“Damien, let us take care of these you go and find the book” Shadow said. Damien looked at Shadow and nodded. Then he looked a Wolf who was shifting into his wolf form. Damien turned back to the robed me and pulled out his long knife and a shorter broader black blade. “Okay let's go then” Damien said, and he rushed forward with the others following. The robed man stood fast and prepared to defend when Damien feinted and lashed out with his knife. The robed man cried out and fell back while Damien rushed past him heading toward the archives and the vaults. He got to the door and rushed inside the vaults and headed down the chamber where he remembered the book being kept. As Damien got to the chamber and entered, he saw that the book was no longer on it pedestal. Damien knew that the book was gone, and he could make a guess who had it. Damien left the chamber and headed back up to the main archive. As he left the Vaults Damien heard hissing laughter and as he looked in the direction of the laughter. Cobra came out of the darkness and continued laughing. “SSSSo you have come Damien” Cobra laughed maliciously. “Cobra, I hoped I would not see you here” Damien said. “Ahh but I wanted to ssssee you I have a ssssurprissse for you” Cobra said and he waved. Out of the shadows behind him a group of more robed men appeared and between the men being supported was Luc. Cobra’s hissing laughter filled the chamber again. “What have you done to him?” Damien asked. Cobra hissed “We have done nothing to him yet”. Luc looked up and saw Damien standing there he smiled weakly at Damien “Sorry we had to be reunited like this Damien” he said. Damien moved forward his knives out with the intention of freeing Luc. Cobra intercepted him and swiped at him with his claws. Damien fell back and Corba smiled and raised his hand to swipe at him again. Luc began struggling against the men holding him. Damien moved to evade Cobras attack. Cobra continued to attack, and Damien continued to evade. Damien was evading when a solid mass slammed into Damien. He fell back from strike and looked at what was had hit him when he saw it. Damiens eyes widened when he saw Luc had gotten away from his captors and slammed into him, but what caused Damien to look in shock was Wraith and the knife he had trust into Luc’s belly. Luc looked at Damien sadly and grunted when Wraith pulled his knife out. “Why did you do that?” Wraith asked “Why get in the way?” Cobra hissed “It doesssn’t matter this trash is done.” Cobra grabbed Luc and thrust him to the side. Luc fell against the shelves and slumped to ground in a cascade of books. Wraith and Cobra turned to Damien “Now for you” Cobra said but was taken aback by the look of rage in Damien eyes. Damien gripped his Knifes and with a snarl he charged at them the other men rushed forward to try and intercept Damien before he got to Cobra and Wraith. Damien lashed out and in a flash of his knives the men fell bleeding and then he was at his targets. Cobra tried to strike out at him with his greater strength, and he fell away screaming his hand maimed. Damien turned his whole attention to Wraith and blades clashed as they fought. In a swift series of strikes Wraith fell back screaming clutching his face. A long cut running down the side of his face.

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  Damien did not pursue continue the attack on them after they fell back. He came to Luc; he tried to staunch he wound but Damien knew that he did not have the skill or powers to do more than give him a few more minutes. Luc turned his head “I am sorr... sorry Damien” Luc said softly. “Don’t speak just save your strength” Damien said. “Note” Luc said coughing up blood “Read Note”. Damien pulled out the note and tore it open and began to read.

  Damien,

  I do not know what will occur tonight. So, I am leaving this note as an insurance policy. Damien, I have always admired you and wanted to be near you. I think I love you and what I must tell you is going to break my heart. I work for the Cult you have been investigating. I became involved with them when master Malik found me and promised me access to near infinite knowledge. I wanted to be your equal Damien and so I took his offer, and l worshiped his Old Ones. When you appeared, Malik sent me to you he knew that we were friends. At first, I was only going to spy but then we spent time together investigating and those wonderous nights. I fell for you all over again and I wanted to stop and tell you the truth, but I was restrained by oaths to Malik and I betrayed you and told him everything you did. I will go ahead of you tonight in the hopes that I might get the book and bring it to you or to find a way to stop Maliks plan for you. If you are reading this then it probably means I failed and cannot tell you about these things in person. I know you can never forgive me Damien, but I am deeply sorry for what I have done. I will always love you.

  Luc

  Damien finished reading and looked at Luc. Luc coughed up more blood and said “Sorry”. Damien felt tears filling his eyes “I forgive you Luc”. Luc smiled with blood on his lips and he spasmed and went limp. Damien saw the light fading from Luc’s blue eyes as they closed for the last time. Damien held his head and held Luc’s body.