Rival Demons

by Sarra Cannon

  I searched his clear green eyes, hardly believing this could be real.

  My breath came in short gasps, my heart breaking and mending in the same moment. Relief and wonder flooded through me. I lost my ability to hear. I could only see him there before me. This whole time, he'd still loved me. Wanted to be with me. At night as I lay in bed, missing him with every fiber of my being, he had been just steps away, feeling the same loneliness and pain.

  I pulled my hands from his and placed them on either side of his face, our souls locked in a gaze. No more words between us. Only love.

  He lifted his mouth to mine, softly at first, the taste of our tears mingled on our quivering lips. His hands reached up to grab hold of me, his fingers tightening around my forearms. I opened my mouth slightly, speaking to him with my kiss, telling him that if he wanted me, I would never leave.

  I slid from the edge of the bed, my body pressing tight against his as his arms circled around me. Our kiss became a conversation, a confession, a collision of two souls left divided far too long.

  I poured myself into him, deeper and stronger with each touch of our lips. My hands ran through his hair, down his back, my fingers fumbling with each button on his shirt, wanting nothing but to know the warmth of his skin and rippling strength of his muscles.

  Jackson slowed his kiss, then pulled back to stare at me. The expression of love on his face so pure and true, I became lost in it. He lifted his hand to my cheek, a single finger trailing through the path of my tears. My arms broke out in shivering goosebumps and my breath came in quick, shallow bursts. He ran his fingertips from my face to my neck and down to my collarbone. With aching slowness, he slid the straps of my tank top off my shoulders, exploring my skin in a way no one ever had before.

  I responded with the tips of my fingers on his chest, then down his side, running my hand along the scar that marked the only spot of imperfection on his entire form.

  I gasped as I touched the scar, pulling my hand away as if I'd been burned by it.

  "What?" he whispered.

  A flash of battle ran through my mind. "She did this to you?" I asked. "The tiger I killed when we first came through the portal?"

  Jackson nodded. "How did you know?"

  "I saw her when I touched you," I said, wondering if her death somehow connected us. Hesitating, I touched the scar again, feeling a piece of the pain he'd experienced when it happened. How long ago must that have been? I'd first seen the scar back in Peachville months ago. "There's so much I still don't know about you."

  His stomach quivered at my soft touch and his chest rose and fell with each jagged breath.

  "You've never completely let down your walls around me," I said.

  "I've only ever wanted to protect you," he said.

  "Your secrets hurt me," I said. I touched his face and he placed his hand over mine so lovingly, regret in his eyes. "Promise me that you won't ever keep anything from me again. If you want to be with me, then I have to be your partner. Your equal. Not some fragile little girl you're afraid to break. I'm stronger than you think I am, Jackson"

  His eyes searched mine and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I think I'm finally understanding that."

  He leaned in for another kiss, but before our lips met, a loud knock brought us both our feet.

  The sound was frantic. Pounding.

  Worry stabbed at my heart. Something terrible had happened. I felt it with absolute certainty in my heart.

  Jackson rushed to the door and flung it open to find Essex standing there, out of breath, eyes wild with fear.

  "What is it?" he said.

  Essex leaned against the door frame, catching his breath. "A hunter," he said. Then, he looked up at me. "A hunter has gotten inside the Underground."

  No Matter The Danger

  Jackson turned to me, panic in his eyes. "We have to get you out of here," he said. He grabbed his shirt from where it had fallen on the floor.

  Essex looked from Jackson to me, then back again. I was guessing a lot of things were starting to make sense to him all of a sudden.

  "I'm not going anywhere," I said. "I can't let innocent shadow demons die when the hunter is obviously here for me."

  "Many have already been killed," Essex said, his hands shaking. "The hunter has also taken a hostage."

  "Who?" Jackson said.

  "The daughter of Andros and Ourelia."

  I cried out, cut to the core at this news. "Sasha?"

  Essex nodded. "The hunter is saying she will execute the child if Andros does not hand you over to the Order."

  I grabbed Jackson's arm. "We have to do something," I said. "We can't let this happen."

  Jackson kicked the wall with startling force. "Dammit," he yelled. "Where are all the soldiers? The entire Resistance army should be able to handle one lousy hunter."

  Essex sucked in a ragged breath. "No," he said. "The Resistance is locked inside the training room. A special practice was called for the evening and somehow the doors to the training area were sealed shut. No one can go in or out."

  "How the hell did a hunter get inside anyway? I thought Andros said there was no way."

  My mouth went dry. "No, he said the only way was if someone on the council let the hunter in," I said, dizziness washing over me. "Who would do this?"

  Essex and Jackson stared at me looking confused.

  "I can't believe that," Jackson said. "No one on the council would do this."

  "Well, the hunter got in somehow," I said. "But that's not important now. What matters is that demons have died tonight because of me. I won't let Sasha die too."

  I pushed past Essex, headed toward the Grand Hall.

  Jackson reached for me, pulling me back to him. "You can't," he said. "It's too dangerous."

  I gestured to all of the drawings on his wall. "I don't die today," I said. "Not here. Not like this. I'll be okay."

  He shook his head, not loosening his grip on my arm.

  "If you really want to prove that you believe in me and you see my strength, then you'll let me go," I said, standing up straighter. "You'll stand by my side and support me, no matter the danger."

  Jackson let his hand slide down my arm, taking my hand and squeezing it tight.

  "It's the right thing to do," I said. "We can save her."

  He nodded and together we walked toward the marketplace where the hunter was waiting.

  She Comes

  The feel of evil engulfed me the moment I stepped into the marketplace. It oozed throughout the room like the smell of something badly burned. I didn't even have to ask where I could find the thing. A darkness circled the front staircase.

  "Go back to the suite," I told Essex. "You don't need to be here for this. Is Mary Anne there?"

  He nodded. "Yes. She was wanting to come to your aid, but I talked her into staying inside the room for safety."

  "Good," I said. "Go back in there and lock the door. Hide and don't come out until you're sure the hunter is gone."

  "I will do this," he said. "I will keep her safe for you."

  I gave him a sad smile, then turned my attention toward the cries and commotion in the front of the hall. Jackson's hand was still clasped to mine. "Well, it's possible I'm going to get a chance to show you some of what I learned in the training sessions," I said with a nervous laugh.

  He didn't find it funny at all. He kissed my forehead, his lips lingering for a long moment.

  "Come on," I said.

  My first few steps were weak with nerves. Did I really know what I was getting myself into here? I'd never faced a hunter before. How could I be so sure I could handle her? One thing I had on my side was that I knew the hunter hadn't come here to kill me. The Order would never have wanted that. They still had a ritual to complete, and they needed me alive in Peachville to pull that off.

  Still, I wasn't looking forward to whatever pain and torture this hunter would be allowed to dish out.

  I just had to make sure she didn't have a c
hance to capture me.

  I set my jaw and lifted my chin higher in the air. I could do this. I was strong. I was ready.

  Slowly, my steps became more and more confident. By the time we reached the hunter, I had given myself the pep talk of all pep talks, and I was prepared for whatever she was going to throw at me.

  But when we turned the corner and the evil being came into view, I choked back a scream. She was a thing of nightmares. A horror of a human being. While her body took the basic form of a woman, her skin had grown transparent and ghostlike, a grayish green haze surrounding her. Cold radiated from her like a blizzard. She wore a long black gown, the bottom of which rose several feet off the ground. She must have sensed my presence, because her head snapped toward me. Her eyes were completely black, even where the whites of her eyes should have been showing.

  She smiled at me, her lips curling up around rotten, pointed teeth. "She comes."

  The small crowd of demons that had gathered followed her gaze and the tension grew even thicker. I let my eyes pass across the spectators, settling on the worried faces of Andros and his wife. Andros turned, his eyes meeting mine. He took several long strides to reach me.

  "I don't know what happened," he explained, his words directed at Jackson. "One minute we were at the party and the next we heard this awful screaming."

  "Is anyone working to release the soldiers?" Jackson asked. "I heard they were locked inside the training room."

  Andros wrung his hands and nodded. "I have Jericho working on it, but he can't seem to figure out what's holding it closed."

  Jackson looked around as if trying to find a way out of this mess.

  "Where's Sasha?" I asked.

  Andros seemed to really see me for the first time. He studied me, his eyes lingering on my hand entwined with Jackson's. "She's... she's behind that thing," he stuttered.

  "She's going to be okay," I said. I knew it wasn't something I had any right to promise, but somehow I knew it in my heart.

  He studied my face, but didn't seem to believe me. "What are we going to do?"

  Again, he addressed Jackson. Everyone always took me for granted, believing I was powerless and weak. Maybe it was time I showed them a different side to myself.

  I just hoped that in the end I looked brave instead of stupid. Or dead.

  I pulled my hand from Jackson's grip and stepped forward, so close to the hunter I could smell the stench of decay dripping from her every pore.

  "I'm the one you've come for," I said. "Release the girl and I'll offer you a deal."

  The hunter's head fell back and she cackled, high and piercing and so loud the ground beneath me shook. "Who are you to think you can offer me a deal?" she asked. Her voice had a strange echo to it, as if several voices were crammed into her body. "All you have to offer me is your life, and I could take that at any moment without your permission."

  It was my turn to laugh. I was relieved that my voice sounded much more confident than I felt inside. "You may not need my permission, but that doesn't mean you are allowed to kill me," I said. "Let's not lie to each other. We both know who you work for."

  The decaying witch narrowed her black eyes at me and she flew toward me, her face coming so close to mine I almost gagged on the stench. Behind her, I caught a glimpse of the child. She was caught in some type of dark netting. Tears ran down her tiny cheeks. My stomach twisted. I swallowed and pulled my shit together.

  "So what about that deal?" I asked, angry at the small quiver that crept into my tone.

  "You think I cannot sense your fear?" the witch asked.

  Up close, her face was even more terrifying. Holes littered her rotting skin, the greenish smoke moving in and out of them like worms slithering through flesh. It took everything I had to stand my ground.

  "I may fear you, but believe me, if you harm that little girl, you will never see another day in this world."

  The hunter flew back to her place near the girl. "So cute that you have such confidence," she said. "I can't wait to break you down to the lowest, groveling version of yourself."

  Behind me, I heard Jackson step forward. I threw my hand up and shook my head. There was nothing he could do here except get in the way.

  "Let the girl go and you'll have your chance," I said, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

  The hunter studied me, then looked down at the child. "What is it that you're offering to me?"

  I drew in a breath, locking my knees to keep from collapsing. My hands were sweaty and numb, but I kept my chin raised and my eyes open. "A trade," I said. "You let the girl go, and I agree to come with you."

  The crowd around us gasped, whispers rising up. Jackson moved to me, his mouth close to my ear.

  "What are you doing?" he said, his words short and angry. "You can't do this. I won't let you."

  "I know what I'm doing," I said.

  But did I? I was working on pure instinct and adrenaline.

  The hunter laughed again. She crouched low beside Sasha. "You would give your life for this demon?"

  "If that's what it takes," I said. "Let her go and I'll come with you, on one condition."

  "Condition?" The evil witch flew high into the air, her voice low and fearsome. "You dare to place a condition on someone as powerful as me? I could snatch you from this place so fast you would forget your own name."

  I shook my head. "No. If you could do that, you would have already done it," I said. "Your years of life have made you wise, and you know that if you take me, you'll have a serious fight on your hand. The same thing goes for the girl. You kill her or hurt her and the Resistance will never stop until you're dead."

  She was listening now, and I knew I'd hit on the truth, or some version of it.

  "You can't risk a fight right now," I said. "What if I were to die somehow in the crossfire? What would Priestess Winter do to you if you screwed this up?"

  The hunter's rotting jaw tensed, her teeth gnashed together with a gruesome grinding sound.

  "I offer myself up to you willingly," I said, lifting my hands up to show my cooperation. "All you have to do is let the girl go safely. Then, I will agree to a contest. A duel."

  "What kind of duel?" the witch asked.

  I wondered what kind of power the Order had over such a being. When I mentioned Priestess Winter, the rotting hunter had actually winced, fear flashing in her dead eyes.

  "A contest between you and me alone with no interference from any other being in this place," I said. "But since you are not allowed to kill me, and I do not have the strength or power to kill you, we duel until one of us either surrenders or is no longer conscious. If you win, I'll go with you and no one in this place will fight for me. But if I win, you become a prisoner of the Resistance."

  The witch laughed, a low gurgling sound. "The Priestess told me you were a foolish girl," she said. "I could defeat you with a single flick of my finger."

  A cold rope of fear tightened around my throat, making it difficult for me to breathe. I struggled against the paralyzing terror of it.

  "Then do it," I said.

  A Life Stolen

  The crowd in the marketplace stood in stunned silence. I hoped that anyone who ever doubted my hatred of the Order now understood that I was worthy of trust, not suspicion. Surely the Order wouldn't send a hunter to capture one of their own spies.

  I held my breath, waiting for an answer from the hunter.

  Finally, she lowered her sharp nails to the netting that held Sasha in place. With a flick of her wrist, the hunter cut the strips of fabric. The net fell from Sasha's body and the child stood, her eyes wide with fear. Ourelia ran forward with a sob, taking her child into her arms and pulling her away from the hunter. Andros kissed his daughter's head and whispered something to his wife.

  The woman and child pushed through the crowd. Just before they disappeared down one of the side corridors, I saw Sasha reach out toward me, her eyes locked on mine.

  Many in the crowd scattered to the caves, but seve
ral stayed to watch, including Andros.

  I partly watched these events take place, and partly didn't. Even if this witch couldn't kill me right here, right now, I knew this was still a battle for my life. If she took me from the Underground, I would still meet my death in Peachville. For a split second, I wondered what month it was. It rarely snowed in Georgia, but maybe it was a particularly cold winter back home.

  Was that the ending Jackson had seen in his visions? A snowy day in Peachville?

  Only time would tell.

  One thing was certain. I wasn't going to lay down and just let death come to me. Not this time. I would fight until the very moment my spirit left my body.

  "I will make this quick so you won't have to suffer for too long," the witch said with a grinding laugh. "I'll put you out so deep that by the time you wake up, you'll be back at Shadowford and it will all be over."

  I didn't answer her. Instead, I spread my legs and planted my feet firmly against the tile floor. I blocked everyone and everything else from my mind, lifting my palms up toward the sky. I knew I had a very limited amount of time to connect to my power and try to find the same level of strength I had found in training.

  I breathed deeply, the first few nervous breaths coming jagged and uneven but eventually settling into a good rhythm that calmed my heartbeat. I cleared my mind of all worry. I thought only of my mother's favorite flower. A single white rose in the darkness. I poured all of my focus onto that rose, feeling my power center inside of me, its strength growing with each second.

  Before me, the hunter turned in a circle, marking out a makeshift battleground, the boundaries marked by a hazy green line that hovered just above the ground. She crouched low, then began to spin. Slow at first, then speeding up until she'd become a tornado. The demons screamed and covered their faces, the wind pushing them backward. The marketplace shops on this side of the Grand Hall fell over, tents and their contents flying all over the area.

  "There," the witch said as she slowed and finally came to a stop. "That's more like it."