The Paladin's Shadow; Unfortunate Events

Cast; Petra,
Zink stumbled to the floor; blue blood coursing from her heart.  Petra found herself frozen as Joan's scar's split and leathery wings burst from her back.  She knew the form only too well, but somehow it didn't seem to matter.  All she could think of was the one who'd done this.  Shad was yelling something at the demon; something about getting in the way.  His gleaming sword flowed to meet the demon's every blow and slid in seconds from steel to flesh. 

She was torn.  On the one hand she wanted to help him.  He was fighting a demon, she fought demons, and he was...well he was Shad.  That alone seemed like a pretty good reason to join, and it would have been more than enough.  However, he had just killed her mother.  And while some little voice in the back of her head insisted there was something fishy about that, there was no denying the evidence. 
Then Zink coughed.  A little azure dribble appeared on the edge of her lips. 
"Mom!" Petra dropped to her knees beside her mother. 
"P-petra." 
"Yes Mom?"
"Avenge me."  And she collapsed backwards.  Petra stood up and drew her sword. 

The demon was on its knees, bleeding from many wounds.  It's wings had been cut to stumps and lay feebly stirring upon the floor.  It was completely helpless before Shad, who stood before it untouched by either the demon or its gore.  She managed to force herself to step forward, and then another.  She didn't want to kill him, yet she did.  More than anything she wanted to avenge her mother, but if only it could be someone else.  Shad struck the demon's head from its shoulder just before she managed to bring her blade to bear. 
"Well, that's over.." Shad turned and saw Petra's sword.  "Crud.  Petra, I can explain."
"You just killed my Mother."
"Actually, that wasn't.."  He didn't have a chance to finish.  He only barely managed to get his sword up to block hers.  She was throwing every ounce of her strength at him.  But as soon as he regained his footing the tables turned.  She was all rage, and his skill was more than enough to withstand her onslaught.  And at last after nearly an hour, the fight drew to a close.  Shadilne-thokan, Petra's black sword, spun across the polished floor boards of a large ballroom that only appeared when there were eligible men in the house. 
"Petra, you have to listen to me."  He shielded himself as she began hurling bolts of alternating light and shadow.  It was a simple enough matter; the two practically diffused each other by mere proximity.  After another five minutes he forged a barrier about her to prevent her from commiting any further violence and binding her in place. 
"Petra, your mother has been dead for hundreds of years.  That thing I killed was a Chori-Sada, like the one in the story.  It bled blue, couldn't you see it?"
"You."  She managed to bash her head against the barrier.  "Murdered."  She did it again.  "My."  A shadowy torrent began to build about her hands.  "MOTHER!"  The barrier burst and Shad staggered back.  He remembered Zink's style well enough to recognize what was happening.  And he drew up his sword as the first thorned appendage sprouted from the growing crack between the dimensions.  As soon as it managed to rip it open enough to let the netherlight through he would be exposed.  It was probably the most annoying thing about the Shadow Plane.  After the beings that dwelt upon it anyways; he'd seen first hand, and at times had even felt, the torturous horrors inflicted upon anyone who tried to stand against the denizens of the Shadow.  As only one, he was no match for the eldritch nightmares.  But it was only a matter of time before he would be revealed anyways. 
"Petra.  Perhaps in time you will understand, and I hope you will forgive me then."  He sighed.  "I love you."
Petra didn't have a chance to process his declaration.  It was much less terrifying than watching Joan had been.  His body never tore, it just sort of faded.  And the form that replaced it was far more magnificent than any demon she had ever faced before, save one. 
"Shadowfolk.  We are Legion.  Return or join Death."
Petra felt space distorting and found both the portals and Sha..Legion being pulled to some other place.  She didn't have time to get her sword or even cast a spell before the entire rapidly approaching battle was whisked away.  And she was left standing alone in her mother's house.