Charms & Demons

by Kim Richardson

  This was it. I’d failed. We were both going to die—

  “Wait!” came a shout from the crowd.

  Heart racing, I turned my head towards the voice.

  Faris stood near the lowest row of seats, right above the wall of concrete that separated us and the sand. Dressed all in black, his eyes met mine for a moment before he looked at Vorkol.

  “You were banned from the games, Farissael,” said Duvali as he left the balcony and made his way forward toward Faris with a murderous look in his eye.

  Faris flashed his perfect white teeth. “When did banning ever stop me,” said the mid-demon, his voice loud and clear, and the demons around him laughed.

  “What’s he doing?” asked Logan, his breath on my cheek and his voice low with pain.

  Keeping my eyes on Faris, I answered, voice trembling, “No idea. But I don’t have a good feeling about this.” Faris was reckless. Faris, what are you doing?

  “Duvali,” commanded Vorkol, and her demon servant halted a few seats before Faris, looking like he wanted nothing more than to rip into him. “What do you want, Farissael?” asked Vorkol. The threat in her voice was palpable. It wasn’t the usual villainous emphasis one would expect, but she said it in a calm, almost bored tone, as though she were commenting on his clothes.

  Faris turned and our gazes met. I could see the muscles in his jaw tense, even from a distance, but his face was expressionless. Only his eyes held traces of a hidden meaning as they focused on me. He was trying to tell me something. But what?

  He gave me a tight smile and said, “Him.” The mid-demon pointed to Logan. “Let me have the mortal,” said Faris.

  My heart stopped. And then started up again.

  The demons in the arena laughed, thinking this was another one of Faris’s many pranks. But Vorkol’s face was stiff, which meant she wasn’t buying it.

  “And why do you want this mortal?” asked Vorkol, regarding him with a casual mistrust as she leaned back against her throne-like chair.

  Faris shrugged like he didn’t have a care in the world. It was Oscar-worthy. “You obviously don’t have use for him anymore.” He gestured with his hands. “Look at him. He’s leaking. Why not just give him to me? Let me take him off your hands. He’s nothing to you. It’ll save you the hassle, not to mention the slippery mess the hounds leave after a meal. Think of it as a favor,” he added, and I could almost see a twinkle in his eye.

  “Why, Farissael?” pressed the Greater demon, her hands gripping the arms of her chair. “And no more lies. Lie to me again, and I will let you join him.”

  “Because,” said Faris, his voice loud. He straightened, looked Vorkol straight in the eyes and said, “He’s my lover.”

  I choked on my spit.

  Then there was an abrupt and profound silence in the arena. Demons stood stock-still and stared at Faris.

  I exhaled slowly and watched Faris’s face, amazed at how genuinely frank that had come out. Hell, if I didn’t know him, I would have believed him. Even his eyes carried that devoted emotion you’d expect from lovers.

  Okay. He was good. But would Vorkol buy it?

  The Greater demon gave Faris a considering smile. “Fine,” she said, dismissing the thing like it was nothing to her, as though discussing Logan’s life was as unimportant as the life of a flea on one of her hounds. She picked at her nail and said, “You can have him.”

  Giving Vorkol a brilliant smile, Faris bowed at the waist. “You are too kind, Vorkol.”

  “Sam,” began Logan, panic rising in his voice. His body trembled.

  I shifted his weight on my shoulder. “Shhh. It’s fine. Faris will take care of you.”

  My heart swelled. My eyes burned in gratitude, and it was hard work to keep the tears from spilling down my face and ruining Faris’s Oscar-worthy performance.

  The mid-demon was already striding across the sand towards us when I looked back. His face was grim and worried, which only added to the overall effect. If I ever got out of this alive, I would give him free rein in the mortal world whenever he wished.

  “I’ll take it from here, witch,” said Faris, loudly enough for the minotaur to hear, his voice laced with contempt. “I think you’ve done enough.” Faris moved to Logan’s right side and wrapped the angel-born’s arm over his shoulder.

  “Can you get him out?” I whispered as we exchanged Logan’s weight.

  Faris kept his face blank. “Yes,” he answered back. “I’ll be back for you.”

  I swallowed hard. “Just get him out. And hurry. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

  With a small nod of his head, Faris held Logan up. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go,” he purred, and led Logan across the sand pit.

  I watched them go in silence until they went out the steel doors and melted with the dark shadows beyond. They were gone.

  The noise level in the arena had risen again. Vorkol and Duvali were gone, and so were their entire balcony company.

  I stood in the arena, tired and shaking from fever and the overuse of blood magic that I knew I would pay for later.

  What will happen to me now?

  By the time I heard something large and heavy coming my way, it was already too late.

  The blow connected, and I choked down a cry as I fell, seeing Andromalius’s meaty fist before my eyes.

  And blackness fell.

  25

  My stomach let out a loud, rumbling growl that lasted about five seconds. If I didn’t know any better, it sounded like I had a gremlin living inside my ribcage. Apparently, it wanted out. So did I.

  I’d grown accustomed to the sounds of my stomach, the sounds of the demon lamentations around me, and the metal bars of my cage.

  Little bird...

  If only I had wings, I could fly away from this hell.

  An aching, lonely hurt welled inside me. I missed my family terribly—my grandfather, my eccentric aunt, and especially Poe. He was probably beside himself with worry. Now, I might never see them again.

  My life had not turned out how I’d planned it. I had not planned on spending the rest of my days rotting in a cage in the depts of the demon realm.

  Logan was safe. I had to believe Faris had managed to get him out of the Netherworld. That had been two days ago, if my calculations were correct.

  Faris hadn’t come back for me yet, but I knew he would. He wouldn’t let me die down here alone, not after what he’d sacrificed to get Logan out.

  No. Faris was coming for me. I just had to sit tight and wait, yet I couldn’t help an icy feeling that had settled deep inside my gut, leaving me quivering.

  The steel doors burst open and the minotaur demon marched into the cave.

  There was a chorus of growls and hisses filled with rage around me from the neighboring cages, mixed in with whimpers and cries for help.

  I sat up, watching him make his way over to my cage. I should have felt fear—a rational person would have—but I only felt rage. A hot, delicious rage spilled into my body. I was going insane. I hated these demons, but I hated what they’d done to me most of all.

  Andromalius closed the distance between us and stood below my cage. He looked up. “Mistress Vorkol wishes me to convey a message to you.”

  I frowned. I didn’t like the sound of that. “She does. Does she?”

  Andromalius folded his muscular arms over his large chest. “Yes.”

  I squinted at the demon. “I know you’re not the most talkative demon, but are you just going to stand there, batting your eyelashes at me? Or are you going to tell me?”

  The minotaur flared his nostrils, looking pissed. “She wishes to tell you Farissael won’t be coming to rescue you.”

  Oh. Shit.

  My heart pounded madly and I gave a small laugh. “Who says he was?” Damn. Damn. Damn.

  “He did,” answered Andromalius with a sneer in his voice.

  Crap.

  I swallowed hard, trying to keep my shaking to a minimum. “He told you that?” I asked, my
voice high and panicky. Did Faris really betray me? My pulse raced and I felt ill. What about Logan? Oh, god, Logan!

  The minotaur let out a breath. “He did not. But he was caught trying to make a deal with Krampus—one of our Rift experts—for your return to your world,” said the minotaur, his words twisted and snarling. “Stupid bastard. He’s awaiting his trial.”

  “His trial?” My insides twisted into a hard knot. Faris hadn’t betrayed me, but it didn’t sound like a victory. “What happens if he’s found guilty?”

  “Death.”

  Anxiously, I wrapped my hands around the bars, trying to keep them from shaking. The cold, familiar feeling of dread settled in me, and my gut clenched.

  I opened my mouth and asked the question I most feared. “What happened to Logan?” I barely knew the guy, but it had been my fault he’d been stuck in here with me. The thought of him escaping had given me a small sense of relief. Now, I felt only dread and hollowness.

  Andromalius leaned back. “Who?”

  I rolled my eyes. “His lover. The angel-born?” Hadn’t he been paying attention? Yeah, not the sharpest sword in the Netherworld armory.

  The minotaur waved a hand in dismissal, his expression irate. “I don’t know anything about that.”

  Oh, god. It was worse than I thought.

  “It is not the first time Farissael got himself mixed up with a witch,” said Andromalius, feeling chatty all of a sudden. “It seems he’s developed a taste for mortals over the years.”

  “What are you talking about?” I didn’t think the big demon bull would answer, but it was worth a shot.

  “I do not know all the details,” said Andromalius. “But I do know the idiot had wed some witch, long before your time and long before there were automobiles and radios.”

  Faris was married to a witch? The damned demon was full of surprises. Why hadn’t he told me? Being married to a witch must have been a big deal. I looked at the satisfied gleam in the demon’s yellow eyes. “What happened to her?”

  The minotaur smiled, revealing his twin rows of sharp teeth. “Tortured and killed, obviously. Her soul devoured. As it should be.”

  “You sick bastards,” I spat, wishing I could fry his ugly cow ass right now. I was dying for a cheese burger.

  “Mortals breed like a cancer. And we’ve been dealing with relations between humans and demons for centuries. Our laws are very clear on the matter. No demons are allowed to mate with mortals.” He gave me a look a pure disgust. “Look what happened when we did. A weak race of half-breeds emerged. It is forbidden.”

  This news was nothing new. I’d grown up hearing the stories of how the pure demons despised our half-breed races. It wasn’t that we were weak. It was because we were strong and could walk in the sun and live in our world when they could not. And they all hated us for it.

  But it explained why Vorkol hadn’t seemed very concerned about Faris’s declaration of love for Logan. Two males couldn’t procreate. It was why he’d chosen Logan and not me.

  I let go of the bars and slumped back. The thought of a child from Faris’s marriage came to my mind. But I wouldn’t risk voicing it. What if there had been a child? If I said anything now, Vorkol was vindictive enough go after the entirety of Faris’s living descendants and kill them all. The demon bitch was cold.

  “One more thing,” said Andromalius.

  My eyes flicked back to him. “You’re just full of sunshine and rainbows today.”

  The minotaur’s yellow eyes flashed. “Mistress Vorkol wishes you a nice and happy long, long life.”

  Anger flared. “Can you give her a message as well? Tell her to kiss my witch ass. I bet she’d like that very much. Thank you,” I added cheerfully.

  But the effect was wasted as the minotaur laughed. At least that’s what the strange, guttural gargling I heard coming from his throat as he marched away and disappeared through the steel door sounded like.

  The door slammed shut with a boom that reverberated in the large cave. It felt final somehow.

  Fear was a festering wound in my gut. In the right situations, a small, insignificant fear could suddenly grow, swelling up to monstrous proportions. That would happen right now if I didn’t put a stop to it.

  Without Faris’s help, I was doomed.

  I wrapped my arms over my middle, a sickly little feeling of dread rolling through me. I sat there for a moment, gathering my wits and my thoughts.

  Damnit. This wasn’t me. I wasn’t going to let this be my end. Hell no. My heart thrashed in my chest at the sudden rise in adrenaline. I was going to get out of here.

  “I’m a dark witch,” I told myself. “I have magic. Blood magic. And I’m going to get my ass home,” I added, my voice loud and filled with a heated determination. “Even if I have to break through this damn cage with my bare hands.”

  “Home!” exclaimed my scrawny neighbor, and I turned to look at him. With a closer inspection, he almost appeared healthier. His blue eyes were clear and didn’t bulge out as much. His face was fuller, and there was more meat on his bones, more muscle. I could even spot some rosy tint in his skin. It was almost as though those cold cuts and water I’d given him had filled him with a new healthy body.

  He hadn’t uttered a single word to me for two days. He’d been too busy scraping the bars on his cage. Looking at them now, not a single spot on his cage’s bars wasn’t scratched. Weird.

  “That’s right,” I told him. I let out a sigh as I looked around my own cage. “There’s got to be a way out of this cage,” I said, peering through the bars. “If only I could reach the lever somehow...” But how could I? I was too big to pass through the bars.

  A thought occurred to me. “Hey, buddy,” I said, and crab-walked over to the other side so I was staring directly at him. “Do you want to go home?” I asked. Seeing how tiny the demon was, there was a real a chance it would work.

  “Home!” exclaimed the demon, eyes wide, and he clapped his hands together.

  “Yes, home,” I said, and I waited for him to settle down. “Listen carefully. I need you to squeeze through the bars of your cage and jump down. Can you do that?” It was about a ten-foot drop. It might be too high for him to jump. His body might shatter on impact.

  The demon’s face creased in concern, and he looked at me like it was the first time he’d ever laid eyes on me. Then he gawked at the bars of his cage, eyes wide.

  “Home,” said the tiny demon, formulating the word as though trying to remember the language.

  I took that as a yes. “Good. That’s good. Really good.” By the cauldron, this was going to work! Excitement pounded through my chest. “Okay. When you get to the ground, you need to go to the platform with all those levers and pull mine down. It’s the third row—the last one on the left. Can you do that?”

  The demon eyed me, his features scrunched up in a small frown.

  “See. If you do that,” I encouraged. “Then we can both go home. You want to go home. Don’t you?”

  The demon met my eyes and then moved to the front of his cage, facing me. He pressed his body against the bars and then slipped his right arm easily through them.

  I stared at his outstretched hand. “Ah... okay. Maybe you didn’t understand me the first time.” I pointed to him. “All of you.” Then I pointed down. “Down to the ground. Get it?”

  The demon beckoned with his hand. “Hand,” he said again, wiggling his fingers.

  My shoulders slumped. “Hell. You don’t get it. Do you? And here I thought we were making progress.”

  Reluctantly, I stared at his thin, gangly and dirty fingers, knowing he wanted me to take it. But why? Maybe he just wanted to thank me for the food.

  “You don’t have to thank me for the food,” I said, and a real smile formed on my face. “It wasn’t that much. Just a snack, really.”

  “Hand,” pressed the demon, his long fingers wiggling as he waved his hand impatiently.

  I shrugged. “What? You want us to hold hands and sing
Kumbaya? Not sure that’s going to help us escape.”

  He gestured with his hand again.

  “Ah—what the hell. If it’ll make you happy.” What’s the worst that could happen? “Fine. I’ll shake your hand.” Feeling like a fool, I slipped my arm through the bars, stretched it as far as it would go, and clasped the demon’s hand.

  I flinched at his touch. His skin was cold, but surprisingly soft.

  “Okay. This is really awkward.” I said, and I shook his hand. “You’re welcome.” I didn’t know what else to say. When I tried to pull my hand away, his hand locked onto mine with the strength of a bear.

  “Hey. What are you doing?” I said, panic filling me. Shit. Faris was right. He wanted to kill me. Possibly eat me.

  I pulled and pulled as hard as I could, but it was like trying to pull a car with my pinky. I barely had any strength left as it was.

  Fear slid through me, paralyzing and cold. “Let go of me,” I cried. “Let go!” What had I done?

  “Friend,” said the little demon, and I looked up to find his face cracking into a smile. His three teeth were chipped and stained, and big fat tears slipped down his face.

  My lips parted. “What?” I asked stupidly. My eyes widened as I felt the hum of power, of magic running from his hand to mine, like static electricity. A shiver took me. It wasn’t the normal cold demonic energy. It was warm. My fingertips pulsed with magic, and then it spread to my arm, to my chest, all the way to my toes. I was prickling with magic.

  Another strong pulse of magic hit, and my breath was pushed out of my lungs. I stared, opened mouth at the tiny demon, his eyes sparkling with a golden glow. A shot of energy raced from my hand to my core, to my soul. Heat exploded in my chest, and then white light exploded all around, growing until white light flooded my eyes and I was forced to shut them.

  The breath was pushed out of my lungs again, and I felt myself falling, falling fast.

  Holy crap!

  Another prickling washed through me, and my lungs rebounded, filling with cool, sweet air. I gasped as my boots slammed into the hard ground. My jaw snapped closed, and I bit my tongue.