“Aleksi, you can’t,” Arina stated. Tears were streaming down her face as she pleaded desperately to her eldest brother, “We can’t just destroy Hedeon.” Next to her twin brother she was closest to Hedeon.

“You know well that we have no other choice,” Aloysha put in. He was a second oldest of the siblings, “Hedeon was bitten by a werecat. He must be put down now, Arina. Don’t make this harder.”

“Can Gavrie pray for him, at least,” Konstantine put in coming to stand behind his twin.

“That is also forbidden,” Arina responded for the eldest siblings. The sun was beginning to set, “I will do what I can to make him comfortable. Who is going to do it?”

“You are the second best at quick kills,” Aleksi responded carefully, “It would be easiest on him if you did it.” Arina nodded and went to the tent that Hedeon had been put in.

“I don’t want to die,” Hedeon whispered as Arina began to heal him.

“I don’t want to kill you,” Arina responded, “I wish I could take you somewhere safe.”

“Please don’t kill me, Arina,” Hedeon let a tear slip down his face, “I’m only seventeen, and I’m not ready to die.”

“I’m only sixteen,” Arina looked at him, “I’m not ready to kill my own brother.” Arina had to take a steadying breath as she pulled out a silver dagger, “I’m sorry. I love you Hedeon.” With that Arina quickly plunged the dagger into her brother’s heart and watched as he turned to ash. She sobbed softly and stared at the pile of ash that was once her second favorite brother. It was how things were for Slayers though. That night the Seventh Omega Squad turned from a ten member team to a nine member team

Slayers were always born from slayers. They were trained as soon as they could walk in endurance and the fighting arts. At five you chose what you would do for your team. Teams were always brother and sister groups of at least ten members when they set out. Arina’s job was to be a wealth of knowledge for her team; she had a slightly less intense training then the fighters and spent the extra time learning all the little things about different creatures, including how to heal them. Slayers never destroyed an innocent creature before healing them and attempting an interview, most talked hoping that they might be let free if they said the right thing. It was Arina’s job to heal them; now that Hedeon was gone it would also be her job to destroy them.

She knew it was an hour after sunset when she felt something watching her; she had been feeling it for the past week. She knew it was a he, he was a vampire, at least five hundred years old, and that he was bitten against his will (which made him innocent), he was in charge of something, he was going to kidnap her tomorrow night, and he wasn’t going to hurt her. Her telepathy allowed her to know this, she never questioned this knowledge.

Another hour passed before Arina left the execution tent and looked at her siblings, “its over.” She stated before entering the tent that she, Hedeon, Konstantine and Vladimir had shared and she sat on her bed-roll. The four of them had been very close and the older six were very close, it hurt the older six to lose the eldest of the younger four but not as much as it hurt the youngest three members of the team. Soon Konstantine and Vladimir joined her.

“Arina,” Vladimir began as he and Konstantine joined her on her bed-roll, “What now?”

“I’m tired of this,” Arina began, “I may leave soon. I was already exhausted with the life we lead, now that I’ve had to destroy Hedeon…” Arina trailed off looking down.

“Arina, please don’t,” her twin begged. Konstantine and Arina had never spent a night apart, “I couldn’t take it if you left too.”

“We would miss you too much,” Vladimir continued for Konstantine, who had hugged Arina and begun to cry, “Who would make Aleksi and Fadeyka see reason when they fight over Fadeyka almost killing himself, who would make sure Dimitri is heard, who would cover for me when I can’t control my magic, who would make anti-werewolf weapons for Konstantine, who would discuss religion with Gavrie, and who would Grisha confide in?”

“I know that I would be missed,” Arina said softly, “I know that you guys need me, for my intelligence training among other things, and now also as an executioner. I will miss you guys too,” Arina paused to gather her thoughts. Where ever the vampire was taking her it had to be better that here, “I can’t do this slayer thing anymore. At least not for a while, I need to gather myself. I need a break from this. I’ve needed one for a while.”

“You can’t just leave us,” Konstantine sobbed quietly, “You can’t.”

“Konstantine, Vladimir, listen to me. I know I was born of slayers past, I know I have a slayer’s super human strength, and I know I am the only one trained for intelligence. You two know enough to get by, and you will figure out more. Vladimir, I have taught you how to get ready for an execution and Fadeyka can execute things. Konstantine the only knowledge you lack is what I have learned since we departed from our parent’s squad. I know that if I stick around I will go mad,” Arina paused a looked at her brothers, “Please, if I leave do not try and find me. I need time and space to figure things out. If I feel I can come back then I will, if I don’t then I will and make a more appropriate good by for the family.”

The next day was solemn; Arina couldn’t look any of her remaining brothers in the eye because now a new fear lurked in her mind, a fear that she would have to execute each of them some day. She knew that she would never have the actual firm resolve required for funning away; however, she wouldn’t need it if she allowed the vampire that had been stalking her to capture her. Once everyone was asleep Arina left camp and walked for about a mile before climbing a tree.

She felt a dart hit her neck and sagged against the trunk of the tree and gave a half smile as she passed out the last sight she saw was a graceful silhouette.

Shadow: I am trying, once again, to do a serious piece of writing. Constructive criticism is desired, although an ‘I like it’ will please me too!