A/N: Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but its time I threw a twist or two into this story..... I know, I know, the lot of you like all of the 'everything is fine and nothing can ever go wrong' fics, but this can't be, and was never intended to be one of those. I warned you back in chapter 1 that this was how things would be, if you'll remember. In smaller words, this is the chapter that contains 'questionable material'. I'm just warning you that if you don't like my ideas of twisted, tragic fics, don't read this chapter, but rather pic up again towards the end when I whip out a happy ending!
With that in mind, read the chapter, and don't forget to review! I hope you enjoy it! I promise to do something with Gallan Return the second I finish this short fic, which will be very soon! ^_^
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As the night grew old, the storm went on. Rain poured down outside, and the wind howled with such furry that it would send chills up even the strongest man's spine. If Daine and Numair were not entranced in a dream filled sleep and a peaceful mindset, they would likely be restless from the storm. It was things such as this that kept most wide awake into the late hours of the night. But not the two that slept so soundly in each other's arms. No, they had been too caught up in each other to even notice the intensity of the storm brewing just outside. Of course it would do them no harm whether they noticed it or not, for they were safely concealed in the warm tower that lay on a cliff overlooking the crashing waves of the Emerald Ocean.
Several hours had passed since they had tired of their night's activities and thus dozed off. The two had slept quite peacefully since. Daine lay on her side, her back leaning against her lover's chest as he kept his arms wrapped affectionately around her bare shoulders. Numair's face lay atop of her own, his warm breath sweeping over her cheek. Their was a smile written clearly on each of their faces.
Daine's peaceful state of mind soon came to a stop as did her sound rest. Her eye lids swept open suddenly, her blue gray eye's alight with what looked to be a sense of danger. Her body was drenched with sweat. Though Daine could see nothing peculiar with their room, she could feel it. Something amidst them was wrong, and she knew it. There was a heavy air about, as if the gods knew that something was about to happen. It was their way of warning the mortals, Daine knew. She felt her heart beat rapidly within her chest, though she had not a clue as to why she had gotten herself so excited. Had it been some sort of dream, a nightmare perhaps? No, it could not have been that, for her dreams had been filled only with peaceful times to come with her lover. She had dreamed that he had proposed to her once again, and she had accepted. She had imagined that they were engaged, and were anxiously awaiting their wedding day, when they would be one.
But her dreams could not change the tense, heavy atmosphere this night. Daine lay for what felt like hours, but in reality was not more than mere moments. She stared at the ceiling in these short moments, her anxiety only growing. Then it came. She knew suddenly what was making the air and her heart heavy, but she was too late. It was another attack. Likely it had been its first affects that had managed to awaken her from her peaceful dreams of the future she longed for, but that was not what mattered now. All that mattered now, was that it was happening again.
Never before had Daine experienced two attacks in one night, and especially not with such little time in between. The attack she had experienced earlier she had believed could get no worse, nor any more painful. She had been dead wrong on that account, she now knew. Pain wracked at her mind like she had never known, and hoped she would never know. Every time she expected it was at its height, it only grew. She wondered suddenly why she had managed to stay so still during this time, and it would forever be a mystery to her. But that one joy ended too as all else did when she felt herself jerk suddenly, stifling a cry. She had to get out of their bed chamber, for fear she would wake Numair.
Hastily, for she felt as if her bones were alight with fire, Daine wiggled out from beneath the blankets and even more carefully out of Numair's constricting arms. She was momentarily pleased to see that he only grunted and rolled onto his other side, his sleep not disturbed in the slightest. Daine thanked the gods that he had always been a heavy sleeper. She walked across the room as quietly as she could, body shaking from the pain and from the chill air of the night. She wore not a single stitch of clothing, and that only added to the situation. Bending down, Daine reached to grab her white cotton night dress which had been so carelessly strewn onto the floor beside their bed. Also on the floor lay her lover's breeches and under garments, scattered in various places. Daine wrapped the gown around her bare shoulders, covering herself.
The pain in Daine's head began to dim slightly as she made her way out of her bed chamber and down the stairs. This did not bring her much relief however, because soon the words began playing in her mind as they always did. Hunt. Blood. Kill. They were louder, and much more clear this night, to Daine's surprise. Against her will, tears began spilling steadily out of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. This was without a doubt the worst of her attacks yet, and it made her wish it would be her last. For a brief moment she thought to run back up the stairs and into the safety of Numair's arms. It was as if there was a voice in her mind that told her it would be better not to do so, and so she did not.
She continued into the kitchen, making her way to the wooden counter top where they always kept a full water basin. Reaching it, Daine felt dizzy, so she gripped tightly to the counter's edge. Her legs wobbled beneath her weight, and her knees shook. Daine felt as if she might collapse on the spot, but she began telling herself she would do no such thing. She was a strong warrior of the king's army, a hero of Tortall and she would not let herself be overcome by some petty ailment such as this. It was painful, yes, oh gods yes, but she would get by. Alanna was to be coming in the morning's light, Numair had mentioned if Daine could recall correctly, and she could confide her problems to her friend. Perhaps Numair need never know.
Once Daine reached the water basin, she splashed her face generously with water, rubbing her eyes and head in hopes of clearing her whirling mind. It was amazing what these attacks managed to do to her, really. At times, she would even briefly forget who she was. That was what frightened her the most about it all. She could handle the pain if need be, but what it did to her thoughts, twisting her completely, giving her murderous ambitions and fantasies; it frightened her.
"Oh, goddess make it stop!" She whispered, voice raspy and pain stricken. Every bone in her body burned with such intensity that she thought she might faint. Her mind was in a whirled to where she could hardly think rationally. It had never been this bad before, and that did nothing to soothe her mind just now. As the pain began to dim once more, Daine reached to the cupboard above her head and removed a glass. She dipped it into the water with shaky hands, filling it with water. She then lifted it to her now chapped lips and drank it as if she had not had water in weeks. She had soon downed the entire glass, so she refilled it.
Gasping in between gulps, Daine reached up a hand to wipe her sweat soaked brow. As she did this, a surge of pain wracked her body suddenly, and she had no grip on the counter any longer, so she fell immediately to the cold wood floor. She landed on her back, breaking the fall with her arms as best as she could. The glass she had been holding flew out of her trembling hand and it too made contact with the hard wood floor. It shattered upon impact, glass shards scattering all over the floor around her. Daine winced in further pain as she rolled onto her side and felt several pieces of the broken drinking glass cut through her night dress and into her skin. Hunt. Blood. Kill.
For a brief moment, as Daine lay on the floor trying to regain herself, the pain went away entirely. Daine opened her eyes sharply in shock, her hands running over her limbs that had previously been wracked with unimaginable pain and burning. In that short moment, Daine felt a false hope that her troubles were gone. She did not stop to think that this moment of peace was not real, and thus could never last.
What came next came so fast, and so terribly, that Daine could not help but cry out in sheer terror and immense pain. The burning that surged through her limbs now was so strong that it made her feel numb from head to toe. Her mind was in a much worse state, as hard as that was to believe. It was a constant throbbing, and repetition of those same three words. Hunt. Blood. Kill. Daine was now openly crying, and she did not bother to stifle her uncontrollable sobbing.
Then, a throb came that was stronger than the rest. It was as if an explosion of a sort had taken place in her mind. Daine was entirely aware of it all, for her magical senses were immediately opened as it came. She looked now into her mind, into the core of her magic. It was a complete mess to say the least. Brilliant arrays of black and copper surged through every inch of her magical being. It was like nothing Daine had ever experienced, and she knew it was an affect of her attacks. Before, all she could ever see when she looked into the core of her magic was a brilliant mass of copper fire which covered all that she could see with her eyes. Now, nothing was organized and there was no real image so to speak. Also, there was a strong presence of not only the familiar copper fire, but also a raven black magic with a few white tinges here and there. Daine recognized it immediately as what remained of the barrier Numair had created for her to keep her magic under control eight years ago. That could mean only one thing, one horrifying thing. The barrier in her mind that kept her sane was broken.
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Numair awoke suddenly at a loud sound ringing in his ears. As his eyes snapped open, he heard the a loud cry from downstairs, followed by a crash of a human body falling to the floor. Not but a fraction of a second after that, Numair heard the sound of glass shattering against the hard wood floor, and it was only then that he began to piece things together. There was a danger in the tower, his tower. Panicking, he reached immediately to his side to shake his beloved awake and draw her protectively to him, his hand met only emptiness. He ran his fingers blindly over the empty spot in the bed where she had recently lay, he knew, for it was still full of her body warmth.
His heart pounded madly within his chest, alive with panic and worry. He leaped out of bed, throwing the covers off of himself. Hastily, he searched the floor for his breeches, and soon found them to have been littered over near his closet. He grabbed them quickly and pulled them on, mind in a whirl. "Mithros, let her be safe," he whispered frantically, eyes burning with a passionate worry.
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Hunt. Blood. Kill. The words rang again in Daine's mind; this time more clearly than ever before. It was as if they were a part of her. As her vision began blurring, still mixed with lively copper and black, Daine found herself fading into colorless sight. As her bones continued to burn, as if pulling her, Daine finally understood what was happening. It was the most unpleasant realization that Daine had come to since her return to her home in Snowsdale ten years ago to find her family murdered. The barrier in her mind was severed, and her wolf form was calling to her. She was losing her mind as she had before, and thoughts of murder and blood were slowly but surely consuming her. Why hadn't she seen it before?
"Oh Horselords, no!" Daine cried, tears streaming steadily. She could feel the pain of an oncoming shape-shift wracking her body, but she fought it off. She had to. She was not alone in the tower, and if she lost herself then she would be putting the man she loved most in danger. She had to regain herself, and fast, before she lost control all together.
Copper and Black sparks and flames were whirling like wildfire through her mind, entrancing her. She gasped, breathing heavily. It was no easy task to fight her own magic. In the end, she knew she could never win, but at least she could hold herself off until help could come to her. Until then, she would have to fight, despite all the horrible pain she felt as a result. She felt herself beginning to lose her ground against her magic, and she grew terrified. Hunt. Blood. Kill. "Goddess, give me strength," Daine breathed, gasping and fighting for air. Her body jerked violently on the floor as she trembled. She was losing control of her nerves, which affected every move her body made.
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Numair raced down the stairs with all of his might, worried out of his mind. He had to get to her, had to find her. He knew from the cries of pain he had heard that it was his love that had caused the commotion, but why? What was going on? Had someone broken in and hurt her? These questions and more circulated through his mind, only making him worry more as he fought to reach her.
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To her horror, as she fought in what seemed to be an endless battle against her magic, she could faintly hear the sound of approaching footsteps. It was a faint sound, as if heard only in the back of her mind. Daine did not have to think hard to understand that it was her sense as a wolf that gave her such a hearing. Daine chilled at this thought. The only other person aside from herself who would be at the tower just now was Numair. He would be in great danger if he came to her now. With this in mind, Daine fought to get to her feet and hide herself, but to no avail. She did not have the strength to both hold off her wolf form and use her limbs.
At the moment, she thrashed her arms and legs violently back and forth against her will. She hated to admit such a thing to herself, but she was quickly losing control. Tears streamed steadily down her face, her sobs ringing clear in the night air. She did not have to wonder what had awoken her lover. Hunt. Blood. Kill. The words continued to play in her mind, pulling her in, reeling her closer. Her rope was getting shorter, her sanity losing its grip. Was she fighting a losing battle? Every single bone in her body burned with a fire that longed for her to change her form. She could not let Numair get pulled into this, for not only was there no way for him to help her, she could easily hurt him. She could not let that happen. As she heard the hurried rush of foot steps, she called out frantically, "Numair no!" these words were hard to choke out, but she somehow managed it. She had to. Again, she voiced, "Stay away! Get out!"
"Daine!" she heard him call out to her. His call rang loudly in her ears, making her head spin. Her magnified hearing made his cries to her a hundred times louder, and she could barely stand it on top of everything else. "I'm coming for you!"
Her mind was now in a whirl. She had to ward him away, and yet he continued to come! It seemed as if all was in slow motion. It had to be the pain, for everything took longer when you were in pain. She had to stop him, but she was losing herself. She tried to make herself do something, but she felt trapped. Pain surged through every inch of her body. How was all of this to turn out?
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The second Numair stepped into the kitchen, he was in a panic like he had never felt. Every inch of him knew something was terribly wrong. The night's air was heavy this night, and it was wrong. His eyes fell to the floor, and only now did the screams of his pained lover truly connect in his mind. "Daine!" he all but shouted, dropping suddenly to the floor beside her.
What was wrong with her? She was a mess just now, to say the least. She was sprawled on the floor, violently flailing her limbs this way and that. Tears streamed steadily down her face as her wracked sobs and pain stricken cries pierced the night air. "Daine!" he cried again. This time he would get an answer.
"N-no!" Daine shrieked, her voice choked and frantic. "You have to get out!"
"No! I'll help you-" Numair argued back, his voice firm, yet filled with panic such as he had never felt. He was taken aback as Daine fought his reaching arms, the arms meant to help her. Blood dripped down the side of his arm now. She had scratched him in her attempt to fight him off. He was completely taken by surprise at this, but would not give in to her pleas for him to simply flee. He would do no such thing.
"G-et out!" Daine moaned, subconsciously watching the blood drip down his arm. She could smell the fear on him. It was as if he were drenched in the substance, if it could even be called that. It generated from his face. Her lover's eyes were wide with fright, his face gleaming with tiny beads of sweat. The smell of his fear and newly shed blood was almost refreshing. That scared Daine.
"I won't!" He cried back, his movements frantic as he fought to get to her. He was afraid that he would hurt her further if he fought too hard to get to her, so he didn't. He would have to coax her into calming down. It didn't seem as if any of this was under her control to begin with, though, so he doubted this would help.
Then, suddenly, it all stopped. Everything froze. It all went away. Daine was free of her troubles in that moment, and Numair was free of his fate. It was all gone in that moment, and that brought a split second of hope to the two lovers, but it lasted only that long. Daine's body fell limp in front of her lover. Numair went to her immediately, no longer having the barrier her flailing limbs had provided to prevent him from doing so. He took her limp form into his arms, frightened to a high extent, more than he had ever felt before. "Daine," he breathed, as if calling her name would bring her back to reality. She was still alive, of that much he was sure. He brought his thumb and forefinger fearfully up to his lover's temple, his hands shaking violently. He felt as if he were entirely in the dark. Numair had no idea what had just happened, or why.
Numair did not have to panic for longer. No more than a few moments, in fact. As Daine still lay sprawled on the floor with her limp body dangling in her lover's arms, she suddenly came to. It was not a pleasant awakening. Her eye lids shot open suddenly, her eyes blazing with intensity. Her face held an odd, indescribable emotion. Numair gazed down on her the very instant she stirred, and though he had expected relief by her awakening, he received quite the opposite. With one look down at his love, at the expression on her face and the glazed look in her eyes, he found not relief but pure horror.
Daine gave her lover no time to register what had suddenly happened. She shook herself violently from the circle of his arms, shoving him to the side. He was taken aback by this, and as soon as it happened he was moved by her newfound strength and thrown against the nearby wall. Numair gasped in both surprise in amazement at this sudden choice of action and happenings. As soon as he hit the wall, he shifted his position and looked back at her. What he saw only intensified this odd situation. His lover was already to her feet, on all fours really, and was advancing swiftly upon him. "D-Daine-" Numair choked out, utterly confused by this entire turn of events.
No, Daine thought frantically. This was not happening, it could not be happening! The barrier had shattered, her emotions and thoughts had been deeply affected. Her senses were greatly magnified, just as they were during her attacks. Now, she could see for the most part in only black and white, but before her eyes tiny specks and fragments of black and copper mist danced hauntingly. Daine knew that these had to be pieces of the barrier that had once stood in her mind. She recognized immediately the black specks as Numair's Gift and the copper as her wild magic.
Hunt. Blood. Kill. She was losing her mind. She had to be. She was experiencing thoughts and emotions she had felt only once before, on the day she sought revenge on the bandits that stole her family from her. Just as things had been then, she could scaresly control herself now. Her thoughts were her own to some extent, but her actions were not. Daine had not by any means chosen to throw her confused lover across the room, but she had done it. She advanced upon him now not by her own will, but by an instinct she did not know she had. Daine had to fight it, or it would consume her. "No-" Daine fought to say, fighting with all o her strength and might to pull herself back. "No, no, no, no, no-" She began to gain a slight hold on herself, but it was costly to her strength of mind. Immediately as she fought herself, more thoughts of wolfish desires entered her mind, whirling and spreading like wild fire. Hunt. Blood. Kill.
"Daine-" Numair repeated, watching her struggling as she began to slow in her advance upon him. She soon was at a stop, her every limb shaking violently. He could subconsciously feel beads of sweat beginning to form on his brow. His heart thumped madly within his chest. "What's going on?" He fought to ask, voice coming out in a cracked whisper. Her eyes snapped immediately in his direction. In those eyes, he saw not his loving magelet, but something else that he could not fully describe. It was like a hunger, a burning desire in her eyes that he had never witnessed before. As she continued to gaze at him, Numair began inching his way further along the wall, mind racing with ideas of how to handle this. He knew now that his Daine was losing her mind, thought he did not know how or why.
Hunt. Blood. Kill. Daine was losing her fight. She looked upon Numair, who sat hunched against the kitchen wall, his eyes alight with not fright, but pure concern and worry. The part of Daine that was still herself felt broken by this. In a dangerous situation such as this, he cared not so much for his own well being as he did hers. She could not let him sacrifice himself on account of her.
Daine suddenly lunged at him, her mind giving one hard pull. She felt the bones and structure of her hands pulling into a painful shape-shift. It was painful now because she was fighting it. A part of her wanted to just give in and make the pain go away. That part of her was slowly gaining a strong hold on her entire being, joining the part of her that was pack.
She lunged. Her arms swung madly before her, as a wolf diving towards its prey. Immediately upon making contact, she heard a cry of absolute pain, followed by deep, hard breaths and gasping. Soon, she smelt the mixture of blood and fear. During the time she had posed the attack, she had been entirely wolf, having none herself still in her. Now, though, she had managed to pull herself back once more, just enough though to know what she was doing. She could not stop it. "No! Gods no!" She cried out frantically, voice quivering with fright. "Numair!"
"Daine," Numair choked out, sweat dripping heavily down his brow. He was shaking from head to toe, mystified by what had just taken place. That cold, hard, and completely inhuman look in her eyes was still present, but that soft, caring tone to her voice still remained. A moment ago, he had been certain that all of her was gone, but now his heart was split, for he knew that part of her was still there. How could he defend himself with such knowledge? How could he even think of fighting off the one he loved most?
"Numair, r-run-" Daine choked out between her hard breaths. She could feel herself poising again and she knew that even if she had the aid of the gods themselves, she could not stop herself from another attack. It was the madness and lack of control inside of her that urged her now. It had always been there, and she should have known that no magical barrier created by any mage would be able to contain it. Nothing could contain it. "run!"
Instead of doing as he was told, Numair sat against the wall as if he were frozen. Blood rushed through his veins like the water of river rapids. Run? He could never do that, he knew. Daine was in a terrible state at this time, and he could not just leave her alone like this. It was the over protective side of him that took control now, telling him that if he did what was best for himself and ran, something horrible would likely happen to Daine because of her broken barrier and he would never have her back. He could not let that happen, no matter what the cost. "No!" he croaked, wincing in pain by the sudden movement of his side. It was obvious by the stinging pain that the last time she had lunged at him and pinned him against the wall, she had given him a broken rib.
There was a sudden fear in his lover's eyes as she heard his response to her request. She had to stop him, she just had to! It was not safe for him, for she could barely contain herself as it was and did not know how long she could hold things off. She had already hurt him, several broken ribs it looked like. Only the gods knew what else would happen if he did not flee, and soon. "You have to!" Daine pleaded with him, " I can't control my actions, Numair, please!"
"No, I won't leave you like this!" he responded firmly, trying to edge away as he saw her muscles beginning to tense. He knew that she was going to likely lunge at him again. He swallowed hard. Was he willing to die? Was he ready to, for her? The answer was simple, he knew. Yes. Of course he would. He would do anything for her.
Again she lunged at him, jaws snapping wildly. Her hands were now firmly stuck in their wolfish form, and she knew well that in that form her wolf side would force her to use them as weapons against her love. Gods, she wished he was not being so stubborn and hard headed and downright foolish!
She cried out loudly when she made contact with her lover's body. She landed on him with a thud, sparing him no mercy. Daine wished more than anything that she could get ahold of herself and stop this madness; she didn't want to hurt him! However, she had little choice in the matter. Her body was not her own. Tears streamed steadily down her face as she began swinging her arms around wildly, slashing her lover with untamed fury. She could feel her claws digging deep into his skin, tearing his clothing. His cries of pain and agony filled her ears and mind, and she begged and pleaded for herself to stop, but she would have no such luck. The wolf-like coat of fur that was now spreading up her arm in the stead of the skin that had once been there was slowly being sprinkled with her lover's blood. At the sight and realization of this, she thought she would be sick.
"Daine, no!" Numair croaked, voice tight with fear and immense pain. Blood leaked from the numerous wounds his lover had inflicted upon him when she attacked. If he continued to lose this much blood, he would soon pass out. The gods only knew what would become of him if that were to happen. "Daine, come back to me! Sweet, this isn't you!" His cries were frantic, desperate for her to hear him. Was she even still there? Could she hear him? He managed to shift his head in a rush of stinging pain to see his love hunched over on the floor not that far from where he lay. She seemed to be sobbing profusely as she fought off some invisible force. Gods how he wanted to help her.
"I'm here Numair!" Daine uttered in little more than a whisper. Numair heard her though, despite his condition. She had no control of her limbs, but she could still grasp a strand of her mind. What she was doing as a result chilled her to the bone. Daine had never been more scared than she was now. Not once in her entire life could she remember having such fears rush through her mind like wildfire. amongst all else that existed there now. Then it came again. That burning desire from deep within her soul. It tugged against her entire being, not encountering much of a fight for Daine was growing weak. "No!" she gasped, breath coming short. She drew in a sharp breath, gasping continuously and drawing in ragged breaths. It sounded as if she were choking, and perhaps she was. Her fingers and hands burned as they once again began taking on wolf shape. She screamed in protest, sobbing for all she was worth. It did no good. She could fight it off no longer.
"Sweet?" Numair choked, craning his head to look again towards his love. She was in a fit on the floor, the battle within her becoming more intense. She had called out to him more than once now, and that was how he knew that his Daine was still there; she was not all gone, not yet. He could feel the burning pain rushing through his every limb, and he wondered in this moment if he would survive. If he did not, he had but one regret and that was that he had not asked Daine to marry him tonight as he had planned, and if he died he would have never married her. Gods, how he regretted that now. At least if he had asked and she had accepted, he would now have the assurance that they were engaged. He did not have that now, and it made him want to shrink and waste away in shame and despair.
The wolf in Daine wasted no more time. In instant, she had once again lunged towards Numair. Again she was upon him, ripping and tearing at his flesh. His cries of pain an agony filled her ears, and she cried inside, no sobbed. Her heart was breaking, and yet it was all of her own doing. Though her eyes burned with a wolfish excitement and desire as she robbed her lover of his life, inside, she was still Veralidaine Sarrasri and she was still deeply in love with Numair Salmalin. She could not control herself now, and she wished only that she did not have to witness his murder. She wished she did not feel his blood on her hands, hear the sound of his pained cries or his pleas for her to stop. She just wanted to be lost in herself now, lost to the wolfish desires that pulled at her mind body and soul right now. She surrendered her entire being, and she was gone completely.
As the attack continued, Numair could no longer see the softness in her eyes, and could sense her wild nature had increased. He knew in that moment that the Daine he knew and loved was gone completely. He knew that it would soon be all over for him and that there was no hope that he would survive. Through the pain, he prayed to the gods that things would work out for Daine. He prayed that she would get through this, even if he did not. He prayed that she would live out her life without him and that she would not dwell on what happened. But most of all, he prayed that someone would find Daine and that the barrier in her mind would be restored. He did not by any means want her to be trapped as a wolf forever. As an unbearable coldness began to sweep over his body, Numair knew it was the end. It was then that he uttered his last words, "I... l-love...y-you....." With that, he was gone. His body lay lifeless before Daine now as the wolf she had become continued its assault.
When Numair breathed his last, it was as if the last chord inside Daine had been severed. Not only did she lose all of her mind, but she lost all of her form. Her body gave in, for it was weak. Painfully, she shifted fully into wolf form. Though she could remember none of this, the shift proved to have taken too much out of her. Before she could stray farther than a few steps, she passed out. As she lay in her forced sleep, Daine had no idea what sort of horror the morning would bring her.
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A/N: *hides from random flying objects* please don't flame me....I know that probably won't stop you, but please don't... I already told you this, and I'll tell you again: This fic has a happy ending! Don't fret! Please, don't give up on me, but instead continue to read! Review, and I promise to update soon!
With that in mind, read the chapter, and don't forget to review! I hope you enjoy it! I promise to do something with Gallan Return the second I finish this short fic, which will be very soon! ^_^
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As the night grew old, the storm went on. Rain poured down outside, and the wind howled with such furry that it would send chills up even the strongest man's spine. If Daine and Numair were not entranced in a dream filled sleep and a peaceful mindset, they would likely be restless from the storm. It was things such as this that kept most wide awake into the late hours of the night. But not the two that slept so soundly in each other's arms. No, they had been too caught up in each other to even notice the intensity of the storm brewing just outside. Of course it would do them no harm whether they noticed it or not, for they were safely concealed in the warm tower that lay on a cliff overlooking the crashing waves of the Emerald Ocean.
Several hours had passed since they had tired of their night's activities and thus dozed off. The two had slept quite peacefully since. Daine lay on her side, her back leaning against her lover's chest as he kept his arms wrapped affectionately around her bare shoulders. Numair's face lay atop of her own, his warm breath sweeping over her cheek. Their was a smile written clearly on each of their faces.
Daine's peaceful state of mind soon came to a stop as did her sound rest. Her eye lids swept open suddenly, her blue gray eye's alight with what looked to be a sense of danger. Her body was drenched with sweat. Though Daine could see nothing peculiar with their room, she could feel it. Something amidst them was wrong, and she knew it. There was a heavy air about, as if the gods knew that something was about to happen. It was their way of warning the mortals, Daine knew. She felt her heart beat rapidly within her chest, though she had not a clue as to why she had gotten herself so excited. Had it been some sort of dream, a nightmare perhaps? No, it could not have been that, for her dreams had been filled only with peaceful times to come with her lover. She had dreamed that he had proposed to her once again, and she had accepted. She had imagined that they were engaged, and were anxiously awaiting their wedding day, when they would be one.
But her dreams could not change the tense, heavy atmosphere this night. Daine lay for what felt like hours, but in reality was not more than mere moments. She stared at the ceiling in these short moments, her anxiety only growing. Then it came. She knew suddenly what was making the air and her heart heavy, but she was too late. It was another attack. Likely it had been its first affects that had managed to awaken her from her peaceful dreams of the future she longed for, but that was not what mattered now. All that mattered now, was that it was happening again.
Never before had Daine experienced two attacks in one night, and especially not with such little time in between. The attack she had experienced earlier she had believed could get no worse, nor any more painful. She had been dead wrong on that account, she now knew. Pain wracked at her mind like she had never known, and hoped she would never know. Every time she expected it was at its height, it only grew. She wondered suddenly why she had managed to stay so still during this time, and it would forever be a mystery to her. But that one joy ended too as all else did when she felt herself jerk suddenly, stifling a cry. She had to get out of their bed chamber, for fear she would wake Numair.
Hastily, for she felt as if her bones were alight with fire, Daine wiggled out from beneath the blankets and even more carefully out of Numair's constricting arms. She was momentarily pleased to see that he only grunted and rolled onto his other side, his sleep not disturbed in the slightest. Daine thanked the gods that he had always been a heavy sleeper. She walked across the room as quietly as she could, body shaking from the pain and from the chill air of the night. She wore not a single stitch of clothing, and that only added to the situation. Bending down, Daine reached to grab her white cotton night dress which had been so carelessly strewn onto the floor beside their bed. Also on the floor lay her lover's breeches and under garments, scattered in various places. Daine wrapped the gown around her bare shoulders, covering herself.
The pain in Daine's head began to dim slightly as she made her way out of her bed chamber and down the stairs. This did not bring her much relief however, because soon the words began playing in her mind as they always did. Hunt. Blood. Kill. They were louder, and much more clear this night, to Daine's surprise. Against her will, tears began spilling steadily out of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. This was without a doubt the worst of her attacks yet, and it made her wish it would be her last. For a brief moment she thought to run back up the stairs and into the safety of Numair's arms. It was as if there was a voice in her mind that told her it would be better not to do so, and so she did not.
She continued into the kitchen, making her way to the wooden counter top where they always kept a full water basin. Reaching it, Daine felt dizzy, so she gripped tightly to the counter's edge. Her legs wobbled beneath her weight, and her knees shook. Daine felt as if she might collapse on the spot, but she began telling herself she would do no such thing. She was a strong warrior of the king's army, a hero of Tortall and she would not let herself be overcome by some petty ailment such as this. It was painful, yes, oh gods yes, but she would get by. Alanna was to be coming in the morning's light, Numair had mentioned if Daine could recall correctly, and she could confide her problems to her friend. Perhaps Numair need never know.
Once Daine reached the water basin, she splashed her face generously with water, rubbing her eyes and head in hopes of clearing her whirling mind. It was amazing what these attacks managed to do to her, really. At times, she would even briefly forget who she was. That was what frightened her the most about it all. She could handle the pain if need be, but what it did to her thoughts, twisting her completely, giving her murderous ambitions and fantasies; it frightened her.
"Oh, goddess make it stop!" She whispered, voice raspy and pain stricken. Every bone in her body burned with such intensity that she thought she might faint. Her mind was in a whirled to where she could hardly think rationally. It had never been this bad before, and that did nothing to soothe her mind just now. As the pain began to dim once more, Daine reached to the cupboard above her head and removed a glass. She dipped it into the water with shaky hands, filling it with water. She then lifted it to her now chapped lips and drank it as if she had not had water in weeks. She had soon downed the entire glass, so she refilled it.
Gasping in between gulps, Daine reached up a hand to wipe her sweat soaked brow. As she did this, a surge of pain wracked her body suddenly, and she had no grip on the counter any longer, so she fell immediately to the cold wood floor. She landed on her back, breaking the fall with her arms as best as she could. The glass she had been holding flew out of her trembling hand and it too made contact with the hard wood floor. It shattered upon impact, glass shards scattering all over the floor around her. Daine winced in further pain as she rolled onto her side and felt several pieces of the broken drinking glass cut through her night dress and into her skin. Hunt. Blood. Kill.
For a brief moment, as Daine lay on the floor trying to regain herself, the pain went away entirely. Daine opened her eyes sharply in shock, her hands running over her limbs that had previously been wracked with unimaginable pain and burning. In that short moment, Daine felt a false hope that her troubles were gone. She did not stop to think that this moment of peace was not real, and thus could never last.
What came next came so fast, and so terribly, that Daine could not help but cry out in sheer terror and immense pain. The burning that surged through her limbs now was so strong that it made her feel numb from head to toe. Her mind was in a much worse state, as hard as that was to believe. It was a constant throbbing, and repetition of those same three words. Hunt. Blood. Kill. Daine was now openly crying, and she did not bother to stifle her uncontrollable sobbing.
Then, a throb came that was stronger than the rest. It was as if an explosion of a sort had taken place in her mind. Daine was entirely aware of it all, for her magical senses were immediately opened as it came. She looked now into her mind, into the core of her magic. It was a complete mess to say the least. Brilliant arrays of black and copper surged through every inch of her magical being. It was like nothing Daine had ever experienced, and she knew it was an affect of her attacks. Before, all she could ever see when she looked into the core of her magic was a brilliant mass of copper fire which covered all that she could see with her eyes. Now, nothing was organized and there was no real image so to speak. Also, there was a strong presence of not only the familiar copper fire, but also a raven black magic with a few white tinges here and there. Daine recognized it immediately as what remained of the barrier Numair had created for her to keep her magic under control eight years ago. That could mean only one thing, one horrifying thing. The barrier in her mind that kept her sane was broken.
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Numair awoke suddenly at a loud sound ringing in his ears. As his eyes snapped open, he heard the a loud cry from downstairs, followed by a crash of a human body falling to the floor. Not but a fraction of a second after that, Numair heard the sound of glass shattering against the hard wood floor, and it was only then that he began to piece things together. There was a danger in the tower, his tower. Panicking, he reached immediately to his side to shake his beloved awake and draw her protectively to him, his hand met only emptiness. He ran his fingers blindly over the empty spot in the bed where she had recently lay, he knew, for it was still full of her body warmth.
His heart pounded madly within his chest, alive with panic and worry. He leaped out of bed, throwing the covers off of himself. Hastily, he searched the floor for his breeches, and soon found them to have been littered over near his closet. He grabbed them quickly and pulled them on, mind in a whirl. "Mithros, let her be safe," he whispered frantically, eyes burning with a passionate worry.
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Hunt. Blood. Kill. The words rang again in Daine's mind; this time more clearly than ever before. It was as if they were a part of her. As her vision began blurring, still mixed with lively copper and black, Daine found herself fading into colorless sight. As her bones continued to burn, as if pulling her, Daine finally understood what was happening. It was the most unpleasant realization that Daine had come to since her return to her home in Snowsdale ten years ago to find her family murdered. The barrier in her mind was severed, and her wolf form was calling to her. She was losing her mind as she had before, and thoughts of murder and blood were slowly but surely consuming her. Why hadn't she seen it before?
"Oh Horselords, no!" Daine cried, tears streaming steadily. She could feel the pain of an oncoming shape-shift wracking her body, but she fought it off. She had to. She was not alone in the tower, and if she lost herself then she would be putting the man she loved most in danger. She had to regain herself, and fast, before she lost control all together.
Copper and Black sparks and flames were whirling like wildfire through her mind, entrancing her. She gasped, breathing heavily. It was no easy task to fight her own magic. In the end, she knew she could never win, but at least she could hold herself off until help could come to her. Until then, she would have to fight, despite all the horrible pain she felt as a result. She felt herself beginning to lose her ground against her magic, and she grew terrified. Hunt. Blood. Kill. "Goddess, give me strength," Daine breathed, gasping and fighting for air. Her body jerked violently on the floor as she trembled. She was losing control of her nerves, which affected every move her body made.
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Numair raced down the stairs with all of his might, worried out of his mind. He had to get to her, had to find her. He knew from the cries of pain he had heard that it was his love that had caused the commotion, but why? What was going on? Had someone broken in and hurt her? These questions and more circulated through his mind, only making him worry more as he fought to reach her.
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To her horror, as she fought in what seemed to be an endless battle against her magic, she could faintly hear the sound of approaching footsteps. It was a faint sound, as if heard only in the back of her mind. Daine did not have to think hard to understand that it was her sense as a wolf that gave her such a hearing. Daine chilled at this thought. The only other person aside from herself who would be at the tower just now was Numair. He would be in great danger if he came to her now. With this in mind, Daine fought to get to her feet and hide herself, but to no avail. She did not have the strength to both hold off her wolf form and use her limbs.
At the moment, she thrashed her arms and legs violently back and forth against her will. She hated to admit such a thing to herself, but she was quickly losing control. Tears streamed steadily down her face, her sobs ringing clear in the night air. She did not have to wonder what had awoken her lover. Hunt. Blood. Kill. The words continued to play in her mind, pulling her in, reeling her closer. Her rope was getting shorter, her sanity losing its grip. Was she fighting a losing battle? Every single bone in her body burned with a fire that longed for her to change her form. She could not let Numair get pulled into this, for not only was there no way for him to help her, she could easily hurt him. She could not let that happen. As she heard the hurried rush of foot steps, she called out frantically, "Numair no!" these words were hard to choke out, but she somehow managed it. She had to. Again, she voiced, "Stay away! Get out!"
"Daine!" she heard him call out to her. His call rang loudly in her ears, making her head spin. Her magnified hearing made his cries to her a hundred times louder, and she could barely stand it on top of everything else. "I'm coming for you!"
Her mind was now in a whirl. She had to ward him away, and yet he continued to come! It seemed as if all was in slow motion. It had to be the pain, for everything took longer when you were in pain. She had to stop him, but she was losing herself. She tried to make herself do something, but she felt trapped. Pain surged through every inch of her body. How was all of this to turn out?
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The second Numair stepped into the kitchen, he was in a panic like he had never felt. Every inch of him knew something was terribly wrong. The night's air was heavy this night, and it was wrong. His eyes fell to the floor, and only now did the screams of his pained lover truly connect in his mind. "Daine!" he all but shouted, dropping suddenly to the floor beside her.
What was wrong with her? She was a mess just now, to say the least. She was sprawled on the floor, violently flailing her limbs this way and that. Tears streamed steadily down her face as her wracked sobs and pain stricken cries pierced the night air. "Daine!" he cried again. This time he would get an answer.
"N-no!" Daine shrieked, her voice choked and frantic. "You have to get out!"
"No! I'll help you-" Numair argued back, his voice firm, yet filled with panic such as he had never felt. He was taken aback as Daine fought his reaching arms, the arms meant to help her. Blood dripped down the side of his arm now. She had scratched him in her attempt to fight him off. He was completely taken by surprise at this, but would not give in to her pleas for him to simply flee. He would do no such thing.
"G-et out!" Daine moaned, subconsciously watching the blood drip down his arm. She could smell the fear on him. It was as if he were drenched in the substance, if it could even be called that. It generated from his face. Her lover's eyes were wide with fright, his face gleaming with tiny beads of sweat. The smell of his fear and newly shed blood was almost refreshing. That scared Daine.
"I won't!" He cried back, his movements frantic as he fought to get to her. He was afraid that he would hurt her further if he fought too hard to get to her, so he didn't. He would have to coax her into calming down. It didn't seem as if any of this was under her control to begin with, though, so he doubted this would help.
Then, suddenly, it all stopped. Everything froze. It all went away. Daine was free of her troubles in that moment, and Numair was free of his fate. It was all gone in that moment, and that brought a split second of hope to the two lovers, but it lasted only that long. Daine's body fell limp in front of her lover. Numair went to her immediately, no longer having the barrier her flailing limbs had provided to prevent him from doing so. He took her limp form into his arms, frightened to a high extent, more than he had ever felt before. "Daine," he breathed, as if calling her name would bring her back to reality. She was still alive, of that much he was sure. He brought his thumb and forefinger fearfully up to his lover's temple, his hands shaking violently. He felt as if he were entirely in the dark. Numair had no idea what had just happened, or why.
Numair did not have to panic for longer. No more than a few moments, in fact. As Daine still lay sprawled on the floor with her limp body dangling in her lover's arms, she suddenly came to. It was not a pleasant awakening. Her eye lids shot open suddenly, her eyes blazing with intensity. Her face held an odd, indescribable emotion. Numair gazed down on her the very instant she stirred, and though he had expected relief by her awakening, he received quite the opposite. With one look down at his love, at the expression on her face and the glazed look in her eyes, he found not relief but pure horror.
Daine gave her lover no time to register what had suddenly happened. She shook herself violently from the circle of his arms, shoving him to the side. He was taken aback by this, and as soon as it happened he was moved by her newfound strength and thrown against the nearby wall. Numair gasped in both surprise in amazement at this sudden choice of action and happenings. As soon as he hit the wall, he shifted his position and looked back at her. What he saw only intensified this odd situation. His lover was already to her feet, on all fours really, and was advancing swiftly upon him. "D-Daine-" Numair choked out, utterly confused by this entire turn of events.
No, Daine thought frantically. This was not happening, it could not be happening! The barrier had shattered, her emotions and thoughts had been deeply affected. Her senses were greatly magnified, just as they were during her attacks. Now, she could see for the most part in only black and white, but before her eyes tiny specks and fragments of black and copper mist danced hauntingly. Daine knew that these had to be pieces of the barrier that had once stood in her mind. She recognized immediately the black specks as Numair's Gift and the copper as her wild magic.
Hunt. Blood. Kill. She was losing her mind. She had to be. She was experiencing thoughts and emotions she had felt only once before, on the day she sought revenge on the bandits that stole her family from her. Just as things had been then, she could scaresly control herself now. Her thoughts were her own to some extent, but her actions were not. Daine had not by any means chosen to throw her confused lover across the room, but she had done it. She advanced upon him now not by her own will, but by an instinct she did not know she had. Daine had to fight it, or it would consume her. "No-" Daine fought to say, fighting with all o her strength and might to pull herself back. "No, no, no, no, no-" She began to gain a slight hold on herself, but it was costly to her strength of mind. Immediately as she fought herself, more thoughts of wolfish desires entered her mind, whirling and spreading like wild fire. Hunt. Blood. Kill.
"Daine-" Numair repeated, watching her struggling as she began to slow in her advance upon him. She soon was at a stop, her every limb shaking violently. He could subconsciously feel beads of sweat beginning to form on his brow. His heart thumped madly within his chest. "What's going on?" He fought to ask, voice coming out in a cracked whisper. Her eyes snapped immediately in his direction. In those eyes, he saw not his loving magelet, but something else that he could not fully describe. It was like a hunger, a burning desire in her eyes that he had never witnessed before. As she continued to gaze at him, Numair began inching his way further along the wall, mind racing with ideas of how to handle this. He knew now that his Daine was losing her mind, thought he did not know how or why.
Hunt. Blood. Kill. Daine was losing her fight. She looked upon Numair, who sat hunched against the kitchen wall, his eyes alight with not fright, but pure concern and worry. The part of Daine that was still herself felt broken by this. In a dangerous situation such as this, he cared not so much for his own well being as he did hers. She could not let him sacrifice himself on account of her.
Daine suddenly lunged at him, her mind giving one hard pull. She felt the bones and structure of her hands pulling into a painful shape-shift. It was painful now because she was fighting it. A part of her wanted to just give in and make the pain go away. That part of her was slowly gaining a strong hold on her entire being, joining the part of her that was pack.
She lunged. Her arms swung madly before her, as a wolf diving towards its prey. Immediately upon making contact, she heard a cry of absolute pain, followed by deep, hard breaths and gasping. Soon, she smelt the mixture of blood and fear. During the time she had posed the attack, she had been entirely wolf, having none herself still in her. Now, though, she had managed to pull herself back once more, just enough though to know what she was doing. She could not stop it. "No! Gods no!" She cried out frantically, voice quivering with fright. "Numair!"
"Daine," Numair choked out, sweat dripping heavily down his brow. He was shaking from head to toe, mystified by what had just taken place. That cold, hard, and completely inhuman look in her eyes was still present, but that soft, caring tone to her voice still remained. A moment ago, he had been certain that all of her was gone, but now his heart was split, for he knew that part of her was still there. How could he defend himself with such knowledge? How could he even think of fighting off the one he loved most?
"Numair, r-run-" Daine choked out between her hard breaths. She could feel herself poising again and she knew that even if she had the aid of the gods themselves, she could not stop herself from another attack. It was the madness and lack of control inside of her that urged her now. It had always been there, and she should have known that no magical barrier created by any mage would be able to contain it. Nothing could contain it. "run!"
Instead of doing as he was told, Numair sat against the wall as if he were frozen. Blood rushed through his veins like the water of river rapids. Run? He could never do that, he knew. Daine was in a terrible state at this time, and he could not just leave her alone like this. It was the over protective side of him that took control now, telling him that if he did what was best for himself and ran, something horrible would likely happen to Daine because of her broken barrier and he would never have her back. He could not let that happen, no matter what the cost. "No!" he croaked, wincing in pain by the sudden movement of his side. It was obvious by the stinging pain that the last time she had lunged at him and pinned him against the wall, she had given him a broken rib.
There was a sudden fear in his lover's eyes as she heard his response to her request. She had to stop him, she just had to! It was not safe for him, for she could barely contain herself as it was and did not know how long she could hold things off. She had already hurt him, several broken ribs it looked like. Only the gods knew what else would happen if he did not flee, and soon. "You have to!" Daine pleaded with him, " I can't control my actions, Numair, please!"
"No, I won't leave you like this!" he responded firmly, trying to edge away as he saw her muscles beginning to tense. He knew that she was going to likely lunge at him again. He swallowed hard. Was he willing to die? Was he ready to, for her? The answer was simple, he knew. Yes. Of course he would. He would do anything for her.
Again she lunged at him, jaws snapping wildly. Her hands were now firmly stuck in their wolfish form, and she knew well that in that form her wolf side would force her to use them as weapons against her love. Gods, she wished he was not being so stubborn and hard headed and downright foolish!
She cried out loudly when she made contact with her lover's body. She landed on him with a thud, sparing him no mercy. Daine wished more than anything that she could get ahold of herself and stop this madness; she didn't want to hurt him! However, she had little choice in the matter. Her body was not her own. Tears streamed steadily down her face as she began swinging her arms around wildly, slashing her lover with untamed fury. She could feel her claws digging deep into his skin, tearing his clothing. His cries of pain and agony filled her ears and mind, and she begged and pleaded for herself to stop, but she would have no such luck. The wolf-like coat of fur that was now spreading up her arm in the stead of the skin that had once been there was slowly being sprinkled with her lover's blood. At the sight and realization of this, she thought she would be sick.
"Daine, no!" Numair croaked, voice tight with fear and immense pain. Blood leaked from the numerous wounds his lover had inflicted upon him when she attacked. If he continued to lose this much blood, he would soon pass out. The gods only knew what would become of him if that were to happen. "Daine, come back to me! Sweet, this isn't you!" His cries were frantic, desperate for her to hear him. Was she even still there? Could she hear him? He managed to shift his head in a rush of stinging pain to see his love hunched over on the floor not that far from where he lay. She seemed to be sobbing profusely as she fought off some invisible force. Gods how he wanted to help her.
"I'm here Numair!" Daine uttered in little more than a whisper. Numair heard her though, despite his condition. She had no control of her limbs, but she could still grasp a strand of her mind. What she was doing as a result chilled her to the bone. Daine had never been more scared than she was now. Not once in her entire life could she remember having such fears rush through her mind like wildfire. amongst all else that existed there now. Then it came again. That burning desire from deep within her soul. It tugged against her entire being, not encountering much of a fight for Daine was growing weak. "No!" she gasped, breath coming short. She drew in a sharp breath, gasping continuously and drawing in ragged breaths. It sounded as if she were choking, and perhaps she was. Her fingers and hands burned as they once again began taking on wolf shape. She screamed in protest, sobbing for all she was worth. It did no good. She could fight it off no longer.
"Sweet?" Numair choked, craning his head to look again towards his love. She was in a fit on the floor, the battle within her becoming more intense. She had called out to him more than once now, and that was how he knew that his Daine was still there; she was not all gone, not yet. He could feel the burning pain rushing through his every limb, and he wondered in this moment if he would survive. If he did not, he had but one regret and that was that he had not asked Daine to marry him tonight as he had planned, and if he died he would have never married her. Gods, how he regretted that now. At least if he had asked and she had accepted, he would now have the assurance that they were engaged. He did not have that now, and it made him want to shrink and waste away in shame and despair.
The wolf in Daine wasted no more time. In instant, she had once again lunged towards Numair. Again she was upon him, ripping and tearing at his flesh. His cries of pain an agony filled her ears, and she cried inside, no sobbed. Her heart was breaking, and yet it was all of her own doing. Though her eyes burned with a wolfish excitement and desire as she robbed her lover of his life, inside, she was still Veralidaine Sarrasri and she was still deeply in love with Numair Salmalin. She could not control herself now, and she wished only that she did not have to witness his murder. She wished she did not feel his blood on her hands, hear the sound of his pained cries or his pleas for her to stop. She just wanted to be lost in herself now, lost to the wolfish desires that pulled at her mind body and soul right now. She surrendered her entire being, and she was gone completely.
As the attack continued, Numair could no longer see the softness in her eyes, and could sense her wild nature had increased. He knew in that moment that the Daine he knew and loved was gone completely. He knew that it would soon be all over for him and that there was no hope that he would survive. Through the pain, he prayed to the gods that things would work out for Daine. He prayed that she would get through this, even if he did not. He prayed that she would live out her life without him and that she would not dwell on what happened. But most of all, he prayed that someone would find Daine and that the barrier in her mind would be restored. He did not by any means want her to be trapped as a wolf forever. As an unbearable coldness began to sweep over his body, Numair knew it was the end. It was then that he uttered his last words, "I... l-love...y-you....." With that, he was gone. His body lay lifeless before Daine now as the wolf she had become continued its assault.
When Numair breathed his last, it was as if the last chord inside Daine had been severed. Not only did she lose all of her mind, but she lost all of her form. Her body gave in, for it was weak. Painfully, she shifted fully into wolf form. Though she could remember none of this, the shift proved to have taken too much out of her. Before she could stray farther than a few steps, she passed out. As she lay in her forced sleep, Daine had no idea what sort of horror the morning would bring her.
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A/N: *hides from random flying objects* please don't flame me....I know that probably won't stop you, but please don't... I already told you this, and I'll tell you again: This fic has a happy ending! Don't fret! Please, don't give up on me, but instead continue to read! Review, and I promise to update soon!