Koreena floated in a sea of blackness, a hot searing pain wrapped itself around her. Charon had plunged his dagger into her mother’s chest, he then dipped his head and kissed her lips. His usually thin, pink lips painted in the crimson blood of her mother. No, it’s not real, her mother had died a month before. She tried to muddle away the hallucinations that fogged her.

Visions flashed quickly around her, consuming her, suffocating her. She felt smothered as they crashed over her with such realistic qualities. Her brother stood before her in the room she had occupied, the Weeping Willow. The headhunter closed in on her, his silver dagger gleaming in the moonlight. “Kill the problem child!” Thayden’s voice rang out.

“No Thayden, please! I’m sorry!” She cried out into the night.

Her body struggled against the guard as she the visions over took her.

He gulped, his arms curling as tight as he could around her. “Mistress!” his voice rang out, “mistress, she's …”

“Just hold onto her,” came a steady growl as the world began to spin. There was pressure at Kora’s arm, a soft but firm grip. Then a feeling of them moving but not moving, as if shifting through an ocean of custard, but with their feet never leaving the ground.

“Stop, make it stop… the burning..” Koreena gasped her eyes flashing back to their normal dark gaze before going completely white again.

The vines of black started to slowly spread down her back, a few of the lashings had missed her lower portion. The small dimples in her back were bruised from where the whip had just licked the flesh.

“The burning will stop,” came the strong voice again. “I promise. Just hold on for me.”

KC gasped, her body was feeling something above feverish, her back stiff from the blood that was starting to dry, a few spots still trickled the crimson liquid. She tried to lift her head but it felt so heavy. Tendrils of her multicolored locks cling to sweat covered face. Her head lulled from side to side as exhaustion overcame her.

Seconds passed. Minutes. The world settled, and there were the few sounds of gasping, shuffling feet. Somewhere, a dog howled as new, firm arms began to embrace her, letting her head relax onto a new, more familiar chest.

“I cannot do anything,” said a firm, aged man. “We must take her to Morningstar.”

Koreena blinked a few times, her blurred vision took in the handsome features of her new lover, “Charon,” she croaked. A few new tears slipped down her cheeks, “I’m so tired - the burning..” Her eyes closed once more, her body still trembling from the pain and the fever that Asaph had taunted her about.