Getting Attention

[Nox]

The voices behind him made sense. But the darkness didn't care. The hoard wanted to feast. It grew closer and darker and hand on his arm shot pain through his mind. It broke part of the hold on Nox and he turned to look at what had ensnared him. The very reason the darkness found hold stared at him. The ruffled curls, the kissable lips, his home. The seed planted, but the darkness fought back. It reached inside and tried to grab Raffe with the missing hand. The bandaged stump falling far from the mark but pain seared through the scraping of bandage to wound from the touch that had landed on the other man's chest.

Nox fell to his knees but the ropes of the power held fast. The darkness pulled out the power and the pain scoured his soul. Memories of the Ijiraq scoured Nox's mind and he jammed the stump of his arm into the ground. The pain cracking the darkness more. Nox felt himself, dropped the power. His body shook as he collapsed in a heap on the ground curled in on himself. What had he done? He didn't want to look.

The sounds of a man gasping for air behind him was the only confirmation that the Atharim survived.