This is my first story so please give me input.
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The sun fell below the horizon , the green flash that followed it's setting, encouraged by the sight Dreanne could only smile. A sunset that rare on All Hallow's Eve only gave her more hope that this spell would work. She had spent years preparing for this one night when the planets would align during the witching hour on Sovvan night. Ten years of sacrificing everything that she had valued at one time; fame, fortune, and privilege just to see her lover again but after Max had died, none of it had matter any longer anyway. When the maniac that called himself Keegan had kidnapped both of them screamed that he needed to sacrifice Max to get back home, Dreanne had only had thoughts of how absolutely insane than man had sounded. Her own sanity had come into question shortly after when she watched as he had torn out Max's heart out and thrown it into a blue fire. What she had seen next the paramedics swore up and down that it was only shock, but she swore she had seen it. A portal, darker than black had opened in front of the man and Dreanna watched as he had walked through the portal, sickly green wings sprouted from his back as he went through the closing portal yelling in triumph. When everything had settled Dreanne had also seen that Max's body was gone.
The authorities never found Max's body or their kidnapper but whatever she had seen that night had opened her eyes to a different world, one that she had been programmed from birth not to believe in. Shadows took shape into creatures that could never be mistaken for human; appearing before her and walking into the crowds unnoticed. Her doctors had eventually prescribed the best medicine in the world but she had still seen them, eventually being put into an asylum "for her own good." After a while, she had learned to ignore those visions enough to convince her doctors that she could leave.
Once out, she had tried to return to her old life, but it had lost its fire. Everything that had made life exciting had died with Max. Soon she found herself again watching the world of shadow creatures, hoping to find out what they were. She had been truly been at the edge of the sane world when she had been saved by a woman standing outside a bookstore, a Witch who had seen the signs of her impending breakdown and decided to help. She taught Dreanne about the shadow world; a world of Ghosts, Vampires, Werewolves and other creatures, both vile and benevolent. A world that was only slightly offset from what everyone considered the real world, one that the mundane world had been convinced, did not exist.
She had been told that some of the creatures could only watch the human world, some could cross over for a short time to explore, trade, or kill, whatever their pleasure, others slipped in and out of the worlds at will, to live, to feed, or to love whichever they chose. Humans were denied entrance from this realm with only a few exceptions ever being made; "They were not prepared for what they would see," is what she had been told. Some of the creatures, those that would be considered demons, had been exiled to this world and without specific spells, could never go back. Dreanne had been told that her love had been sacrificed in order for the demon to get back to this world. Now, after all this time and studying, she was going to go find the bastard that killed Max.
Dreanne let the robe fall, the cool autumn air prickled against her skin, drying up the thin sheath of sweat coating her naked body. The only thing she would wear for this spell was the knife sheath and knife she would need later. Her red hairCasting the circle as she had been taught, Dreanne then carved the symbols within, each at the cardinal points. By the time everything was as perfect as she could get it, there was only the fire to light. Three simple words spoke with focus and intent and the wood in the pile burst into flames, the scent of burning cedar relaxed her nerves enough to let her look around and admire the view of a night sky unmarred by electric lights. It was beautiful, millions of pinpoints lighting the sky on one side and the moon, large, full and bright lighting the other. Even in the midst of this wonderful sight, Dreanne had only one thought, revenge. She was going to enter into the Shadows, find Keegan and destroy him even if it killer her in the process
Resolve setting into her jaw, it was time to call the corners, but this was no normal calling, she was about to do something that had not been done in at least a thousand years. The words, simple as they were even when translated, contained a power that was so strong that parts of it had been spread across the globe to prevent anyone else from opening the doorway. She had learned that money while meaningless to her could get her anything and everything she needed, including all the pieces of a spell dismissed as ancient superstition. Now, as the far off church bells began to ring in midnight, superstition would become a reality again.
Throwing a handful of Sage into the fire, she began. "I call upon the keepers of the Northern barrier. Pull aside the curtain that hides the portal from human eyes!" A flash of flame and a circular void appeared in front of her, only discernible because it was darker than the night around her. A handful of Myrrh was next into the flames. "I call upon the keepers of the Eastern barrier. Seal the circle so that nothing enters this world." The flames flashed higher and brighter, then seemed to jump to the circle she had cast, illuminating it. Dreanne grabbed the last, hardest ingredient to come by; a piece of a creature from that world, a demon's fingernail. Obsidian black and razor sharp, the vileness emanating from it left no doubt as to its authenticity, she threw it into the fire. "I call upon the keepers of the Western barrier. Open the portal that you hold closed, and let me pass to find my enemy." The fire flared then changed to blue, awaiting the final part of the spell.
Grabbing the silver knife in the sheath and slicing her palm, Dreanne let the blood well up until her cupped hand was full before throwing it to into the fire. "I call upon the keepers of the Western barrier. I ask that you protect me until I fulfill that which I came to do." The fire flared one last time and died, tendrils of smoke slowly billowed out wrapping themselves around her nude body. Within moments she was no longer naked. She walked out of the smoke to find that she was clothed in a body suit as gray as the smoke that it came from. Dreanne looked to the portal that began to swirl and she could hear a scream coming from it, getting closer.
She had expected feel something when she crossed over, but she didn't, no pain, no feeling of displacement, nothing. The only thing that told her she was no longer in the human world was that she was no longer in the field she had begun the spell in. She was now in a lush forest clearing the portal that she had come through gone now forever. But where was Keegan? Every part of the spell worked, he had to be here.
Bursting through the canopy came a creature made of nightmares. A furless dog's head, skin the color of green rotting meat, and bat wings on a humanoid form, it landed on clawed feet in front of her. "You called, Witch?" The thing that could only be Keegan smiled at her then attacked.
Though she had been prepared for it, the attack was vicious as she was thrown back, flying back ten feet and landing hard on the ground. As hard as the throw was, she should have been dead but her spell held true. Jumping back up she drew the silver knife she had used to cut herself and ran at him. Surprise flashed across Keegan's bestial face as she slashed his chest.
"Bitch! Your little spells won't protect you for long here!" He grabbed for her and managed to catch a piece of her shirt and ripped.
Dreanne stumbled back and fell to the ground. Standing over her, Keegan looked down and licked his lips. Realizing that the right side of her shirt had ripped open exposing her breast, Dreanne halfheartedly covered herself. "You won't win you know."
"We'll see about that you Bastard" Dreanne replied as she slashed her knife along his thigh, eliciting a scream as he hopped back away from her.
