[Peachville High Demons 01.0 - 03.0] Beautiful Demons Box Set

by Sarra Cannon

  “Is there any way to give it back to her? To transfer some of her power back to her? Either from the stone or from me, I mean?”

  “I know you'd do it if you could, but once that power has entered you, the only way to get it out is to use another soul stone. And I'm afraid we'd never be able to pull just that one aspect of your power out separately. If we used a soul stone, it would take everything.”

  “So this power is just mine now?” I asked. “Forever?”

  “I suppose so,” she said. “I don't know if a Prima has ever had the power of two families inside of her before, but you now have a piece of my demon in you as well as your own.”

  I wanted to tell her that I didn't think the demons were ours to really own, but I didn't think it was the right time to start fighting that war.

  Instead, I took Caroline's hand in mine and wished more than anything she would open her eyes.

  Eyes As Red As Blood

  Three days later, Caroline's sister Meredith came rushing out of her bedroom, screaming that Caroline was awake and talking.

  Mary Anne, Courtney and I were downstairs in the kitchen eating breakfast when we heard Meredith yelling for us to come upstairs and see. Courtney and I left our bowls there and ran up the stairs, unable to believe the good news. Mary Anne didn't follow us. Instead, I watched from Caroline's bedroom window as Mary Anne disappeared into the woods. My stomach twisted into knots. It was strange that she was going into the woods at a time like this. Something was definitely off about that girl.

  I shook my head and let the curtains fall back over the window. I couldn't afford to go out there after her. Caroline was okay. That was all that mattered today.

  “We should give Caroline some space,” Eloise said. The room was packed with members of the Order and Caroline's family and friends. “She's been through a lot and we don't want to tire her out too much.”

  Everyone began filing out of the room, and I moved to follow.

  “Harper,” Caroline said. Her voice sounded scratchy and hoarse. “Can you stay for a second?”

  I looked to Eloise to see if it was okay. She nodded, so I sat down by the bed. My palms began to sweat as the room emptied. Did Caroline blame me for what happened? How would I ever be able to make this up to her?

  Eloise was the last to leave and she shut the door behind her, sensing Caroline's desire for privacy.

  “I'm so sorry,” I started.

  She shook her head and lifted her hand. I stopped talking and waited as she took a quick drink of water and propped herself up on the pillows a little bit.

  “It wasn't your fault,” she said. “We were just having some fun. I know you didn't mean for this to happen.” She cleared her throat and grimaced. “You're in serious danger, Harper. When the witch took me, I still looked like you. They're really after you, Harper.”

  “I know,” I said.

  “What? Why haven't you told anyone the truth? The Order can protect you.”

  I moistened my lips and pressed them together nervously. “It's complicated,” I said. “Things are different here in Peachville. It's not like the Order has another Prima lined up somewhere. I'm the last.”

  “All the more reason you should take this seriously.”

  “I am taking it seriously,” I said. “But if the Order knew the people who took you were really after me, they'd lock me up and throw away the key. They've already threatened seclusion. I can't let them do that to me.”

  “You've got to tell someone, Harper,” she said. She leaned forward, but then collapsed into a coughing fit. I poured her another cup of water and handed it to her. “Thanks.”

  “Why haven't you told your mom about the switch? If you believe the Order should know the truth, why didn't you tell them yourself.”

  She smiled and placed her hand on top of mine. “Mom said you risked your life to save me. She said you went through terrible pain to rescue me from those roses. I owe you one.”

  I shook my head. “No. You never would have been in that situation if it wasn't for me.”

  “You couldn't have known that,” she said. “Unless you knew you were in danger before we switched, which you didn't.”

  “No, I didn't, but I still feel responsible.”

  “I'm okay,” she said. “Because of you, I'm going to be okay.”

  I saw that the black soul stone was sitting in a small box beside her bed. “Can they put your power back into you?” I asked. “Will you get it back like before?”

  “There's a spell that can reverse the power trapped in the stone back to me. Mom says I'll probably never be full power again, but I'm okay with that. I never wanted to be Prima the way Meredith does. I'm happy to just be alive.”

  “Caroline, did you see the woman who took you?”

  She sighed. “At first, it wasn't a woman,” she said. “It was a—"

  “A crow.”

  “Exactly,” she said. “How did you know?”

  “I saw it,” I said. “A crow with blue eyes.”

  “No,” she said, her head tilted to one side. “The crow who took me had eyes as red as blood. They were terrifying. This huge black bird swooped down on me when I stepped onto the balcony. It scratched my cheek and before I could even shoo it away, everything went all blurry. The next thing I knew, I was in a dark cave or something with a cloth over my eyes.”

  “Red eyes?” I asked. That couldn't be right. The crow's eyes were as blue as the sky on a summer's day. Pure and clear.

  “I'll never forget them as long as I live,” she said, shuddering. “When they had me in the cave—"

  “Wait, they? You mean there was more than one witch?”

  She nodded. “There were several in the cave. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them. As soon as the glamour dropped, they were so angry. I heard them talking about the soul stone. They said they might as well get some use out of me.” Her voice cracked a little and she took another sip of water. “They had some kind of bind on me and I couldn't move, but when they tried to place the stone on my chest, I somehow found the power to break their spell. I ran into the woods, but they chased after me. I didn't get far. That's when they put me in the ring of roses.”

  Her eyes filled with tears.

  “It's okay, Caroline, you don't have to tell me now,” I said. “You should rest. I didn't mean to upset you.”

  She sniffed and squeezed my hand. “Promise me you'll tell the Order about the glamour,” she said. “These witches are powerful, Harper. They'll come after you. I know they will.”

  “Right now, I have a house full of powerful witches,” I said. “They can't reach me. I promise I'll be fine.”

  I put on a brave face, but deep inside, I realized I was more scared than ever.

  Friends Don't Hurt Each Other Like That

  Fear ruled my thoughts for the rest of the afternoon. On the outside, I tried to act happy and be a good hostess for all the members of the Order who had come to see Caroline and lend their support to her mother. Ella Mae set up a buffet in the kitchen with casseroles and chips and cookies and finger foods. There was enough food to feed a hundred people, but I couldn't stomach the thought of any of it.

  When I thought I was up against one witch, it didn't seem so bad. I'd been against worse before and won. But several? Caroline wasn't sure how many witches there were, but she'd said several. That could mean four or five. Maybe more.

  I shivered and pulled my sweater tighter.

  “Can you believe it?” Lark asked. She was all smiles as usual. “It's a miracle.”

  I forced a smile. “I know. It's amazing.”

  “You should have seen Brooke's face when my mom called you a hero,” she said with a laugh. “I thought she was going to blow her top.”

  “Do you think she sabotaged my sneakers the other day at practice?”

  “Who? Brooke?” Lark shrugged. “Maybe. She's been pretty jealous over all the attention you've been getting lately. I wouldn't put it past her.”

 
; “Would you ever do something like that to me?” I asked.

  Lark lifted one eyebrow super high and tilted her head to the side. “What? You're joking right? I could never use magic against you. I'm your friend. Friends don't hurt each other like that.”

  Friend. A word I didn't have a lot of experience with. How could you really tell who your friends were in a world like this? Jackson was my friend. More than a friend, really. And still, I'd hurt him. I regretted it with all my heart.

  “I thought Brooke was my friend, too,” I said.

  Lark screwed up her nose. “She's different since her initiation. It's weird. It's like she's no one's friend anymore.”

  “She seems pretty chummy with Allison still.”

  “Hmm. Maybe,” she said. “Anyway, don't sweat it. If you want me to, I'll talk to her about it. See if I can get her to lighten up a bit.”

  “No,” I said. “Just let it go. The truth is, I don't care if she does take the top of pyramid.”

  “One of these days, you're going to have to get used to the fact that you're the star around here,” she said with a laugh. She grabbed a cookie off the plate in front of me and licked the cream from the middle. “You're going to be Prima, soon. You'll be in the spotlight all the time.”

  I frowned. Being the future Prima was ruining my life.

  A Matter Of Life And Death

  I needed to talk to Jackson.

  He hadn't been around the house all day. I knew he wasn't a big fan of the Order of Shadows, so it was not a big surprise that he was scarce when there were at least thirty people at the house. Did he know about Caroline?

  I was sure he'd heard. He seemed to know everything that happened in this town.

  Only, he didn't know what Caroline had told me. We were dealing with multiple witches, and I suddenly felt like the situation was spiraling out of control. I didn't know whether to tell the Order the truth about why Caroline was kidnapped or if I should just continue to figure this out on my own.

  God knows I didn't trust the Order. That's why I hadn't told them about the crow feather or the glamour that night. I didn't want to let those walls down, because once they were down and I started to trust them out of necessity, they would be that much closer to owning me forever.

  On the other hand, without their help, I might not survive an attack from the crow witch. Maybe seclusion really was the best thing for me.

  Several times, I was on the verge of telling Zara the truth, but I always pulled back. Jackson was the one I wanted to tell. He would know what to do. Of course, he wasn't talking to me right now, which made things a bit more complicated.

  After hours of debate, I finally decided that he'd have to put our personal issues aside. If nothing else, he'd at least want to keep his brother alive. While the crowd still loitered downstairs, I crept through the front door and worked my way back toward Jackson's house. I peered inside his bedroom window, hoping to see him sitting at his desk drawing or possibly lying on his bed thinking of ways to apologize to me.

  Instead, the room was empty and dark.

  Maybe he'd gone into town? Or just for a ride to get away for a while?

  I stifled the growing disappointment in my belly and took a piece of paper and a pen from my pocket. I'd brought them just in case, and now I was glad I did. I jotted a quick note for him to please meet me in the barn again at midnight tonight. I added that it was a matter of life and death, figuring that would really drive it home how important this meeting was.

  I slipped the note in the crack of the window and propped it up in a way that I was sure he would notice when he walked through the door. Behind me, I thought I heard the beating of wings. My heart skipped a beat and I turned, terrified of seeing blood-red eyes staring back at me.

  Instead, I saw a bluejay flutter from one tree to another. I sighed in relief, then hurried back to the house to wait until midnight.

  The Crow

  The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering in full force by the time midnight rolled around. I had no idea if Jackson would show or if he was still super angry with me. What if he hadn't even seen the note? How long was I willing to wait here in the barn for him to show?

  I pulled out my cell phone and checked the time again. Five after. He was definitely late. I warmed my hands with my breath, then rubbed them together. I should have worn gloves.

  It was dark inside the barn, and I considered conjuring an orb to make it seem less frightening, but decided against it. Any extra light might draw attention, and there was no telling who might be watching.

  A flutter of wings up above sent an icy chill up my spine. My breath stopped cold in my chest and I took a step backward toward the door. Had I imagined it? I held my breath and listened closely. Then, the flapping sound came again, and my body flooded with terror.

  In the next instant, a shadow flew in front of my face. I swatted at it, lunging for the door. Hoping for escape. I screamed as I tripped over something hard and metal on the floor. I heard the fabric of my jeans rip and warm blood trickle down my shin, but I didn't stop. I scrambled to my feet and kept moving. Two more steps and I would have made it outside.

  The crow swooped down, its sharp claw scraping across my cheek. I reached up to touch the scratch, then stumbled, my vision blurred. All I saw as I lost consciousness was the sinister gleam of its blood-red eyes.

  I'm Sorry, Mother

  Pain thundered through my skull. I opened my eyes and tried to bring my hands up to my aching head, but I couldn't move. My arms and legs were stick-straight, like a board, and I struggled to free myself from whatever magic held me in place. They had dressed me in a white dress just like the one Caroline had been wearing the day we found her.

  The room was dark. Candlelight flickered across the stone ceiling. Voices whispered all around me and I turned my head to see a room full of witches dressed in black velvet robes that shimmered in the light. These robes were very different from the ones I'd seen the night of Brooke's initiation ceremony, but the room was the same.

  “Let me go,” I said.

  A witch cackled near my ear, her voice ancient and gravelly. She ran her long, crooked fingernail across the scratch on my cheek and I winced. In her other hand, she held my necklace, its blue pendant swinging back and forth as she held it up for me to see.

  “Who are you?” I asked. Panic rose up in my chest. Without that necklace, I was on my own. Aerden wouldn't come for me this time.

  The witch narrowed her red eyes at me. Her withered face cracked as she brought her lips into a gruesome smile. Her teeth were blackened and rotting, and I could smell the decay in her breath. She was old. Much older than any human should be.

  “I am the one who should have had your throne,” she said.

  At the sound of her voice, every witch in the room grew dead silent. The anticipation in the air was dense, and the hairs on my arm stood up.

  “I am the one who has waited all these years to find you so I could finally take back what was rightfully mine.” Her voice echoed in the small ritual room.

  I wanted to close my eyes and find that this was all just some bad dream. How could I have been so stupid? Going out to the barn alone was careless. My eyes searched the room, counting. Twenty-five robed figures plus the head witch. The red-eyed crow. There was no way I could take them all, even if I did have use of my arms and legs.

  My body was positioned over the portal to the shadow world. I hovered in the air about four feet from the blue stone. The scene was eerily similar to Brooke's initiation and the thought of what these women might want to do to me left me gasping for air.

  “When I was a young girl, about your age, a group of women came to my small town of Peachville,” the old witch said. “They knew some of us girls had special... talents. We were recruited and evaluated. Judged for our merit and our abilities. In every test, I was the top of my class. I was the one the Order of Shadows chose to lead this town as their Prima. I was to be the first one initiated and joined with
the powerful demon who came through this portal.”

  The witch clapped her hands together and I jumped, feeling dizzy and frightened. “Everything was set. The choice had been made,” she said, circling me. “A week before the ceremony was to take place, your wretched, thieving ancestor found me in the woods practicing some spells from a book I'd found among the Order’s things. I was a curious child. I hadn't done anything wrong. But Clara, she ran to the women of the Order and told them what happened. Doing magic outside of training was strictly forbidden at the time, but I knew what I was doing. I wasn't going to hurt anyone. I just wanted to see if I could figure out the magic.”

  The old witch leaned in close to my face; her rotting breath turned my stomach. “You have her eyes,” she said. “That same superior look that says I'm better than you. I deserve more. She deserved to pay for betraying me. I visited Clara's room that night and cast a hex spell on her. She grew sick with a fever and nearly died. Probably would have if it hadn't been for the healer who discovered the spell. One of the women in the Order had a gift for sniffing out hexes, and once the women learned what I had done to a fellow witch and potential member, they banished me from the training.”

  Her story sent shivers up and down my spine. She'd come here for vengeance, and in that moment, I knew she wasn't planning to let me live. I could hear the hatred in her tone when she talked about Clara, the first Prima.

  “She stole everything from me,” she said. “And I've worked my entire life to get it back. I've built this family, this coven on my own. We're more powerful than most witches ever dream of becoming. I took that book of dark magic and built a life around it, using soul stones to steal the power of other witches and drink it down so that I could have eternal life and unimaginable power.”

  I swallowed and my mouth felt like it was filled with sand. The witch's story had my head all turned around. Had she really been carrying this hatred in her heart for a hundred years?