Awakening
Demon Gate Chronicles: Book 1
By S. C. Mitchell
Table of Contents
Prelude
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Interlude 1
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Interlude 2
Chapter 17
Interlude 3
Chapter 18
Postlude
Bio: Adventure in Fantastic Worlds.
Also by S. C. Mitchell
Son of Thunder – Heavenly War: Book 1
Daughter of Darkness – Heavenly War: Book 2
The Blarmling Dilemma – Hearts in Orbit: Book 1
Pirates of the Dark Nebula – Hearts in Orbit: Book 2
Between Venus and Mars – Hearts in Orbit book 2.5
Captives of the Kratzen – Hearts in Orbit: Book 3
Z-Bot – Xi Force: Book 1
Phaze – Xi Force: Book 2
Wylde – Xi Force: Book 3
Triptych – Xi Force: Book 4
Text copyright © 2012 & 2019 by S. C. Mitchell
All rights reserved. Published by Lake Scrawls Publishing. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic of mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. All resemblances to real people are purely accidental or used fictitiously and are a result of the author’s imagination.
This book is dedicated to my daughter, Veronica,
Sorceress Supreme.
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank my beta readers Louise, Jen, and Cheryl.
A special thank you to Kathleen Egelkrout, Master Herbalist, of Herbal Alternatives for her help in getting Anna’s herbs and concoctions right.
* * *
First Edition*
*This book is a re-edit of a previously published book by the name There’s No Such Thing As Werewolves. The book has been updated and some elements changed, but the story is essentially the same.
Awakening
The Demon Gate Chronicles: Book 1
Prelude
Nathan Gray gazed on the Lake Michigan shoreline from the window of his study. His mansion rested on the hill above the wave-tossed beach at the edge of Sheboygan’s business district. Below, surfers rode steep waves pushed toward the sandy beach by the billowing winds.
On the horizon, storm clouds rolled, portending the coming storm. Storms from the east were rare, but the weather had been off kilter the past few days, just one of the many signs that had Nathan worried.
The storm would not last long. The clouds would break before noon and the sun would shine down on the city. And tonight, a full moon would rise in a clear sky.
Hands behind his back, he turned and strode toward the great crystal ball that dominated the center of his study.
“Kolondose,” he chanted, and the mist billowing in the globe pulled back to reveal a compound hidden deep in the woods. A collection of buildings, some three or four stories high, linked by walkways and tunnels. A hidden base he’d only recently discovered on the outskirts of town.
Practically on his doorstep.
Armed guards patrolled the grounds, but he couldn’t direct the crystal ball to show him inside the structure. Demonic energy surrounded the compound. A magical dampening field even his extensive powers could not penetrate. Yet, he was certain this was the center of the new activity.
The signs all pointed to a new awakening among the demonic forces. The Demon Gate was set to open soon, and it had fallen out of his control. Was this where the demons were hiding it?
Failing in his attempt to scry the demon’s compound, Nathan pulled his view away, flying over the treetops toward a small cabin in the woods a few miles away. The home of one of his top agents in the area.
“And how are your preparations for tonight coming along, Anna,” he said, having no problem probing into her kitchen.
A young woman stood at her sink, cutting stems from a batch of herbs. “Hello, Nathan,” she said. “Everything’s on track here.”
Yes, even in her frenzied state she’d detected his presence. She was, without a doubt, one of his strongest agents. And her research into the demons was reaping a harvest of information.
But he needed dozens more like Anna if they were going to stem the demonic tide that was poised to roll over humanity.
The way of the Earth Mother is the path to salvation. – Seeking Oneness by Ebar Zbignzie, 1861
Chapter 1
The rich herbal scents of jasmine and hyssop mingled in the air of the small kitchen where Anna worked. Two big pots boiled feverishly on the stove, reducing the thin herbal soup to a thick, viscous goo. Piles of herbs, both fresh and dried, filled every usable surface of her small dining room.
Anna stood at a kitchen counter that overflowed with potions and powders in various stages of completeness. She scanned over the long list of components needed for the ritual, using the old book she’d nested above yet another pile of herbs. The preparations were spelled out clearly but it hadn’t looked so daunting yesterday when she’d skimmed the recipe. Maybe this was more than she could handle on her own, but it was too late to call in help now. Tonight, Anna would be on her own.
She looked down at her clogged sink and felt stupid. Why hadn’t she taken the time to pick out the debris before she’d washed it all down the drain? She’d been in a hurry, but now she was more behind than ever. If only Mr. Higgins would arrive. She’d called the old plumber three hours ago and he’d promised to be out as soon as he could.
The stopped-up sink had really slowed down her preparations. Running back and forth to the bathroom at the back of the house was becoming a huge frustration.
This night was the first night of the full moon. If she didn’t get everything ready before nightfall, she’d have to wait a full month before she could try the ritual again. No, she had to get everything done, come hell or high water, even if the high water was in her kitchen sink.
It was almost four o’clock when the doorbell finally rang.
“Oh Mr. Higgins, I’m so glad you could make it—” She pulled open her front door, but it wasn’t Ben Higgins. Taller, slimmer and younger, the man standing at the door was nothing like the portly old plumber she’d expected.
“Hi,” his deep voice reverberated. “Mr. Higgins got waylaid on another job so he sent me out to look at that plugged drain. I’m Jack.”
He was several inches taller than her. His sheepish grin and dark blue eyes added a sexy charm to the strong lines of his rugged features.
“Sorry it took me so long to get out here.” He pushed an errant lock of his scraggly brown hair back into place. “I got lost. You’re place is a bit off the beaten path.”
Which was just where she needed it to be.
Faded blue jeans and a red flannel shirt made him appear more like a lumberjack than a plumber, but the rugged look fit him. He was distractingly handsome.
“It’s the kitchen sink, right through here,” she said. “I really need it fixed as soon as you can.” As she led him through her living room and toward the kitchen, she was suddenly hit with a vague feeling of familiarity—a distant memory of someone she’d once known. Had she met this man before? She turned to face him.
“Jack, do I know you from somewhere?”
“I wondered if you’d remember me.” His gaze centered o
n her face. “Jack Hughes? From middle school? It’s been a while.”
Anna was floored. Jack Hughes had been one of her best friends back in the eighth grade, until mid-year when he’d been yanked out by his parents to be home-schooled. The two of them lost touch after that. She’d lived in the city and Jack had moved way out in the country somewhere.
“When I saw the name on the work order, I was hoping it would be you.” His eyes narrowed as his grin grew wider.
“Holy shit. Jack Hughes. Well, this is a nice surprise.” She pulled him into a hug.
Yeah, she was a hugger. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind. But she could never get a real sense of someone from their aura. Touch was reality.
And Jack felt good in a lot of different ways. He had a nice, earthy, musky scent. Sincerity with a hint of mystery. And his baggy shirt was hiding some decent musculature.
He stiffened a bit. Perhaps she’d held him too long, but she’d been caught up in the myriad of experiences.
Then again, maybe it was just because she was spending too much time alone out here in her little cabin in the woods. How long had it been since a man had held her like this?
Reluctantly, she let him go. Hopefully she hadn’t made this awkward for him.
“It’s really good to see you again,” he said without any hint of reticence. “What have you been up to?”
Oh, if only she could tell him.
“This and that,” she offered, “I have an online business selling herbs and potpourri. It’s not great but it pays the bills.”
It was the truth, as far as it went.
The Jack she remembered wouldn’t have had any problems with the rest, but people change. She’d known the boy, but she didn’t know the man.
Was it fate that brought him back into her life at this moment? Anna believed in fate, the alignment of stars, all that. But if fate was involved, why did it have to pick such a busy day? She still had so much to do before moonrise tonight.
* * *
Anna Brown, of all people.
He’d thought about her often over the years. His first crush, not that he’d ever let her know it. They’d been friends, and he wouldn’t have done anything back then that would ruin that. He hadn’t had many friends.
But he and Anna had been so close before…well, before everything changed.
The golden hair of her youth had darkened into more of a honey wheat color that framed her ivory complexion perfectly. She still had that cute little nose and the same hazel eyes he remembered from so many years ago. She’d been such a good friend.
She’d been a skinny thing back then, and taller than him, which sucked a little. It was a nice change to be towering over her now.
He couldn’t help watching the sway of her full hips as she led him through the house. She was no longer that skinny girl. In fact, she’d filled out quite nicely. If only he was in a position to . . . no, he didn’t dare go there.
Tearing his gaze from her behind, he checked out her home. That’s when he first noticed the smells. Not unpleasant, but pungent, rich, and earthy. Plants were everywhere, growing in pots on the floor and on windowsills, hanging to dry from rafters covered in vines, even heaped in piles on tables and in boxes everywhere.
Still, it seemed ordered, and they were able to tread a straight path through the room.
“The kitchen is through here,” she said, indicating the doorway in front of her.
“Quite an operation you have here,” he noted, stepping over and around her merchandise.
“Yeah, sometimes it gets completely out of hand. It’s all legal stuff, by the way.”
It wouldn’t have been proper for him to ask, but it was nice to know. As he moved into the kitchen, he found new and intriguing scents. Pots boiled on the stove and still more piles of plant stuff littered the room. He also noted the three inches of standing water in the kitchen sink.
“Let’s see what we’ve got going on here,” he said rolling up his sleeves and opening the cabinet under the sink. The pipes were old but looked sound enough. It was probably just a clog.
“This shouldn’t take long,” he said, turning back toward Anna. God, she looked good. He still couldn’t believe it was her after all these years. Why hadn’t he gone looking for her before?
Well, he knew why.
A normal life...a girlfriend. Hell, even just a close friend. That was something Jack could only dream about.
Get real. What do you think her reaction would be if she knew?
Of all the people Jack had ever known, Anna would be the one who could probably handle the truth, and he was tempted, just slightly, to tell her right then and there. She’d had an interest in the strange and fantastic back then. It had been their shared interest in science fiction and fantasy literature that had brought them together. He remembered hours in the library discovering the writings of Tolkien, McCaffrey, Brooks and so many others.
He could have told the girl he knew back then, and she wouldn’t have even blinked. Did he dare tell her now? He opened his mouth, but all that came out was, “I just need to get some wrenches, a bucket, and a snake from my truck. I’ll be right back.”
* * *
An hour later Jack was still working under her sink. Tools and pieces of pipe littered the floor around him. Watching him work, twisting and turning under the counter, Anna started rooting for his shirt to become untucked. A little skin, maybe more. This was one plumber’s crack she wouldn’t mind getting a look at.
Yup, definitely spending too much time alone if this is my idea of entertainment. Still, even encased in denim . . . that ass. “Um.” She had to get out of here before she drove herself crazy or did something really stupid. “I have to get some things from my garden.” She edged toward the doorway to her back yard. “I’ll be just out back if you need me.”
“Sorry this is taking so long, that clog is really in there good,” she heard him saying as she exited.
Her garden was her refuge, even more than her little house in the woods. No clogged plumbing or broken appliances here, just good tilled earth and the rich aromas of green growing things. She breathed in the nature around her and instantly felt herself begin to calm.
She didn’t really need to harvest anything but there was always weeding to do. Anna grabbed an old bucket and began to tear the weeds from her lavender patch. Her mind began to clear as she pulled the invading foliage from around her precious plants. There was still plenty of time before moonrise. She’d get everything done in time. She just needed to relax.
“Anna?” Jack peeked his head out the back door.
His voice must have dropped two octaves over the years since she’d known him. His deep, velvety baritone sent little tingles up her spine.
“Back here,” she answered.
His walk was almost a lope—wolf like and predatory, definitely sexy—but his eyes softened as he approached. In the sunlight she noted the darkness surrounding him. Anna wasn’t adept at reading auras, but Jack’s seemed shadowy, foreboding. She could almost feel turmoil rolling inside of him.
“All done,” he said. “That was one nasty clog.”
Jack stopped yards from where she was working, yet she couldn’t help stepping closer to him.
“My own fault,” she admitted. “I tend to throw lots of stuff down the drain that I shouldn’t.”
She laid a hand on his arm, just needing to touch him.
“You should consider having a garbage disposal installed. They’re not that expensive and would keep the bigger pieces from going down.”
And she had just been wondering how she could get him to come back.
“That’s a great idea, Jack. I’ll call Mr. Higgins and set it up. Maybe you could even come back tomorrow and install it. I’d make you lunch.”
A shadow passed quickly across Jack’s eyes, but he smiled at her.
“I’m going to be off work the next few days, but if you call next week I’ll see if I can work it so I get the job.”
Anna’s heart leapt. She really shouldn’t be getting this excited over a garbage disposal. “That sounds like a plan.”
Jack fidgeted. That reminded her of the little boy she’d known.
“You have a nice garden,” he said, but he wasn’t looking at the garden. He was looking at her.
“Thanks.”
Then he glanced down. “Well. I’d better get going. I’ve got a little clean up to do, then I’ll be out of your hair.”
He turned and headed back into the house. Anna’s eyes followed him all the way.
She finished up by throwing the weeds into her compost pile, then headed in to see if she could help Jack with his cleanup.
Toolbox in one hand and a big pipe wrench in the other, Jack stood in the middle of the kitchen. “I think I’ve got everything.”
She accompanied him outside.
The sun was just dipping below the horizon as she watched Jack climb into his old Ford F-150 pickup. Anna had helped him carry out the last of his equipment.
“Thanks so much, Jack,” she said as he slid behind the wheel. Was she just going to let him drive off?
“It was really good seeing you again, Anna,” he said through the open window.
No, she wasn’t going to lose touch with him again. What if Mr. Higgins didn’t send him to install the garbage disposal?
“We should get together sometime,” she said. “You know, catch up over coffee or something.” They should at least exchange phone numbers.
“Yeah, we should,” he said, but then his gaze snapped from her eyes toward the darkening sky. “Crap, what time is it?” He glanced down at his watch. “Shit, I’ve got to go. Sorry.”
He started up his truck and spun his wheels as he backed out of her driveway.
She stood watching as he drove off. Even after he was out of sight, she found herself standing and staring up the road. Why had he suddenly been in such a hurry to leave?
She shrugged. At least she knew where he worked. “Maybe he just has something important to do tonight.”
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