Alec closed his book and looked out the window as the rain continued to pour down. He had finally finished the last chapter. He stretched and looked the clock. He could hardly believe that it was 2:30 a.m. He stepped out of the library and pulled the door shut. In the darkness he slowly shuffled down the hall his bare feet not making a sound.
He froze when he saw a figure coming down the hall. He squinted in the dark to try to make out who it was. Alec was not sure but when the person turned to go down the stairs he could tell it was a girl by her long hair. Alec placed his hands on his hips. Was Isabelle sneaking out to meet up with some guy she had met?
When the person got to the bottom of the stairs they crossed a shaft of light coming from the street light outside. Alec could just make out the tank top and shorts but what suprized him most was the long sword dangling from her belt. That was not Isabelle, she always carried her whip and never a sword. The only other girl in the house was Ariel.
Alec watched as she continued soundlessly to the door and slipped outside. When Alec saw the sheets of rain even through the small crack his body shivered involentarily. Where would she be heading at this time of night and especially out in this storm?
Even though he was only in his sweats and t-shirt he decided he better find out so he quietly crept down the stairs and followed her out the front door. He stopped on the porch listening to the rain beat on the roof and the water gush from the drain pipe near the corner of the building. He looked out into the rain but couldn't see any sign of where Ariel had gone. The wind blew a cold mist of rain so that Alec could feel his skin was damp already.
He was just debating on heading back in when a flash of lightning lit up the sky. Out in the yard he caught sight of her. She was in the fighting stance with her sword drawn as if getting ready to confront a large demon but Alec could not see one. Quickly the light faded and he focused hard on where he could barely make out her form in the dark. He really wished he had his stele so he could use the sight rune but it was up in his room on his dresser.
With each flash of lightning he watched as Ariel dodged and weaved in the open. She sliced her sword repeatedly through the air. Then she cried and leapt through the air as if trying to attack, but Alec could still not make out any demons. He knew some were hard to see as they could disappear and reappear during battle but usually if he focused he could see them especially if he were not the one fighting them.
She slipped once and saumersalted past a bush where she lay motionless in the wet grass for what seemed like a long time, but just as Alec was getting ready to hurry to her aid she slowly stood. She looked a little shaky but took her stance and continued to fight her invisible foe.
The rain continued to come down in sheets obscuring Alec's view so that he completely lost sight of Ariel.
When the rain finally started to slow he quickly scanned the area for her. He couldn't find her but then his eyes stopped on a heap lying motionless on the ground near a large rock. He sprinted across the yard with his sences alert for any movement from near by.
As he got close he could clearly make out Ariel's slim body on the ground. Her clothes were soaked from the rain and her body shivered in the cool air. He knelt beside her and brushed the wet hair back from her face. "Ariel, are you hurt?" She shook her head slightly but didn't make any effort to get up. "Do you need help?" She shook her head again. Alec glanced around still nervous of this undetectable demon. He was still unsure if it were real or not. "We need to get inside. I have a strange feeling."
Ariel just pulled herself into a tighter ball. Alec surveyed her body up and down but could not see any wounds and there was no dark puddles indicating blood.
He knelt back down. "Ariel, I'm going to take you inside. You may have a concussion."
"No, leave me," she mumbled, "I don't deserve your help." She pulled her arms around herself. "She's gone. The demon got her," she continued to mumble as rain and sweat ran down her face.
"Who did the demon get?" Alec placed a hand on her shoulder, "You're the only one out here."
"My mom," she choked out then covered her face as she began to sob.
Alec didn't ask this time but gently reached over and scooped her up in his arms. She was light compared to the times Alec had managed to drag Jace's body away from a fight.
As he carried her back inside, she shivered all the way up the stairs. He managed to open the hall closet and grab two towels before continuing down the hall to her bedroom. After shutting the door he turned on the light then slid to the floor with Ariel still in his arms. He wrapped one towel around her and used the other to gently dry her face.
She winced when the towel passed over her arm with the bandage. Alec set down the towel and ran his fingers gingerly over the dark veins that spread from her shoulder down to her elbow. "Is that what I hit when we were sparing?" She nodded and looked up to see concern in his blue eyes. "You should have Hodge look at that. It may be demon poison. Should I go get him?"
Ariel looked away as she covered the spot with her shaky hand. Her voice came out as a whimpered when she spoke, "It's going to really hurt. I'll do it in the morning."
Alec didn't push the issue but simply picked up the towel and dried off her legs as well.
When he was done he pushed himself up and carried her to her bed. He pulled the covers up around her still shivering body and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. In the light he could see fresh tears sliding down he cheeks. "What happened out there?" he asked quietly as he gently wiped away her tears with his fingers.
"I…I don't know. It…it seemed so real." She took in a choked breath. "I…I fought the demon and I saw it kill my mom just like before." Ariel pulled the covers over her face and began to sob quietly. Alec didn't know what to say so he simply sat there and rubbed her back.
When the sobs subsided Alec spoke softly, "Do you think you might have been sleep walking? I couldn't see the demon or anyone else for that matter." Ariel just lay there with the covers pulled around her and stared at the wall. "Maybe it will be clearer in the morning. Why don't you try to get some sleep." Alec brushed a few stray hairs from her face. Ariel nodded and slowly closed her eyes.
When she stopped shivering Alec stood and silently walked to the door. He took one last look at the girl curled up in the blankets before he pulled the door shut. He left the door open a crack.
Alec walked past his room and back to the library. He began searching the shelves for the healing book. When he found it he flipped through the pages until he came to the Demon Poison. "Just as I thought," he whispered out loud.
Alec read that some demon poison was known to cause hallucinations to the one being affected. The gashes on Ariel's arm and this book answered some of the questions that had been bothering him.
He sighed and set the book back on the shelf then he stood and headed to his room. With thoughts still flying around his head he pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the chair near by as he slid under the covers. Who was this girl anyway?
