Page 1 of Demon's Prey

1

NARINA

The fire crackles, sending sparks into the night. I watch the shadows dance on the craggy hill's face, shapes twisting and morphing like demons from a nightmare. Our breath mists in the cold air, mingling with the smoke.

Mariel pokes at the fire with a stick, her face half-hidden by the hood of her cloak.

"How much longer can we keep this up?" I ask.

"As long as we need to," she replies.

My fingers trace the frayed edges of my cloak. The fabric feels like a threadbare memory, one that refuses to fade.

"Can we really, though? I mean I don’t know how much longer I can do this."

"You always say that," she mutters, her eyes reflecting the flames.

"And I'm always right," I shoot back, though my voice lacks conviction.

She sighs and drops the stick.

"Narina, I know it's hard, but you can't give up."

I stare at the glowing embers. I haven’t given up and I know I can’t now. But it's been a long two years since I last saw my sister. Two years since the dark elves razed our village.

"I won't give up," I whisper.

Mariel's hand lands on my shoulder, gentle but firm.

"That's the spirit."

My mind drifts off to thoughts that take me far away from here. I don’t know how long I’m lost in them until she withdraws her hand and pulls her cloak tighter around her.

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?"

"Every day." My gaze drifts to the horizon where shadows blur into darkness.

"Do you think she's still out there?" she asks, her voice is soft, hesitant.

"I don’t know for sure. But I have to believe she is." The words hang in the air between us, heavy with unspoken fears.

She pokes at the fire again, sending a flurry of sparks skyward.

"Hope is good. Sometimes all you can do is hope."

"Hope is good. But I’ve hoped for two long years. Sometimes all there is to do is give up."

My voice hardens, my resolve crystallizing in the cold night air.

Silence falls between us, broken only by the occasional pop of burning wood. The fire casts our fears into stark relief against the hill's jagged contours.

Finally, Mariel speaks again. "We'll find her."

"We have to." I pull my cloak tighter around me and glance at her. "For both our sakes."

She nods and offers a small smile. "Then let's rest while we can."

I settle back against the rough stone and close my eyes, images of my sister's face flickering behind my eyelids like shadows in the firelight.

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