Audrey watched as Reinard followed Daniel toward the camp, fear and concern fracturing her psyche...but she didn’t have time for that. There were many that relied on her to protect them and as much as that responsibility weighed on her, she would never let them down. Daniel knew the way. He could get as many out as he could with the help of Reinard...but Audrey had her own job to do.<br/><br/>Turning toward the angel, her lips turned down into a deep scowl and laughed bitterly. With a small shake of her head, her green eyes bore into him with an intensity she reserved for the few who received her innermost hatred. There was only one who she hated more than the angel in front of her.<br/><br/>“You do what you can to protect them….and then we can talk.” Her gaze changed then. A small crack in the wall where the emotions she held so close to her began to spill through. It lasted only a second before she looked away.<br/><br/>“Let’s go Sam.”<br/><br/>-------------------<br/><br/>The sounds of war echoed through the forest like thunder. Each savage beast cornered the camp residents like they were cattle and slaughtered them. The dirt was soaked in blood and the screams of those who still fought for a way out were cut short as the crude metal of a demon blade sliced through the thin flesh. Blood flowed like red rivers over the bodies and dripped off into the lake.<br/><br/>Many of the tents were on fire. Black smoke rose high in the air – a signal for all those around to see. The camp had been found and was no longer safe. Even with the number of demons running around, there were still quite a few humans that were passing by them.<br/><br/>A loud screech shook the trees, and everything nearby seemed to slow down. The demons looked up at their brethren’s call before they tilted their heads back and mirrored the call. The loud, sharp sound of their call caused the camp dwellers to cover their ears and scream.<br/><br/>Daniel and Reinard looked on in horror as the ground ran red.<br/><br/>The camp was a massive fire pit, the flames as high as the trees. A mixture of trees, tents, beds and human bodies piled high and fueled the flames. Fire spread from where it sat into the trees and nearby remains of the camp.<br/><br/>The screams of the demons continued, echoing further. Each one’s arms raised in the air as if they chanted back to their brother. From the center of his hand, the demon grew a ball of light. It grew bigger and bigger until its red flames angrily licked at its hand.<br/><br/>The lesser demons squealed and called out. Their long hands held onto the humans tightly, nails dug deep into the skin. The children’s cries were barely audible over the sounds of the demon’s haunting song.<br/><br/>And then the sphere of flames flew forward in an arc and landed in the massive fire below. In a split second, things went quiet. Then, a bright flash of light emanated from the fire and reached to the edges of the camp. The sound came after. Like a clap, it shook then deafened and then roared.<br/><br/>All at once, the camp was covered in flames that crackled and flourished, fed by the bodies of every soul in the camp. The screams had fallen silent. There was nothing but the crackling of flames and the whoosh of air as the demons took flight. They took to the skies and left behind nothing but carnage and death.<br/><br/>-------------------<br/><br/>The leader pushed through the thick brush of the forest, a hand on Sam’s wrist so that they wouldn’t be separated. They were going the long way but it was on purpose. Her people knew the way to the tunnels. With the attack coming from the direction they’d seen them come from, they would come this way. There were other tunnels but they’d be blocked by the demons certainly. Audrey would have to be here to meet them.<br/><br/>Looking back at Sam, she wasn’t sure what to say to him. She had to send Reinard to the camp with Daniel. He knew the demons in a way no other did and without Reinard she feared for her people. It was a strange feeling to trust a demon to this magnitude and it truly was of dire circumstances. Reinard was new to the camp but he’d saved Sam and Sam was….<br/><br/>“Are you okay, Sam?” Audrey paused for a moment to look at him and bit her lip. Her hands reached out and took his own. Her fingers trembled. The crack in her walls had not been healed just because she’d left the angel. With a hard swallow, she stepped a bit closer and wrapped her arms around him.<br/><br/>She told herself that it was to comfort him but the warmth that spread through her body to calm the emotions that flooded forward told otherwise. It didn’t stop the tears that came to her eyes but she blinked them back before they could be seen. It was only a moment before she pulled away and looked to the treeline.<br/><br/>“They’ll be coming this way. There’s a tunnel about a mile to the East. We’ll have to guard them there. I didn’t mean to separate you from your friend, but it’s safer here. You don’t know how to fight yet...but after this…,” She nodded bitterly and looked down. “You’ll have to.”<br/><br/>They waited, and waited, before Audrey noticed something was wrong. Her gaze turned to Sam, green eyes met green and Audrey bit her lip. “They’re not coming. We’ll have to go find them.” Her face paled. There was a feeling between them and she knew. Something had gone horribly, horribly wrong.