Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Pain unlike anything he had experienced erupted in his body. Blood pooled in his mouth as he bit his tongue, stopping himself from screaming.

A fiery glow spread beneath his flesh, burning at his muscles and bones. Smoke drifted off him, and all he could do was glare at the fox.

I fucking told you it wouldn’t work! Shane hissed in his head.

The fox closed its eyes, and Shane watched as its body turned to ash.

Collapsing onto the ground, Shane gritted his teeth as he rode out the increasing pressure inside his body. The burning heat was starting to split his skin, and blood pooled from his wounds.

Couldn’t I have died quickly?

The ash from the fox floated towards him, and Shane had no choice but to watch as it merged with his spilled blood.

To his surprise, the ash pushed the blood back into his body and continued to follow it. The wounds began to close as more and more ash melded with him. There was no possible way that all of the ash should have been able to fit inside him, but he was being proven wrong.

The fiery glow receded as the ash tapered off. His torn flesh was fully healed, and his vision swirled as unconsciousness claimed him.

***

Fires burned all around him, consuming the buildings of his street. The sky overhead was filled with a swirling vortex that covered the entire city. Beams of light were radiating down, striking structures and people, destroying everything they touched.

“Shane, we need to run!” his father yelled before picking him up.

His mother was nowhere to be found, and Shane didn’t fully understand what was happening. He was simply playing catch outside a moment ago; now the world was on fire.

A beam of light crashed into their neighbor’s house, and when it faded, an eagle the size of a Volkswagen with frost drifting off its wings jumped from the destruction. With a few flaps of its wings, it soared into the sky, where icicles rained down over the city.

“Birdie,” Shane whispered.

His father set him in the front seat of their car and strapped him in. Shane’s eyes were still glued to the eagle as it flew away.

The car jolting forward snapped his attention back to his father. “What’s going on, Dad?”

“I don’t know, Shane!”

Rubbing his eyes, Shane tried to look at his father, but his image was fuzzy and distorted. “Dad?”

“What’s wrong, Shane?” His father’s voice was warbly as his hand reached out to him.

Shane slumped forward as the world faded away.

***

Gasping for air, Shane’s eyes snapped open. The den was pitch-black and the only sounds were the slow drip of water on the other side of the room.

“I’m alive,” he whispered.

“So am I,” a melodic female voice whispered in his head.

“Who’s there?” Shane yelled.

“Calm yourself, Shane. I have the answers you seek. But first, it’s time we introduced ourselves to each other.”

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Shane’s arm lit up, a flaming red tattoo stretching from his shoulder down to his wrist in intricate lines and swirls.

Shane gasped. “Holy shit. I’m really a Marked…”

Sparks drifted into the air from his tattoo before a flash of light lit up the den. When his vision returned to him, Shane found a young woman sitting cross-legged across from him. She seemed to be a tad shorter than him, but it was hard to tell. Her hair was flickering with flames, showcasing two pointy fox ears on top of her head. A swishing tail was behind her, giving off enough light that he could see the pool of water.

“Hello, Shane,” she said softly. Her voice was smooth, gentle, and held a hint of humor, almost like this was the greatest joke she had ever played.

“Uh-huh…” Shane mumbled. Rubbing his arm, he felt the raised flesh of the tattoo. His fingers traced the lines as he did his best to understand what was happening.

“Shane?” the woman asked.

Holding up a finger, Shane shushed her. “Give me a minute. I’m undecided if I’m actually dead, or if by some miracle a Descendant saved my life. Also, don’t you have clothes?”

Gawking at him, the fox covered her chest. “You’re not dead!”

“That sounds like something my dying brain would say,” Shane muttered.

Shifting forward, she pressed her hands onto his knees and shoved her nose into his. “You’re alive!”

Shane blinked before awkwardly focusing on his new companion. “Mhmm. Who are you again?”

Huffing, she sat back down. “My name is Rai, and you saved my life by taking my essence.”

“And I became a Marked,” Shane added.

“If you want to use that crude term, then yes,” Rai said. “I prefer Summoner.”

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Shane shut his eyes. “I need to process this. I’m in a Descendant’s den, where she gave her life willingly to become a Summon. Now I share a soul with said fox, and she’s really a fox woman that still isn’t wearing clothes.”

Rai groaned. Snapping her fingers, she flickered with flames before an unzipped leather jacket and tight jeans formed over her. The only thing missing was a shirt and shoes.

“Really?” Shane asked with a raised brow.

“What?” Rai asked in return.

“How is it that you can simply summon clothes, and I have to sit here in rags with your bite marks in it?”

Covering her mouth, Rai giggled. “You’re funny.”

“You need a shirt and boots,” Shane stated. “You can’t just wear a jacket. And why would you go with a jacket in summer? It’s like a bazillion degrees outside.”

Rai’s hand fell away from her mouth, and she gave him a flat look. “My essence is fire.”

“And I like pie,” Shane said.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Rai asked, her blank face breaking into a frown.

“Oh? I thought we were stating things that didn’t matter. Now I want pie…”

Scowling, she touched his knee before sending flames flickering over his skin.

Jumping back, he patted down his pants that were starting to smolder. “Hey! I worked really hard on these pants. Do you know how many sacks I had to collect to make the pair?”

Rai covered her mouth again. “You’re not joking, are you?”

“No!” Shane growled as the last ember went out. “Why would I joke about my pants?”

“And your vest?” Rai questioned warily.

“I made it. I had to steal the thread and needle. And the scraps of cloth. I also had to steal the sacks for my pants…”

“You’re a thief?” Rai scowled again.

“Shane Undere at your service,” Shane said with a bow of his head. “I’d bow and kiss your hand if we had the room.”

Rai looked around. “We do have the room. I was a large fox.”

Shane shrugged. “Meh.”

Rubbing her temples, Rai inched closer until her knees were touching his. “Why isn’t it bothering you that I’m naked?”

“You have pants and a jacket. You’re not naked, lady.”

Growling, she grabbed his vest. “You know what I mean!”

“Rai, Rai, Rai,” Shane tutted. “I lost my virginity when I was thirteen. Yes, it took me four months to buy the cure for the blight she gave me, but I learned. Over the years, I picked cleaner lady friends and had plenty of fun. So, you showing up naked in front of me is just another Wednesday.” Reaching out, he touched one of her ears. “The ears and tail do have a certain appeal. Simply touching them is getting me bothered.”

Pulling away, Rai crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him. “Hmph!”

Shifting so his left arm was in the light, Shane traced the tattoo again. “This is more intricate than the Marked that I’ve seen.”

“That’s because it isn’t a mimicry of the actual thing,” Rai stated.

“What do you mean?” Shane stopped fingering himself to listen.

Rai shook her head. “The Descendants, as you call us, didn’t invade your world and destroy it. Well…we did destroy it, but we didn’t invade. We were pulled from our world and forced into this one by you humans.”

Shane’s mouth gaped open, moving like a fish gasping for air. “What?”

Closing her eyes, Rai asked, “How old were you when we came to this world?”

“Six.”

“So, you don’t know anything. Dammit. I knew you were young, but now I’m bonded to a thief, and a juvenile.”

“Hey!” Shane protested. “I’m twenty-one!”

Rai opened her eyes and shook her head. “Congratulations, you’re an adult. At least when I sleep with you, I won’t feel awful.”

Shane scoffed. “That’s no way to talk to me if you plan on getting into my bed, lady.”

“Technically, you’ll be in my bed,” Rai corrected. “And since you’re the one being hunted, you are staying in my home until we can come to terms with one another.” Pausing, she tilted her head. “Why were you being hunted? A petty thief doesn’t justify sending two dozen Summons.”

“I stole a vial of really awesome red liquid and slipped it to my buyer. She’s long gone, I’m sure. Although, I will miss her curves and sexy hair. Who has platinum blonde hair any—"

“You did what?” Rai screamed.