Prologue
“Onac!” I screamed down the
hall, collapsing against the door. I doubled over in agony, gritting my teeth
against the horrible noise. “ONAC!” I yelled, unable to hear my own voice over
the shriek ringing through my head. Several marines ran forward, grabbing my
arms as they tried to support me. “Go get Onac, please!” I stared pleadingly up
at them, my hands tightening into white claws as I tried not to scream. The
tallest of them, a man with dark hair, rose obediently to turn and sprint for
the end of the hall, disappearing around the corner. I could see the other two
mouth something to me, but I could hear nothing other than the high-pitched
screech. I closed my eyes, every quill on my body vibrating at their tips as I
flattened my ears against my skull. A cry of pain escaped my lips as the men
shouted over their shoulders down the corridor, trying to get help. “Just get
Onac, please!” I sobbed, not even sure they could hear me as I fell into a
runner’s crouch in their arms. I looked past them, black spots flickering
across my vision as I prayed for someone to come. It wasn’t long before he did.
Onac’s white cloak slapped his
legs as he came into view, eyes fixing on me in an instant. He ran towards me frantically, his guards trailing behind him by only inches. He slid to a stop at
his knees, clutching my hands as black blood began to drip down the sides of my
face.
“Onac…” I blinked away tears as
I began to slip, my head throbbing, “It’s Zeto!” I gasped, the edges of my
world fading to shadows as I did my best not to scream. “It’s Zeto…”