Noir

The moon hung low in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the canopy of trees. I sat cross-legged on the soft loam, my back against the gnarled trunk of an ancient kapok tree. The air was thick with the sounds of the jungle: the distant howl of a jaguar, the haunting call of a hoatzin, and the symphony of insects that seemed to fill every crevice of the forest. And as I sat, listening to the sounds, I recalled the things Eton had told me.

He had started with the reason his name was the same as that of my ancestral coven. I'd always found it amusing, but had never really thought much about it. It turns out that there was a deep connection between the brothers and myself. My family's coven was the one who had taken the brothers in when their family had been slaughtered. As time passed, each had assumed the man's name of whom they had come to look upon as their father. My ancestor; Noir Thorin Eton. It was a story that was both tragic and inspiring. They had been raised by the coven, learning the ways of magic and the secrets of the jungle. Over time, the coven had become some of the most powerful witches in the land, and had helped to protect the Amazon and its people from those who would seek to exploit it. But there was another story, one that Noir had failed to share with me, however, Eton had. It seemed there was a prophecy, one that spoke of a great darkness that would one day descend upon the world. A darkness that would threaten the very existence of every species. The prophecy spoke of a chosen one, someone who would have the power to stop this darkness. It said that the blood of the chosen one would be the key to unlocking this power. And now, it seemed, the time had come. The darkness was rising, and I was the chosen. The weight of this knowledge was crushing. I felt like I was drowning in the shadows, my every breath a struggle against the darkness of those who sought to consume the world. Many of the other species had already found the means to raise their old ones in preparation of the rising of the Cyprian's. There was hope though, for the prophecy also spoke of a scroll, one that contained the knowledge to defeat what was occurring. The scroll, it was said, was hidden in a place only an Eton Witch could reach, a place known only to my ancestors.

At the time, I had looked up at Eton, insecurity flowing strongly through me. I had never truly used my abilities for anything other than as a guidance during a hunt. "How am I supposed to do this?" I whispered. "How can I possibly stop this darkness?"

He smiled gently. "You are not alone, Lyra. You have the wisdom of your ancestors to guide you. All you need to do is open your mind and listen to them, they will help you. And you need to trust yourself and your abilities."

As I had contemplated his words, a sense of determination had begun to grow within me. I had taken a deep breath, and murmured, "Let's do this, then, Eton. I will do everything I can t stop this coming darkness."

I knew Eton had told Noir of what he had done and of my decision, otherwise we wouldn't be out here in the Amazon, however, we were now ass-deep in the jungle, and Noir was still hiding things from me.

Something was wrong, quite wrong in fact, if the way the three brothers were behaving was any indication, and though it was something none had spoken aloud vocally, they might as well have stood on a mountain top and shouted it down at the world below, for their demeanor spoke volumes of an unseen trouble brewing.

After having observed them, separately yet continuously shooting superstitious glances behind us and at the trees throughout the last twenty-four hours, I'd had enough.

Jerking to my feet, I swung my eyes about the small camp locating Noir, and after only a slight debate with myself, I marched over to where he sat. "All right" I exclaimed, "what the hell is going on?"

Noir paused, lifting his head from where he'd been sharpening the blades of his daggers and stated matter of factly, "We're being followed." just as nonchalant as if he were telling me it was going to rain later.

I blinked, surprised. Then, before I could stop myself, I spun around, looking over my shoulder. I didn't see anything and I swung my gaze back to Noir, confusion and irritation warring on my features. "How do you know?"

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He shrugged, returning his attention to his daggers. "I can feel it." He paused, lifting his eyes to meet mine. "As a vampire, I can sense things you can't." There was a hint of challenge in his voice, as if he were daring me to ask him to prove it. I narrowed my eyes, not sure whether to believe him or not. "How long have you known?"

Noir glanced up, his expression unreadable. "A few hours, maybe?" He paused, his gaze shifting to the side. "It's hard to tell."

I considered this, debating whether or not I should trust him. In the end, I decided that I had no choice but to take his word for it. "So what do we do?" I asked, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

Noir glanced back up at me, his expression unreadable. "We keep moving. We can't stay still for long, or they'll catch up to us." His voice was calm, almost soothing, but there was an undercurrent of urgency that I could feel as clearly as if it were a physical presence in the air between us.

I nodded, swallowing hard. "What about setting up camp? I need to rest."

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Noir's eyes narrowed. "We'll take short rests when we can, but we can't afford to let our guard down for long." His expression darkened. "We need to keep moving until we're sure we've lost them."

I glanced over at Eton and Thorin, who were sitting a short distance away, their expressions impassive. "All right," I agreed, forcing myself to stay calm. "Let's get going, then."

Noir stood as well, sheathing his daggers before tucking them into his belt. He glanced around the clearing, taking in their surroundings, and nodded in satisfaction. "We'll head east for a while, then double back north. That should throw them

off our trail for a bit." Without waiting for a response, he began to lead the way through the trees, his movements silent and graceful despite the urgency of the situation.

I followed Noir, as Eton and Thorin, their expressions still unreadable as they scanned the trees around us, trailed behind. My senses now on high alert, I felt the tension, and the weight of the danger that loomed over us.

Noir moved swiftly through the forest, his knowledge of the terrain seemingly unparalleled. After several hours of travel, I could feel the exhaustion beginning to take its toll on my body, but I forced myself to keep going, my determination fueled by the fear of what might happen if we were caught by whoever it was that was following us.

Eton and Thorin had come up and traveled at my side, their presence a comforting reminder that I wasn't alone in this fight