Releasing the Demons: Solarian Chronicles II

by Mallory Anderson

  “Shh,” she said gently. “Aiden knew, Ian. He loved you the same way.” Slowly, Ian began getting himself together, and she finally let him go. She sighed, looking at the others. “We have to call his mother.”

  “What are we going to tell her?” EJ asked, keeping himself in check, his hands into fists so tight, he felt blood welling from cuts in his palms from his nails.

  “I, I don’t know,” Nehela replied, shaking her head, her bottom lip in between her teeth. “I guess I’ll call Michelle first, and she might be able to tell us.”

  She picked up the phone and dialed Michelle and Travis’ number in Miami. Michelle answered it on the first ring, and her voice was frantic. “Mickala? What the hell is going on up there? There were all kinds of powers exploding, then nothing. I’ve been trying to contact you, but-”

  “Michelle?” Nehela said.

  All questions ceased immediately. “Nehela? What’s going on?”

  “Trey attacked her and Aiden while they were out with the Dellings.”

  Michelle gasped softly. “She’s not…”

  “No, not her,” Nehela replied.

  Michelle was silent for a minute, then began swearing in Solarian. “No. Not Aiden.”

  “Yes, your Majesty. We aren’t really sure what exactly happened, but we think during the fight, her ankle broke again, then Trey attacked her, but Aiden put himself in between her and the attack.”

  “How’s Mickala?” Michelle asked.

  “Not…well. I’ve already healed her ankle, but mentally, I’m not sure. She refused to believe he’s gone. She wanted me to heal him, and her face, it was so empty. I thought she went blank after Selene’s murder, but this, this surpassed it. It’s like, the lights are on, but no one’s home. I put her to sleep for a little while.”

  “Good. Travis and I will be there when you wake her up. Have you called Alex yet?”

  “Not yet. I, I don’t know what to say, Michelle,” Nehela said, feeling her own sorrow trying to surface.

  “I’ll handle that. Trey’s a fire demon. Was he burned?”

  “Bad,” she replied, closing her eyes tightly, but there wasn’t anything she could do about the image she saw behind her eyelids.

  Michelle gave her a number. “That’s the police chief in Milton. I put him there myself, back when Victor and Mickala first came back from England, and he’s Solarian. When he answers the phone, tell him in Solarian that ‘the prince has fallen into flames’. He’ll set everything up as a horrible car accident. Where’s his body?”

  “Here,” she replied.

  “Tell him that so he can get the body, and he’ll handle everything else.”

  “I’ll call him as soon as I get off the phone with you.” Michelle told her they’d be there later that night, then they hung up. As soon as she got a dial tone, she dialed the number Michelle had given her.

  “Chief O’Shea,” a serious voice answered on the second ring, and Nehela repeated her message. The chief gave a low swear. “Where is he?” Nehela gave him the address. “We’re on our way.”

  * * *

  Nehela hung up the phone, and she sat down with a sigh, finally allowing herself to grieve some for losing her friend. She felt an abnormally warm hand take hers, and she looked up to see Ian kneeling in front of her. “I’m so sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “I was so wrapped up in my own grief, I didn’t even stop to think about you.”

  She gave a sad smile, touching his cheek gently. “I’ll be okay. Right now, I’m worried about Mickala and her mental state. I’ve already healed her ankle, but I don’t know about her mind. She’s waited three thousand years for Aiden, Ian, and it’s so soon after Selene’s dying. I, I just don’t know how well she’s going to handle this.”

  A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Nehela opened it to see the police chief and several men, all of them with blue stars on their uniforms. “Thank you for coming so quickly,” she said.

  He nodded, taking off his hat as he came in. “I’m so sorry for your loss. How is the princess handling it?”

  “I don’t think it’s going to be too well. I had to send her to sleep for a little while.” She explained what they thought had happened and what they’d seen.

  The chief shook his head as his men followed EJ and Ian through the living room with a stretcher. “Our people were so excited. We would’ve had a true king again, and on top of the little princess being murdered.”

  “If what we think is true, it’s the same one,” Nehela said.

  “He’s not human, Solarian or Elagonian?” he asked.

  “No, sir. He’s a demon.”

  Chief O’Shea swore. “He must be powerful indeed.” A few minutes later, the men came back through, Aiden’s body mercifully covered. He stayed for a few more minutes. “Has his mother been notified yet?”

  “The Queen should be doing that now. I wasn’t sure what the official story would be. She’ll be here tonight,” Nehela said, unable to keep her eyes off the stretcher as they loaded it into the back of an ambulance. He asked if she would have Michelle call him when she arrived. “Of course.”

  Ian was at her side, his hand tight around hers as the chief replaced his hat, then tipped it to Nehela before bowing to Ian. “My condolences on your loss, your Highness.” Ian nodded, still unused to his title, but as Ari’s only surviving heir, one he had no choice but to accept.

  Ian made the next call, and it was to his grandfather. At first, Ari was excited to hear from him, but it quickly turned to horror as Ian explained what had happened. “My Gods. How are you?”

  “I think I’m still in shock, Grandfather,” Ian said. “Part of it has sunk in, but I don’t know if it’s all in my head yet.”

  “What about Mickala?”

  “Nehela had to put her to sleep. She was in deep denial.”

  “I’m on my way. I don’t know if I’ll be able to help any, but I can try,” Ari said.

  “Good. Michelle and Travis are flying in, too, with Aiden’s mother. I’ll see you in a few hours,” Ian said, then they hung up.

  Michelle, Travis and Alex got there about three hours later, and Aiden’s mother’s eyes were red, and she still seemed in disbelief. She looked around after Ian brought her a cup of coffee. “Where’s Mickala?”

  “We had to kind of sedate her,” Nehela said. “I thought she was going to lose her mind. She wasn’t willing to believe he’s gone, and I didn’t want her to hurt herself. How are you?”

  “I don’t really know,” she said, staring down into her coffee. “I almost feel like how you just described Mickala. My brain doesn’t want me to believe he’s really gone, like at any second, he’s just going to walk through that door. As much as I hurt, and I can’t imagine what Mickala’s going through, not this soon after Selene dying so suddenly.”

  Thirty Three

  Sorrows of the Soul

  About an hour later, Nehela and Michelle went into Mickala’s room, and the elf reached into her mind, gently waking her up. The wolf demon gave a low moan, and her eyes fluttered open. She sat up, looking around in confusion. She seemed to zero in on Michelle. “Momma?” she asked quietly. ‘What are you doing here? How’d I get here?”

  “What do you remember, love?” Nehela asked, sitting beside her and taking her hands.

  She frowned, thinking. “Aiden and I were riding, and I felt someone there. The Dellings, they were acting skittish. The air seemed to heat up around us, and fire came from the sky. I dodged it, and I felt it again, but this time, it was around Aiden, so I pushed Adelaide into Titus. Trey…it was Trey. We got off the Dellings, and we started fighting. The Dellings, they ran for the house to get you guys. Aiden and I, we were winning, but my ankle gave out when I slipped in the leaves, and I went down.

  “Trey, he was getting ready to call down more flames, but I couldn’t move. Aiden, he came and pushed me out of the way…” she trailed off and looked up at Nehela, her eyes pleading. “He’s okay, right?” Nehela opened
her mouth, but Mickala shook her head. “No. I remember now. He was burned so badly, his body was so still. My mind, it couldn’t handle it. I wouldn’t let myself believe he was really dead.” Mickala shook her head again. “It’s still not wanting to accept the fact he’s gone. Where is he?”

  “The police came and picked up his body. They’re going to make it seem like he was in an accident.”

  Mickala’s head dropped into her hands. “God, Ian. Where is he? I was so rude to him.”

  Nehela shook her head. “He understands it wasn’t really you, that you weren’t thinking clearly.”

  * * *

  Mickala buried her face in her hands, but the tears wouldn’t come. The pain was too great, and she could literally feel her heart breaking into tiny pieces inside her chest. “Alex, she’s in the living room, isn’t she? I can smell her. How can I face her? I promised I would make sure he was okay.”

  “It’s okay, Mika. She’s worried about you right now. Do you feel up to it?” Michelle asked, a hand on her shoulder.

  “I have to, Mickala sighed, slowly getting to her feet. “I owe her that much at least.”

  “You’ll be okay?”

  “Long enough to get dressed. Just, give me a few minutes?” she asked.

  “Of course. If you need us, call,” Nehela said, and they went back into the living room. “She’s coming,” she said. “I think she’s finally accepted the truth.”

  Ian? Mickala asked, her mental voice full of hesitation.

  Mickala? Are you okay?

  Don’t ask. I just, I wanted to apologize. You were just trying to help earlier, and I almost attacked you. I’m so, so sorry.

  You have nothing to apologize for, Mickala. You were in shock, and I got too close, too fast.

  How are you doing? she asked, pulling on clothes without really paying attention.

  He laughed, but it was heavy with sadness. Don’t ask.

  She came out a few minutes later, and Alex stopped her from trying to apologize by hugging her tightly. “I’m so sorry, Mickala.”

  “For what? I’m the one who should apologize to you. I promised to take care of him, and I broke that promise.”

  Alex took her daughter-in-law’s face in her hands. “You made my son happy. I’ve never seen him as happy as he was with you. I can never thank you enough for that, and you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.” Alex hugged her again, then kissed her cheek. “I don’t suppose you’ve made any arrangements yet?”

  Mickala shook her head. “I’m afraid I wasn’t in the right state of mind before now.”

  “I understand. If you need or want my help for anything, please, let me know. I’m right here for you.”

  Alex went to the room she was usually in when she was at the house, and Mickala sat on the edge of the couch, a cup of coffee forgotten in her hands, except for the warmth on her fingers. It did nothing, however, for the icy core in the middle of her chest. Ian had started a fire in the fireplace, and she stared deep into the flames, unaware of the others surrounding her.

  * * *

  She jumped slightly when Chad touched her shoulder, and when she looked up, he shuddered at the dead look returning to her face. The normal Mickala had surfaced long enough to talk normally to Alex, but that woman was quickly drowning again. It had taken all her energy to act normal, and she had no idea how in the world she was going to make it over the next several days, much less the rest of her long, long life. It took her several seconds for her to realize he was talking to her. “What were you saying?” she asked.

  “Philip and I are headed home, unless you want us to stay?” he asked, hoping she would, that she would show some interest in something.

  He was disappointed, however, when she shook her head. “It’s probably better if you go. I’m, I’m not going to be myself for a long while.”

  “We understand, Mickala.” He sighed. “Just know we love you. Don’t forget that.”

  She attempted a smile, but it fell flat quickly. “I know. It’s the only reason I’m still here.”

  “Don’t say that, Mickala,” he said severely, but she just shrugged and looked back into the fire.

  It was almost two in the morning when Ari arrived, and Michelle opened the door. He hugged her, then said he wanted to see Mickala. “She’s in the living room. They said she was disoriented at first, but when Nehela woke her up, she seemed better, and she sounded completely normal when talking to Alex, but now? She’s drifting away again, like she’s disconnecting herself from reality.”

  “It’s a defensive mechanism,” Ari sighed. “The pain is too much for her to think about, to handle. She feels if she stays conscious, so to speak, she’ll explode. The way she feels about Aiden, she probably would, especially so soon after losing Selene to the same demon”

  He looked in the living room, and she was still staring into the fire. Ari went to sit beside her, but she didn’t even look up until he spoke, and he saw Michelle had been right. There was no connection to anything right now. He took her hand, but it stayed limp in his. “Mickala, I know how you feel. My family was taken from me, too. For centuries, I thought I was alone, except for you and Michelle. I hurt for decades. I know it hurts now, and you feel like you have absolutely nothing left to live for, but I promise, it will get better. Eventually. Just don’t forget to live for those you do still have; your mother, your friends, me. Especially for yourself. You’re not alone in this, no matter how alone you feel.”

  Mickala didn’t answer, and there wasn’t a change in her facial expression. She just turned back to look in the fire. Ari sighed and stood. He was fixing to leave when he heard a soft voice behind him. “How long?”

  * * *

  “How long for what?” he asked, turning back around.

  “How long did it take for you to stop wishing the ground would open up under you and swallow you whole? How long did it take until the pain that made ever second of every hour of every day feel like an immortal hell faded so that life itself was something which seemed it was supposed to be enjoyed, something you actually wanted to continue?”

  “I’m not going to lie to you, dear. It took a long time, and some days? I still wish that hole would open. Having you and Ian back in my life has really helped with that, though.”

  She attempted to smile, but much like before, it didn’t work. “Thank you for your honesty, Uncle Ari.”

  “Anytime. There are many people in this world who love you, and I know there’s many people you love. Don’t forget that in a moment of weakness,” he whispered.

  He left a little later, and Mickala went back to her listless daze. The sun was just coming up when she stirred, and she looked at Michelle. “I have to get out for a while. I feel like if I stay here, I’m truly going to go crazy,” she said.

  “Go. Alex and I can start making the arrangements for you,” she said with a nod and taking her cup.

  “Thank you.” She darted out the back door, then closed her eyes, and the surrounding air seemed to shimmer. A few seconds later, where she had been standing, there was an enormous black wolf with eyes the color of honey. The giant wolf stretched her long legs out, then shook out her thick black coat before taking off through the field and disappearing into the trees.

  She relished the feel of the damp earth beneath her paws, the way her nails dug deep into the earth, propelling her faster and faster through the trees, the wind rushing through her dense fur. Her nose caught every scent in the air, instantly sorting it out. She ran as if the devil himself were chasing after her. There was a large tree laying on its side in front of her, and instinctively, she felt her muscles gather and she leaped, easily clearing the massive trunk.

  At the top of a large hill, there was a large clearing with a single tall tree with a large boulder under it. Without slowing down, she turned into her halfway form and jumped up into the branches and began pulling herself up to the very top before she finally stopped, her chest heaving as she sucked in the fresh air. Deep in the
forest, she could still see the faint tendrils of grey smoke rising above the trees below her. Her eyes were riveted on that spot, and she suddenly felt short of breath, her heart thudding painfully in her chest.

  She knew she was on the verge of having a panic attack, and she closed her eyes, struggling to calm herself down. It took several minutes, but she got herself pulled together, and she jumped down from the tree and returned to her wolf form. She began running through the forest and down the far side of the hill.

  After several minutes, she came to the clearing Trey had attacked her and Aiden in, and she shrank back at the smoke which still permeated the air, the stinging smell of burnt flesh and death. Putting her nose to the ground, she found the spot Aiden had fallen, and she threw her head back and howled mournfully. The sound echoed through the forest and across the fields. At the house, Ash and Kira were outside, and their heads went back, their howls joining their alpha’s. Michelle went to the door, the wolf inside her knowing exactly who the howl belonged to, and her heart ached for the pain her daughter was feeling.

  Ian lay awake, and the hair on his arms rose from Mickala’s sorrowful sounds. It was as if the pain he was feeling in his heart, everything he’d been unable to put into words, had been converted into sound waves. Nehela lay asleep beside him, her pillow damp from tears. His own tears fell as Mickala’s mournful howl fell, then rose and fell again, echoing deep into his heart and soul.

  * * *

  It was almost ten in the morning when Mickala came back through the door. Alex and Michelle were sitting at the table with coffee, and wordlessly, Michelle handed her a mug. “Thank you,” she said.

  “I thought you would need it,” Michelle replied. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t really know yet,” she admitted. “I still feel as if my heart is breaking into smaller and smaller pieces. I’m still not sure if I’m thinking clearly yet, like I’m still lost in a fog. I understand now why you put me up for adoption after my father died, if you felt anything like this,” she said.