Demon Spell
An Urban Fantasy
By Georgia Tribell
Copyright© 2013 Georgia Tribell
Cover Artist: Georgia Tribell
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This is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents are either the product of this author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, businesses, or events is entirely coincidental.
Demon Spell
An Urban Fantasy
By
Georgia Tribell
Demon Spell – Chapter 1
Midnight Goodman stood in front of the group of eager recruits and tapped down the urge to bolt for the nearest door. Most nights of his life he was fighting demons determined to kill him, so a few dozen enthusiastic potential Demon–Hunter candidates shouldn’t have him quaking in his boots.
He pointed to a young woman at the back of the room. “Yes, you have a question?”
The woman stood. “There are many stories about how the portals between Earth and Torlin opened. Could you tell us what really occurred?”
He took a breath. “Originally, it was said the portal was opened from the Torlin side, which is false. The portal was opened from both sides. For those of us on Torlin, it wasn’t our first experience with another world and we understood the risk. Here in the United States, it started as a NASA project.”
Midnight paused in his speech and walked to the other side of the stage to give him some time to gather his thoughts. He was a hunter, not a professor or public speaker. He was adapt at handling weapons, not words. Reaching the other side, he prayed he didn’t sound like an idiot.
“The NASA scientists were experimenting with time travel. These scientists thought if they harnessed the extra gravitational pull during a full-moon, they’d have a better chance of success. They succeeded, but instead of traveling to the future, they weakened the barriers between our two worlds. This is why the gateways open only during a full-moon. It’s through these openings the demons from Torlin travel each month. These are the same portals which allow me and others to travel between the two worlds.”
Several hands went into the air, and he pointed to a man seated in the middle of the room. The man stood and as he did, Midnight realized exactly how young he was. Dressed in khakis and a polo shirt, the young man looked more like a college student then a wannabe hunter.
The young man cleared his throat. “Were you a member of the original team here in Houston?”
“No.” Midnight hooked his hands into the front pockets of his pants. “The people you are thinking of are Erik Lundgren, Thor Kensington, and Navida Rosvinski. They started the group here in Houston. I was brought on board later.”
“Are they still members of the team? And if so, can you tell us what they do?” The same man asked before taking a seat.
“They’re all still active members.” Midnight smiled. “Erik is in charge of the Houston office and has final authority over all Demon–Hunters in the area. Thor is our training officer. Those of you who make the initial cut will quickly learn to hate him.”
A round of nervous laughter covered the room before he continued. “Navida is our field medic. She handles all the team paperwork and is one of the best fighters I’ve ever worked alongside. If you’re lucky enough – or unlucky enough, as the case might be – to catch her attention during training, she’ll push you to your limit and then some.”
Another hand went up with another question. “What’s your expertise?”
Midnight let out a breath, relaxing into a question he could answer easily. “I’m the resident weapons expert. To make my job simple, I field test and approve all weapons used in the Houston area.”
A smartly dressed woman stood, she looked more like a reporter than a potential hunter. “Could you show us the weapons you carry?”
“No, he cannot.” Dr. Natalie O’Hara answered from the back of the room. She started walking down the middle aisle toward him and added, “The man carries an arsenal of weapons stashed in the pockets of the Demon–Hunter coat he’s wearing. It would take the entire night for him to explain each and every one. Time we don’t have since he and I have a weapons–testing session tonight.”
Midnight watched as the woman who made his insides turn upside down and every nerve–ending in his body tingle walk toward him. Most of the time, she irritated him to the point he wanted to scream. Right now though, he was extremely grateful for her unexpected assistance.
“Let me introduce Dr. Natalie O’Hara.” Excited whispers could be heard about the room at his introduction. Not only was Natalie a fine looking woman, her reputation as a weapons developer was unsurpassed. “As many of you know, she’s our leading weapons developer and is one of the few people from Earth to spend any significant time on Torlin.”
Natalie reached him and turned back to the auditorium, giving the group a brilliant smile and wave. It was obvious to him she was in her element in front of this group, where he was the distinct fish out of water. These roles would reverse once nighttime came and the hunting began.
“Looks like I’m going to need another question now that Dr. O’Hara sidelined the last one,” Midnight stated as he looked at the woman next to him.
She smiled at him as hands went up. Midnight pointed to a man toward the front of the room.
This man looked more the part of hunter as he stood, tall, strong and mean as hell. “Could you explain how your coat protects you?”
Midnight responded to the question with ease. “The material is made on Torlin and will repel many types of demon attack. It does this by absorbing the power and distributing it evenly through the coat. It doesn’t matter which part of the coat is hit, the distribution is instantaneous.”
Natalie stepped forward and picked up the conversation. “Not only are the coats made from this material, but so are our pants, shirts, and shoes. Every additional layer adds protection. For those of you who may be thinking this makes you invincible, I want to warn you – it doesn’t. It gives no protection against the dart–like projectiles some of the demons can launch at you.”
When Natalie paused, Midnight joined back in. “It also provides no protection in hand–to–hand combat. The claws of any demon can slice right through the material. Which brings me to the one weapon each and every hunter carries — a silver dagger.”
Midnight watched as Natalie whipped back her coat and pointed to the outside of her right leg. There, attached to the side of her boot was a shiny six-inch, double–edged dagger with an ornate handle. She pulled the knife, showed it to the room, and then replaced it.
Midnight couldn’t help but chuckle at her dramatic display. It wasn’t often he saw the more playful side of this very intelligent woman due to the intensity of their work. When this side of her did appear, it always brought a smile to his face.
“In all seriousness,” he said, turning back to the group of recruits, “the dagger is our last line of defense. If you’re forced to pull your dagger, you can figure you’re pretty much screwed, and if you make it out alive, you’re damn lucky.”
The room fell silent, and Midnight let them think about his last words. He made eye contact with Natalie expecting to see censorship for the harshness of his last statement, but was surprised to see understanding reflected in her gaze.
He turned back to the group. “Are there any more questions?”
Only a few hands went up this time. The atmosphere was much more som
ber now and that was a good thing; he’d given them something to think about. Becoming a Demon–Hunter wasn’t for the faint of heart. He pointed to a man in the front row. “Yes.”
The man stood and gave Natalie a smile. “This question is actually for Dr. O’Hara. Are you a trained hunter?”
Her face turned serious as she stepped close to Midnight and rested a hand on his forearm. “Yes. I had to go through the academy and pass in order to perform the field–testing I do with Mr. Goodman. I honestly cannot remember the last time I fought a demon, but I have the skills if needed.”
She shifted and stepped closer to Midnight. “When I’m on the street, I generally stay close to the hunter testing the latest prototype. I observe and take notes on how to improve the weapon. Although one must always stay aware of their surroundings and alert to possible threats.”
Midnight listened to Natalie talk and was damn grateful he didn’t need to speak because he wasn’t sure he could. Her appearance in the classroom this evening had surprised him, but when she’d so casually placed her hand on his arm, surprise quickly turned to shock. The unexpected simple touch had caused the demon-mark across his right shoulder blade to quiver.
The mark had only ever moved to warn him of danger and he could see none at the moment. Of course, this was the woman he’d nicknamed ‘Little Miss Mayhem’ because of the trouble that always seemed to follow her. He would be wise to stay alert.
“Do we have any more questions?” Natalie asked, pulling him back to the moment as she let go of his arm and pointed to a young man at the front of the room.
“Is it true all from Torlin have the ability to change into a demon?”
Midnight forced himself to focus on the task at hand and not the sudden emptiness that filled him when Natalie removed her hand. The question illustrated how different his race was from this one and it bothered him. “No, not all of us carry the genetic factor which allows us to change.”
“Do you?”
Midnight saw no point in denying the truth. “Yes.”
“Does it hurt? You know, when you change?” The man asked before taking a seat.
“It’s uncomfortable but not truly painful. Taking a Hastong dart to your thigh, on the other hand – is true agony.” He could still remember the searing white–hot pain that had exploded through his body last month when he’d taken that dart. The wound still bothered him and he resisted the urge to rub it.
Natalie glanced at him and her eyes traveled to the spot before turning back to the group. There’d been regret in her eyes and no matter how many times he told her the injury wasn’t her fault, she never believed him. He turned his attention back to the group. It was time to bring this meeting to a close. “We have time for one more question.”
A young woman toward the front of the room jumped up. “What happens to your clothes when you transform?”
Midnight chuckled. “That is the question we get asked most often. The clothing we wear for protection changes with us when we transform.”
“Could you change for us?” The same woman asked.
“No.” Natalie stated in a hard voice Midnight had never heard before. “You never ask a person from Torlin to change. First, it’s rude. Second, it’s against all the rules that have been put in place. They’re forbidden to change unless under the most dire of circumstances. Even then, each case is reviewed and the person could be sent back to Torlin permanently if the United Realm Joint Commission deems the change wasn’t warranted. For the Hunter, there is also the possibility they could lose their license even to hunt on Torlin.”
Midnight watched as the young woman sunk back into her seat without saying another word. “Thank you all for coming,” he ended the open forum.
If he thought he was finished answering questions, he was wrong. Now that the session was over, several people stepped forward and Midnight took his time answering each person’s question until there were no more.
As the last person walked away, Midnight turned his attention to Natalie. He couldn’t help but notice how many men surrounded her. The beast in him rumbled and he scanned the room for a possible threat. He found nothing obvious. There was no other explanation for this overwhelming need to protect her. The only logical reason left for this feeling, was the approaching full-moon.
Here on Earth, the full-moon called to his demon half, a strange phenomenon because there was nothing like it on Torlin. Torlinites spoke of these feelings. Some felt the pull more than others. For Midnight, the feeling had started a few months ago. He knew he needed to get to the bottom of what was causing them, but there wasn’t time at the moment.
With the last of the recruits gone, it was time he and Natalie went to work. “Come on, Little Miss Mayhem; let’s go see what kind of trouble you can get us into tonight.”
Natalie frowned before turning to walk away. “You know I hate that name.”
“I know, but you have to admit, it fits. And it’s not like this month has been a roaring success.” Midnight couldn’t help but laugh as he followed after her.
“Like I need the reminder.” She blew out a frustrated breath and started walking faster. “I know better than anyone how this last month has been a total suck–fest. Every day when I show up to work there’s another dozen e–mails wanting to know why the prototype isn’t working. When will it be fixed? What am I going to do about it? So, take a number and get in line if you want to criticize me this month, Goodman.”
The harshness and bitterness of her words surprised Midnight. He followed her as she walked down the hall at a fast clip and through the exit door. The hall echoed as the door slammed against the outside wall.
Demon Spell – Chapter 2
Frustration rolled through Natalie as she pushed through the outside door and started down the steps at quick pace. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to hear a boatload of Midnight’s crap. “I’ll see you at the testing location. I’ve got stuff to do.”
“Natalie,” he called after her.
She kept walking because she knew if she stopped, she was going to cry and that would make her even madder, which meant she’d cry even more. Not to mention, she’d be totally humiliated in front of Midnight.
Footsteps sounded right behind her and then a large hand wrapped about her arm above the elbow. “Natalie, what’s wrong?”
She stopped but kept her gaze on the ground. “Drop it, please.”
Her voice broke and she knew he’d heard. She so didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of this man. His hand released her arm as she swiped away a tear. She prayed he was the type to run at the first sign of female vapors.
He stepped closer.
Of course he wouldn’t be. It wasn’t in his nature to walk away from trouble, and she couldn’t get lucky enough that he’d suddenly change.
His voice was low when he spoke. “What’s wrong?”
She took a deep breath and looked up into intense blue eyes. “I’ve had a really shitty day. I had to call my mother and tell her I couldn’t make it out to see her before I return to Torlin – again. That makes three months now I’ve had to cancel going to see her. I’ve got to be the worst daughter in the world.”
“Family is important, go see your mother. You should have enough data to continue your work back on Torlin. Another night or two of testing isn’t going to make or break us.” His voice was filled with understanding.
Midnight was the last person she expected understanding from and it left her feeling vulnerable. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”
He frowned. “Why?”
Her anger returned at the memory. “Because two hours ago I was called into Erik’s office for a status update on our current project. Erik, Thor, and my boss, Scott Gibbson, were there when I showed up. Scott proceeded to reprimand me in front of Erik and Thor for how bad the testing is going. I’ve never been so furious in my entire life. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Scott ordered me to test the Annihilator-4A tonight, despite the fact that I’ve
said, repeatedly, it’s not ready for field testing.”
She ran out of words and stopped. Midnight wasn’t a man with little to say. Most of the time in fact, he had more to say than she wanted to hear. When he remained silent, she began to wonder if he’d heard anything she’d said. “Midnight?”
He held up a hand to silence her and then took a deep breath. “Did you get any sleep today?”
She frowned, wondering where he was going with this conversation. They’d worked together long enough, now, that she’d learned going with the flow was the best option most of the time, but not all the time. “Three hours this morning before I returned to the lab.”
“That’s really not enough, but you can survive on it. When did you eat last?” His voice had taken on the hard authoritative tone he used in the field.
“Last night.” She could tell by the frown he didn’t like the answer.
“We need to discuss the changes for tonight, but first I need to take care of something. I’ll meet you in the commissary in twenty minutes.”
“Sorry, but I’ve got too much to do with this change. I’ll meet you at the testing site later.” She turned to head back to the lab.
“That wasn’t a request, Dr. O’Hara.”
She swung back around. “What the hell does that mean?”
“If you don’t meet me at the commissary in twenty, then I’m cancelling tonight’s testing.”
Blood roared in her ears at the thought of another delay and for a moment she was sure the top of her head was going to blow off. “You can’t do that.”
“Yes, I can.” He closed the distance between them. “I have final say on if we test or if we don’t. A last–minute change of this magnitude is reason enough to cancel. Toss into that mix your current mental and physical state and I have more than enough cause. What’s your decision, Dr. O’Hara?”
Natalie gritted her teeth and cursed the stars for putting the two of them together. The man was arrogant and impossibly hard headed. His only saving grace was his incredible body, eyes the color of the midnight sky, and long black hair. At the moment, even those attributes weren’t enough to curb her anger. He had her over a barrel and he knew it. “Twenty minutes, Goodman.”
Natalie turned and walked away, not waiting or caring if he gave a reply.
Demon Spell – Chapter 3
Midnight watched as she stalked away and disappeared into the outside entrance that went down to her lab. He then made his way to the main entrance of the United Realm Security building and took the elevator to the fourteenth floor. He was so enraged, his hands shook. He hoped he calmed down some before he reached his destination. As soon as the doors opened, he stepped off and spotted the two men he wanted to speak with through the glass wall of Erik’s office.
He made his way to Erik’s closed office door and reminded himself these men were his friends. Without knocking, he opened the door, stepped in and closed the door behind him.
Erik looked up at him and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“You called Natalie in here about our testing and chewed her ass without me. That’s what’s wrong. Why the hell wasn’t I called?” He crossed the small distance to stand beside the desk.
Thor looked up at him. “You were busy with the recruiting group.”
Midnight took a deep breath. “So, the two of you schedule a meeting with her boss when you know I can’t be there.”
“Hold on,” Erik spoke up quickly. “We didn’t call the meeting. Scott Gibbson, did. We’re perfectly happy with the work the two of you are doing. Since you two have teamed up, the reliability of all of our weapons have tripled. Not to mention we no longer worry about a simple rapid-fire blowing up in our hands.”
“Everyone is excited to see the new stuff when it becomes available,” Thor added with a shrug. “We all know the two of you are working hard at the testing. Sometimes it goes good, sometimes not. It’s no big deal.”
“Gibbson chewed Natalie’s ass today.” Midnight slammed his fist down on the desk so hard the coffee cups jumped. “As her partner, I’m the only person who can defend her actions and assure Gibbson that Natalie’s done everything possible to make this new weapon work. I failed her today by not being here and I’ll be damned if it’ll happen again. Do I make myself clear?”
Erik looked Midnight in the eyes. “You’re right. Gibbson called this morning and asked for the meeting. Honestly, I thought he wanted a face-to-face status meeting. I didn’t know it was going to turn into a crucify–Natalie gathering. It won’t happen again.”
Midnight felt some of the tension leave him. “She thinks the two of you are unhappy with her work. If either of you have doubts, I need to know them now, so we can fix it.”
Thor spoke up first. “I have nothing but admiration for her skills and if I had any misgivings I’d tell you then and there.”
“I agree with what Thor said.” Erik stated as he drummed his fingers on the desktop. “I’ll get with Natalie before she returns to Torlin to make sure she understands we’re happy with her work. It has always bothered me that I couldn’t get Natalie moved into my direct chain of command. It’s time I pushed the issue before we lose her totally because Gibbson is a dick-head.”
“Good.” Midnight felt even better after hearing Erik. “I need to discuss tonight’s changes with Natalie. We won’t be at the pre-hunt briefing.”
“Are you going to test the weapon Gibbson wants?” Thor asked.
Uneasiness settled in the pit of Midnight’s stomach. “If we don’t, Gibbson will blame Natalie and that’s not fair. I feel like our hands are tied at the moment, but maybe we’ll find a loophole.”
“Let me know before sunset what you two decide. I want to know what’s happening. And be careful.” Erik stated before turning his attention back to Thor and the conversation Midnight had interrupted.
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