Changeling (Black Petals Book 2)

by Marie, Tarisa

  “Megan is a friend. Actually, she’s my sister,” Landon explains softly. “You’re going to love her. She’s not like Blayk, not like my dad, not like most pure demons you’ve met.”

  She hesitates. “She’s nice like you, not mean or bossy.”

  Landon nods with a smile. “Yes, you’re right.”

  She seems to relax as she looks at me with new eyes. “I’m Laney.”

  “We’ve met before,” I remind her. “A few months ago. Do you remember?”

  She looks at me as she thinks hard.

  Landon grins. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Back at home you probably met her. You know, at my dad’s house. Her eyes were different then.”

  Once my eyes are explained, she lights up upon remembering me. “Yeah! I remember!”

  We go inside and together Laney and I tell Landon what we need for ingredients. He runs around pulling things from cupboards and goofing around, causing her to laugh erratically. Once we finally finish the multiple batches of cookies and Laney’s had enough with baking, we settle down to have some with milk at the table. I grab one, not sure what to expect now that I’m a demon. To me, though, they taste the same as before. They taste the same, but maybe a little blander, like my taste buds have been numbed.

  Landon watches me with amusement. “Most demons can’t stand the taste. They say human food tastes like dirt.”

  We share a knowing glance. Landon, Aiden, and my taste for human food must have something to do with the elixir.

  Forrest ruins the moment when he comes bursting through the door without a shirt on and sweating. Apparently playing soccer with a bunch of guards has tuckered him out. Landon eyes him wearily, his eyes lingering on Forrest’s bare chest a moment too long. Then again, I also linger. Forrest has the body of a god like most demons, only his chest isn’t bare exactly. Multiple intricate tattoos cover his body that are hidden when he wears a shirt.

  “Oh, cookies, thank god. I’m starving,” he observes and struts over to grab one. He shoves it into his mouth and grabs another. He then seems to notice Laney and gives her a smile. “Did you make these? They’re good.”

  Laney’s shy smile grows. “Yes, I did.” She says this proudly and straightens her shoulders.

  Forrest winks at her. “One day maybe you’ll be a baker.”

  Her grin widens. “You think? You think I could work in the huge castle and bake cookies for all the important changeling kids and the humans?”

  Forrest shrugs, his smile faltering. “If that’s what you want, then go for it.”

  It isn’t long before Laney starts falling asleep at the table. Landon takes her to an upstairs room with two beds and rests her down on one. He then looks to me and nods to the doorway silently so we don’t wake her. I follow him to the living room and we both takes seats. Seeing the way Landon treated Laney all day has helped me understand him better. Like Aiden, I think he’s soft on the inside but can be very hard and menacing if need be. I wouldn’t want to piss him off.

  He begins creating small talk to my dismay. I hate small talk.

  “Her mother is a changeling,” I state finally interrupting his talk about weather and things.

  Landon’s expression falls. “Her mother was a changeling. She died shortly after giving birth to Laney.”

  Okay, not surprising. I haven’t heard anything about her mother all day. I feel sad for the girl. How can someone so sweet and innocent adapt to a world like this one?

  Landon sighs deeply. “Like all changeling children, she’s had a hard life, but she’s the brightest light I’ve found in the demon world so far. I don’t know how she does it, but I’m not letting that light leave her eyes any time soon,” he vows. It’s clear to see that he cares about her very much. “As a demon child, she will grow up fast, mentally at least. She’s only four but as I’m sure you noticed, she acts more like she’s seven or eight, maybe even older.”

  I want to ask him more about changeling children, but I hesitate. “Aiden told me that when he was younger he had to activate his pure blood by taking a soul,” I begin, hoping he’ll catch on and answer my unspoken question so I don’t have to finish.

  He does. “Changelings are a little different. They don’t have to take a soul. During puberty they…well, I guess they just change into full changelings and they begin relying on souls.”

  I wonder why this is, why demon children are born nearly human. Is it so they blend into society better? I’d imagine that soul sucking children could be a problem in the human world.

  Forrest enters the room with a handful of cookies. He’s going to have them all gone before tomorrow at this rate. He tosses Landon a beer and then one to me. He purposefully keeps his distance from me. He’s probably scared that I’m going to snap again. The thought has me noticing his soul again and causing me to panic as I pull myself together. Normally, I’m so distracted by everything else like the sounds, and the enhanced sight that I don’t at first notice the nearness of his soul. Mind over matter. Mind over matter. I chant this to myself three or four times. Landon and Forrest both watch me like I’m a rabid animal.

  When I finally have myself calmed, I smile softly. “This is your fault, you know,” I remind Forrest.

  For a moment I actually think he looks hurt by this, hurt by the fact that it is fault.

  “You here to apologize to her, get attacked again, or just make my sister uncomfortable with lust and hunger?” Landon asks harshly. He’s obviously not happy with Forrest either. This gains Landon some points in my book.

  “I deal with the hunger every day, have a very long time,” Forrest states. He cracks open his beer and takes a long sip. “As a demidemon, my control over my hunger is naturally very low which is why demidemons are not allowed to leave hell. My brother and I have struggled our whole lives with the need.” Forrest begins to pace. “Some changelings and demidemons can escape the pull of compulsion, they become immune to it. Most of these demons are killed for this, so it’s not something you brag about. A lot of changelings who overcome the compulsion go into hiding and join a group called the rebels. They want to change the way things are run. They keep a low profile here with the humans. They haven’t acted in a long time unless you count the attack on the castle a few nights ago.”

  I don’t know why he’s telling me this. I stay silent and Landon looks to him just as confused as I feel.

  “Maxwell is a rebel. One from the inside. He helped them get into the castle that night by giving them guard schedules a few days earlier. You wanted to know why I’m here right now. I’m here to warn you that Megan isn’t safe here. He will find a way to get word to the other rebels that Megan is here, that she’s important to Aiden. They will come and they will take her. They will use her as bait or motivation or a hostage, whatever. There are a lot of rebels. Megan, you aren’t safe here.”

  Landon’s eyes widen slightly. “Why warn us?”

  Forrest bites his bottom lip nervously. “I’ve ruined her life enough. I can at least try to make things up to her by saving her life. I know you think I’m a terrible man, but I’m not so bad. I did what I had to to get my brother and I out of hell and away from slavery. Wouldn’t you have done the same for someone you love?”

  I think about Aiden immediately. I’d do it for him in a heartbeat I realize. What does that make me? As terrible of a person as Forrest?

  Forrest finishes off his beer and begins leaving just as Mason pops in. “Uh, Ms. Caplan, may I speak to you a moment?” he asks carefully. He eyes the unopened beer in my hand. I set it down on the floor and get up to follow him.

  When we are alone, I scold him for calling me Ms. Caplan. I hate being called that. “Jesus, Mason, call me Megan, would you?”

  He swallows and nods. “Yes, ma’am.” Mason’s formality towards me is bothersome. “I uh, I know this is probably out of bounds, but I walked in on you and my brother having a make out session in his office, and, uh…” he stutters.

  I feel my face flush red. “And?�
�

  “Are you guys…” he trails off, hoping I’ll get his question.

  I bite my cheek. “We’re close,” I answer quickly. “What you saw…it’s…a new thing,” I scramble.

  Mason sighs. “I wouldn’t care. It’s just that Crispen really adores you, and I think you once really cared about him, and…” he seems to lose his words. I’m not really sure what he’s trying to get out.

  “Yeah, I did. Well, before he decided to try and kill me and said so many rude things. He’s a demon hunter and I’m a demon, that ship sailed a while ago.”

  Mason nods in understanding. “Okay, so nothing is going on between you and Crispen, but something is going on between you and my other brother?”

  I eye him confused. What is he getting at? I nod.

  He takes this in. “You must have a thing for the bad boys,” he teases awkwardly.

  I squint at him as though I’m trying to understand his words. It doesn’t help.

  “Sorry. I think I may have drunk too much. I probably sound like an idiot,” he says finally with a huff.

  Are guards supposed to drink on duty? Is he off duty?

  “Do you want to sit down? Maybe play a board game or something?” I wonder. It might be nice to talk with Mason. After all, he’s going through the same thing as I am. We’re both new to this and I could use his support in this probably as much as he could use mine.

  He lights up. “That sounds fun.”

  We don’t get to play any games though, because a set of gun shots fire off. Mason jumps up automatically and races out of the house, instructing me to stay put on his way out. I freeze in position just as Landon and Forrest come barreling into the room. “Maxwell is gone,” Landon states, grabbing my arm.

  “Apparently my warning came a little late,” Forrest says with a half-smile. There isn’t any humor in it but more apology.

  Landon ignores him and pulls me through the house to a hatch in the floor. He pulls me down through it. Forrest jumps in too and locks it behind us. It’s dark, pitch black, but with my new demonic sight, I can make out shapes. It looks to be an empty cellar.

  “How do we know you’re not working with the rebels too?” Landon bursts in a harsh whisper.

  Forrest hesitates. “You don’t, I guess. You’re just going to have to trust that I’m not.”

  “Why wouldn’t you be working with them? Don’t you, like most rebellious demidemons and changelings, feel wronged?” Landon scoffs, though not with disgust or disagreement with this, just with curiosity.

  I vaguely see Forrest shrug. “Yeah, but I know a war like this is going to end with a lot of dead humans and demons alike. Even though I don’t want to live my life as a servant or a guard, I fully support Aiden as I should, as we all should.”

  Landon doesn’t argue.

  “Lucian may have been a harsh ruler at times, but he had to be. I’m not saying that Aiden is going to be a bad one because he’s clearly not so harsh. I think Aiden will be a better one because he has attributes that Lucian certainly did not.”

  Landon and I wait for him to continue.

  “Aiden is hard when he has to be, but he also has a conscience. Look, you two, I’ve known many demons in my lifetime. By many, I mean tons. They’re all the same. They’re all assholes to the very core. Well, that is, besides Aiden and you two. Strange coincidence seeing as all three of you are connected. You two are siblings. Aiden was Megan’s mentor.”

  Landon’s breathing hitches. “How would you know this?”

  “Well, for starters, I’m very observant. When Aiden and you come to hell, I see right through that façade both of you put on. And Megan, well, she doesn’t even fucking try. It’s obvious.”

  I cringe. Is it bad that Forrest knows this? Is it bad he’s figured out something isn’t right about the three of us? Like he said, I haven’t even attempted to put on an act like Aiden and Landon do.

  “I haven’t been around you much since you transitioned, Megan, but the way you were around that little girl gave it away completely. Now tell me why you’re the way you are.”

  “So you can go tell the rebels?” I blurt, probably confirming Forrest’s suspicions. Sometimes I don’t think before I speak.

  Forrest chuckles. “No, because like I said, I’m loyal to Aiden. I think he’s going to change things, make them better. Because I’m loyal to Aiden, I’d like to help you two escape from here unscathed. To do that, I’m going to need to know you can do what I’m about to do without purposefully endangering a young life to save your own. Now hurry.”

  “Alchemists,” Landon blurts. “That’s all I will tell you. Now get my sister out of here. I’m going after Laney. She’s still out there.”

  Forrest raises a hand to stop Landon. “She is safe for now. You and Megan are going to get her out of here while I stall everyone. Get her out of here. Get her to hell, back to Aiden. It’s the most guarded and safe place right now even if it could be the next place of attack. I will handle Laney.”

  Landon closes his eyes and grits his teeth.

  Forrest rolls his eyes. “Then you and Megan are both going to get caught trying to get to her. I can get to her and bring her to you. Just stay put.”

  Landon nods, giving into his request and Forrest jumps out of the cellar quickly after telling us to stay put.

  “This better not be a fucking trap,” Landon curses and clenches his fists. I remain silent because I don’t know what else to do. I focus on my hearing and find that I can’t hear much. It must be sound proofed. All I can hear is slight mumbling, possible hushed yelling.

  It’s not ten minutes later when Forrest returns with Laney sprawled out in his arms. She looks terrified, her eyes wide. I’m surprised she’s not crying. All the gunshots and yelling are loud now with the door open. As a halfling, a situation like this would have caused me to nearly have a mental breakdown, but as a demon I find myself able to handle this tense situation better. I’m calmer, able to think things through more rationally.

  Landon jumps out of the cellar easily. I somehow doubt I can make the leap so I begin for the ladder. Landon scowls at me. “Jump. We don’t have time for this. We don’t have time for you moving at human speed. Move it or run into a rebel, Megan.”

  Something inside of me, instinct maybe, screams at me and I somehow manage to leap out of the cellar effortlessly. Forrest dumps Laney into my arms and then whispers something in Landon’s ear. Landon nods and then grabs my forearm and pulls me to the left. We sneak out through a back patio door and Landon pulls a knife from his jeans. “Follow me quickly. No time for human speed,” he whispers harshly in a quick pace. Then he’s gone. I have to focus on all of my heightened senses to see where he’s run off to. Then I follow him as fast as I can. When I finally catch up to him, I feel like I should be out of breath, but I’m not at all. Becoming a demon has put me in the best shape of my life. Just as I’m slowing, I realize why Landon has stopped running. We’re surrounded. I take in everyone’s stance and debate turning around, but I know I’m not fast enough. A new demon is as useless as an empty gun. Landon hisses out a line of cusses and Laney squirms in my arms.

  “Give the child to me,” Landon instructs. I do what he says even though I don’t understand why.

  “Megan Caplan?” One of the rebels surrounding us asks.

  I nod.

  A bullet then collides with my arm and then another lands itself in my chest. A breath escapes me and I wail out in pain. I see shock in both Laney and Landon’s eyes. Laney cries out and Landon stands frozen. Did he know this was going to happen? Did he tell me to give him Laney because he knew I’d be brought down like this and they wouldn’t hesitate to kill Laney to get to me. As the pain radiates through my entire body as more bullets collide with me, I realize that these men probably could’ve easily killed me by now, yet they insist on sending rounds of shots into my body. They want me alive and I can’t even guess why.

  Chapter 3

  “Wake up,” a female voice pro
mpts. I open my eyes to a blurry vision of three or four people standing in front of me on the other side of a cell wall.

  The pain hits hard and fast. I grit my teeth to keep from screaming out.

  “Someone take out the bullets so she can talk,” the lady who demanded me to wake up instructs. I hear the squeak of the cell door opening and then I feel what I assume are fingers digging into my flesh. I scream as red fills my vision. I’m on the verge of passing out but something in my demon body keeps me awake.

  I don’t know if it’s minutes or hours later when the poking and pulling finally stops and my pain begins to ease away slowly, but either way I’m exhausted. I wouldn’t wish such pain on my very worst enemy. My skin is throbbing and sore as I attempt to heal slowly. Oh, and I’m hungry. Starving like I’ve never been before.

  “Bring her something to eat,” the lady shouts forcefully. I want to cry in happiness with her words.

  The lady approaches the cell slowly and looks at me, weak on the cell floor. I don’t know how my chest even manages to continue to rise and fall.

  She squats down so she’s closer to my height and smiles. “I’m Kenna. Nice to meet you, Megan. I’m sorry for the theatrics, but we had to get your ass here somehow.”

  I want to speak but I’m too focused on the pain I’m in. Even though it’s slowly dissipating, it still freaking hurts. Holy fruit cake does it ever.

  One image surfaces in my head. Landon and Laney as I was being bombarded with shots. That poor little girl is probably scarred...if she’s not dead. I try to remind myself that the rebels are changelings and demidemons, that they have consciences and feelings, but I’m still worried beyond belief. They wouldn’t kill a child, would they?

  “Landon, Laney?” I manage in a rough voice, causing a coughing fit. I cough and blood splatters on the floor. Am I bleeding internally? Of course I am! I was shot probably twenty times. I hope to god that my demon body can withstand this amount of damage, that I can heal without stitches and medical attention because it’s clear that I’m not getting any. “Are they alright?”