The Artifact of Dissium (Demona Book 2)

by Megan A. Hepler

  Darryn sent a flaming ball at the arm that was feeling for the door knob. The ball made impact and the hand withdrew quickly. Someone cursed from the other side. The edges of the hole smoldered from the intense heat and flames that had struck the damaged door.

  The arm reached through again. Darryn threw a flaming ball at the arm once more. This time the arm did not withdraw, but gripped for the lock below the door knob. Click. The door was unlocked. The hand withdrew and Demona watched as the door knob turned. The person on the other side pushed hard against it and the table slid slightly away from the door.

  Darryn pushed his weight against the table to try and keep the door shut. This time the force from the man on the other side of the door managed to push her father, table, and all away. Demona watched as the door swung open and a large muscular man stepped into the room. Foss! He stepped aside to allow Darius into the room. Demona’s hands clenched.

  Darryn threw more fire balls in the direction of the two men, but a third man behind them used his magic to fling them away. The fireballs landed on a shelf and caught books and papers on fire.

  Darius stared at Shanon coldly as if planning his next move carefully.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Darryn yelled at him.

  Demona tried to use her mageia against the attackers, but it did not work in the vision. She was helpless and she clung to her mother’s back.

  Shanon pushed her daughter away. “Demona, get to the back. Now!”

  Demona did as she was instructed and hurried to the back of the room. Smoke began to fill the air as the fire quickly spread through the bookshelf. Darryn tried to place himself in front of Shanon to block Foss, Darius, and the other man from getting to his wife and daughter.

  Demona noticed that Darius continued to stare intently at her mother. He stepped closer to Darryn. Darryn continued to fling fireballs in their direction, but each was pushed by an invisible force to the side. Shanon raised her sword in their attackers’ direction and began to step forward ready to strike.

  Darius smiled when she approached. His eyes shifted to Darryn and that was when Demona knew what was happening.

  “No, Mom!” she yelled. It was too late.

  Shanon’s sword slid into Darryn’s back. Her husband fell lifelessly to the floor. Darius continued to step forward keeping his eyes locked with Shanon’s. She stepped towards her husband’s body and withdrew the blade that protruded from him. She handed it hilt first to Foss. He took the sword and looked to Darius. Darius nodded and Foss pushed the tip of the blade into Shanon’s abdomen.

  Demona watched her mother’s body fall to the floor. She watched as blood spilled from her mother and father and soaked the floor around their lifeless forms. Smoke seemed to continue to fill the area and flames began to climb up the shelf and lick the ceiling above. Demona coughed when she inhaled the smoke. She covered her mouth with her shirt and tried to push herself into the corner of the room, hoping that any little distance between herself and the others would be enough to save her.

  Darius approached her alone, as Foss and the other man watched on. Demona hated Darius; she wished that she was not in a flashback and that the man she saw in front of her was the real man himself.

  “Hello, Demona. It is a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Darius Grier. Will you please take my hand?” He extended his opened hand to her.

  No! She told herself not to listen, but Demona knew her body was now under Darius’ control. It’s only a memory...

  ****

  Darius stood over Demona and looked down on her. He used a handkerchief to wipe blood from his mouth and then stuffed it into his back pocket. He walked around her lifeless body as if viewing a piece of artwork from multiple angles. He folded his hands in front of him and his black eyes stared deeply into hers.

  Demona lay stiffly on the damp grassy ground. She could not look away from his cold eyes. She had no control over her limbs, only her mind. She stared blankly up at the man who had caused her so much misery, at the face of evil. Demona could sense that life had left her still body. She listened as her heart ceased to beat and the last drop of blood dripped out through her punctured vein.

  “I never intended to become your master. You, however, have made my choices limited.”

  You bastard! You killed my parents, you killed me!

  “The only reason we have reached this point, is because you keep resisting my control. You could not possibly fathom how many times I have had to reset your memory.”

  When I get back home, I promise to tear you limb from limb.

  “Why did I turn you, you ask? To simply put it, I will have better access to you this way. You will become an employee of my company and reside in a company provided apartment. I will have the ease of providing you with regular memory wipes,” Darius said. “You have been, by far, my greatest challenge.”

  Demona wanted so much to turn away from him, but her motor functions ceased. Her eyes continued to stare blankly up into his face.

  “Do not fear, you will not remember a thing. I will send someone to gather you in the morning, after your transformation has completed. Have a wonderful night.”

  Darius turned and walked away.

  ****

  Demona returned to the bright, misty place where she had spoken to Aleph. She looked up into the air and screamed. “He has destroyed my life,” Demona said. “Why have I forgotten everything all this time if he hasn’t had access to me since I left TGHC?”

  “Darius’ mageia is very powerful, the most powerful mageia next to your own. A mageia that is not entirely natural, but acquired. Your resistance to his mind control caused him to continue to exert a tremendous amount of mageia into your brain. It caused a complete memory wipe the night he turned you,” Aleph said.

  “He fried my brain?” Demona wiped the tears from her face that seemed to stream from her eyes like a waterfall. Her unbeating heart felt as if it had been torn from her body and ripped to shreds.

  “Yes. What he did not know was that your abilities, from your elvin half and a GLC defender, had increased your own mageia. When he made you, your mageia was instantaneously triggered. You may not have been aware of its existence, but it has been there since that moment. The elemental magic from your father. The expertise with weaponry from your mother. And, the flashbacks, or post-cognition, from your vampire mageia.”

  “What does this all mean for me?” Demona asked.

  “Each has shaped who you are. Each of these abilities will continue to shape you into the chosen one you were meant to be,” Aleph said.

  Demona sniffed. “What if I don’t know what I’m supposed to do?”

  “I will always be with you. Follow your heart; you will know what to do.”

  Chapter 19:

  An Unfortunate Meeting

  The light dissipated and Demona found herself laying on the cavern floor staring into Felix’s concerned eyes. The flames from the basin in the center of the room cast flickering light on the tomb’s ceiling above. Demona lay there unwilling to move or think. She could feel the tears run down her cheek and the sting in her bloodshot eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Felix held his hand out to her.

  Demona reached for it reluctantly and Felix pulled her to her feet. She shook her head at him. “Too much…”

  Felix nodded in agreement and pulled her close.

  Kearne still stood against the cavern wall where he had been when Demona had last seen him. He looked at her with sympathy and returned his gaze to the cavern floor.

  Fotos appeared with his blinding flash of light and stood before them in his stiff statue like posture. “All have sacrificed a piece of themselves in order to obtain the artifact. Aleph grants you permission to take it, to serve the purpose of defeating evil. He goes with you on your journey. Turn to him to be your guide.” Then, Fotos was gone.

  Demona reached into her pocket and pulled out the artifact. She looked at it and ran her fingers over the rough etchings and smooth sil
ver inlay. “This better be worth it.”

  Felix and Kearne nodded in reply. Demona and Felix grabbed their packs and made their way back up the tunnel. Kearne was the first up the ladder, followed by Felix. Demona extinguished her flaming light and pulled herself up one rung at a time.

  Aero and Ileana waited for them in darkness of the building. Ileana reached her hand out for Demona’s pack. Then, she held her hand out to help Demona the rest of the way up to the surface.

  “What happened? We thought you got lost…” Ileana said. “You were down there all night.”

  Aero stomped his hoof against the ground. Have you found the artifact?

  “Yes,” Demona replied. She was unwilling to speak more than she needed to.

  “Well we should make breakfast. I could use a nice long rest before the journey home,” Kearne said.

  “Let’s go outside for that,” Demona replied.

  Kearne and Felix nodded in agreement.

  “I’ll gather firewood. Ileana, will you help? Most of this furniture will be useful,” Kearne said.

  Demona stepped out of the structure and stretched her arms above her head. Felix stepped up beside her and wrapped his arms around her. Demona wrapped her arms around her chest and held his arms tight. They stared at the clouds as they floated close above and a strong gust whipped at them as they stood there.

  Demona turned around and looked into Felix’s eyes. “If you want to talk about—”

  “What a nice surprise,” came a woman’s voice from the other side of the structure.

  Demona and Felix turned to face the voice, when a short olive skinned woman stepped into view with sword in hand. About twenty other men and women stepped from behind the side of the structure and stood behind the woman. Each of them eyed Demona and Felix dangerously and had their weapons exposed as a show of intimidation. They had come expecting a fight.

  Demona caught movement behind her from inside the structure’s opening. Ileana looked at her intently; ready to jump at anything threatening that would come her way. Demona removed her hand from Felix’s and held it up behind her back to Ileana in warning. She motioned for her to step back, away from the doorway.

  “You have been near impossible to find. If it had not been for our Darius’ letter I would have never guessed where you were going. All of this rushing around Dissium is quite exhausting.” The woman held her hand over her mouth to mimic yawning.

  The men and women behind the Queen sneered in displeasure at Demona.

  “Well, have you found it?” the woman asked. “The artifact?”

  “No,” Demona replied. The object in her pocket felt heavier than before.

  “Do not lie,” Queen Yuriko yelled.

  Her minions inched forward, weapons raised, and ready for a fight. Many of them taunted Felix in an attempt to provoke him into making the first move. The Queen held her hand out to keep them from charging forward. The situation was quickly growing dangerous. Demona knew she had to keep her friends safe.

  “Y-yes. I found it,” Demona said.

  Demona caught movement behind her once again. Kearne stepped out into view and the Queen cackled.

  “The errand boy…well done. Darius will be pleased with his puppet,” Yuriko said. She smiled at him pleasantly.

  Kearne was silent for long moments as if he were trying to choose the right words. “I’m taking the artifact back.”

  “Let me see it. Let me see the artifact,” the Queen demanded.

  Demona reached her hand into her pocket and pulled out the artifact. She extended her opened hand where the artifact lay and showed it to the dark Queen.

  The Queen rubbed her hands together. “Bring it to me!”

  Demona stepped forward. Felix tugged on her arm and tried to keep her from going towards the Queen. Demona looked back at him. Felix mouthed the word no and shook his head. Demona looked back to the Queen.

  “Bring it to me, girl!” the Queen demanded again. “Yes, I mean you.”

  Demona brushed Felix’s hand off her arm. She looked at him sternly to let her go and then softened her expression in apology. Demona knew she needed to keep this meeting calm or none of her companions would make it home. She cautiously made her way towards the Queen. With each step she drew nearer, the Queen’s bandits grew more restless.

  The Queen stretched out her hand and waited for the artifact to be dropped into her palm. She waited like a greedy little child expecting candy. The Queen’s patience was wearing thin as Demona continued her slow approach. She grinned as Demona stretched her arm out once more to show her the artifact. The Queen tried to grab it from her hand, but Demona snapped her fingers closed around it and pulled it close against her body.

  Demona shook her head in defiance. “No, Aleph entrusted us with the artifact.”

  The Queen cackled. “Washi Xun, do your duty.”

  “A burly man dressed in black stepped forward. His matching black hair was pulled behind his head in a pony tail. He smirked at Demona as he walked towards her, battleaxe in hand. Demona froze as Washi’s large curved blade came swooping quickly down in her direction.

  Demona quickly dodged as the massive blade came downward in the spot where her head had been only moments before. She aimed a fireball in the direction of her attacker’s head, but she stumbled on a rock and lost her balance. Her ball of flames had missed its intended target as she fell. Demona crashed to the ground as another blade came into view from the hand of the Queen. She flailed and tried to regain her footing to move out of the blade’s path. Demona knew that she was about to meet her telos and she glanced back to Felix one last time.

  “No!” Felix yelled.

  Demona thought her view was blurred by the tears in her eyes as she looked at him. She blinked them away and saw Felix flash from sight. Moments later Demona heard a gut wrenching sound beside her and Felix was nowhere in sight. She slowly and reluctantly turned towards the sound to find the Queen’s sword protruding from Felix’s chest. His legs began to buckle as blood spilled down his shirt.

  “Felix!” Demona dropped the artifact and went to support him. “Felix!”

  The Queen picked up the object. “Darius will want this.” She squeezed the artifact in her hand. “Leave them; the price has been paid for their insolence.” She turned towards the passage that would take her down to the valley.

  Washi scowled at Demona and grunted as he let his axe hang loosely by his side. Queen Yuriko’s minions cursed and slowly turned to follow behind.

  Demona watched them disappear from sight and looked back down at Felix and he stared up at her. “Someone do something!” Demona screamed.

  The rest of the companions ran into the open to find Felix bleeding in Demona’s arms. The sword protruding out of his chest and the point extended out of his back.

  “I-I don’t know what happened.” Demona sobbed. “He was there.” She pointed to the entrance of the structure. “And then here...and the sword…oh no…help him! You have to help him!”

  Demona looked at her blood soaked hands and the only thing it did was scare her more than anything. The material around Felix’s chest was soaked in the dark red liquid and was spreading much too quickly. She looked to Kearne with pleading eyes.

  “Please, do something!” Demona begged. “You have to stop the bleeding.”

  He bent over Felix a moment. “I can’t,” Kearne said. “I have to follow the artifact. I have to follow it back to Darius.” Kearne hung his head low and walked towards the passage to follow the Queen. He paused and turned one last time to look at his former companions sorrowfully. Then, he walked away.

  Felix brushed Demona’s cheek with his hand. “I’m okay…don’t worry about me.”

  “It’s not okay!” Demona turned to Ileana and sniffed. “What do I do, Ileana? How do I fix this?”

  Ileana’s face resembled Demona’s own tear streaked face. Ileana held a hand over her mouth as she looked at her two friends. Then, Ileana looked away from Demona, walked a sh
ort way away, and turned her back to them. Demona watched as sobs racked Ileana’s body.

  “’Mona.” Felix choked. “Listen…Father Jandro said…he said that Aleph would give me my abilities when the time…was right.”

  “Shh, you’re going to be fine. Don’t talk, just rest,” Demona replied. She stared down into his blue eyes. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks as she looked into his eyes.

  “Aleph, gave me a choice. I chose…abilities that would…help save you,” Felix replied.

  Demona heard Aero’s clopping walk in the background. She brushed the hair from Felix’s eyes and she cradled him in her lap.