❄ Twilight Forever ❄ Book 2 ❄ First Snow ❄

❄7 ❄ Lonán's Burden ❄

Note: This chapter is in Daemon Theron's point of view. Please vote, comment, like, and share.
~*~R.K. Stewarrtson

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❄ 7 ❄ Lonán's Burden ❄

Seattle, Washington
Thursday, June 16, 2017

A droplet of rain fell onto Lonán's nose, startling him awake. He stared up at a strip of stormy gray clouds, wondering how he had gotten there. He turned his head, scanning his surroundings, noting that he was laying in the middle of an alleyway. Images bombarded his mind and he suddenly remembered why he was there and what had happened. His Daemon, Soulless, had followed a young girl he had been tracking here, reveling in the scent of her fear.

He had cornered her at the blocked end of the alleyway, her whimpering and pleas falling on deaf ears. The feeling of her soul leaving her body and entering his own had had his Daemon purring in delight. The sudden interruption as another girl appeared, this one had ice blonde hair and ice-blue eyes, demanding that he let the girl go free. The battle and the hissing of unseen creatures and the swift movements of big, dog-like beasts coming to her aid after Soulless had kicked her away from him. Her command for them to stay put.

The painful loss of his wings is followed by the loss of his daemonic powers. At the thought of his missing wings, pain cascaded down his back like a river of scalding lava. A growl erupted from his chest as Lonán flashed to his feet. Dizziness replaced the pain he was feeling from his back and he leaned heavily against the brick wall of a small, family-owned store. He closed his eyes and waited for the dizziness to dissipate.

His father's face swam inside his mind, his features stern. His gravelly voice echoed in his ears:

"This is your last chance, Soulless," said Hades, speaking directly to his son's Daemon. "Find the girl and bring her soul back to me. If you fail to do so, you will be locked in Tartarus for the rest of your immortal life."

Lonán growled in frustration and pushed away from the wall. He must find the girl with the icy blue eyes and force her to give him back his wings and powers so he could find the human girl, retrieve her soul and take it back to the Underworld to present to his father. Only then will he leave him in peace. With that thought in his mind, Lonán strode out of the alleyway, ignoring the pain in his back.

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As he crossed through the small town of Forks, following his instincts, Lonán came upon a bridge that crossed over the Calawah River. He paused at the mouth of the bridge, suddenly feeling uneasy. He felt his Daemon stir from deep inside of him.

Power. whimpered Soulless. Need power.

"I know," Lonán spoke to him, speaking out loud. "We will get it. Soon."

His Daemon purred in excitement as Lonán took a step forward. He pushed him to the back of his mind as he crossed the bridge and stepped onto the long stretch of black highway flanked by thousands of trees. He started walking, his uneasiness growing with every step he took. After a few miles of walking, his instincts led him to an unpaved road that was unmarked and barely visible on the right-hand side of the highway. His Daemon purred enthusiastically as he started down the unpaved road.