“On Solaris, Grandmother had a constant companion, a large white wolf named Taylon, and he found her again on Earth. He gave his life to help them defeat the leader of the clan, giving them his energy, and his powers to them. Part of that was being able to turn into wolf-like beings with ears, tails, and increased energies.”
“Demons,” Aiden said.
“Exactly. They won, and with the last of the Stone family gone, Solaris and Elagon reformed, but they were, and still are, empty. Grandmother and Grandfather faced a choice, to return to their planets, or to remain here on Earth. Obviously, they stayed. They both had fallen in love with this planet, and they lived out their lives here. Mother made the same choice, and it’s a choice I must make myself.”
***
“You said they lived in similar times…” Aiden immediately brought her back to that.
“Right. Solarians and Elagonians already had extremely long lives, and Taylon’s gift increased that even further. The day we turn eighteen, we actually look like we’re in our early twenties, and we won’t age after that. If we want to look older, we have to make ourselves look a certain age. Our bloodline also runs stronger than most, and that’s why, if you haven’t really been paying attention, Mother and I look like we could be sisters instead of mother and daughter. You should have seen it when my grandmother was alive. We could have passed for triplets. Anyway, in the year 4045, the entire world erupted in nuclear warfare. Anyone who had a nuke fired it at someone. We can turn back time, but only once, so it has to be for something big.
“Grandmother used it and took the Earth back several thousand years, hoping humanity would learn from its mistakes. I remember that time, and it’s scarier than any horror or disaster movie could ever make it seem.” Her voice trailed away, and she couldn’t help the shudder as she remembered the desolate wasteland her beautiful planet had become, because of a few stupid humans in power.
“Have they? Learned anything, I mean?” Aiden asked, realizing her mind had wandered.
“Why do you think there’s so much fuss over global warming? Why they’re so careful with nuclear weapons? Somewhere, somehow, in the collective memory of the earth, and humans, they remember the disaster that happened.”
“What about Angel?”
“It was too late for my grandparents. The effects of the nuclear fallout, and the strain of using that power was just too much for her, and she died. Grandfather died just a few years later. Turning time back, and by that large a span, takes a mind-boggling amount of every. The effort alone can be fatal. Both of my great grandparents had died, so there was no way she could have been reborn.”
“So, even with all of this? You still live normal lives?”
She smiled, but it was a little sad. “Since when is the life of any demon normal? Especially for ones like us?”
“You have a good point,” he said. “I just don’t see how you carry all of that on your shoulders. I guess it’s a good thing you’re so damn powerful.”
Mickala shrugged. “It’s a part of us, Aiden. It’s who we were born to be, whether we’re on this planet, Solaris, or Elagon. Just like having silver hair or green eyes is a part of you.”
***
A little while later, she’d fallen back asleep, and Aiden was deep in thought. I told you, Ian said.
Aiden sighed. There’s just so much to her than I could ever imagine.
You certainly know how to pick them. Only you could find the only demon alien princess in any world in the entire universe and fall in love with her.
They both laughed. What can I say? You know how I love a challenge. You know, I think she might even be more complicated than you, fire-breath.
Well, you’ve certainly got a challenge in her. I just hope you haven’t bitten off more than you can chew. As for her being more complicated than me? You know what? I think you might be right. And have fun with that.
I don’t think I have, though, Ian. I feel like we’re meant for each other, Aiden said, thinking of the click he’d heard when they said they loved each other, and the force of emotions that followed it.
So it would seem. I can feel how calm your spirit is, and I’m glad.
Thank you, Ian, for everything, Aiden said.
After all you’ve done for me? Aiden, this is the least I could do. Aiden heard his sincerity, then pulled out of his head. He eventually fell asleep, still in his demon form. In the office on a pulled-out couch, Travis was tossing and turning.
The next morning, Michelle touched Aiden’s shoulder, and his reaction was instant. He woke immediately, rolling off the bed into a protective crouch, a snarl ripping from his chest through bared teeth. His silver ears lay flat against his skull. Michelle froze, and in less than three seconds, he seemed to realize his mistake. He relaxed almost immediately, apologizing. “No need,” Michelle said, shaking her head. “I shouldn’t have startled you like that.” She eyed him. “You look right like this.”
“Thanks,” he said, then turned to Mickala, who was stretching and yawning now.
“Morning, Mom,” she said, then shook her head. “Oh, yeah, I forgot. You have that volunteer stuff at the humane society, right?”
Michelle nodded. “We’re leaving in about twenty minutes.”
It didn’t take them long to get dressed, and when they got to the massive Miami-Dade Humane Society, they spent most of the morning playing with the dogs and helping take them for walks. It was around two when Michelle said they were getting ready to go, and she asked if they wanted to go to the beach and let loose a little. “That would be great,” Mickala said. “And it’s a weekday, so hopefully the crowds won’t be too bad.”
They left a few minutes later, and when they got back home Michelle told Travis where they were going, then and she asked if he wanted to go, too. He shook his head, telling them to go ahead. They changed into bathing suits, then Michelle and Mickala pulled a pair of cutoff jean shorts over their bikini bottoms. They packed a lunch and some drinks into the cooler, then put that into the back of the Escalade with a couple of chairs and towels.
***
When they got to the beach, it was still a little crowded, but they were able to grab an empty sport. Once they got their chairs and towels situated, the three of them played and swam like little kids. Aiden was speechless at the many faint scars on both of their bodies. Michelle’s were all old and healed. “We’ve not had peaceful lives,” she said. “Travis thinks I had abusive parents and boyfriends.” While Michelle’s were all old, there were several on Mickala that were old as well, but she had a few that looked only a year or so old. Michelle saw him looking at them, a frown on his face. “Mickala’s still a little touchy about those. She’ll explain when she’s ready.” He just nodded his understanding.
After an afternoon of water fights, swimming, and even building impressively detailed sandcastles, Mickala and Aiden went for a sunset walk, hand in hand. The constant breeze mingled their black and blonde hair, the filmy cover up she’d tied around her waist billowing out behind them. Finally, they packed everything up and headed home, exhausted, and Mickala was dreading another dinner like last night.
However, they were all stunned to see Travis setting the table on the back deck. He looked up with a grin. “I was hoping I’d have everything ready by the time you got back.”
It was Mickala’s other favorite, lasagna with pepperoni, salad and garlic bread. Michelle smiled. “You did good, love. Thank you.”
“Did you guys have fun?” he asked, doing everything he could to avoid looking Mickala in the eyes.
The younger wolf demon smiled, bumping his shoulder gently with hers. “It was a blast. Next time, you’re going with us. It’s exactly what the doctor ordered.”
He laughed. “You got a deal.”
She was insanely curious about his sudden one-eighty. I want to ask him about it, but I don’t want to set him off again.
Don’t!! Michelle and Aiden said in unison.
She almost snorted M
ountain Dew out of her nose as she struggled to keep from laughing. Okay, okay. I won’t. Jeez.
They played cards again, music pouring from the speakers. Aiden noticed her fingers unconsciously forming the guitar chords as the music played, and she was singing softly to herself, and he laughed. “You can definitely tell you play. I can’t wait for us to get together, but my guitar’s already in Georgia.”
“Your townhome’s only a few miles from the house, so I don’t see how that should be a problem,” she said with a grin.
Mickala and Aiden were playing as a team, and this time, they beat the mess out of Travis and Michelle four games in a row. Eventually, they gave in, and they started getting ready for bed as Travis took Fate and Destiny out on their usual two-mile-long walk.
Five
Dragons, Demons, and Elves (Oh, My!)
Mickala and Aiden were in their halfway forms, and she had her head in his lap, his fingers absently drawing designs on the skin of her stomach. He had his legs stretched out in front of him, his other hand propped up behind his head. They weren’t talking, but they were both completely at ease, more so than either had been in a long time.
She felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her side, and she let out a low cry, her eyes closing tightly. “Mickala, what’s wrong?” he asked, sitting up, instantly alert.
Before she could reply, there was another pain in her side, this one making her cry out louder. His eyes suddenly riveted on the two crude wooden handled knives embedded in her side. “What in the seven hells?” he demanded. “What-?” Before he could finish, another knife appeared out of nowhere. Blood began seeping from the wounds, and he yelled for Michelle, who came in at a run from the other end of the massive house.
She stopped short, her eyes wide at the sight of the three blades sticking out of her daughter’s side. Mickala was clinging desperately to Aiden’s shirt, her deathly pale face contorted in pain. Michelle got beside her on the bed. “Mickala, it’s me. Can you trace the energy back?”
Mickala opened her eyes, and her sight seemed to have become supersensitive, being able to see the individual paths of the bristles of the paintbrush that had painted her room, and she could see the individual flecks of green that remained in Aiden’s eyes, the glimmers of gold created from the light above as it reflected off his silver hair. The pain she felt seemed to double, then triple as another knife appeared in her side.
She let out a blood-chilling cry that made her wince, and Aiden’s fox ears laid flat against his skill. Mickala’s voice was barely a whisper, her pain-filled eyes locked onto hers. “It’s Valez.”
Michelle’s eyes narrowed dangerously, hissing what could only be swears, but in a language he’d never heard before, and he realized it had to have been Solarian. He looked up at her. “Who’s Valez?”
“A particularly nasty demon who seems to have an uncanny knowledge of Mickala. He’s the reason she’s been dying so young lately. He doesn’t seem like the average traitor hunter, which makes me think someone hired him, supplying him with information. About four hundred and fifty years ago, he appeared out of nowhere, and he’s killed her six times since then,” Michelle said as she pulled the knives out, and a sickening sweet smell filled the air. She swore again, the blood draining from her face. “Kaldiss.”
“What’s Kaldiss?”
“It’s a poison out of the demon world, and it’s worth its weight in gold,” she said.
“Effective?”
“Highly. It’s almost always fatal.”
Aiden called out mentally for Ian. What’s wrong, Aiden?
He gave him a brief explanation of what was going on. We need Nehela.
Is it that bad?
Have you heard of Kaldiss? Aiden asked, and Ian’s dark curse was answer enough, and he said he would get in contact with her.
“Ian’s coming. He’s bringing a healer friend of ours.”
“Who?”
“An elf named Nehela,” Aiden replied.
Michelle’s eyes went wide. “You know Nehela?”
“Yeah, really well. She’s saved both our skins more times than I can count,” Aiden said. “You know her?”
“She’s been a friend of the family for centuries.”
***
Ian appeared for the first time, and unknown to Mickala, he was the shorter black-haired man from her dream. There was a tall, beautiful elf by his side, her long, silvery blonde hair parted by two small, pointed ears, and her dark grey eyes were somber. She gave a low bow to Michelle, who waved her away. “We’ve known each other for far too long for all that.”
“That’s true,” she replied. Her voice was soft and clean. “Ian said there was Kaldiss involved. I can smell it.” The elf knelt next to Mickala, who was in a semi-conscious state. She tried to heal her side, but the blood kept flowing. Nehela shook her head. “I’m sorry, Michelle. The poison won’t allow her blood to clot, and I can’t stem the flow long enough to heal the wounds. Was it Valez again?”
“Unfortunately. It took him a little longer to find her this time, but he did. He has so many knives, he must have the antidote on him,” Michelle said.
Nehela looked at her. “Are you going?”
“Of course.”
Aiden looked at Ian, who nodded. “Don’t waste your time. I’ll shield her.” He appeared in his halfway form, and Michelle raised an eyebrow.
“You’re a dragon?” she asked, and he nodded, the black membrane-thin wings folded tightly against his back, the long black-scaled tail ending in a point and wrapped around his waist. There was a scattering of scales on his back where the wings sprouted and along his forehead. An intricately detailed tattoo of a dragon was on his chest. “That’s extremely rare, even for a demon.”
Before they could say anything else, another blade appeared in Mickala’s side. She sat straight up, her scream freezing their very blood. Aiden and Michelle thanked whatever gods they could think of that Travis wasn’t there. Mickala collapsed back on the bed, her eyes closed, her breathing shallow and irregular, and sudden, severe chills shook her body.
Ian sat on the bed at her head, his eyes closing as a pale blue glow formed around him. A sudden gust of wind seemed to swirl around the room at his very skin seemed to glow. A third eye formed and opened from the center of his forehead, and a beam of light shot out from it, surrounding Mickala and forming a shield around her. The black and blue dragon tattoo which circled his waist, going around his back and up over his shoulder, its head on his chest, seemed to shift and move, and the eyes of the dragon glowed with a dark blue light.
Michelle closed her eyes, and her own demon from was almost identical to Mickala’s, except there were faint white and grey tips to her ears and tail, her hair was a little shorter, and she only had one pair of silver hoops in her ears. She and Aiden vanished, traveling between the two realms. We have to be careful. Valez’s powers are strange, even for a demon.
How so?
He can shift his vital organs around at will. It’s why he’s been so hard to kill. We never know exactly where his brain or his heart are. She could feel Aiden’s disgust. My thoughts exactly.
***
Sudden sunlight shone through their eyelids, and they opened them to see the two suns blazing high overhead, signaling their return to the demon world. An ugly, grey-skinned demon with fangs, three horns over three eyes and patchy white hair was standing in front of them, a smirk on his hideously formed head. “Welcome home, Michelle and Aiden.”
“We’re not here for small talk, Valez,” Michelle said, her mouth curling in a sneer. “Where’s the antidote at?”
“What antidote?”
Aiden uttered a low growl, his amber eyes narrowed. “Where is it?”
Valez’s beady black eyes widened. “Oh, you must mean this?” He held out his hand, a tiny vial of thick, sticky looking liquid sitting in his palm. “Or, did you mean this?” In his other hand, he held another knife, and they could see the dark red coating of Kaldiss on the blade.
Aiden crouched low to the ground, his fingers curling into claws. “If you give us the vial, I’ll make sure your death will be swift. If not, it will be a mercy.”
Valez laughed. “Are you really that big of a fool, Aiden Miller? You threaten me while I quite literally have the girl’s life in my hand? Thank you for making my choice simple.”
The knife disappeared. Ian, now!!!
I’m on it. Ian intensified the shield around Mickala just as the blade appeared over her heart. The knife halted, quivering the midair, and Ian could feel the pressure forming over his own heart as it struggled to break through. Moving as if with an invisible hand, it began working across the shield, looking for a weak spot. On his own skin, Ian felt the prickling, stinging pressure of the knife as it moved.
In the demon realm, Michelle and Aiden were in the middle of a fierce battle. Aiden swiped his claws across all three of Valez’s eyes, blinding him. The demon swung his massive arms wildly, and one caught the fox demon across the chest. Aiden flew back and slammed into a massive boulder, turning it into gravel that rained down on him. He was back on his feet in an instant.
The knife paused over Mickala’s ribcage, then plunged through with immense force. Her back arched so sharply off the bed, only her heels and shoulders remained on the bed. She fell back, roused slightly from unconsciousness, and she began whimpering and calling for Aiden. Aiden, I’m sorry. The knife got through. I’m sorry, Aiden, Ian said with a low groan, his hand over his own mid-section, his eyes closed against the searing pain.
Aiden swore silently. Okay. How are you? He knew whenever Ian’s shielding was penetrated, he felt the pain himself.
I’ll be okay. It just hurts like hell. But she’s kind of awake and calling for you.
I can’t leave Michelle. Valez is too dangerous.
I’m coming there, Ian said. I might be able to do something worth a damn there.
As soon as Ian appeared, Aiden went back to Mickala, taking her hand. Her entire body was on fire, and he could smell the poison as it flowed through her blood. His talking to her seemed to help, and Nehela kept checking, remaining calm on the outside, but he knew the elf well enough to know it worried her. Mickala’s skin continued to grow hotter with every minute that went by, and her breathing had taken on a loud, deep rattle which scared elf and demon badly. Every breath was a loud gasp, and each gasp was slowly but surely becoming weaker.
Releasing the Demons: Solarian Chronicles II Page 4