Jane took a moment to gather her strength and surveyed her surrounding. They stood in the middle of a desolate dune, red and white sand painting the landscape for miles and miles. The cue telling Jane this wasn’t the earth realm was the blue flames on the horizon. That definitely wasn’t earth-like.
Then she took inventory of her magical state. Pulling Shrikenda through to the earth realm had taken more than she thought. She was bone dry on magic. She hardly had enough to keep the wall between her and the demon she housed intact.
Hopefully, that wouldn’t matter for much longer.
“Are you well, witch?” asked Shrikenda.
“I’m fine” Jane lied.
“Very good, then. Mistress, may I introduce Jane Moretti. She seeks an audience with you.”
The demon nodded from her throne.
Shrikenda continued. “Jane Moretti this is Plialor, the High Mistress for The Veiled Realm. You may bow to her.”
Jane bowed, low and deep. She also wondered how Shrikenda knew her full name.
Probably the same way I knew hers. Magic is weird.
Jane stepped forward. “Mistress, I won’t waste your time with anything but my true intentions.” Jane showed the demon her arm. “Six years ago my coven kicked me out for selling false prophecies, and I found myself on the streets. That was my first mistake. My next was trying to con a powerful vampire out of pocket money. The vampire saw right through me and soon had me trapped in his cellar with eleven other girls. He shoved a demon in me and forced me to be his ‘blood nymph’, feeding his thirst for blood while feeding the demon within me sexual energy. It took me six years to escape him, but I did and with the help of the demon bound to my soul, I was able to kill him and set the other girls he’d enslaved free. I’m here now, Mistress, to ask you to release the demon from me. Separate us so we can live our lives again.”
Plialor was silent a long time. Her fluffy white tail curling around the top of the throne as she tapped her pointed chin with a clawed finger.
Jane worried she’d misspoke. Had she unintentionally offended the demon?
The demon held up her bejeweled hand and Jane was about to speak again. “What happened to the other women with demons bound to them?” Plialor asked.
“I set them free.”
“Yes, witch. You’ve said that. Where are they? How are they? What has become of them?”
“I—I don’t know, Mistress. Some chose to go to back to their family homes, some stayed in The Circle with me, others didn’t say where they were going. I thought it best not to push and let them enjoy their freedom.”
Plialor nodded. “I see. So you have no intention of bringing them here to be ‘exorcised’?
Jane didn’t like the demon’s tone.
“Honestly, Mistress, the thought hadn’t occurred to me.”
“And why not? You’d let twelve demons suffer inside another’s body indefinitely?”
“Look, I’ve done everything I can to help the women who were enslaved, raped, and forced to satisfy the needs of a vampire. If that’s not good enough for you, there’s not much I can do about it retroactively, is there? Now, will you please set the demon in me free?”
“That, I can do, Jane Moretti.”
28
Jane
The demon waved her hand, and a crackling whip of smoky black magic extended from her palm. It encircled Jane in a vise, tightening around her middle until Jane was sure the demon was aiming to break things.
“Hold still!” Plialor yelled. “The extraction is painful, you must bear it.”
Jane shook in her boots, trying not to cry out as the cord of black smoke broke through her skin, snaking its way into her body, looking for the demon within her.
“Where is she?” Plialor yelled again.
Jane couldn’t speak, she couldn’t tell them she’d sequestered the demon in the deepest part of her chi. She could only let the cord rip its way through her until it found her on its own.
“Ah, there she is. Come back to us, sister.” Plialor yanked on the cord, and Jane screamed as the demon was ripped from her.
Jane fell to her knees, panting, sweating, breathing in sand and fire. “Is it done?” she asked when she found her voice.
“It is,” said the voice she only ever heard from inside her mind.
Jane looked at the demon before her.
She was beautiful, just as beautiful as Plialor, and Shrikenda only with blue-grey hair like a Russian Blue, and bright green eyes.
Where all female demons cats?
“Jane, what have you done?” she asked long arms folded across her bosom. “Why have you brought us here?”
“Naamaris of Tarig, you are charged with using forbidden magics, included but not limited to; dark thrall, blood spells and curses, necromancy, and selling magics for profit. Have you anything to say for yourself?” asked Plialor, Queen of Demons.
The demon who’d been tied to Jane so long merely shook her head. But not before casting a dark look in Jane’s direction.
“Wait! What’s going on here? Why is she on trial? She hasn’t done anything. Where are you taking her?” Jane shouted as two large demons shimmered next to the demon that had been inside her, magicked her wrists to her sides and carried her off. “This was done to her as it was to me! What the hell is happening here!”
“Do not raise your voice to me, witch,” Plialor said, the wind rising around her, lifting her hair and robes in a sanctimonious flurry. “The only demons beholden to the magics that capture and bind to the soul of humans, are the ones dabbling in magic they shouldn’t. She will be punished.”
“This wasn’t her fault!” Jane screamed as they carried Naamaris away from her and shimmered out of sight. Jane shuddered, trying to get control of herself. “This is absolute madness!”
“Silence!” yelled Plialor. “You, Jane Moretti are charged with carrying a demon across realms without her knowledge or consent, and for keeping her in substandard conditions.” Plialor shook her head at Jane. “Keeping her locked away in your chi was a mistake, witch. One for which you will pay. Take her away.”
At her words, two more large female demons shimmered next to Jane, and before she could plead her case, they’d shimmered her into at twelve by twelve cell.
“This isn’t right,” Jane screamed as the demons walked down the corridor away from the cell. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I was trying to do the right thing!”
Every ten minutes a guard passed and every ten minutes Jane screamed her head off. “Listen to me! Please! You don’t understand what’s happening here!”
The fifth time the guards walked by one actually stopped.
“Hey! You know I’m telling the truth!” Jane ran to the bars, grabbing them with both hands.
The demon backed away.
“Please! Don’t go. I’m being honest, this was done to us. We had no control over it. I didn’t know I was breaking any laws by bringing her back. I swear I didn’t. If I could just speak with—”
The guard reached through the bars and grabbed Jane’s throat, lifting her off the ground by it.
“I’m tired of your incessant whining, girl. You won’t be seeing the Mistress, and no one cares that you were the victim. You’re in the demon realm now, and you’ve broken demon law. Get used to your quarters and quit yelling. Or I’ll find you a nice place in the Lone Ward.”
The demon dropped Jane to the ground.
Jane could only guess that the Lone Ward was the demon version of solitary confinement.
She backed herself into the corner, slid down to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest.
What have I done?
29
Xandrie
Xan walked into the coffee shop right off the main traffic circle, the one the city was named for and looked around the shop for Jane. She had great news. Cas had verified everything the demon said about shifter lineage.
Jane had power over the wolf pack because of the demon in her.
>
Xan wasn’t quite sure if she was going to tell Jane or not, but she was at the coffee shop to try to figure out exactly that.
“Hey Frankie,” Xan said to the plump middle-aged women who owned the shop. “Where’s Jane?”
Frankie, who’s name was short for Francesca shrugged her rounded shoulders. “She didn’t show up for her shift this morning.”
That was unlike Jane and Xan didn’t like the sound of it.
“We haven’t been able to get a hold of her either. Tell her to give us a call if you run into her.”
Xan liked that even less. “I will,” she said as she left the shop.
She called Jane. No answer. Then Zora, who answered the phone with a sleep-thickened voice. “Yeah?”
“Jane’s missing.”
“Shit!” Zora’s.
“Meet me at her apartment. We’ll see what we can figure out from there.”
“Be there in ten,” Zora said and ended the call.
Xan hopped in the car and called Theron. “Hey,” she said when the called clicked over but he didn’t speak. “I know you’re still mad at me, but you know this arrangement was temporary.”
Theron said nothing.
“You always knew I had other duties that I’d eventually need to return to.” Xan sighed as the vampire remained silent. “I’m not calling about me. It’s Jane. She’s missing. Is she at your house?”
“No, I haven’t seen in in a few days.”
“Alright. I’ll let you know when we know more,” Xan said.
Theron sighed, a heavy and lonely sound to Xan’s ears. “I’m sorry,” Xan repeated. “I have to live in the sidhe now. I have to go back to my real life.”
“Yes, but you were fun. I’ll miss you,” Theron said.
Xan, shocked by the vampires moment of honesty, could only parrot his words back to him. “I’ll miss you too, Theron.”
“Think your new husband would be open to an open marriage?” Theron asked.
Xan could tell in his tone the vamp was mostly joking. She spoke to the part that was serious. “He might be. I’ll feel him out.”
“Only if it’s no bother,” Theron said.
“You’re never a bother, Theron.”
Xan could feel the vamp’s smile. She would miss that, their connection. Theron fed from her less and less since Jane. But the connection remained as long as she remained in his proximity.
Moving to the sidhe would erase that completely.
“You were my favorite vamp, Theron.”
“And you’re my favorite fairy princess, Xandrine.”
“I’ll still visit.”
“Of course.”
Xan changed the subject. “If Jane contacts you let me know first thing, OK?”
“OK.”
Xan pulled up to Jane’s apartment building. “I’m at her place now. I’ll call you with any updates,” she said, ending the call.
Zora pulled up right behind her.
“Do you know how to jimmy a door open?” asked Xan.
“I don’t, but I can heat up the locking mechanism, and melt the fucker off.”
“By all means,” Xan stepped aside and in moments they were both in Jane’s studio.
“Well, I guess there’s no question where she went,” Zora said pointing to the salt circle on the carpet.
“But why isn’t she back?” Xan asked.
“I don’t know. But I was able to confirm what the demon said about shifter lineage with Kaori.”
“Cas corroborated as well.”
“I guess that means we should tell her, maybe?”
Xan shook her head. “First, we have to find her. Let’s think about this. She went to the demon realm to exorcise the demon, right? Could it take a while? Could there be a time dilation issue like going into the sidhe?”
Zora shrugged. “Maybe? Possibly? There’s no way to know unless we go there.”
“You’re right,” Xan said. “And I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to the demon realm without some major mojo backing me up.” Xan pulled out her phone and placed a call.
“Hey, Princess. I’m surprised to hear from you so soon.”
“Cas, this isn’t a personal call. I need help. We think Jane is stuck in the demon realm.” Xan said as Zora eavesdropped next to her.
Casimir’s tone changed on a dime. “What do you need? How can I help?”
“I don’t know. I’m out of my depth here. What do I need?”
“You need them to listen to you. They won’t do that for just anyone.”
“Just tell me what I need to do, Cas.”
“You need to be the liaison. You'll wield not only all the power of the sidhe but also all the power that comes with the position.”
Xan bit her lip. “I renounced the crown, remember? I’m Queen of exactly nothing, with no power of the sidhe.”
Cas cleared his throat. “There’s a way around that.”
“What?”
“Well…”
“Cas just tell me. I don’t want Jane stuck in that realm for any longer than necessary.”
“If you were to marry me, you’d be the Queen of the Unseelie Court. You’d have the power of my sidhe behind you, plus you’d wield all the power held by the liaison to the demonic realm.”
“Is that so?” Xan said.
“I know it’s probably not how you imagined it. And we can do it better when time isn’t such a factor.”
“I imagined never imagined myself having a full court wedding, Cas. Hell, I never imagined myself getting married for that matter. I never considered, even for a moment that I’d actually like the guy I was betrothed to. I never thought he’d be someone I’d want to rule beside, or marry, or make heirs with. I guess I’m pretty lucky.”
“I’m the lucky one,” said Cas.
“OK, so how do we do this? Should I meet you somewhere? Do you want to shimmer here?”
“We can do it over the phone,” Cas said simply.
“Oh.” As much as Xan had never wanted a fairytale wedding, she’d never imagined it taking place over a phone call. “OK, I guess. What do I need to do?”
“Just repeat after me,” Cas said. “Pósadh liom tú.”
Xan looked at Zora who nodded at her. “Pósadh liom tú.” The Gaelic words rolled off Xan’s tongue like they’d always meant to be said and were waiting just behind her teeth. As soon as she spoke the last syllable Xan felt something really weird.
“Uh, whoa. What’s happening?”
“I don’t know but you’re suddenly very sparkly,” Zora said.
“I feel, I feel—”
“Powerful, you feel powerful, Xan,” Cas said. “Now go get your friend.”
“Right. OK. Thank you!”
“You’re welcome,” Cas ended the call.
“You ready? You look ready.” Zora said.
“Then I guess I’m ready.” Xan took Zora’s hand, closed her eyes, and shimmered to the demon realm like she’d been doing it her whole life.
She landed right in front of Plialor’s throne.
The cat-like demon’s blue eyes drilled holes into the fae and gypsy who’d shimmered to her realm uninvited and unannounced.
“Ah, I see that bastard Casimir has finally taken a wife,” Plialor purred at them. “What can I do for our lovely new Liaison and her friend?”
Xan stared right into the demon’s lovely eyes. “You can tell us where Jane is.”
30
Zora
“Your friend Jane has been confined for her own safety,” Plialor said smoothly, white hair billowing around her as the wind on the dunes picked up.
“What do you mean ‘for her own safety’? Who’s going to harm her?” Zora asked and stepped forward.
“You are,” said the demon Mistress. “If you take your friend back to the earth realm, she will die.”
“What the hell does that mean? She’s human, that’s where she’s supposed to be,” Xan said as arcs of electricity and power crackled
across her skin.
“Cool it,” whispered Zora.
Plialor raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at Xan’s display of power.
“I kind of can’t control it,” Xan whispered back.
“It means, she came to this realm begging for an exorcism, which I granted. But she’ll never be able to leave here. The two souls were bound with powerful magic. There’s no breaking it without leaving a piece of each within the other. Jane can’t very well leave here without all of her soul, now can she? Neither can live if the other is in a separate realm.”
Heat rose from Zora’s core. She felt it growing into a ball of fiery rage and knew she couldn’t do anything about it.
“This is ridiculous! This was done to her, to keep her subservient, and now you say you’ve freed her of the demon but she can never leave! There must be another way!” Zora felt her feet leave the ground. She saw the dunes exploding in the distance, but she had no concept that she was exploding the dunes.
“Settle down, gypsy. I’ll have no peacocking of powers in my realm, is that clear.”
Zora’s skin glowed so bright she feared she may actually go nuclear and explode the whole realm.
Xan spoke up. “She’s not peacocking, Mistress. That’s how Zora gets when she’s mad.”
Plialor rose from her throne. “Then you need to get her under control, Liaison. I’ll not have her exploding my realm!”
“It’s fine, I’ve got it. I’m fine.” Zora absorbed the magic and heat she threw off, redirecting it inward, and floated back down to the ground. “I apologize, Mistress. My magic, I’m learning, is tied to my emotions, which as you may have guessed, run wild at times. I’m working on it. That said, I believe it is unfair to speak on Jane’s behalf. Would you bring her here?”
And as if Zora had spoken the magic words, Jane appeared before them.
31
Jane
Blinded temporarily by the glare of the sand, Jane squinted and shielded her eyes. “Now what?” she said to the Demon Mistress.
“You’ll learn your place, witch,” said the guard who shimmered with her as she cracked Jane on the back of the knees with her staff. Jane fell to her hands and knees in the sand.
The Garrison (The Circle Series Book 3) Page 10