• Chapter 40
    Still Human
    Edan glanced down at the girl resting on his shoulder. He hadn’t come to notice the bloodstone that hung from her neck, or notice how thankful he was to see that it was crying red streaks. He couldn’t come to tell her never to take off the choker. He didn’t want to frighten her, even though the only reason he wanted her to keep it on was because it gave him some peace of mind. Knowing she was still safe. Knowing she was still human.
    He could easily hear her heart pounding in the silence. It was getting harder; much harder. Not only did his head hurt but now his throat burned immensely. This girl was going to cause him to struggle, but he felt it was worth it. Sooner or later she would notice the struggle, and he was hoping for later.
    “Edan, would there be any specific reason why the Damned would want me?” Hai looked up at him with her innocent brown eyes. This was a question he was hoping to avoid, knowing that if he told her the innocents would leave her. But it was always the innocent people who got hurt. If she wasn’t innocent maybe she would stay safe. At least for a little longer.
    “Well they really only hunt Hosts,” he said giving up. If it meant keeping Hai safe, he would do anything.
    “What’s a Host?”
    Another question he was hoping to avoid. “A Host is someone who possesses the spirit of an angel. They have strange abilities and their eyes often change color. To be a Host you have to be a direct descendant of a former Host, the same gender, and the oldest of your generation.” He just couldn’t win with this girl could he?
    “Oh well I’m not the oldest, my cousin Ada is seventeen I wouldn’t be a Host.” This filled Edan with relief, Hai was lucky. Being a Host put your life in great danger.
    “Good, the last thing you want to be is a Host.”
    She looked up at him, still with wonder filled eyes. “Your eyes are black,” she muttered. “Sometimes I swear they are yellow.”
    “Yellow? That’s a bit unlikely isn’t it Hai?” he laughed, trying to lighten the mood, even though it was actually very dim.
    She giggled, “Yes it is unlikely, but I just can’t help but think that they are. I must be completely losing my mind or something.”
    “Well I wouldn’t say that your losing your mind completely, bits and pieces of it maybe, but not completely.”
    “If your eyes are black, does that mean you’re…. hungry?” Hai was starting to feel fear, which could be a good thing; she might understand that being near him was not safe.
    “No, if my eyes are black that’s a good thing so don’t worry.” But Edan knew they wouldn’t be black for long. And in this situation, long wasn’t very long at all.


















    Chapter 41
    Alone Together
    The mist was chilling.
    But I hadn’t noticed. I was too caught up in the cold all together. But at the same time I didn’t mind. It was peaceful, calm. I was safe.
    Safe.
    Safe for a little while.
    Not forever.
    But for now I was safe.
    But yet was there such at thing as safe? Safe was a word too wide to describe (let alone live). Safe was taken for granted. It was always referred to as unharmed. For the moment I was unharmed. But would I remain that way forever?
    No.
    I was being hunted. By someone (or something) because I had something that they wanted. But what would I have that someone would want? All I truly had was a broken heart. A broken heart that was being mended. Not put back together just mended.
    Edan got up at propped me up against the ashen tombstone. My feathery hair dangled in my eyes.
    “What is it?” I muttered in a soft tone that somehow reminded me of whipped cream. Edan appeared to me bothered by something that I could tell; I shouldn’t be a part of.
    He knelt down next to me, pushing the black feathers from my eyes, “Complications.” He looked over his shoulder, “Wait here.”
    I nodded, my hair whipping around; brushing against my face. He dashed off, I was only aware of that due to the psithurism he left behind.
    I sat up straight against the stone, becoming attentive to the chilling mist. I rubbed my arms, and waited anxiously for Edan’s return. So that once again we could be alone together.

    Chapter 42
    The Forbidden Truth
    What were you thinking? Matoko shouted as Edan stopped dead in his tracks.
    “What do you mean?” he responded in a slightly bothersome tone of voice.
    Telling the girl about Hosts! That’s a secret not to be shared!
    “At least I didn’t tell her the truth!” Edan muttered under his breath, hoping that nobody would hear.
    That was very close to the truth! You’re lucky that she doesn’t know the truth!
    “Hai has a right to know, if she is being hunted she has every reason to know why.”
    But now she is a valid target and can be used against you! Anyone can be used against you! Serenity was used against you as was- Matoko stopped realizing what he was getting himself into. Look just make sure that she is careful about what she gets herself into.
    “Right.” Before Edan could start off again, a hand rested on his shoulder. Oh great, he thought, rolling his eyes, turning around.
    “Name,” declared a tall man with sharp features and a deep set pair of black eyes.
    “Edan Kellan,” he rolled his eyes again, You should know this, stop wasting your time.
    “Identification.”
    Edan dug into his pocket. It was really wasn’t identification, it was more so a symbol proving what he was. And he prayed that the symbol would end up dripping red. But it wasn’t, it was black. He held out the wristband that bore the tear shaped black gem.
    “Oh William stop that you know who he is,” said the personable amber haired woman stepping up from behind him tapping his shoulder with her slender hand. She flashed Edan a resplendent smile, “Hello Edan.”
    “Hello Samantha,” he breathed.
    “We were out hunting when we sensed you were here,” she gracefully responded.
    William cut in, “And I presume you are hunting as well.”
    “No I’m not.”
    “Nonsense nobody could go that long.”
    “I am not hunting,” Edan said filling up with rage.
    The man pinned him up against a tree, being far stronger than Edan, there was no possible escape. “You have too much damn pride, your too cocky. So what your favored amongst the clan, you’re no different from the rest of us.”
    Edan was overflowing with anger, “For the final time I am not hunting.”
    “Oh just….” William stopped, his black eyes shocked, “….. You haven’t been hunting.” He stared deep into the pale gray starting to form in Edan’s eyes.
    “No I haven’t.”
    “See William he….” Samantha started. She widened her eyes, her black tear shaped earrings began to drip a deep satin. “A human,” she breathed. Her eyes flushed red as bore her fangs.
    “Don’t hurt her!” Edan shouted pushing Samantha away.
    “You brought a human here! I see know you couldn’t resist so you decided to prey on a human!” William shouted fiercely.
    “What? No! I didn’t!”
    “You do realize that it is against the rules of the Forem Clan to prey on humans! We are vegetarians! I can turn you into the Council for this! Then they will have you killed!”
    Edan stopped, that’s right they have the right, not even, the power to kill me. “You know they won’t kill me, I’m too valuable to lose.”
    “Just because Lady Mauve favors you doesn’t mean you’ll have the right to live,” the man sneered.
    “I can swear I wasn’t going to hurt her.”
    “Sure you weren’t Edan.” Edan rolled his eyes. He didn’t bother to stay and find out what else was happened. He dashed off, Matoko ringing in his ears The girl is in even more danger now! What are you going to do?
    “I’m eventually going to tell her the truth,” Edan sighed. It would be hard, and forbidden. Not any time soon, but when the time was tight he would. He had to tell her the forbidden truth.