but I just stood, puzzled.

Their legs seemed more than fine, when not long ago at all they had been trapped in heavy casts. Impossibly, their hair seemed to have grown a bit longer, and their once familiar, coffee colored eyes almost glowed gold in my flashlight.

"August?" I repeated, and they stepped up to me. They glanced down and tilted their head, and with a resigned, defeated sigh I realized that I was shorter than them.

"You know this person?" Sally asked, and I nodded, still shocked, and slightly disappointed. I shook it off.

"How- why?" I stammered, words refusing to leave my mouth.

"I was getting my casts off that day, for one." They said, gesturing down at their dark blue jeans.

That made no sense. The casts had looked as fresh as could be. I furrowed my brow, looking up at them. Their eyes returned to the familiar color.

"Two, I kind of hang out around here. I heard a bunch of people clanging around the forest and the church. Figured I'd check it out, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's good to see you, Mr. Amnesia."

To my disbelief, August offered their hand to me. Carefully, I took it, and they pulled me in for a hug. The uncomfortable air dissipated at that point, and I felt a little better as I pulled back, my mind having switched to how glad I was to see them. Their fingers lingered near my palm before they pulled their hand back.

"Though I can see you're probably not Mr. Amnesia anymore. Care to introduce me to your friends?"

"Um, sure." I hesitated. I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I just gestured at Ryan first. "This is Ryan, he's a good friend of mine. This is Sally, she's pretty new to our group."

Ryan waved reluctantly, and Sally crossed her arms, looking August up and down.

I then turned to the demon who stood near me. He had returned to normal for now.

"And this is Kindle." I pointed, and for some reason, he stared at my hand, seeming puzzled.

August chuckled and pushed my hand down, walking up to Kindle with a smile. I crossed my arms as well, and I could see Kindle still held his puzzlement. He turned a considerate gaze down to August.

"So this is the Kindle you kept mentioning. I'm surprised. He's not quite what I imagined."

"Can't say I know whether I should take that as an offense or a compliment." Kindle said slowly, his attempt at a friendly demeanor diminishing a bit.

"I'd take it as a compliment, I think." August said, and I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that they were here. Something suddenly came to mind.

"August." I said, and August glanced at me, waiting. "The stag out front. Do you know what happened to it?"

"What stag?" They asked airily, a bit of curiosity sparkling in their eyes.

"The dead stag... out front."

Kindle's eyes suddenly snapped to black, and I watched as he grabbed the front of August's letterman jacket and pulled them up. It was so sudden none of us had any time to respond.

"Kindle! What the hell, man!" I shouted, and August kicked and dug their nails into his hands to try and break free.

"You're a demon?" August struggled, then looking to me, eyes wild and golden. "You're all buddy-buddy with a demon?"

"Enough of the act." Snapped Kindle, in a much deeper voice than I ever thought I'd hear from him. We all froze in place, either from confusion or terror.

I stepped up to Kindle, coaxing him to set down August, "Enough of the act? Who are you really?"

"What are they, is more the question." Sally said as Kindle put them back on their feet, but still held their jacket tightly.

I felt a sudden void in myself, like all the breath had been taken from my lungs, and gently pressed my hand to my temples as I tried to comprehend the feeling. I glanced at my fingers, just now noticing the ring was gone. August.

"You took the ring." I declared, loud. Kindle looked to me, finally having calmed down a bit. I'd have to talk to him later. He seemed really on edge. For now, my attention was on August.

"Give it back or we'll take it on our own." Sally said defiantly, and August rolled their eyes.

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

"And don't get too confident." Kindle looked them over, eyes sharp. "Keep in mind what you're dealing with here."

"You're just a demon." August said, huffing. "All the same with their weak powers and illusions anyways."

"I'm much more than that." He said, his grip on their jacket loosening. Potential backstory? For once? Kindle tilted his head down. "Besides, I wasn't just talking of myself. You're dealing with powerful beings here. Now speak up."

"The ring holds power." August said, matter of factly. "I need it for...reasons. I was promised a chance to get the ring and use it to right some wrongs. So I'll do just that." They pried Kindle's hand off them. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Who promised you?" Ryan spoke up this time, and I was surprised to see him holding Jade's necklace. He pulled the cord over his head and the necklace glowed a soft aquamarine color. He looked ready to fight if he needed to.

"Doesn't matter. I got what I came for." August rolled their eyes, backing up. "I tracked it here, and now here we are. Can I go now?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it doesn't work without him." Kindle gestured over to me. "And I can guarantee whatever business you need it for is less important that what we need it for."

August looked over to me, seeming to contemplate this as they turned the ring in their hand, slipping it onto their finger.  Their eyes shone gold, and they said quickly- "I'll take what I can get." All of a sudden, they shrunk down and disappeared . A large, dark streak bolted past me, and I whirled around just to barely spot an animal whisk by and dart into the trees.

"Did they just-" I began, but Kindle beat me to it.

"Yes, they did." He stunned me by doing something similar. Before I processed what was happening, a dark red, dog-like creature was racing after what I presumed to be August.

"What the fuck!" Sally exclaimed, and I shrugged hopelessly and tried to follow after them.

As I raced after the demon and what I assumed to be shapeshifter, my stomach growled, and I realized just how hungry I was. I had eaten at the hospital shortly after I arrived, practically inhaling an apple, some graham crackers and a couple baby carrots. They refused to give me anything else but water, which I drank in excess, but I still felt parched. My memory still escaped me, but I wondered if Rae had even bothered to eat anything at all while she had possessed me. If not, how was I still living?

I probably shouldn't be thinking about food while giving chase. Oh, but some fries sounded so good right now.

Suddenly, ahead, there was a loud, sharp whine. Some snarling, and finally a low growl. I came upon Kindle- well, what I assumed to be Kindle, it was hard to tell. He had August pinned underneath him, savagely growling down at them, his large claws digging sharply into August's side. I still didn't quite understand what just happened. I was trying to process August and Kindle as Ryan and Sally ran up close behind, both of them stopping and staring in shock as well.

August suddenly became normal, in the blink of an eye. No rips to their clothes, no proof of their transformation other than their brilliant, glowing gold eyes. Kindle transformed back as well, now standing with his heel digging into August's chest.

"Damn it all." They hissed, then handing the ring up to Kindle. He took it from them and stepped back, looking accomplished.

"You never said you could do that." I complained, taking it from him. He smiled weakly.

"I was planning on getting to that eventually."

"What else can you become?"

"Uh, a snake, and there's this skeleton thing-"

"What are you? A shapeshifter?" Sally pressed, interrupting our conversation. I grumbled, my gaze trailing back down to August.

"Werewolf." They responded, scowling, and still laying on the ground. "There, happy?"

"Tell us the truth about why you wanted the ring." I demanded, and they sat up with a hiss, pressing their hand to the scratches that now tore their jacket and white shirt underneath. Blood was beginning to turn the white shirt a dark, ominous scarlet.

"Sorry." Kindle said, no sympathy in his voice at all as he too cringed at his wound, his fingertips staining red as he swept his hair from his eyes. A bloodied, bruised patch of skin was just at his right temple.

"I need it's power."

"Well duh." Snapped Sally. "But why."

I stared at August, trying to come up with an idea of why they'd possibly want the ring.

"I need it's power to increase my own. I need to be strong enough to take back my pack." They said, and we stood there, surprised and contemplating all they had said. August wobbled to their feet, slumping against a pine tree.

"Take back?" Ryan echoed.

"Yes. My pack was unfairly taken over by some rival alpha. He kicked our real alpha out, but before he challenged him, our alpha was poisoned. He was weakened, and the fight was unfair. Nobody wants to stand up to the brute but me." August ranted, their voice, usually soft but determined, was scratchy and laced in uncertainty. "So I figured with a little extra firepower I could get the job done." Their eyes sparkled over at me. I hadn't expected to get so much out of them.

"But who told you about the ring?" I asked.

"Honestly, not sure who he was. He was weird and...cold. His face was shielded but for some reason he looked blue? But he promised me you'd be the one to have it." They gestured to me.

"Snow." I said, shivering and tugging my sleeves. I glanced at Kindle, expecting a cruel smile. "It was Snow."

Kindle glanced at me, as if he noticed my unease.

"That's the demon who took my place, correct?" He asked, voice calm.

"Yeah." I muttered, not really having much more to say after that.

Kindle's eyes seemed to smolder like embers.

"Good to know."

"Look, August." Ryan said, breaking the silence that fell over us afterwards. "I'm sorry, but we can't give you the ring. We have to stop some demons before they open a rift and basically let the worst of them loose on the world."

I rubbed the back of my head as he said this with a sigh. I didn't want him to be right, but in most cases, Ryan was.

"So, yeah." He continued. "Probably a little more important than taking down that alpha. Besides, I'm not sure if it'd work for anybody else. It's not working for Matt right now anyway."

"Stupid ring." I muttered, and swore I heard it hum angrily in return.

"What even is it's power?" August asked, and I noticed that now, they didn't seem to be in as much pain as before. I guessed they healed pretty fast. I was never really an expert on werewolves.

"Matt here is a descendant of a literal archangel." Sally exclaimed, grabbing my shoulder and shaking me. I jumped, grimacing, not anticipating the sudden jostling. "So he's able to summon this giant bow and arrows, though he hasn't been able to get those just yet. I'm also guessing he gets stronger, because the bow is heavy as fuck."

August looked at me as if asking for confirmation.

"Pretty much."

"This alpha." Kindle says, and August scowls at him. "What's he like?"

"Well, like I said, he's a cheater and a selfish brute. He's too strong for anybody to dare take him down."

"But you want to." Kindle said, and August sighed.

"I do."

"So...why?" Ryan pressed. "You know you aren't strong enough."

"I'm the runt and the disgrace of the pack." August crossed their arms. "At least according to everyone else. They haven't kicked me out yet because of my mother, she's a healer, not to mention the fact the new alpha has his eyes on her." August's face formed into a scowl. "I want to challenge him and prove myself to everybody. Plus I'm sick and tired of being forced around by this stranger. He's no leader of mine."

Kindle tilted his head at them, and I saw a look of understanding pass across his face. He seemed to think for a moment, taking a different stance.

"You said your original alpha is still alive?"

Oh, Kindle, what are you getting yourself into now?

"He's at a motel near the lake. Recovering."

"What if I challenge the alpha?" Kindle asked, and August's eyes blew wide.

"That's,,, that's absurd! You aren't even a werewolf! And there's no way I'm taking orders from you."

"Calm down, fireball, I think I understand what he's getting to here." I said, raising my hands. "You want to challenge him and let the old alpha take his place back, right? You take down Mr. Mean Wolf, then you let the old alpha kick your butt and all is restored."

August seemed amused at the nickname, though gave an exasperated growl. "That wouldn't work."

"Wouldn't it? It seems like your pack already allows cheating to slide." Kindle remarked, and I couldn't help admire our like-minds. I was spot on to his idea. Hell yeah!

"They don't have to know that Kindle isn't a werewolf, either." Sally offered.

"They would know right away. He smells like a demon. There's no way they'd let that pass."

"Chances are, if they hate this alpha as much as you do, they'd let him challenge." I said, and August considered this.

"Not that I don't love a good old underdog story-" Ryan interjected. "-but we still do have those demons to deal with."

"We can report the church back to my dad, go challenge the alpha, and be back in no time. It'll be a breeze." I said, confident. Ryan groaned.

"Please don't say that."

"Why are you doing this?" August asked, genuinely confused. "Why are you trying to help me?" They looked at Kindle. "Especially you!"

"You're my friend, August." I said, gently nudging them. Their pretty, windswept hair was falling over their eyes a bit now. They looked at me, startled.

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. You matter to me. And if you need help, I'm willing to do what I can."

They blushed, and looked at the ground. "Oh."

"I understand what it's like to be up against,,, Well. A brute." Kindle said, though he still seemed conflicted. "I'm willing to help give him what he deserves."

I glanced to Sally and Ryan.

"I've always wanted to meet werewolves." Sally remarked, and she linked her arm with Ryan's. "Obviously we're in too." Ryan's face seemed to fall, but he nodded anyway.

August rubbed their eyes, sighing.

"Okay...thank you."

"Let's go kick ass."

____

August lead us to their home.

"So how do you think your pack will respond to our merry little band of weirdos?" I asked, and they shrugged.

"Uh. It could go either way. They'll either rejoice, or probably try and kill you."

"Oh. Okay."

"Probably best that you stick behind me."

"Gotcha."

____

I didn't even know we had arrived until they were upon us. I was flattened to the earth by a large, lithe black wolf. It had to be the size of a dumpster. It's teeth threatened near my neck, and it's shocking gold eyes were savage. But before I could even breathe, it was hauled off of me by Kindle.

"Back off." He snarled, just as viciously as the wolves that now surrounded us.

"Lovell, Fenrir, Selena." August raised their hands and shrunk to their knees in a nonthreatening gesture. "They're with me."

The two wolves that surrounded the black wolf almost seemed to laugh at August. Slowly, they melted down and I was faced by two very similar looking girls. Lovell and Selena, I guessed. Soft hair that reminded me of a fawn's pelt cascaded down their shoulders, and they shared frighteningly dark eyes. Like a lake at midnight. One was a bit taller than the other, and a deep scar was cut jaggedly across her jaw, stark against her bronze skin. They had to be about seventeen.

The center wolf still hadn't changed yet.

"Have you brought us dinner?" Said the shorter girl, giggling. "Silly little wolf. We don't hunt humans unless times are desperate."

"These are no humans." Sniffed the taller girl, eyeing me especially. "I sense strong powers here."

"That's right." I said confidently, even though the werewolves scared me half to death.

"I've brought a challenger." August said, but their voice sounded weak.

Finally, the last wolf transformed.

"August." He said, his gentle but commanding voice low. "There are no challengers here." His shoulder length hair was as dark as ebony, and he shared the same bronze skin as August and the others. His eyes were gold like theirs, too. I guessed he was somewhere around seventeen to twenty, like the two girls. It was hard to tell. He looked youthful but old at the same time.

"I'm taking on the alpha." Kindle announced, and I couldn't help but wonder if that was a bad decision to make. But there was no going back now.

"You aren't a werewolf." Fenrir wrinkled his nose. "You reek of the smoke from hellfire."

"A demon." Confirmed the taller girl, who I still had yet to learn the name of.

"I'm only doing this to help restore your former leader to his place." Kindle said, and Fenrir crossed his arms, but not before rubbing the back of his neck. Presumably where Kindle grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and flung him a few feet. He didn't seem pleased about that.

"August." Fenrir said accusingly, turning to them.

"Fenrir I-"

"I know your motive behind this. Don't make people fight your battles. Look, August. I'm sorry father was banished, but there's nothing we can do now. We have a new leader." He frowned, and I felt like I was intruding on some serious personal business.

"There's nothing we can do? Really?" August's voice shook with rage, and their eyes seemed to flare a molten gold.

"Hey August-" I reached out to them in a consoling manner, half expecting them to shove me away. However, they did the complete opposite, clinging to my arm and dragging me closer to them, clearly distraught. I blushed about as red as my hair.

"You won't let me fight. You won't fight him yourself and neither will anyone else. But we all know that if we let him stay, things are going to go bad." August hugged my arm tightly. "Let the demon challenge him. It's our best option unless you'd rather watch our family suffer. Watch mom suffer."

"Don't say that." Fenrir snapped, but he seemed to consider this. He stared me down in particular, and I suddenly wished August wasn't clinging to me.

"We may have gotten off on the wrong foot." Kindle paused, looking to Fenrir. "I think that's the right term...Whatever it is, look, I understand what you're going through. I'm willing to help before it gets worse. And it will. I'm speaking from personal experiences."

"You are strange, for a demon." Fenrir narrowed his eyes, but it wasn't in a harsh way.

"It seems so." Kindle responded, and he and Fenrir shared a look of understanding.

"Fine." Fenrir said at last. "I will make sure the others will allow you to pass through and challenge him. But I don't think he'll want to take up your challenge. You smell too much of your fiery home. We need to hide you somehow..."

"I could try a spell." Ryan spoke up, for the first time in a while. "I've been trying to do some reading, and I remember I found this one incantation...Just to change you for a little while. I'm not sure if it'd work on a demon, though."

"What are you? A witch?" Asked the taller girl, and Ryan seemed to finally notice everyone's attention was on him.

He stammered. "Uh, I think it would be wizard? I'm not fully confident about that answer. But what I'm trying to say is I'm pretty certain I have the spell memorized."

August had yet to let go of my arm. "Well whatever you're planning, you better do it quickly."

"We might have some of the supplies you need at our medicine house." Fenrir said. "Selena, take the wizard there."

The taller girl nodded, and she gestured for Ryan to start walking. He glanced hesitantly over his shoulder, waving and muttering a quick goodbye before following after her.

"The rest of you will come speak to our eldest sibling. Demon, walk between Lovell and I. We will do our best to hide your scent."

Kindle's eyes flicked to me and Sally momentarily, he frowned before making his way to walk beside Fenrir and Lovell. Despite the werewolf clinging to my arm, I felt kind of left behind.

"So we're actually doing this?" Sally asked, walking up beside me. I made an uncertain noise.

"Uh. I guess. Do we really have a choice?" I muttered, following close behind the others.

"Not anymore." Declared August. And that was that.

____

The smell of firewood and something else burning alerted me to the fact that we were coming upon the heart of August's home. Before we arrived, I asked a few more questions, mostly about their pack. Apparently that annoyed August, cause they left me in the dust for a while. It didn't take long for them to start talking, though.

They explained the basics. Firstly, they all weren't actual wolves, so things went a little differently. There was their father, Randale, the alpha male. And their mother, Lupa, the alpha female. They both ran things. Then there was August and their five siblings. November, Fenrir, Selene, Lovell, and Luna.

They were all born as werewolves, and because of it aged quite slow. August's parents had been bitten and stopped physically aging as soon as they were turned. I nearly choked when August told me they were actually about 42, as they aged 3 times slower than the average human. I did the math when August said Fenrir was 18, in the years they counted. He looked incredible for 54.

Now that I thought about it, how old was Kindle? No, no, I shouldn't think about it. I'll go into shock or something.

November was the oldest, and was debating splitting off of her family to start her own. Apparently she'd found a boyfriend that she wouldn't mind settling down with. The only downside, he was mortal.

"That must suck." I muttered as we walked.

"It's rare, yet sometimes relationships like that can work out." August glanced back at me, seeming to be debating that fact. "But most of the time, if the human is unaware of this,,, second world around them, it's kind of traumatizing. It usually ends in them cutting things off." They waved their hand, like that wasn't an actual problem. "Anyway, we're here. Stay close."

It wasn't anything extraordinary, but it had a nice, warm and cozy feeling to it. Five cabins that seemed to be made out of century old wood encircled a smaller, shack-like building.

"That's our cellar. We go there for protection, basically. Sometimes rival packs will come through and well, it isn't pretty. My parents would show them their place, though."

Slowly, from the cabins, a few heads peered out from behind doors. A very pretty girl, with silky hair like Selene or Lovell and bronze skin like the rest of her siblings swung open the door fully. She leant against the frame, curiously eyeing us as we approached. Her eyes were a ghostly yellow.

"You're joking." She said, walking down a few steps and quickly making her way to us. She glanced around, like she was trying to keep people from hearing. From a second cabin raced a young girl that looked around eleven, with the same bronze skin and dark hair as Fenrir.

"August!" She exclaimed, barreling into them with a fierce hug. August wrapped their arms around her, laughing, and I wondered what that was about. Had August been away? If so, for how long? I guessed that the first girl was November, and this was Luna.

"Unfortunately, we're not." Fenrir said sheepishly. "This is Kindle. He's... a challenger."

"What."

She looked Kindle up and down, who really didn't seem pleased to be in the spotlight.

"I'm going to help you restore your former leader." He said, though did so in a way that I knew he was tired of explaining.

November looked to Fenrir, eyes wide.

"You think he can beat him?"

"He's got a few tricks up his sleeve, I'm sure." August spoke up, and Kindle glanced away, uncomfortable. I found it kind of funny how he'd chose a fight over being fawned on and talked about.

"Show me your form." November demanded, and Kindle looked to me for confirmation.

"Uh, yeah." I stuttered, not liking how the werewolf was suspiciously eyeing me. "Go ahead."

Kindle shrunk down almost immediately, turning into a large, dark red wolf. He glanced around before sitting. It was so weird to look at an animal and know it's actually a friend of yours. It was definitely Kindle, I could tell for sure by the eyes.

November seemed impressed.

Kindle turned back to his preferred form, still sitting on the ground. A bit embarrassed, he got to his feet and brushed wood chips, dirt and leaves from his pants.

"He may have a chance. Red wolves are quite rare." She added, narrowing her pale eyes.

Suddenly, the sound of branches snapping and feet hitting the ground reached my ears. I turned to find Selena and Ryan approaching us. Ryan held something in his fist- a vial. The liquid inside was a soft gold color, and seemed to emit its own light.

November looked to me, then Ryan, then Kindle, and Sally.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Matthew Thomas." I said, suddenly compelled to tell my life story. Her eyes were...enchanting, pulling information from me. I strained my voice, trying not to confess everything. "I'm the descendant of the archangel Joseph, and wielder of Seraphim."

That was new. Seraphim? What was Seraphim?

She seemed surprised to hear that herself. "Yet you travel with a demon. Peculiar." She tilted her head. "The rest of you. Tell me who you are."

Kindle bit his tongue, refusing to say even a word. Sally covered her mouth, but ended up blurting, "Sally Strait. I see and communicate with spirits."

"You... shouldn't be alive." Fenrir muttered, confused.

"Ryan Brooke. I'm, uh, a wizard, a sorcerer? I still don't know." Ryan yelped, still clutching the vial. He looked at November. "How are you doing that?"

"I was born on a full moon." She said. "It's gives me...power over others."

"Then why don't you challenge the alpha?" I questioned.

"He was as well. He is stronger than me. I'm no fool." She glared, but her gaze just withered away, and I could see how tired she was.

"We shouldn't be wasting time talking." August urged, breaking away from Luna and taking the vial from Ryan. They shoved it into Kindle's hands. "Do what you need to."

"What do I need to do?" He asked Ryan, who grimaced.

"Drink it. I'm not sure what it'll do, if anything, but we've gotta try."

Kindle pulled the stopper from the vial, eyeing the metallic liquid before pressing it to his lips and tilting his head back. He stood for a moment, contemplating. His face soured, and he coughed a little bit.

"That was disgusting."

"Never said it wouldn't be." Selena commented, and Sally snorted.

"Do you... feel any different?" I asked him, and he tilted his head at me.

"I don't know." He stared at his hands, then his palms, frowning. "It's strange."

Suddenly, he straightened, eyes wide. I watched as his irises blazed a gold color, and his hair changed from the normal, deep red to a black close to Fenrir's. It shortened, and turned a little wavy, like a spirit had magically given him a haircut. He coughed again, pressing his hand to his chest. Kindle looked uneasy, and then petrified. That I didn't understand.

"Well. You certainly look different." Fenrir eyed him, poking his arm. "Your scent is strange. It just seems masked. I can't tell what you're supposed to be."

"Try your form again." Said November, and Kindle obliged. He looked the same as before, but the fur around his face had darkened, and his eyes had clearly brightened. He changed back, looking sick to his stomach.

"Doing that constantly really isn't great for my health." He groaned. Kindle still looked uncomfortable in his own skin.

August suddenly grabbed my hand, aggressively pulling me back. I hit the ground with them just as a huge white wolf crashed into the spot we had been mere seconds before. It snarled, and I watched as November grabbed Luna and Fenrir, placing them behind her. Lovell and Selene guarded Ryan and Sally like they were their own kin.

The wolf advanced at Kindle, who stood his ground, eyes blazing.

"So you're the sorry bastard I've got to beat." Kindle growled. "Not impressed."

I knew he was lying. This guy was as big as a tractor. Kindle was easily half his size, maybe smaller. That would give him the speed advantage, but if he took just one bite...

"Well come on then! I challenge you."

The wolf charged, and Kindle shrunk down. He leapt aside at the last moment, and I felt August grab my shoulders to haul me to my feet, dragging me to a cabin.

"I'm not leaving!" I snapped, and August sighed in exasperation.

"Just don't get in the way."

"I didn't plan on it."

Kindle bared his teeth, circling the wolf. He raced towards him, leaping onto his back. The wolf snarled, and yelped as Kindle sunk his fangs into his neck. His white fur grew soaked with blood, and he shook Kindle off, bashing him to the ground with his huge claws as he fell. He stared at him, his eyes the same pale color as November's. They seemed to be saying something to one another.

Kindle flattened his ears and lunged back up, attempting to snap at his jugular, but was smashed back down to the ground. The white wolf regarded him almost humorously, and I tried to shout at him.

"Stop it! I said don't get in the way." August grabbed my hands, pulling me back.

"Kindle is losing, can't you see that?"

"He knew the risks."

Kindle suddenly went limp, which seemed to confuse the wolf for a second. He must've loosened his claws over Kindle, because as soon as he hesitated, just slightly, Kindle twisted himself around, pushed off from the ground, escaping from the wolf. He sank his fangs into his paw, growling, and the white wolf snapped at him. Kindle barely leapt away, turning around just to charge at him again. This time, he faced him head on. He grabbed the side of his neck this time, hanging loosely as blood flowed from his rival's wounds.

He dropped back down, but wasn't fast enough this time. The white wolf lunged out and caught him in the legs. I heard an audible snap, as his teeth closed around him in a visor-like group. He shook his head fiercely, flinging Kindle into a tree with another snap. Kindle hit the ground.

Whatever was in the vial didn't help him one bit. He was weakened in this state. Was it permanent? Was he dead? He wasn't moving. Panic overtook me, and a familiar sensation made my ears ring.

"Kindle!"

Around us, the cabin lights flared and burst. I wanted to give him strength. It then felt like I'd been sucker punched, and I crashed to my knees. As I fell, Kindle rose back up, but the other wolf was ready. His massive jaws closed around Kindle, and he lifted him up like a prize. I never would've expected what happened next.

Through my blurry gaze, I watched as Kindle transformed back, blood pooling from many wounds, but he somehow twisted himself, crouched, and held the massive wolf's mouth open. I watched as he strained, and his rival's eyes widened in surprise.

Slowly, he stood, his arms shaking from the effort. The wolf's mouth was forced to open wider and wider as he stood, and in a final burst of strength, Kindle roared and forced his jaw up. I could feel the resonation of bones breaking like I myself was in Kindle's place. And for good measure, Kindle suddenly produced his dagger. He shoved it up into the roof of his mouth, becoming doused in dark red blood.

The massive wolf crashed to the ground, and all was silent. I forced myself back on my feet, dizzy. Kindle crawled away, coughing and vomiting as he suddenly expelled the gold liquid the vial once held. His hair bled back to the dark red color I knew well, and he proceeded to lay on the forest floor in exhaustion.

Despite being tired myself, I hauled myself over there to make sure he was okay. Fenrir tried to say something to me, but I didn't hear.

As I walked to Kindle, I watched as the white wolf shrunk down. He was now a mangled, bloodied man lying in a heap with a broken jaw. I wanted to throw up, but didn't have the energy.

"Kindle." I said, my voice hoarse. I sighed, and sat down beside the demon. He was out cold, but I could see that his wounds were already healed.

____

I didn't remember passing out, but I ended up waking up in a very soft bed that definitely wasn't mine. I was getting tired of the blackouts.

"Hey Mr. Amnesia." A hand was suddenly pressed to my head, and I glanced over to spot August sitting nearby, a grim sort of smile on their face. They had pulled a chair over to rest on. How long had they been there?

"Your father-" I began, but they pressed a finger to my lips.

"We tracked him and brought him back home. Kindle stepped down. I can't begin to thank you enough for what you both did. I finally feel like my family is safe. My dad was really happy." They drew their hand away and rubbed the back of their head sheepishly. "He talked to me for the first time in a while. I haven't really been back in... well. A long time. The last time I tried to make amends, my dad was overthrown.  He's still struggling to accept me for who I am, but I think he'll come through. Selene and Lovell too. I don't know if you noticed, but they weren't too pleased. Only recently have they began warming up to me. November is trying. So is Fenrir. Luna, though, never doubted me for a second. Turns out mother was gone from the whole fight. Out collecting healing herbs... Funny how that went."

I sat up, brushing my hair from my face. "That's great, August. I'm really happy for you."

"Your mission, with the demons." August said. "I want to help. Just give me the word, and I'll do whatever you need."

I stared at them, a little dumbfounded. "Really?"

"You're my friend. I'm willing to help." They declared, and I believed them.

I heard a soft cough at the entrance of the cabin, and Kindle peered inside, smiling a bit.

"Hey August. Mind if I talk to him for a bit?"

"Oh, sure." August stood, pulling a new jacket- this one leather- around their shoulders. "I'll see you soon." They waved awkwardly and left.

I got up, feeling a little better than the last time I was in this situation. I was more tired than in agony. Before I could even say anything, Kindle walked forward and hugged me. I was starting to get used to that. I found myself longing for comfort almost constantly.

He pulled back, his face concerned. "How'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"You know what. I felt you." Kindle insisted. "You willed me back and healed me instantly. I got a sudden huge burst of strength and was able to shatter Cypress's jaw and kill him."

"Cypress? That was his name?"

"Really? You literally transferred a ton of power to me and all you're worried about is my rivals name?"

"I was curious." I muttered, and he shook his head, more amused than anything.

"He had a power like November." Kindle continued. "He kept trying to convince me to give in, or miss my strikes. He was incredibly strong..."

"Well, what matters is that you kicked his ass and now Randale is back in power. All is right with the world."

"Nothing is right with the world!"

"What did the stuff in the vial do?" I blurted, and Kindle paused. What? I couldn't help the fact I had quite a few questions.

"It amplified my feral instincts. It drowned out the demon in me, for just a little while." Kindle clenched his hands. "I almost miss it."

"When you took it, you seemed scared, why?"

Kindle looked pained, but he told me anyway.

"I saw my old self. I had buried it so far down that I wasn't sure if it was there anymore. But it was. And that frightened me."

"Your old self. Like, the bad you?"

"Before I was Kindle. My name was really Kian. I..." He paused. "I'm sorry. It isn't the best time right now."

"Hey, man, that's okay." I reassuringly pat his shoulder. "Take your time with things. If you aren't ready to talk, we can wait a bit longer." I attempted a smile, but Kindle just shook his head.

"I'm afraid we might not have much time left."

Oh that bright note, Sally burst in, Ryan dragging behind her. She flung her arms around me, and I hugged her back, and then she turned to Kindle, beaming and hugging him as well.

"You guys look great. Now, can we please go home?"

___

"Be careful, August." Fenrir warned, and they just waved their hand.

"Oh, I'll be fine."

We rummaged around with our new things. August's mother was quite generous with the gifts. We had so much healing equipment that they had to just give us a whole new backpack for it all. Randale even offered to escort us out of the forest, but we declined. They had also given us- Kindle specifically- an intricate silver dagger and sheath that he turned into a sort of belt, fed under the loops of his jeans. He now had two weapons at his side.

Selene had given Ryan a few books on lycanthropy, which he seemed pleased about.

"Take care of yourself." November said, nodding my way as we prepared to leave. We said our goodbyes to our new allies, and made our way out of the forest. The sun was rising.

"I wonder how much time we have left." Sally said, and I thought it over longer than I should.

"Hopefully enough." I decided. As we walked, I contacted my dad to see how he was faring. No luck on finding Jade, but I wasn't surprised. I told him how we'd found the church, and he promised to meet us there.

We now sat on some pews that we had put back up. Sally lounged out across an entire section, humming Imagine Dragon's song Thunder. August laughed at the distorted faces they could make in the shattered glass windows. Kindle stared at the cross.

I didn't like how silent and quiet it was here(save for August's giggling). Strangely, I found the forest more preferable. I walked out with Ryan, watching the sun rise the best I could through the trees. I thought about what I had been forced to confess. It was something I didn't even know myself. Wielder of Seraphim.

What could that mean? I found myself staring at the black ring on my finger, wondering if there was more to it than it seemed. Joseph had apparently created the weapon from his own light. Was it the ring's name? Could rings have names?

"I'm going to go a bit farther out." I declared. "I'll see if I can intercept my dad so he knows where to go."

"Be careful." Ryan warned, and I scoffed.

"I'm always careful."

Lies.

As I walked, I tried calling on the ring's power. Annoyingly, it has stopped responding to me.

"Seraphim- is that your name? Well it is now. Don't do this to me. Please work. I don't want to just talk to a ring. You don't even talk back."

It said nothing, as expected.

The air grew a bit colder, and I drew my jacket in close. Because of my malfunctioning ring, Kindle had given me the dagger originally gifted to him by the werewolves. I drew it out of it's sheath, studying the surface. It was a very pretty, very sharp weapon. I wondered if it had ever seen battle.

Sorry.

I froze, staring at the dagger. Then I sheathed it and stared at my ring. I was officially losing it.

"What?"

This may hurt. But it is necessary.

A loud thud, and the sound of heavy boots on leaves and twigs sounded behind me, and I barely had time to whirl back around and draw my dagger as a larger blade was brought down on me.

Snow faced me, his eyes furious. He grinned, showing off his pointed teeth.

"Hey little angel." He easily disarmed me, as I had no experience whatsoever with a dagger, and pinned me against a tree. He pressed the tip of a large black sword to my throat. I froze, and watched as frost slowly spread across my skin. 

"You can't hurt me." I challenged, faking bravery. "Rae needs me."

"Oh, you see, me and her figured something out. We don't need you. We need your essence."

My eyes widened. The frost continued to crawl across my throat.

"And how do you get that?" I asked, weakly.

Faintly, I heard the sounds of my friends calling out to me. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

Snow's smile turned even more sinister. From behind his greasy black hair, his eyes glowed.

Then he took his sword and drove it through my chest. I heard it hit the bark of the tree behind me.

And then I died.