Rival Demons

by Sarra Cannon

  "All I've ever done is try to protect you, Harper," he said. "That's all that matters to me."

  "That's not true," I said.

  "Yes it is."

  "So you're saying there isn't some small part of you that thinks I'm incapable of doing anything important to help?"

  He paused and I felt the seconds tick away like a bomb in my gut. When he finally lifted his eyes to mine, I knew I had gotten it right. Even after everything we'd been through. Even after I'd saved him from the Others and fought back against the crows. He still didn't think I was powerful enough to make a difference. To him, I was just a weak young witch who needed to be sheltered and protected.

  And wasn't I?

  Hadn't I almost died at the hands of the Order? If Jackson and the others hadn't come for me, I would have died that day in the ritual room. No doubt about it.

  I couldn't hold the tears back any longer. They streamed down my face like a waterfall.

  Jackson reached for me, but I stepped away, holding my hands up.

  "Harper-"

  "Don't," I said. I wiped at the tears on my face. "I know you don't understand why I came here or why I keep breaking your rules, but you have to know that I am just not the kind of person who can sit back and wait while everything falls apart. I want to at least try to make a difference. If you wanted me to give up, you should have just let me die."

  My words hung between us like a thick cloud.

  "You don't understand anything," he said. "You're seeing it all wrong."

  "Then how should I see it?" I asked softly.

  Jackson stared at me, his eyes telling me he had something he wanted to say, but something seemed to hold him back. The moment passed and he turned away.

  "Why this room?" he asked. "What were you hoping to find here that was worth risking so much?"

  I sniffed. "I heard that at least one of the hunters caught along the way had some spellbooks in her cave," I said. "I thought maybe, if they were old enough books, they might hold some of the Order's secrets."

  He shook his head. "You're still determined to find a spell that will release Aerden?"

  "Aren't you?" I asked.

  "I've seen the books you're talking about," he said. "But there's nothing new in them. Nothing we haven't seen before."

  My heart fell and the tears threatened to come again. I suddenly felt so incredibly tired and defeated. "Why didn't you at least tell me about it?"

  He met my eyes and I could see in his expression that he understood the pain in my heart.

  "Just because you don't want anyone to know about what we had together, doesn't mean you had to completely cut me out of your life," I said. "That was your choice."

  His face grew tight and I noticed his hand trembling slightly. "I have my reasons," he said.

  I nodded. "Yeah, you always do."

  Jackson held up his hand and turned back toward the doors. "This conversation is going nowhere," he said. When he got to the door, he turned back. "Come on, I'm taking you back to your room. And promise me you'll never do something like this again."

  For a moment, I stood my ground, not wanting to leave. I didn't feel like this was really over. There was still so much more I wanted to say.

  I took one long look around at all of the unreadable books, wondering where the answers were if not here. Then, I gave in and followed Jackson silently back to my room, the distance between us greater than ever.

  Never Give Up

  Emotions scattered through me in all directions.

  I was angry at Jackson for not being open with me from the start about what he knew and what he'd been working on. I was ashamed for getting caught doing something I was never supposed to do. Disappointed didn't even begin to describe how I felt about the fact that none of the hunter's spellbooks contained the spell I was looking for. And now, on top of everything, there was a hunter stalking the portal entrance.

  I flopped down on my bed and let all those conflicting emotions roll through me like a wave. Or a tsunami really.

  Where did I even go from here?

  Jackson had made me promise I wouldn't go back to the training grounds. I knew I couldn't risk going back into the library. Besides, what good would that do if the books I needed didn't even exist? I had come to a wall. A barrier so thick, I could see no way around it.

  And as far as Jackson was concerned, I knew there was so much still unsaid between us. He was hiding something from me, I could tell. Why could he never just be open with me? Why couldn't he just tell me everything and trust that I was ready to hear it? He said I didn't understand his reasons, but how was I supposed to understand when he wouldn't just talk to me?

  Would things between us ever change?

  I sat up and leaned my back against the wall, trying to make sense of everything that had happened since we got to this world. When I killed the tiger twin, I swear I hadn't done it on purpose. Yes, I wanted to hurt her for what she'd done to Mary Anne, but I don't know where that dark power came from. It was as if I'd stepped out of my own body and some other force had taken control.

  Then, during my practices here, sometimes I felt a shimmer of that power creeping in. A darkness, shadowy and elusive. It scared me.

  But there was no denying the power that came from me in those moments. It was strong and all-consuming. If I could learn to understand it and use it, maybe I could accomplish amazing things as a witch. Maybe I would have a chance to defeat the Order.

  I closed my eyes. The Order.

  Jackson said a hunter had followed my power here. I imagined her lurking above the ring of black roses, desperate to find a way inside. Jackson assured me that there was absolutely no way for the hunter to get inside without being let in by someone on the council, so there was nothing to fear. Still, had I put everyone's lives at risk by practicing my magic? What if the hunter somehow did find a way inside? How many would die because of me?

  My problems circled me like vultures, waiting for me to give up for good so they could pounce on the flesh of my spirit. But I would never give up. I would keep searching for a new plan, a new way, a new possibility.

  I would never give up.

  The Green Brought Out His Eyes

  There was a part of me that hoped Jackson would be around a lot more after our last conversation. He managed to come into the suite more often to check up on me, but he rarely stayed to talk. A couple of times I heard him come in and ask Mary Anne if I was in my room. When she said yes, I expected him to come knock on the door, but instead, he just left.

  I spent a lot of time in my room those next few days, trying to come up with anything I could work on or set my mind to. With the library as a dead end and the training completely off-limits due to the hunter's presence, I was out of good ideas.

  I tried to just relax and hang out with Mary Anne and Essex, but my mind was always wandering off. I knew I wasn't being the best of company, but they didn't seem to mind too much.

  The three of us were sitting by the coffee table in the main room playing a type of card game Essex wanted to teach us when someone knocked. My stomach flipped. I could feel Jackson's presence on the other side of the door. He must have come to check up on me. I straightened and stayed put, not bothering to go open the door. He always knocked first, but he had a crystal key to the suite and could get in on his own.

  I trained my eyes on the cards in front of me, concentrating on the strange demon symbols and refusing to look at him as he entered. Which of course lasted about six seconds.

  My eyes completely betrayed me, flicking toward the door quickly, then back to my cards. But what I saw in that split second made my heart stop in my chest. I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe. My face grew hot and the space around me felt like it was closing in. All plans to act like I didn't care and that I wasn't thinking about him flew right out the window.

  I stared up at him, not understanding.

  Jackson stood just inside the door to the suite dressed from head to toe in a fancy bl
ack suit tailored perfectly to his muscular body. Under the suit jacket, he wore a dark green button-up shirt with the top two buttons left undone. The green brought out his eyes, which were now looking straight at me.

  My hands shook, so I laid the cards down on the table and put them in my lap so no one would see. For a split second, I let hope lift my heart up into the air about seven feet above my body. Had he come to apologize to me? Maybe ask me to a nice dinner so he could explain everything? I believed it so much that I almost stood and walked to him, dying for that conversation. But before I could stand or make a move, the door at the back of the suite swung open, the sound of high heels clicking on the tiled floor.

  I turned my head to look, completely unprepared for what I would see.

  Lea walked into the room, her hands up to her ear still adjusting an unruly earring. She was dressed in a floor-length gown adorned with sparkling silver beads.

  "Are you ready to go?" she asked Jackson. "Why they insisted on this dinner is beyond me, but I'll be glad when it's over."

  My mouth hung open, and I had to force myself to breathe. My eyes saw what was going on, but my brain was two steps behind, not wanting to understand.

  Under the table, Mary Anne's hand sought mine. She squeezed hard, and I swear it was the only thing that kept me from screaming.

  "You guys have a dinner tonight?" Mary Anne asked.

  "Yes," Lea said, rolling her eyes. "Something the council insisted on throwing for me. If they really wanted to honor their possible future Queen, they would have let me wear my own clothes to this stupid thing."

  "You look nice," Jackson said. It was the first thing he'd said since he walked in the door, and I wished I could shove the words back down his throat.

  Was this a date? He was obviously here to pick her up and walk with her to this dinner. Did that mean they were actually going there together? And flaunting it right in my face.

  Jackson's eyes met mine again, and I put all those questions and all the hurt I was feeling into my eyes. His jaw tensed and there was sadness and regret in his eyes, but I had no idea what to make of it. Was he sorry he was hurting me? Or sorry I caught him dating another woman?

  My breath came in short bursts like machine gun fire.

  "Have fun," Mary Anne said.

  Jackson shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's no big deal," he said, lying through his teeth. "Hopefully it won't last too long."

  "Amen to that," Lea said. She finally got her earring in. She put her arm through Jackson's and motioned toward the door. "Let's get this over with."

  Jackson peeled his gaze from mine, then turned and escorted Lea from the room.

  When the door closed, the suite was dead silent except for the sound of my heart pounding out of my chest.

  What the hell had just happened? He'd always insisted there was nothing romantic between him and Lea, but that didn't look like nothing to me.

  "Harper, your turn is next," Essex said, pushing my cards toward me.

  I ignored him, knowing the game was over for me now.

  "I think Harper needs a second," Mary Anne said. She turned toward me, concern etched on her pale face. "I'm sure that wasn't what it looked like, you know? I mean, Lea didn't even sound like she wanted to go."

  All I could do was shake my head and stare at the door.

  "Am I not understanding something?" Essex asked.

  Mary Anne sighed. "It's complicated," she said.

  For the first time since we'd been underground, the lack of fresh air really bothered me. When did this room get so small and stuffy? I felt a trickle of sweat on the back of my neck. I needed to breathe. I needed to feel wind in my hair and on my face. I couldn't just sit here letting the walls close in on me.

  I stood up, not even knowing where I was going to go.

  "Wait," Mary Anne said, following close behind me. "What are you doing?"

  As soon as the question was voiced, I knew the answer.

  "I'm going to follow them."

  "No, this is a bad idea," Mary Anne said, tugging on my arm. "What if he sees you?"

  "I'll be discreet," I said, not letting her slow me down.

  I opened the door and peered outside. They were no longer in view down the corridor. I needed to get moving or I would lose them.

  "Harper, don't do this," she said.

  "Listen, if there's really nothing to it, then I'll go, I'll be bored for an hour, I'll come back. But if there's more..."

  What then? I didn't even know myself. The thought of watching him kiss her or hold her close made me feel dizzy and sick to my stomach.

  "You'll just get hurt," she said. "It's not worth it. Just wait until he gets home and talk to him about it."

  I laughed, but the sound was hollow and joyless. "Yeah, because that's worked so well up to this point," I said. "Jackson's such an open book."

  Mary Anne had no argument there. She knew it was true.

  She also knew she wasn't going to be able to stop me from going. "Be careful," she said. "Please."

  "I will," I said, summoning my power and disappearing down the hallway.

  Painful Awakening

  I caught up with them in the marketplace. They were headed up the stairs to a hallway I'd never been down before.

  I followed from a good distance, hoping Jackson wouldn't be able to feel me if I stayed far enough back. Lea's arm was still entwined with his and every time he smiled at something she said, I felt a dagger twist in my side.

  We traveled past rooms that looked like standard housing before we came to a large archway. I was careful to stay behind other couples or just around doorways so he wouldn't see me. Unlike a lot of the demons here, I knew Jackson could see through glamours if he wanted to. Several dressed-up couples turned and walked through the arched doorway, but from where I stood behind an attractive couple in matching red outfits, I couldn't see anything. Still, this seemed to be the place. Jackson and Lea disappeared into the room.

  I let out a silent sigh of relief. No secret doors or strange obstacles.

  Unfortunately, I almost missed the red couple stopping mid-stride to adjust the man's collar. I nearly ran right into them, which would have been disastrous. I narrowly missed them, running into the wall instead. I bit my tongue to keep from crying out. It hurt, but all I could think about was the pain I was feeling on the inside.

  I needed to know one way or the other.

  Behind me, a decent line had started to form. Demons all dressed up and waiting to get into the event of the season, no doubt. A party for the future Queen of the Northern Kingdom. I'm sure everyone in the Underground hadn't been invited. There were too many people. This crowd must just be the council and the more prominent members of the community. Essex certainly hadn't been invited.

  I did remember hearing a woman ask him to make a dress for her for a party. She'd said it was a very important event and that she needed an original creation. She must have really wanted to make an impression on Princess Lazalea. Well, she'd be in for a rude awakening when she learned that Lea preferred leather to sequins.

  When the line died down a little, I finally made my way into the room, my eyes searching for Jackson in the crowd. I could feel his presence somewhere toward the front of the room where a large oval emerald served as a stage. Round tables had been set up to surround an area that seemed to be cleared for dancing. To me, it looked like a typical arrangement for someone's wedding or party. I hid in the back of the room behind a glass sculpture.

  When I spotted Jackson and Lea in the crowd, they had parted ways and were talking to different groups. Relief lessened a tiny bit of the fear pressing on my heart, but I knew it wasn't a definitive answer. Not yet.

  I watched him talking to various groups of demons for about half an hour before most of the guests had found their way to their tables. When Andros took the stage, the talking died down and everyone's eyes turned to the front of the room.

  His beautiful wife, Ourelia, stood by his side dressed in
a tight-fitting white gown that glittered in the light. Jackson and Lea took their seats at the front of the room. They sat close, but as far as I could see from here, they weren't touching.

  I hated the speed of my heartbeat. Had I really turned into this jealous person who was willing to sneak into a party just to watch her somewhat ex with another woman? This wasn't who I wanted to be. But I couldn't force myself to leave. If there was something going on between them, I needed to know. Ever since he'd first introduced her to me, I had felt there was so much more between them than he was telling me. I knew in my heart I was about to find out what that was.

  Something strange was definitely going on with him lately. He wasn't acting like himself around me.

  I had that feeling in my legs like I wanted to be ready to run at any second. As if my body understood that I was standing in the middle of a very dangerous situation.

  At first, I hardly heard a word Andros said. He was talking about how he knew Lea, but for me, the words went in one ear and out the other.

  I struggled to hold onto my invisibility. My emotions were all over the place, and concentration took more effort than it should have. I stared out at all of the smiling faces of these strangers and wondered how my life had brought me to this moment. I didn't belong here. But did Jackson? Was this really where he'd belonged the whole time? He certainly didn't belong in Peachville.

  And where did that leave us?

  "I can't tell you how proud I am to be here tonight honoring Princess Lazalea, the rightful heir of the Northern Kingdom and our future Queen."

  Lea and Jackson stood as the crowd clapped. All of her earlier annoyance was gone from her face and instead she looked exactly as you would expect a princess to look at this type of affair. But why was Jackson standing with her?

  "Our struggle against the Order of Shadows has been a difficult one, but no two citizens have gone as far in the fight as these two standing before us here tonight," Andros continued. "While most of us were still too afraid to speak out against what was happening to our people, Denaer refused to accept that his brother was gone. Even when his own father was too scared and defeated to go after Aerden or even beg the King for help, Denaer was relentless in his search for his twin brother, finally going so far as to travel across worlds. We've missed you dear friend, and I for one am so glad you are home.