Willow's Choice

Thirty-Eight

I watched Sage as he sat cross legged on the porch, eyes closed as he whispered inaudible words.

"What do you think he's doing?" Valor whispered.

"He's praying to the moon." Raven said.

I looked at her in confusion.

"Cassius had a friend. He was killed by a woman who did dark magic. It was like nothing I'd ever seen." Raven said.

"That's why he didn't like that Sage was with me." I said.

She nodded, "He may be just a boy now, but he will grow into a man with more power than you think. I have ever heard of his kind getting their energy before they were at least ten." Raven said.

I turned to look out the sliding glass door, but Sage wasn't there.

I stood up, Raven taking notice too as the two of us moved quickly outside. I could see him in the distance, running into the trees.

Raven immediately bolted after him and I was definitely not going to let either of them disappear into the dark by themselves. Minutes later we were in the trees, Raven shouting for Sage and I looked around for him, it understanding how someone so small moved so quickly.

I turned at the sound of a thud and I felt my breath leave my body at the sight of Raven's limp body meeting the forest floor, vile in her neck as she hit the ground and Stefan stood next to her and a second later he was running at me.

I felt my breath leave me as his body collided with mine and we hit the ground.

I took in a breath as I hissed, bringing my fist forward as hard as I could across his face before I shoved him back with my legs.

I gasped when I felt a stinging sensation on my leg, pain blossoming and the smell of my own blood hitting the air.

I looked down to see Raven with a vice grip on my ankle, her nails digging into my skin as she dragged me behind her.

I could smell the human blood from the vile that still sat in her neck and I reached up, taking it out and tossing it to the side.

I stared up Raven's dark eyes and I whispered an apology as I kicked my leg up, catapulting my body off the ground and managing to catch her right on the jaw. I watched her eyes roll to the back of her head and she slumped backwards, her grip on me loosened as she went unconscious.

I sat up just in time for a wave of force that was Stefan's boot to strike me across my face, the impact hitting me full force as my vision blurred and my ears rang and I felt the warmth of my own blood trickling down my face.

I could feel his hands on me as he clutched my throat, but I could hardly see as he cut off my oxygen.

I winced when a bright light suddenly lit up the space around me, and my skin burned at the intensity of it, my arm feeling as if it were on fire and I cried out in pain, but my screams were nothing of the ones that came from Stefan.

He dropped me in an instant and it was dark again, but I could see him face down on the ground as he writhed in pain and his skin bubbled over with blisters and his body was bloody and charred from his neck to his calves and his clothes were literally melted off of him, pieces of them singed into his skin. He was an entire open wound.

I saw Sage's small body on the ground. He was too small, his body wasn't ready for that much energy. I knew no amount of moonlight would bring him back.

I gasped as I tried to put weight on my ankle, ignoring it as I picked up his small body from the forest floor.

I immediately took his wrist, not even knowing if this would work, but I bit into his wrist, hoping it would.

I pricked my finger, bringing it to his lips as I let my blood hit his tongue.

I waited, putting my ear close to his face as I listened for breath, and suddenly he lurched forward, his entire body in a spasm as he shrieked with pain, his violet eyes large as saucers and glowing bright as I'd ever seen them and as soon as it started it stopped and he went still, his breathing even and his eyes closing.

I looked down at my right arm, it was singed and swollen.

I turned when Valor's scent hit my nose, Cassius with him and he bolted forward as he ran toward Raven as I pointed towards her.

Valor lifted me as I held Sage, cradling him against my chest, in awe of this child.

He was so brave and selfless when everything and everyone around us told us that we should be enemies.

I didn't want anything to corrupt him. I knew he could not stay here with us, we weren't his people or anything like him. He couldn't thrive and learn here. I knew with what he just did he had limitless potential and his own people would need him. It was my job to make sure he went to good people who would take care of him and accept him as he was because he was different than them now. I wanted him to go to someone who would let him be and teach him to be a good man, the kind I knew he could be.

He was like me.

Parts of worlds that everyone said shouldn't go together.

A hybrid.

"Valor. We need to find him a good home. He needs a mother. Someone to help him through this, to understand him and help him understand himself. He saved my life, it's the least we could do." I said.

"I'll call Pierre and Giselle." Valor whispered.

"Is he dead?" I asked.

Valor stared down at me as we entered the house, giving me a small nod and I felt relief flood me.

He was gone. The man who tried to take away so many pieces of me and my family was gone and now it was time for us to put everything back together.