Caged in Darkness (Caged #1)(50)

“Why did the bloodstone box keep him trapped?” Willow’s question made me smile. I knew she would understand my need for distraction. I leaned into her hug to show I was grateful.

“Bloodstone is a unique stone. It gives the user power over demons, while protecting them, and it destroys evil. They trapped him inside the small box. To keep the bloodstone from touching him, he had to revert to an insubstantial form. The bloodstone also made the symbols more effective. It would have perfect if I hadn’t knocked the darn lid off.”





The next day, Ash was still avoiding me. After the things I had learned, I wasn’t up to hunting him down. Instead, I sought out the comfort of my forest. The trees were welcome friends that didn’t demand anything from me. They gave me sanctuary without hesitation. I had been pushed towards a mind altering quicksand. It trickled down my throat to envelope my heart in its grainy grip. The images from my childhood were suffocating me and I needed relief.

Kit emerged, as an apparition that was far more real than the forest around me. As part of my soul, I could sense his worry for me. He rubbed his head against my skin and wrapped his tail around my legs. It was strange that he appeared as a ghost, but people could physically interact with him. I always expected my hand to pass through him, but it would come into contact with a physical body, complete with soft fur. Kits eyes glowed bright blue, his fur had a filmy black texture, but his form was mostly a silvery blue shade. He was magnificent.

I sat down with my back against a towering tree, the nearby foliage leaned over to provide a canopy of warmth. Kit arranged himself into a crescent shape with his head in my lap. His touch brought with it an intense comfort. Gone was the quicksand; Kit had chased it away. His gentle purr quieted my thoughts and I fell asleep. I must have slept for hours, because when I opened my eyes the sky was dark.

The frigid air warred with my breathe to create a milky steam, while the hairs on the back of my arms stiffened. As I started my walk back home, a branch snapped behind me. The noise originated in a shadowed area of the forest, where the trees were tightly packed together, concealing the presence of someone else. I took a step closer and saw the shadows rise from the darkness. Trembling, I took a step back and crashed into something hard.

Arms spun me around, slammed me into a tree, which knocked the breath from me. Asmodeus rose out of the night and came forward to press me further into the wood. His hand lay in the center of my ribcage and I worried he might shatter them with his strength.

Asmodeus leaned forth and sniffed my flesh before locking his eyes with my own. “Did you enjoy your mothers’ journal?” His accent was as dark and terrifying as the rest of him. He eased the pressure on my chest and I could breathe again.

“What?”

He laughed and grinned, sardonically. “You honestly believed I wouldn’t know about your little scavenger hunt? That I wouldn’t watch every move you and your friends take? Oh, little Anakim. You have much to learn.”

I recognized the term, Anakim. It was another term for the Nephilim and it bothered that he referred to me that way. “If you have been watching, then why haven’t you done anything about us?”

“You think I am worried about a witchling, a human, and you? I am far more powerful than any of you.” His face descended until it was less than an inch away and he snarled.

“That’s not it, is it? You are weak!” I spat in his face and he used the back of his left hand to wipe it off.

“Feisty, aren’t you? I am never weak. I merely don’t do anything without good reason. You will learn that soon enough.” I laughed. “Your insults will gain you nothing, but will cost you something.” He let me go and backed away. The inscriptions along his skin shimmered and burst into a blinding glow.

“Run, little Anakim. I want to play.” His wings spread wide. Smoke billowed off his skin and his eyes glazed over to display the fire within. I screamed and threw my strength into running. Fighting the forest, I had to carve new paths to push my way through the forest and away from him.

I found myself tangled in some branches. They tore at my skin, clothes, and hair. Refusing to give up, I push harder, but was lifted off my feet into the air. Asmodeus had me in his grip again, but this time his arms did crush me. Blood spilled from my lips, while the sound of my bones shattering, left an ache deep inside. Tears shed to pool on the floor beneath me. I was slipping, my mind was floating in a mist that made it difficult to concentrate, but I didn't give up. I push and kicked, though it was futile. I wasn't strong enough.

“Savannah! Wake up dammit!” A harsh smack against my cheek tore me from the nightmare. My eyes opened to find Ash standing before me. I was still leaning against the trunk and a few feet away, Kit sat next to Ash. Through our bond, I could feel Kit’s confusion. I made a small attempt to send waves of comfort, but we both knew that it wasn't much of an effort.

I couldn't stop the river from flooding my eyes and spilling over onto my already moist cheeks. Kit rubbed his head against my arm, while Ash pulled me into his arms. “Kit showed up at the house without you. I followed him here. Are you okay? I thought you were injured or something!”

“Just, just hold me, please.” I griped his shirt to pull him closer. Kit spirited back into my form, while Ash lifted me into his arms and carried me back to the house. I closed my eyes until I felt my bed beneath me. “Thank you.”