Nick watched as Ash's eyes grew to an impossibly large fraction the likes of which he'd never witnessed before. After being attacked by a snarling slobbering demon with its friendly gentle buddies, they'd found themselves sucked into a different ethereal realm. Ash had instinctively reached forward jerking the young Malachai backwards from the edge of the dark realm's plummeting raven. Nick let out a loud breath and clutched the Atlantean's arm as his foot skidded the edge of the cracking dirt. Across the expanse of the ridge, which Ash took more steps back from with Nick, they heard a daunted battle cry. The demon that had originally attacked them had raged across the bottomless pit towards the other inhabitant they hadn't known was there. Ash straightened furrowing his brows letting go of the Cajun boy.
"We have to help them!" Nick growled going towards the cliff.
"We can't idiot." Ash snapped catching the back of his shirt. "There's a curtain dividing us."
"What?" Nick's drawl was full of sarcasm for what he didn't understand.
"There is a curtain containing that girl over there. Think of it as a prison. She can't see us but we can see her." He narrowed his eyes since the demon had made it across perfectly fine. It seemed only things born from this realm could cross the curtain wall.
"So we just let that thing kill her?" he raised an eyebrow practically spitting words at the man who dwarfed him.
"We can't help her right now." He said again rubbing the back of his neck.
They watched as the girl manifested a staff the size of her body and rammed it at the beast swooping down on her. She screamed an unearthly unpleasant sound as it attacked. She was beautifully delicate but fiercely feral. Her pale face was contorted in rage as she smashed the rod's pointed end through the demon's shoulder. It howled and thwarted a clawed mottled hand at her face. Its nails found prize and dug in deep tearing a slash across her cheek and neck. The wound opened and bled down her front as she snarled ripping the staff out of the demon. She spun it in her hands and tried to kick the monster back but she couldn't; something caught her holding her still. It was then that Ash noticed what. There, attached to her wrists and ankles, were cold rusted shackles bolted tightly into the cave wall behind her. She shook in anger spitting on the winged creature as it threw her backwards onto the ground to pin her with its foot over her chest. Nick flinched watching his hands balling into fists.
"Lay down child or I will kill you." It snarled at her speaking in an old language that strangely Nick understood.
"Go find a place where the sun don't shine to stick your words!" she snapped swiping the staff at his legs. The beast crumpled losing balance and fell to the side where the girl swiftly shifted to her side and wrenched herself up. She spun the dark rod aiming the pointed bloody end down and pierced the demon through the chest.
"Rot in hell." She hissed as it disintegrated.
Her wounds bled for what seemed like hours. Neela sat on the stained dirt nearly plopping down in the exact spot where the demon had just vanished. Her head was aching and the newly opened skin burnt like hell where he'd opened her up. Her fingers brushed over the torn epidermis as she sighed. She'd just gotten the other wounds to heal. Damn. It was too much to ask that for once her father would leave her in peace to die alone in this prison. Her body shivered breaking out in prickled sweat as her power surged. Deep inside her core Neela could feel everything that was her birthright roaring to break through. The power that was urging inside her was locked there and she knew it would later be drained by his father's witch companion. Her skin crawled at the thought of that woman's teeth sinking into her neck again. Without thinking she rubbed her neck which was still bruised and brandished from the last feeding and let out an aggravated scream. She hated her existence. She hated herself. Most of all, she hated what they'd made her. The fissure in the cave rippled and she instinctively scooted back against the rock wall huddling there ready for battle. She stood hunched over in a crouch as Azura neared her. Her hands shook and she clenched them into tight fists to keep it from showing.
"Well, well, if it isn't my little pet." She grinned leisurely circling the girl. Ash watched as the girl sized up the woman like a caged animal.
"What do you want?" the girl wearing tattered rags for clothing snapped.
"It's time to feed brat." Ash knew what was coming and the girl did too. She shifted back trying to mold herself into the wall as if the rocks could come forward and contain her.
"Get away from me!" Her eyes turned a sickening shade of pearled darkness before Azura clenched a hand over her throat.
"I don't take orders from trash. You're lucky I haven't ripped your tongue out of your skull." She sneered before shoving the child's head sideways to plunge her fangs into the skin. There was a gurgling intake of air from the child as she wrenched in Azura's grasp trying to break free. Ash felt a wave of anger wash over him.
Ash hadn't been able to break the veil of invisible pull before the girl had been drained. Azura let her limp body drop to the dust, her head smacking off the ground loudly. Her eyes were still slightly open, her chest heaving in and out gently. Azura smirked wiping the blood from her chin over the back of her arm laughing. She knelt down brushing a hand through her dark tangled and mangled curls before taking a fistful and yanking her head back.
"Someday I will be allowed to completely absorb you. I can't wait until your body is no longer needed." And with a shimmering mist the woman was gone. Again, Neela's head hit the dirt and she groaned painfully squeezing her eyes shut. From one to many days in the same position, Ash knew that she was drained of her powers. She couldn't move. She couldn't fight. The girl was utterly defenseless.
"Ash…big man…we have to help that girl." Nick whispered tears misted the back of his eyes.
"I can't break this veil kiddo." The taller man looked down at him sadly.
"Then I will." He snapped letting his Malachai powers swell up inside him. Before Ash could restrain him he blasted at the expanse of air with as much force as his blistering fire could muster. The fissure crackled, warping back towards them at first, and then exploded violently. The fire edged along the cracking invisible wall spiraling like wind storms were dancing within the flames. A faint pop registered in their ears but the girl across the cavern made no movement. Ash manifested himself across the divide instantly and knelt down beside the wounded beaten girl.
Up close she was worse for wear than he had originally thought. Nick joined them but stayed back a moment as a tingling sensation rippled down his spine warning him to stay back. He didn't know exactly why but he didn't want to stand beside her. Ash went to slide a hand under her gently and shift her to face him but she let out a feted growl. It was low and guttural like an animal defending itself when it was about to die, after it had been kicked.
"Take it easy there kid. We're here to get you out." He whispered.
Get away from me!
Her voice chimed darkly angrily inside his head. Nick made a face.
"I don't think you should touch her man."
"We're going to get her out of here." He snapped a chain curling it around his wrist and yanking hard. He pulled it from the wall.
"I'm not sure you want to do that." Caleb's voice taunted as he flashed into the realm to meet them. He put himself between Nick and the girl Ash was holding.
"And why not Malphas?"
I am Noir's spawn.
The voice spoke just before she passed out.