Prologue

Carlos could feel it inside him trying to seize control. Broken armchairs and tables lay scattered about the room along with the corpses of his friends, whose bodies had been torn and bloodied. Among the wreckage lay Hawk Redfeather, his oldest friend, who had sustained a broken leg from a falling bookshelf. Eleanor, Carlos’ wife, was tending to the man's wounds, wide eyed and pale faced. She had seen him through some pretty bad times and now she was there, as she always was, standing bravely by his side and his decision. Pain flared in his head as it attempted to burrow its way back to the surface.

Shayne Redfeather, Hawk's wife, hobbled over to him. The side of her blouse was stained red with blood from a large jagged piece of wood that had broken off from the bookshelf and impaled her. She was a simple elementary school teacher from Snake’s Bend on the Navajo reservation and not prepared for something like this. Her hands trembled severely possessing a small silver blade. It was gripped tightly to the point her knuckles were white. He could see the mixture of terror and determination in her eyes that mirrored his very own, seeming to bare the weight of the entire world. She knelt down in front of him. Tears flowed freely down both sides of her face. “I don't know if I can do this.” She said her voice, almost a whisper.

“Don’t be afraid.” He told her. “You can.”

She shook her head, "I can't." Her voice came out in a muffled cry. "I can't."

He grabbed hold of her shoulders and stared directly into her eyes. “This is the only way to rid our families of this plague. I wish there could be another way but there isn't.”

She didn’t respond. Her body was paralyzed with only her hands shaking as she tried to maintain control of the knife.

Carlos gave her a sharp slap across the face bringing her back to reality. "We both have people we love and too many people have died already.” He said sternly. “How long do you think it’ll be before our own families become victims?" He softened his expression. "This all started with my family. I know that but I need you to help finish it Shayne. You're the only one who can."

Her arms draped around him in a tight embrace as she cried. She whispered a little prayer to the Gods in her native language. “Forgive me.” Her words were so soft they barely made it to his ears and then a sudden burning sensation filled his chest. He looked down and found the blade sticking in him up to its hilt. He doubled over in pain as the silver began to sting at his body, but it paled in comparison to the agony inflicted by the creature lurking inside him. Though he felt like his head was about to explode he didn’t regret a single decision knowing his wife and son would live on, even if it was without him. He could feel its intense desperate rage as it began to realize what was happening.

“You did good.” He whispered to her but he didn’t get a response. The frail woman slumped in his arms, falling silent. "Shayne?" He called nudging her gently. He laid her down beside him. Her face looked so peaceful, seemingly fast asleep but he knew better. He himself felt a wave of weakness overtake him as his strength seemed to flee from his body. He looked over to where Johann, his son, lay unconscious among scattered papers and his overturned desk with blood trickling from his nose and mouth, but still breathing. Carlos slouched to the floor catching sight of his wife for the last time.