Chapter Sixteen

I felt something wrap around me and clamped my eyes closed. I waited for the pain to hit me, but just like last time, nothing happened. I opened my eyes to see that I was under a small black dome. Shadow's body was wrapped around me, his head laying in my lap. I felt tears prick my eyes. I looked up just as the dragon hit the dome and the fire exploded around the sides of it, destroying the dragon.

"Shadow, you saved me!" I leaned down and kissed his head.

"He had some help," Aragorn's voice caught my attention. He was standing behind me, his face filled with fury. "I never should have left you here. You always seem to find trouble with fire demons."

"You have to stop them," I pushed Shadow away and stood. "Please."

"I have to get you out of here," Aragorn reached for me. I moved backwards away from him, shaking my head. My back hit the dome and I stopped.

"Let me out."

"No," Aragorn snarled. "You're not safe here. Let me take you home and I'll handle things here."

"I can help!"

"How?" Aragorn got right up in my face. "You're a human."

"Quit arguing with me and finish these monsters." I placed my hands on my hips. "I'm not going without a fight."

He growled and waved his hand. The dome disappeared and he stepped away from me. He turned to face the fire demons and tilted his head back and roared. His body started to shift and his muscles popped as he transformed into his demon form. It happened so fast. I blinked and he was completely shifted. It startled me and I took a step back.

Aragorn was fierce in his demon form. He was huge and completely black. The two horns on top of his head were razor sharp. I'd seen him once before in demon form, but this time seemed different. He was angrier, his face and body language portraying that. He turned to glance at me with the black endless pits of his eyes. He raised his hand and the dome appeared around me once more. I could see out, but when I pressed against it, nothing happened. I was trapped. I beat my fists against it, screaming my fury at Aragorn. He didn't seem to mind, or he couldn't hear me. I had no idea how these things worked. I was pissed.

My eyes searched for Talia and I found her creating a shelter around the young ones. She made it thick and completely out of rock. I hoped that it would be strong enough in case a fire ball went toward them. I didn't want the children or the other humans getting hurt.

Shadow rubbed up against me and startled me. "Damn, pup. I forgot you were in here." I placed my hand over my racing heart and smiled down at him. Squatting, I rubbed his ears and scratched his head.

I heard a roar and turned to see Aragorn moving his hands to create what looked like a portal. It was solid black and hung suspended above the earth about two feet. It was behind one of the fire demons that held up the wall of fire. Aragorn moved his hands forward slowly and I watched in fascination as two hands made from the shadows came out of the portal and grabbed the demon. The demon's eyes widened before he was snatched backwards and disappeared into the black depths. The portal closed and I watched as another demon stepped into his take his place and hold the wall of fire.

"You will stop this," Aragorn commanded.

"No," the fire demon in charge smirked. "We won't."

"You face the wrath of the shadow demons."

"You face the wrath of the fire demons," the demon taunted.

"What is your name?"

"What's yours?" he asked instead of answering.

I could tell from where I was that Aragorn was getting frustrated. I watched the fire demon, wanting to punch him in the face. His skin glowed as fire seeped from his pores. It covered him once more and with a laugh he made the flames higher and hotter. I watched as black smoke gathered around his feet. He didn't seem to notice. A hand formed from the smoke and moved up until it reached the demon's head. The hand jerked forward and wrapped around the fire demon's throat. He gasped and his hands clawed at the hand around his throat.

"I'll ask again," Aragorn snarled. "What is your name?"

"Screw… You…" the demon gasped out.

Aragorn moved forward until he was less than a foot away from the demon. He got right up next to the demon and whispered something I couldn't hear. The demon's eyes widened and then he closed them. The hand around his throat eased up a little.

"Answer," Aragorn commanded.

"Deviant. My name is Deviant."

"All of you have heard the name of the man that lead the attack on you today. He will now face punishment. Any fire demon left in this realm after ten minutes will be dealt the same punishment. We will not allow any demon to get away with attacking another. Justice will prevail," Aragorn made sure that his voice carried as he spoke to the crowd.

I turned away from Aragorn as I felt a chill go up my spine. I found that several men had creeped up behind me and were headed straight toward Aragorn. They were definitely fire demons, but had yet to shift into their demon forms. Their glowing red and orange eyes told me of their evil intent.

"Aragorn!" I shouted. He didn't move. Did he not hear me?

The men were being too quiet. Why had none of the earth demons seen him? I turned to find Talia was gone. There was a giant pile of rocks and everyone underneath had disappeared. I shivered, glad I wasn't under there. It would make me freak out. I was claustrophobic and this dome around me was already starting to freak me out.

I looked around for anyone, but only Aragorn and the two fire demons were left. I was surprised that Aragorn hadn't gone straight for the demon that attacked me, but maybe he didn't know. That same demon was staring at me and even had the audacity to wink at me. I growled under my breath and beat on the dome. I had to warn Aragorn.

"Please hear me! Damn it!"

Shadow barked. Of course! I was an idiot. Shadow could warn him!

"Shadow! Go warn Aragorn. Or stop those men! They're going to hurt him! Please," I begged. Shadow cocked his head to the side and then looked out of the dome. He disappeared and reappeared behind Aragorn. He growled and Aragorn swirled around just as the demon shifted and attacked. The second one, with the orange eyes, shifted and went to help Deviant.

"Molder, get me out of here," Deviant hacked. He could breathe, but only because Aragorn was distracted. Luckily the black hand made out of shadows still held Deviant captive. I wondered how much strength it took out of Aragorn. He was keeping a dome around me and the hand around Deviant's neck. He needed his full attention to the fight and not on me. I should have listened to him and let him take me back. He might lose because of that, and it'd be all my fault.

I felt the ground beneath me shift. It was so strong, I stumbled and fell to my knees. I looked all around, trying to find out what was happening. I turned toward the pile of rocks and saw that they were untouched. Yet from around the side, came a fire demon holding a woman with light green eyes by the throat. She looked terrified. Her hand was in the air and I felt the ground shift again. All of a sudden the ground beneath me dropped. There were walls of dirt around me as the square I was on shifted into the earth. I stared up, watching as the walls of the dome disappeared and I could only see the top.

"Aragorn!" I was scared to death I was being buried alive. What did the girl want with me? Why was she doing this? Was the fire demon making her? Where had they come from? The ground stopped moving, but I could still hear it shifting elsewhere.

I was glad I wasn't being buried alive, but now what? I couldn't see Aragorn. Was he still alive? My heart felt heavy with the thought. Surely I'd feel it if he was dead. "Shadow?" Could he hear me now that he was outside the dome?

The ground to my left started trembling. I moved as far away from it as possible. Dirt fell around my feet. My breath came quickly as panic started to set it. It was happening. I was going to be buried alive. I looked up and around me, trying to figure out how to get out. Suddenly a huge chunk of the ground to my left disappeared straight upwards. The wall I was leaning against started moving, pushing me toward the opening. I now realized what was going on. They were trying to get me out of the dome. My safe haven was now open and someone could get to me.

I pushed back on the wall of dirt, but all it did was push me back harder than before. I stumbled backwards, hitting the new wall. I looked up, seeing sunlight streaming down. The ground beneath my feet started rising. I was being brought upwards.

The ground stopped moving once I was back level with the rest of the ground. Someone grabbed me, wrapping an arm around my throat. The arm felt hot to the touch and I realized it was a fire demon that had me. The girl with the strange light green eyes was on the ground, her body trembling. She seemed young. I wondered if the task she just performed had worn her out.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, looking up at me.

I couldn't form words as the arm tightened around me. The man that had been holding the girl kicked her, sending her scooting across the ground on her side. I winced for her, wanting to murder the man responsible.

"Shadow demon," the man holding me called. I was spun around as my feet left the ground. I couldn't breathe as my weight settled against his arm. I grabbed it with my hands and pulled myself up enough to breathe.

Aragorn came into my sight. He was just finishing off the orange eyed demon. I didn't see Deviant and wondered if he managed to escape. I seriously hoped he hadn't. I wanted Aragorn to rip his throat out.

Aragorn turned and his eyes took me in. He snarled and stepped forward. The arm around my neck tightened and I gasped and dug my nails into his arm as I tried to breathe. Aragorn froze.

"Let her go," Aragorn snarled. I saw the dome disappear out of the corner of my eye and saw Aragorn straighten. It had been taking a toll on him to keep it around me. "If you hurt her, you will die slowly and painfully, fire demon."

"How stupid are you to have mated with a human? They are weak! She is so puny I can snap her bones with the flick of my wrist. Yet you tied yourself to her. Stupid shadow demon. I'd always heard that you were a fierce warrior, yet I hold this human in my grasp and you don't dare attack me."

"What is your name, fire demon?"

"I wonder if I hurt the girl, if you'll feel it. How strong is the bond between you two? To me it looks weak. Maybe if I kill her you'll be able to survive, demon, so we may fight and I get to end your life with my bare hands."

The arm around my throat disappeared but then wrapped around my waist. My right arm was held out to the side as I struggled to catch my breath. The demon took my arm in his hand and squeezed. I screamed as pain flooded through me and the sound of my bone cracking filled the tense battle field.

Aragorn's roar sounded around me. I looked over him and saw that he seemed to be growing larger. I felt the demon tense. Black smoke traveled all across the ground. The temperature around us to dropped. I shivered as the cold seeped into my bones.

"You're going to die," Aragorn promised.

The demon let go of me and I dropped to the ground. I sucked in a breath as the fall jarred my arm. I pulled it to me and held it to my chest. It hurt so bad tears came to me eyes. I turned and started scooting backwards on the ground away from the fire demon. The demon's eyes widened and he started moving backwards.

Fire appeared in his hands and he started throwing fire balls one after another at Aragorn. None of the fire demons keeping the wall of fire going came to help him. He was on his own. I felt a warmth behind me and turned to see Shadow. He laid down and wrapped me up in his warmth. I was thankful and smiled at him. He licked my cheek and I leaned into him.

The black smoke crept up the fire demon's legs, keeping him from moving anymore. It snaked up around his thighs and to his waist. It lifted him in the air and leaned him backwards. It wrapped around his wrists and brought them together before making his hands disappear into a ball of smoke. He struggled, his threats and promises of pain falling on deaf ears. Aragorn stalked toward him, stopping by me and Shadow.

The smoke kept crawling up the fire demon's body. It entered his body through every orifice. It poured through his mouth, his eyes, and ears. It flooded his body until he seemed to expand.

"Turn your eyes," Aragorn commanded. I looked up at him and then buried my face in Shadow's fur.

I heard the explosion and felt pieces of the demon's body land on me. I felt sick. The smell was awful and the thought of what just happened made me want to hurl. My arm wasn't helping matters. I whimpered and looked up at Aragorn.

"Shhh...," he whispered, dropping down to my level. He pushed my hair back and cupped my cheek. "Let me take you home."

"What about the others?" I didn't want to leave Talia and all the other women. "The fire demons-"

"Will be here when I get back. I'm going to take you to somewhere safe and then come back and handle this situation. I need to get you out of here. That should have never happened. I'll have Jezebel take a look at you. She can mend your bone."

"You could get hurt," I argued.

"This is my job," Aragorn reminded me. He scooped me up into his arms.

"Okay," I nodded. I didn't want him to waste any more time. The fire demons were moving. It seemed they wanted to make the circle of fire smaller. I knew that Aragorn couldn't fight well and worry about me. He'd almost taxed himself out just by trying to keep the dome around me. I could be smart in this situation. "Take me home."

I felt the shadows close in around us and then we were back in Aragorn's room. He set me gently on the bed. "I'll go get Jezebel."

"Wait," I grabbed his hand before he could leave.

"Yes?" he asked, looking down at me.

"Please be careful," I muttered.

He smiled at me and then did something unexpected. He leaned down and kissed me. It wasn't a simple kiss. It was a possessive demanding kiss. He left me breathless as he pulled away. I watched as he disappeared. I moved further back on the bed and called for Shadow.

He appeared at the foot of the bed. "Take care of him for me," I told him. "Don't let anything happen to him."

Even though I was pissed at Aragorn for this whole situation, I didn't want anything to happen to him. If something happened to Aragorn I'd have to have a new master. I didn't want that. Though I wondered what would happen since I'd been mated to a demon. Would they still expect me to be a slave? I had no idea, but didn't want to find out. Aragorn was going to come back to me.

Aragorn appeared in the room just then, with Jezebel in tow. She immediately got to work. Aragorn stared at me long and hard and then disappeared. I felt sick to my stomach knowing he was out there fighting.

"He'll be fine," Jezebel commented.

"What?" I asked, coming out of my thoughts and directing my attention to the air demon beside me.

"Aragorn," she said, "he'll be fine. Don't worry about him. He'd only get hurt if you were out there distracting him. It was smart of him to bring you back. Plus he's taking reinforcements. He'll get those fire demons under control."

"Thank you," I told her, glad she could put my mind at ease.

"Give me your arm," she demanded. I winced as I held it out and she grabbed it gently. She ran her fingers over it and then applied some pressure. I thought I was going to pass out as the pain flooded into me once more. I gasped and retched. "It's definitely broke."

"No shit," I groaned.

"I'm going to wrap this poultice around it and then bandage it up. It will numb your arm and keep you from experiencing pain. But I'm going to have to set the bone."

"That's going to hurt," I stated.

"Yes, it is."

"Can you not knock me out first?"

"I could, but it's more fun to hear you scream," Jezebel laughed. Then she jerked my arm. I screamed and felt blackness creep in. I passed out, thinking that I'd kill the healer the next time I saw her.

A/N

Deidre was actually smart and didn't fight Aragorn to stay. They seem to be growing closer, but maybe it's only the bond. And Jezebel, damn she was a bitch! lol She must be jealous. Next chapter things will be more centered around Aragorn and Dee. And some interaction with them. And Dee gets a surprise... and it may be one she doesn't like.

Sorry for such a long wait between updates!

Let me know what you think

Destiny