Innocent Girl

**Aileen POV**



"Help!!!!" A defenseless girl cried out.

Jacob and I both stopped to listen for any other sounds.

"Aileen, stay here. It could be a demon. I'll go check and help that girl." I could see him weighing the options. If a Demon was in this area that would mean one of two things. The demon was stupid and didn't know where he was or Shiuku was making a bold move.

I rolled my eyes, "you don't have to act all chivalrous. I've had training too and can fight. If the demon is strong you could use backup. I am not running away and letting you deal with this situation alone."

"I'll handle it so don't be so-" before Jacob could continue I was charging forward towards the innocent sounding girl. He was going to tell me not be so stubborn. He should know that by now. Both my parents were exceptionally stubborn. I was doomed to have the quality!

Jacob muttered something under his breath and raced to catch up to me.

We could still hear the terrified screams for help as we made our way through the plants, roots, and trees. Whoever was attacking, they were dumb enough to keep to the trail. The victim's screams were growing more and more dire. My heart start racing in my chest. I knew that kind of scream. I knew that desperation.

We glanced at each other. Jacob and I separated to find her quicker. The demon was not wasting time. We had to make it her before it was too late.

Jacob found her first. Probably with his ground elemental gift. If he concentrated on the ground, they would whisper to him where things or people were. Of course there was a downside to it. When using that ability he had to remain completely still and focus on the grounds voice. That requirement would give his enemies a chance to sneak up and attack. "Son of a bitch!" I heard him yell.

That had me in a full on sprint. I knew the direction he had gone, so that's where I ran. Had the demon managed to catch him off guard?

Three near falls on roots later brought me to an opening in the woods, just beyond a grand green tree. I crept forward slowly to evaluate the situation. Jacob was just standing there with no clear injuries on him. His sword still rested on his hip.

Ahead of him, I saw the girl. She appeared to be maybe 17 or 18. Her sundress had bright colorful flowers but was ripped in two primary spots. Two vulnerable spots. The girls eyes were blurry from tears. Her entire body trembled.

Unable to meet the hurt girls stare, I looked for the demon.

It had no fangs, no wings, no red eyes, or even presence of a demon. He may not be a demon like we were expecting, but he was still a horrid monster. He had a cruel smile looking back from Jacob to the girl.

The demon descended towards the girls body. My teeth ground together as I held back a snarl. The man had yet to see me. But Jacob was clearly there! He was doing nothing to help that innocent girl!

"Please save me!!!" The girl pleaded when the man got ready to move on with things. She was terrified.

Jacob turned his head.

The hell!!!

I charged forward, not waiting on my partner to do...something...anything!

I left from behind the tree and charged for the man. Murder was clear in my body language as I ran towards him. I wanted blood. My fist connected with face twice before he managed to roll away.

The creep reached for his gun and aimed it at my head. He pulled the trigger as I launched myself forward. The bullet grazed my arm slightly. I pulled out my knife and stabbed it through his hand.

He dropped the gun and I kicked it away. A good thing I'm used to and trained to fight demons, regular humans just seem so slow now. Makes for easy dodging, unless you get distracted by a partner still just standing there!

My ally's face was pinched with hurt. Jacob's attention never left the battlefield. So why wasn't he helping?!

I shook my head and returned my attention back to the monster in front of me. He now had a knife put to the girl's throat. The wicked piece of steel drew a thin red line across her slender neck. Drops of blood fell from his sharp blade.

"You wanna continue this fight? Will you be the reason this poor girl dies?"His voice was a low grumble. His tone, the way he talked so casually about killing her, the way he was forcing himself before we got here; more than proved this wasn't his first time.

There was no hesitation. He was a true demon at his core, in his heart. "Strip".

That disgusting order came out of his wretched mouth. "You can't be serious you sick fuck."

I tried to stall him hoping to give Jacob time to sneak attack the jack ass. I heard no movement from behind me. Even with the sick monster trying to make me vulnerable to him, Jacob still wasn't going to do anything?

Instead of wasting more time waiting on Jacob, my gaze went back to the timid girl. Our eyes locked innocent meeting sharp and hard. My mind told me to storm forward and beat the living hell out of him. If the girl dies; she dies. I should not let myself be a victim to save someone else. That is what Father would say. Sometimes there has to be a sacrifice made.

The words rang hollow in my mind. My heart new I was to protect the weak. The DSS had that one right. I would protect that girl. If that man touched her again, she would never be the same. This is one area I have to be different than him.

Before his free hand could fall to cup her flat chest, I tugged off my shirt. My body tried to remain still, but I could not hide all my fear. Memories continued to try and surface.

His eyes widened as he licked his lips staring at my bra. "Take it off. Let me see how big those boobs are."

Is he freaking drooling?

As I was unhooking my bra a curse sounded. The girl had bit down on his arm hard. He punched her in the head and let her fall backwards. Wrong move letting the hostage go.

I sprinted over to him before he could think to grab the girl again. I picked up my knife and flung my body on top of his.

I stabbed my knife through his chest. The blood sprayed all over me. I should have been more mindful for that innocent girl's sake. Blood splattered all around the area as I drove my knife back in again and again.

All the pain and horror I had over all these years I let him have. I sliced through his skin with my heart thumping in my ears. I blocked out everything but my held back instincts.

My body was covered thick in his blood. Still, I could not stop stabbing him.

That's when Jacob decided he was done being a sad statue. "That's enough, he's already dead."

He tried to grab my bloodied hand. I stabbed Jacob's leg. He took a tiny step back hissing in pain. That was all I needed to resume stabbing the monster.

I'm not sure how many extra cuts I made before Jacob successfully snatched away my knife. The girl cowered close with blood covering her own body. Gore clung to her soft skin.

Jacob turned towards the girl. "No! Stay back please! Y...you w.were go...gonna let him do...tho....those horrible.... things to..m..me" she sobbed" you le ..lett him touch m.me."

Jacob stayed mute as the girl stood up on shaky legs. She walked over to me and wrapped me in a hug. She balled her eyes out into my chest. My heartstrings felt like she was stabbing them with a weapon of a different kind. One that myself knew all to well.

In general I do not hug. It lets in too much weakness, but I couldn't push that girl away. Not when cuddled into our embrace so tightly. I held her closer.

If all the blood on me disgusted her, she hid it well. Internally I pleaded with God that this day would not haunt her for the rest of her life. I prayed that I had made it in time to help this brave girl whom had bitten her attacker despite her fear.