Dem woke up with his teeth chattering in the pitch black. He reached far to the left to find a candle and flint. It took too many attempts to count to light the thing, but he managed. He wished he hadn’t, for he was still in the room his sire locked him in. His body hurt both from sleeping naked on the cold stone floor and the lashes he’d been getting daily. The worst, however, was his companion wolf was not there.
Slowly it returned to him; the wolf was Egfor in spirit form, he was in a dream, and the void inside him was so deep he felt like he was falling into himself. Egfor took off his ring. The wolf would never come again to aid in his fights. Dem lifted his head and howled in pain and misery.
The door opened, and the guards shoved a beast in, and the door closed. Dem sat and waited for it to find him. Why fight anymore. Let it kill him and finish with agony. He heard it snuffling, finding Dem’s scent, but Dem was not afraid he welcomed death.
“Why must everyone I love leave,” Syllea shouted in a pain-filled voice.
Dem’s conscience mocked him for the coward he was. His children needed, yes even Em needed him. But without Egfor, could he be bothered to go on.
He waited; the snuffling came closer.
“Pa put the ring back on. Please,” Em begged.
“Mr. Egfor, don’t be mad,” Ella said, crying. “I love you, Mr. Dem.”
Just as he decided to fight the beast, it was upon him. Too late, always and forever too late to do what he should have done.
