Chapter 5

She could not explain how she knew that or felt that way, but she just did, and now was not the time to even know why.

She doubted that the why could save her anyway.

The air had gotten darker than it should have, and a red hot hand forced its way into the entrance of the bar.

The figure stuck its hand into the door, melting the woodwork that was close to it enough to make a tiny hole for a quick peek.

Growls intensified as the wolves took a position. Their claws were out, and she could sense the menacing feeling they emanated in the air. They were not about to tuck their tail and run.

It forced its way into the door as lava dripped from its very skin, if she could even refer to it as that.

It did not take long for the demon to come into full focus.

It stood at the door as the demon scanned from face to face. It looked like it was looking for something or someone, and her suspicions were confirmed, much to her horror, when its dark soulless eyes stopped directly on her.

"Clavis," it said with foam and brimstone coming out of its mouth.

Suddenly, nothing else mattered as it made a beeline for Selene.

Jackson did not take long to figure out what was going on.

He shoved her behind the counter as he barked orders to engage. He himself shifted his hind legs and paws into something more deadly.

He lunged at the creature with all his might.

"Tu es clavis," it said more clearly now. "Clavis."

Where had she heard that before, she wondered.

The creature was tossing everything and everyone out of the way. Out of its way until it was the only thing left standing.

Key! She exclaimed to herself. It meant key. That was Latin for you are the key.

The creature grabbed her by the neck, hoisting her up when her grimoire appeared in thin air again.

But she could cast any spells. Not when it had his hands wrapped around her throat. She was entirely powerless to stop whatever it was that was about to happen.

It turned around, about to hear for the door with her in hand, when Jackson came in front of it.

He plunged his hand straight into the heart of this creature.

Selene watched as its eyes went even darker, and the life drained away from it.

It fell to the ground, disintegrating into dust as she also fell too.

He caught her before she hit the ground while she was coughing from not being able to breathe those moments.

"Here, I thought I was the only one allowed to take your breath away." He told her, with wounds all over his chest.

She did not take long before she was forced to close her eyes. She didn't know if she had fainted or anything like that, but she knew she had to close her eyes.

*. *. *

"No, she has a plan." Selene heard a faint voice from a distant location.

"This is not a request." The voice added with a ferocious growl that accompanied it. "It is an order!" He said.

That was Jackson.

"We wouldn't know about this threat if it wasn't for her, and I don't know about you, but I like the land of the living like it is," Jackson said with more intensity.

She had a mighty headache that didn't look like it was planning to let up anytime soon. It was not a pretty feeling.

"But that thing was after her!" a female voice piped up. "Why don't we let it have her." another one said. But this time, it was a male voice that accompanied the female one.

"No!" Jackson interjected. "We can't do that." He told them. "That thing was the first of many, and I know there's more—" He added.

"But it wanted just her so…."

"—so nothing!" he responded in a more ferocious tone.

She stood up from the bed that she had been placed on. She saw a tiny piece of light that she followed until she came back into the bar.

"Now I don't wanna hear any more of —" He started saying when she opened the door.

She had not meant to make a ruckus, but she did.

Instantly, all eyes were on her, and she wished that they weren't.

She stood for a couple of seconds before she eventually decided to speak.

"That is a hellhound, and you may not believe me, but more are coming, and I assure you, they would not be so kind." She told them.

"Selene—" Jackson said as he made for her when she raised her hand to stop him in his tracks.

"Now, you might think that it was here for me, and maybe it was. But it will come for all of us." She told them. "Their target isn't just me but all of us. The land of the living. The waking world."

"So, by all means. Give me to that thing, but the problem still persists, and you're most likely going to help them accomplish it."

Jackson growled almost as soon as she said the word when he walked up to her.

"No one is going to do that." He said as soon as she was done speaking. "Right?" he said as he narrowed his menacing glare across the room.

It didn't take long for everyone to go back to what they were doing.

"Come on." He said, offering her his hands. "I want to show you something."

Jackson didn't know what it was about this girl but she seemed fascinating. Sweat trickled down his brow as he led her out of the bar. There was a spot that he'd only known.

He could sit and just stare at the stars.

"Hop on." He said as he assumed a bent position.

Selene seemed skeptical at first but eventually decided that he seemed like a decent enough guy.

He took off as soon as she had climbed on top of him.

It was that wolf's strength and speed, she told herself as he leaped through things in a single bound and dashed through the forest until they came to an open clearing.

He gently let her down as she took in the scenery.

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