The girl was leaning against a tree, half in shadow and half in light. Geo turned her head to regard her, ears flat against her skull. She could feel the anger start to rise in her veins, a steady whispering in her blood. Her sky-colored eyes flashed like neon in the night.

“Who are you?”

She was tired, she was hurt, and she was not in the mood for anymore games. Water lapped silent and soothing against her sides, tangling her silver mane. The girl stepped into the moonlight, a strange smile on her face. Her eyes and hair were dark, her skin glowing. She tipped her head at the question.

“Someone who means you no harm right now,” her voice was nonthreatening, even a bit…pleasant. She came closer, right to the water’s edge, and the mare couldn’t really find the strength or interest to move away.

After all, what could a human girl do compared to-

“You lost rather spectacularly,” the girl said, smiling still. Geo made a sound in the back of her throat, turned her head away. When she spoke her voice had a strangled sound to it.

“I…underestimated the strength of my enemy. I hadn’t thought-“

“Hadn’t thought that he’d have someone there for him,” the girl finished for her, nodding. She waved her slender fingers at the water. “You’re still bleeding.”

Geo could see the moon reflected on the pond’s surface was tinged with a faint scarlet. She bit her lip as the pain she was ignoring lanced through her with a new vengeance. “It’s nothing.”

The girl smiled again. “Would you like me to help you?”

The mare fixed her with another piercing look, but she didn’t back down. A few moments passed in silence before the electric eyes lowered again. “If you think you can. I do not care.”

The girl nodded, walking into the water. Her loose black skirts flowed around her like ink as she made her way over to Geo’s side. The mare winced as she felt those delicate hands glance her skin; they were not exactly cold…but…

She hissed as she felt power race down the torn skin of her side and flank. The girl hummed to herself and the bite of magic turned soft and tender under her hands. Geo regarded her out of the corner of her eye.

“I have never seen a human who could heal like this.”

The girl smirked faintly, eyes still trained on the serian’s bruised hide. “I am not quite human, Geo, haven’t you noticed?”

Her eyes flew open at the sound of her name on that foreign tongue. The water felt colder now, the shadows not quite so harmless. How could she, a scion of light, how could she not have sensed such darkness…

The girl met her eyes. “I mean you no harm.”

Her voice had a different tone now, a vague distance, almost cold, but her hands continued their healing work. “I know why you came, Geo, Daughter of the Light. I know of your task. The death of the last of the Ares cursed. The death of Id.”

The name was like a brand on her skin. Geo bit back a cry of rage, and the wounds stung with a new and sudden fire. Memories flashed in her mind’s eye: she had been bloody, torn, but she had won, she had won and then…then…

Fingers tangled in her mane; she didn’t care. “I watched it, from Web’s eyes I watched. You were shocked that the other would protect him, that knowing everything he would not let you kill him. You would have won, were he seconds later. I watched you.”

“But I failed.”

There, there was her admittance, the secret stain across her chest. How could she go back now, go back to her brethren, now that the tainted lived still? Because she couldn’t kill him now, because she would have to go through-to go through-

“Brittle,” the girl said, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. “Brittle is his name. Would you kill him too? I believe it would be necessary, if you still wanted to fulfill that task that was given to you.”

For a long while the only sound was the soft lull of water and the chirp of crickets. Geo closed her eyes, sighed. “He is an innocent. I would not…I could not have his blood on me.”

The girl leaned her head against her neck, fingers almost soothing down her back. “One could argue that he is just as guilty, protecting a demon with full knowledge of what he is.”

“One could…but I am not that strong.”

It was the girl’s turn to sigh, sounding almost disappointed. She untangled herself from the mare; Geo wondered vaguely why she let her so close, this invading touch of darkness. She swam to face her, reaching out hands to clasp her face.

“I can give you the power you need, the power to destroy, to fulfill your destiny,” her eyes were dark and luminescent, like pools of night sky. “I can give it to you, but you must bind yourself to me.”

Her voice was sweet, the offer sweeter still, but this girl…she could not forget that this girl was made of shadows, belonged to the dark that was opposite of everything she had been raised to be. Would she sell her soul just to sate her desire for vengeance, vengeance that was not really her own? But…she could not forget, could not forget what was shown to her. The corruption of the Ares, and the murderer that still walked free.

That was no task, no mission forced on her shoulders. That was her own heart, burning for blood.

She closed her eyes, leaned into the girl’s touch. “Only him. That is all the blood I call for.”

“If that is what you wish. I can only give you my gift, what you do with it is your will and consequence.”

Geo gave her a smirk, opening her eyes a fraction. “I thought that you did not like failures.”

The girl smiled, traced her fingers over her cheek. “It does not matter. You have the most beautiful eyes.”