by Monica Davis
Contents
Cover
Daniel Taylor - the Trilogy
About the Book
About the Author
Title
Copyright
Daniel Taylor between Two Worlds
Preview
Daniel Taylor — the Trilogy
“Daniel Taylor” is a contemporary young-adult fantasy trilogy. The story — packed with exciting adventure, emotional drama, and a momentous decision — takes place in Little Peak, a typical small town in California.
About the Book
Daniel is torn between two worlds. In one, he can be happy with Vanessa. In the other, the world of demons, he could wield great power. Will Daniel’s dark side win him over, enticing him to embrace his powers over the living and the dead?
About the Author
Monica Davis is one of the pen names of the German writer Monika Dennerlein. Born in 1976 in Berchtesgaden, she moved to Munich after high school, where she worked for a few years as a dental technician. But she never lost her passion for writing. Since she completely devoted her time to writing, she has published 40 books and numerous e-books that regularly appear among the ranks of online bestsellers.
MONICA DAVIS
DANIEL
TAYLOR
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
BASTEI ENTERTAINMENT
Digital original edition
Bastei Entertainment is an imprint of Bastei Lübbe AG
Copyright © 2015 by Bastei Lübbe AG, Schanzenstraße 6-20, 51063 Cologne, Germany
Written by Monica Davis
Translated by Claire Bacher
Edited by Sonja Diehn
Cover illustration:
Cover design: Manuela Städele
E-book production: Urban SatzKonzept, Düsseldorf
ISBN 978-3-7325-0545-6
www.bastei-entertainment.com
Goosebumps spread across his entire body as Daniel accompanied Marla down the corridor, descending deeper and deeper into the underworld, the land of demons — where he supposedly belonged, where he was predestined to be Overlord. Is that why the setting seemed so strangely familiar to him? The rock walls of the corridor, the darkness lit only by the flickering flames of torches … he felt like he knew this place, even though according to Marla, he had never set foot here. Despite this sense of familiarity, he felt afraid. What if they don’t let me go — how can I escape from here? Why had he so carelessly agreed to everything? So he could get one over on that blond Casanova, Mike? Prove to the others that he had really spoken with the spirit of Joe Adams? So Vanessa would believe him … or just because he was curious?
No. Deep inside him, he knew there was a dark side that thirsted after knowledge about the underworld and its inhabitants. The watcher within him was wrestling with this demon. Right now, the watcher had the upper hand. At least, he hoped that was the case; Daniel still didn’t know exactly who the watchers were or what abilities they possessed. So he asked Marla.
“Watchers are our sworn enemies,” she said. “It’s no surprise that no one really wants you to be here.”
So, watchers were something like angels, Daniel concluded.
Marla had heard his thoughts. “Exactly. They’re the good guys, we’re the bad guys. In your world.”
What was his world?
They came to a halt in front of large double doors. At first glance, it almost looked like the doors were made of some kind of organic material. Upon closer examination, Daniel realized that thousands of undulating black snakes were swarming across them. He took a quick step back, his heart pounding. Fascinated, he watched as the reptiles suddenly morphed into a lifelike representation of his face.
“You’ll have to go on alone from here,” Marla said.
“Alone?” Daniel felt his courage slipping away. “I thought you’d be coming with me.”
“I’m not allowed to enter these halls,” she replied, not meeting his eyes.
Before Daniel could ask why, the double doors swung open, offering him a view of a large torch-lit hall, seemingly constructed entirely out of black marble. Daniel hesitated, but Marla pushed him, forcing him toward the entrance. His legs felt clumsy and sluggish, and the rumbling in his stomach grew louder. As he walked further into the hall, even the pumping of his heart seemed to weaken. Now he was completely alone in this alien world. Daniel had the feeling that he might never see the light of day again. He shivered.
After the doors had silently glided shut behind him, he began to hear voices in his head promising him power and prestige — other demons were trying to win his favor by offering him their services. But there was one voice that clearly longed for his eternal damnation.
“There you are at last!” Metistakles’ voice echoed off the vaulted stone ceiling.
Marla flinched. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t seen the high lord lying there on the bed in her chamber. Like the other members of the High Council, his head was shaved bald, and he wore a long, grey robe that might have made him look something like a walking corpse — had his face not been so diabolically handsome.
Marla shuddered, wondering why he wasn’t testing her brother with the others. She had hoped to have a little time for herself to think over a few things that had happened to her recently.
Metistakles waved her over, and Marla glided over to him as though pulled by an invisible string. She had learned that trying to resist him would have definite consequences.
“How is Silvan doing?” he asked. The look in his ice-blue eyes made Marla shiver, even though it was pleasantly warm in her room.
“Good,” she answered mechanically; she knew what was coming. She could see it in his eyes — they always grew darker when he was angry, and sometimes they even seemed to spin like pinwheels.
“Good? That’s a blatant lie!” he growled, dealing her a mental blow.
A violent stabbing sensation flashed through her mind, bringing her to her knees. She stifled a cry and tried to ignore the stinging pain that slowly dissolved into a muted throbbing. Marla had never learned how to completely close off her mind to the high lords; in fact, they had ensured that not all of her demonic abilities could fully develop. It was a punishment for the treachery of her mother, Kitana. As a result, she was powerless against Metistakles.
“Silvan is with the High Council now. Why aren’t you there, lord?” she cautiously ventured to ask. Perhaps he would be leaving soon.
But Marla’s hopes were soon dashed.
“I’m the one asking questions here!” Metistakles stood up and pulled her toward him, as he had been doing for months now, ever since he obtained permission from her father Obron to continue her education.
Marla had thought she would be allowed to learn from Metistakles; she hadn’t really mastered any of her demonic abilities aside from basic things like creating portals. Instead, she had discovered that it was her duty to keep quiet and submit to him whenever the whim took him. He had shown her what her place was — doing menial tasks and running errands. He purposefully kept her from learning anything other than humility.
Marla was still kneeling before him, and Metistakles grabbed her hair roughly and pulled her closer to him. Mentally, Marla immediately retreated deep within herself. Weeks ago, she had created a place that would allow her to survive Metistakles’ abuse. There was nowhere she could flee outside of her own mind. Metistakles would find her wherever she hid, and his revenge would be cruel. Marla was his thrall, a slave to his will. She could only resign herself to her fate in the hope that one day, as promised, she would be freed from her service, once she had completed her task. If her brother decided to remain in the underworld, the first part of her deal would
be fulfilled. Then, with Silvan’s help, she only had to seek out and kill James Carpenter, the man who had been the cause of all of her mother’s suffering — as well as her own. Because Silvan was half-watcher, he would be able to see James despite the magical Horus amulet that he always wore, which made him invisible to demon eyes. This made Silvan doubly valuable to the demons.
It had been Kitana herself who had given James the eye of Horus! Marla would do anything to make up for the mistakes of her mother so that she could finally become a proper demon, one that could feed on souls and thereby live for centuries.
Yes, when it was done, she would finally be free …
Marla was safely ensconced in her mental fantasy world now, her private inner chamber. It looked like a tower room in a fairy-tale castle, and her mother (whom Marla loved above all others, despite her betrayal) was waiting there to take her child into her arms …
Vanessa was so happy to see Danny in the schoolyard that she ran straight over to him. He was standing apart from the others, hidden behind a tree, and he looked just as good as he had the day before: tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular chest whose contours could be seen through his tight black T-shirt. He hasn’t grown horns, thank God! thought Vanessa. Although Daniel was wearing his mirrored sunglasses, she knew that he had seen her. She could feel his gaze on her body. Vanessa’s heart pounded wildly. I love him so much!
“Danny!” She threw his arms around his neck effusively. “I’m so glad that you’re back!” He had only missed a few classes — but for Nessa, the previous night and this morning had been the longest hours of her life. “I thought you’d never return.”
“Oh, sweetheart …” Danny’s kisses were tempestuous and passionate. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her around in a circle. Vanessa didn’t care if the others saw them. At the moment, they were the only two people in the world.
“The hermit and my best friend, I knew it!” She heard an amused voice behind her, and the couple immediately broke off their embrace.
“Colleen!” Vanessa was happy to see her again after the weekend, and greeted her with a broad smile. They hadn’t had any classes together this morning so far, and Nessa was bursting to share her news, but first she wanted to talk with Daniel. She also had to ask him how much she could tell her friend.
“I just wanted to say ‘hi.’ I won’t detain you — lovers should be left alone.” Colleen was grinning from ear to ear. “Enjoy the break; see you in art class!”
After Colleen had disappeared from sight, Vanessa said, “Tell me, what’s it like in the underworld?”
“Shhh, not so loud!” They moved deeper into the shadows and sat down on a bench. Daniel took Vanessa’s hand and squeezed it lightly. “If the others find out that I’m half demon, I’ll really be in the spotlight,” he explained, a wry smile on his lips. “And you know how much I hate bright light.”
Vanessa laughed. She was so happy to have her Daniel back. “Oh, that reminds me. Mike came to see me this morning.”
“Mike?” Daniel’s face immediately darkened.
Aw, that’s sweet, he’s jealous! she thought, pleased, and went on. “The news about Mike and the message from Joe has spread like wildfire. Marla really did a great job. You wouldn’t believe all the people who have asked me about you today. Everyone wants to hear you tell the story about Joe again.” Vanessa cleared her throat. “Mike is utterly convinced that you broke into his apartment and left the note there yourself.”
“What nonsense!”
“No worries, I told him that you have a watertight alibi. First you were in the hospital, and then with me in the treehouse. Naturally, I didn’t tell him that you disappeared for a while in between, but that’s not important. You didn’t even do it.”
Daniel gently ran his thumb over Vanessa’s forehead. She had tried to cover the bump she got in Edna’s house with makeup. “What do the police think? Did he tell them his suspicions?”
“No, he didn’t,” Vanessa said, and Daniel sighed in relief. “He didn’t want them to think he was crazy.”
Daniel didn’t like the fact that Nessa had spoken with that pretty boy. Had she ever gone out with him? He was too much of a coward to ask. I don’t want to know. “So, did they find Joe’s body?” he asked instead.
“The police went to Edna’s house yesterday, and of course half the town was there to watch. When they carried Joe out, Edna was running alongside, crying. She told the authorities that she found him lying next to her in bed one morning, stiff and cold.”
“Well, then, Old Joe must have been exaggerating when he told me that Edna had drowned him in the bathtub.” Danny grinned, but the expression on Nessa’s face remained serious.
“Edna put him in the freezer because she loved him so much and couldn’t bear the thought of being apart from him. And so that she could keep cashing his pension checks. Without that money, she’s in a real fix.” Vanessa sighed. “I feel bad about this, Danny. What if the old lady can’t make ends meet anymore? And she’s in a heap of trouble, all because of us. The fraud will be reported, and she’ll have to pay all the money back. I just hope that she won’t have to go to jail!”
“Hey sweetheart, don’t blame yourself.” Daniel pulled her into his arms and placed his chin on top of her head.
“Can you read my mind, too?” she asked. “I’m not a demon, that’s for sure!”
Daniel couldn’t help smiling. “No, you’re certainly not.” And I’m glad for that. “But sometimes I get the feeling that I can sense something from you. A few days ago, when you were whispering the answer to me in class, it seemed like you were yelling it in my ear, and when we were kissing in the treehouse, I could pick up on what you were feeling. My senses are much sharper than before.”
“And at the lake, I thought you were calling for help!” Vanessa’s eyes widened. “That’s weird. Maybe you can sometimes read human minds because you’re a human with demonic powers.”
“Could be.”
“Now, don’t keep me in suspense any longer — tell me everything!”
“How should I begin?” With the fact that I almost pissed my pants in fear? he pondered. Nah, not cool. “It was a little anticlimactic. When I walked through Marla’s portal, it seemed like I was just stepping through a door. No change in pressure or anything. Very strange. We walked down a seemingly endless corridor until we came to a large hall made entirely out of black marble, pillars and all. At first, I thought I had ended up in some sort of museum. We were definitely underground; at least, the room had no windows, just a domed roof and oil lamps burning all over, and torches and candles.”
“So there’s no electricity down there?” Nessa asked.
“I don’t know for sure, but there were no electric lights in that room.”
Vanessa was clutching his hand so tightly that it was almost painful. He could feel how her heart ached for him. I was scared shitless, but at the same time curious, he thought, and continued his story. “There was kind of a platform in the room, and the high lords were seated there. In the middle was Xandros on his black Overlord throne; next to him were three members of the High Council, their heads all completely shaven. Xandros — who seemed clearly in charge — was dressed entirely in black, in a sort of hooded gown. I couldn’t see his face. He reminded me of the Emperor from Star Wars.”
“Yikes, I think I would have died of fright.”
My thoughts exactly. An image of the scene flashed through Daniel’s mind, making him shudder. “Xandros sat there motionless on his throne the whole time and never said a word. However, I could sense that he was communicating with the high lords telepathically.”
“Did you catch anything of it?”
“No, not a chance, but I felt Xandros poking through my head like it was a rummage sale.”
“What information did he glean?”
Daniel shrugged. Anything he could get at, I imagine. But he didn’t want to frighten Vanessa. She’d been through too much lately. She’d
probably be troubled by the image of Old Joe for quite a while.
“I don’t think he found what he was looking for.” Daniel could easily sense Xandros’ rage. “In any case, the three high lords introduced themselves, but I couldn’t quite understand their names. One sounded like ‘Epsilon,’ another like ‘Antheus.’ They offered me infinite power, but first I would have to prove myself. There would be some kind of probationary period.” Daniel didn’t tell Vanessa what he had sensed from one of the demons. The hateful thought had penetrated the furthest recesses of his mind: “Silvan is a traitor to our race. He’s unworthy of the title of Overlord, this half-blood abomination! I’ll crush the maggot myself!”
Daniel feared that he would have to be very careful of this demon. Unfortunately, he didn’t know which one of the high lords had been responsible for the thought. “I kept flashing on the word ‘scepter.’”
“Scepter?” Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “That’s a symbol of sovereignty.”
Daniel nodded. “Whatever — I told them that I refused their offer.”
He heard Vanessa exhale. “And after that, they just let you go?”
“Well, Sirina raised a ruckus.”
“Your future wife sounds like a right minx.”
“Yeah.” Daniel laughed. It felt good to make light of the whole sinister situation. It would definitely be haunting his dreams. “Good thing I found out before the wedding, don’t you think?”
“Why didn’t you stay there? It sounds like a pretty amazing offer. It’s not every day you get the chance to become ruler of an entire kingdom.”
In fact, Daniel had hesitated for a moment, but an inner voice had emphatically warned him not to make a mistake. In addition, he could hear the high lords’ whispers in his head: He’s not ready yet, he hasn’t truly decided …
“Well, it’s not as bad here in Little Peak as I thought it was last week.”