In some ways, I latched onto him because he drew some of the attention off me. The Celestines were a very ancient line of witches. It’s rumored the first high priestess was a member of the Celestine line. With him around, I felt much less pressure and in him, I had someone who understood what it was like to constantly feel the pressure to be perfect.
We both studied twice as hard as others because we had to. Our parents were excited we had found each other. Two of the highest bloodlines together even at a young age. It’s like the fates willed it. Everyone expected great things from us. That meant mastering spells far beyond our years, and training with the best tutors our parents could afford.
That’s probably why Ilan hates me, as the oldest and the firstborn, he was a bit of a disappointment magically. Not nearly as powerful as everyone expected a child of Noema and Peter to be. Then, Jared came along, and he’s one of the most powerful beings to exist, a perfect level ten on the magical rating scale, but no offensive or defensive magic. Jared’s skill lies in creation magic, which I personally find fascinating and admirable, but others think it’s a waste. Of course, they’re small-minded. If they knew what Jared could actually do, they’d be praising him instead of making him feel like his talents are not enough. We would be lost without the RID, something the higher-ups seem to forget. Witches need the spells to protect ourselves and the RID are the ones who create them. It’s a symbiotic relationship.
When I came along there was a bit of apprehension. Teachers throwing spells and charms at me to see what I could do. No one was willing to wait until I was officially tested, but when the day finally came, everyone was thoroughly impressed. Even myself.
Jayden and I had done something that was considered practically impossible. We both tested above level nine on the Magical Potential Meter. I was a 9.4 and Jayden a 9.5. Even though it looks like a very small difference, it’s actually massive. It means the difference between being able to control electrokinesis versus just being able to have the ability to perform it. It’s something very few of us can do. In a way, I coveted that extra tenth of a point. Jayden never let it bother him.
Jayden wasn’t as dedicated to the craft as I was. He didn’t have the passion for it. Sometimes I felt like his mother or teacher, pushing for him to study more. Now I feel like shit, I should have enjoyed my time with him. We could have done things that people our age do. Go to movies, take a vacation, go out to eat, even go to a college party. All he wanted tonight was to stay at home and makeout, and I made him go demon hunting. I killed Jayden and then brought back this thing.
Going after a demon, any demon, was foolish. I knew deep down I had no business trying to capture the shax demon, but I thought that Jayden and I could do it. It should have been easy. We could have started classes having already captured a demon. It would put us at a huge advantage. We both had so much to prove, and all I could think about was showing them we had the skills. The internship would have been ours and I could finally relax. It was going to be our time. And now we have nothing.
“Kia, we’re going to need to do something with Jayden,” my father says interrupting my thoughts.
“What do you mean? You want me to kill him again?”
“No, sweetheart. We’re going to have to lock him up in the ADA cells.” His gaze is soft and loving. This is hard for him too. Jayden had become a son to him.
“What? Why? We can’t do that.” I’m shocked by the notion. I look out the window at the huge building and try to imagine what it’s like to be a prisoner here. The cells at the ADA are notorious for being the most horrible place you could be put. I’ve never seen it myself, but I’ve heard the stories.
“He tried to kill Ilan just for coming near you, he’s not safe. We don’t know what your powers can do, and if he begins to disobey your commands it could be so much worse.”
“Ilan was threatening me, and he was protecting me. I didn’t ask him to do it. It’s what he would have done if he was … alive,” I say choking on the last words.
“I know, but this isn’t the same. We can’t trust him, even if Ilan deserved it,” my father says wryly. He gives me a small smile. It’s meant to make me feel better, but I feel nothing instead.
“What’s happening, what is wrong with me?” I cry out. For the third time, I begin to cry. I can’t control all the emotions jumping around inside of me. It’s like I’m a different person now that Jayden is gone.
“Your necromancer magic has awoken and we need to find out if it’s going to stay. We still have so much to talk about it, but right now I need you to tell Jayden to come with us without fighting,” he tells me. He grabs my hand and a growl sounds from the back. I close my eyes and blink back tears that have formed.
Turning in my seat I look into Not Jayden’s face. “You have to follow my Dad and listen to everything that he says. Don’t hurt anyone. Not even that asshole Ilan, got it?” The words of the weird language flow out of me, and my father looks at me with concern. I wonder if he can understand me.
Not Jayden’s eyes snap to mine and understanding replaces the blank stare. He gets out of the car and waits for my Dad to do the same. I get out and look around. There aren’t many cars parked, but the building is still alight with activity. There are round the clock shifts at the ADA for the departments that handle protection and criminal activity. Classes are taught during the day, but at night this becomes the hub for all of the agents out in the field.
The doors open up as my father takes the final step onto the landing. Two EOO agents greet him, give me a nod, and then stare slack-jawed at Not Jayden. They take a step back, looking at me in total disgust. I want to withdraw into myself and weep. Seeing their reaction solidifies the horrific feeling already permeating through me. What I did was so much worse than I originally thought.
We descend the stairs housed behind two steel doors. The rooms are colder down here, more empty. Walking past more security at the end of the hall they have the same reaction as the guards at the door. Come tomorrow, I’m going to be the girl who creates zombies. They won’t even remember all my other achievements.
By the time we get to the actual prison, I am feeling so low, I can barely remember how to walk. I want to wake up from this nightmare. I feel grief wrapping around me like a veil of death. Jayden is gone, I may be a necromancer, and Not Jayden is my personal puppet. This is all so messed up.
“What are you doing down here, Stephens?” The voice sounds harsh and almost condescending. I’ve never heard anyone speak to my father like that. He’s always been the top dog, well respected, and the authority. But the way this man speaks, you’d think my father was the janitor.
“Cruce. Always a pleasure to see the Prince of the Unseelie,” my father replies in a tone just as icy as the one that was delivered to him. A man with hair so dark it blends into the very shadows he emerges from glares at my father with no hint of fear. There is bad blood here, and for a long time they face each other eye to eye as something unspoken passes between them. My eyes jump from one to the other, in awe of the power they are both displaying. I have never seen my father show his power in such an obvious display, and my skin breaks out in goosebumps as their dueling magic washes over me.
“Um, Dad? Don’t you think we should get going?” I ask, looking behind me at Not Jayden. A rush of guilt rushes into me and I bite my lip in worry. I can’t keep looking at him like this.
“Dad? Your daughter is in the cells this late, there must be a good …” The Prince’s voice trails off as he sees Not Jayden. Confusion, comprehension, and then hate. I watch all three transform his impossibly beautiful face. I didn’t know a man that gorgeous could look ugly, but when his face twists in disgust as he realizes what Jayden is, I see it for just a second. It quickly morphs into interest — in me. Ignoring my father he takes a step toward me. I take a step back, and Not Jayden growls behind me.
“How long have you known? Why wasn’t I called in on this?” he demands, violet eyes glowing with power.
>
“It happened three hours ago. You weren’t my first thought, you weren’t even my last.” The anger in dad’s voice makes me move further back into Not Jayden. My body is still drawn to his, looking for comfort where it knows it the best.
“I should have been your first call, and you know it, that thing is under my jurisdiction. Banish him and be done with it. We can’t have a Dead Soul walking around New Orleans.”
“She’s not ready. This all happened so quickly. It’s her boyfriend. Steps need to be taken first.”
“It’s no longer anything. It has no soul left and all there is coursing through its body is magic — dark black magic.” His violet eyes lock with mine as he says these words, looking both amused and some other emotion I can’t place, but it makes me uneasy.
I shiver, and I swear I see him smile at my reaction. Up until now, I didn’t connect this to dark magic. I’m a good witch. I follow all the rules and behave. Never dabble on the dark side, never stray.
“She doesn’t know that!” my father roars in the Prince’s face.
“You weren’t around when Evalen’s power consumed her! This isn’t a joke, Pierre. She needs to be properly trained and the Dead Soul dealt with. Sooner rather than later.”
“Hold up! I’m right here, listening to the two of you argue over my future. Over something that has happened to me. I don’t know what’s really going on. All I know is a shax demon killed my boyfriend and by some magical force, I had no idea was in me, I was able to bring him back. Now you’re telling me it’s dark black magic? What about the test, Dad? Weren’t you unsure if it was true?”
“You told her there was a test? For what? To tell her how shitty her life is going to be now. How half of the population of the witches will shun her because they don’t know what her power can really do? How you can no longer protect her? Or how much it’s going to take my team to train her? You’re fucking impossible, Pierre!”
“There is no test girlie, you’re mine now, and I look forward to having the illustrious Kia Etienne in the much-hated Demon Division.”
He pushes past my father and stomps up the stairs. His angry words still scorching my skin. Everything I’ve ever worked for is gone in a single night because of my stupidity. Jayden was killed because I had to be the impulsive one.
“Dad, what is he talking about? Why did he call me Kia Etienne and who is Evalen?” My questions come out small and shaky like a child who is lost in the dark. My heart is breaking and the torture I feel inside is just beginning. I fear it’s about to get extremely worse.
“Etienne is the name of our familial bloodline. When your great-grandmother, Evalen settled in America, she changed her name. Etienne is the French word for Stephens.”
“What in the holy …” I can’t even finish the sentence. I’ve been in the dark about so much.
“It’s a lot, Kia. It’s not going to be easy to hear it all. I didn’t want you to find out like this, but Nox has never had a sensitive bone in his body.” He’s weary and defeated, emotions I’m sure he’s seeing in me.
“Can we just put Not Jayden in the cell? I want to go home.” There’s no point in staying inside this depressing place.
He pulls me in for a quick hug and then walks us down a dark hallway filled with doors on either side. There is a small window on each door, and as I pass I see the creatures within. Some I know and others I never want to. The last door on the right is vacant. My father pulls keys from his belt and opens the door. Dampness and mustiness fill my nose as I look around at the accommodations. A cot is situated in the corner of the room. There’s nothing else in here, except for a square window the size of an index card. It’s depressing and horrible. My heart is breaking, thinking of Jayden being put in this cell.
“Not Jayden, go in the cell and behave. Do not hurt anyone who comes in. That includes trying to eat them.” I sigh, in the foreign tongue. I have to find out how I know this language. “Goddess, I can’t believe this is actually my life.” Not Jayden walks past me and enters the cell. He stands in the middle of it staring into nothingness, looking like the shell of himself.
“Tell him to sit down. Even though it doesn’t matter, it might make the guards feel more comfortable,” my father suggests. Glancing at him for a second, I give the command. Not Jayden complies.
Shuffling back from the door, my father closes it and mutters an incantation to secure it. We walk back the way we came, but this time the hall isn’t empty. The Unseelie Prince is accompanied by three others. My father’s jaw ticks and he sticks his hand out to shield me from the newcomers.
“What are you doing?” he growls. His stance widens and a bit of power surges out of him changing the air around us. Making it thick and almost pliable. I ready my own magic in case this goes south. I may not be a graduate of the ADA, but that doesn’t mean I am defenseless.
“Calm down, old man. We aren’t here to fight. If we wanted to do that you’d be dead already,” the Prince says. He looks over my father’s shoulder at me and gives me a smirk. “Come out, little one. Let’s get a good look at you.”
“Little one? I don’t think so,” I snort, stepping around my father. I square my shoulders and assess the other men. They’re all eluding power like the Prince, but there is something menacing in their stances. I wouldn’t want to meet them in a dark alley.
“Mouth on this one. What say you, Cash? She good enough for the team?” One of the guys says. He’s taller than the others with hair the color of flames and eyes so dark they look close to Not Jayden’s. I take a step back and watch his gaze flow over me.
“She’ll do, Fin. I can feel her power from here. It’s brand new and wanting to play with mine. Feel it, darlin’?” His voice comes out like syrup coating me and making a chill run down my spine. Never before have I ever reacted to someone like this, even Jayden. I instantly hate myself for it.
“Quit it, Cambion. Leave my daughter alone. In fact, get out of our way before we test who’s the strongest of us.” My dad is pissed. A cambion is the offspring of an incubus or succubus and a human. Their magic is based on sexual desire and they feed off it. That has to be what set off my reaction. At least that’s what I am telling myself. But my magic, that new evil dark black magic that is in me still wants to play, and it doesn’t care that I’m heartbroken.
Traitorous black magic, I mumble to myself.
My father’s power crackles through the room, electric sparks flowing from his hands. I know if I look into his eyes, there would be a storm. My father is strong, so powerful that the prince grits his teeth and moves back a step.
“Don’t worry, General. We’ll get out of your way. We were just anxious to meet the Necromancer. The sooner she gets acclimated to the team the sooner her powers can be managed.” This comes from the other man standing next to the prince. His tawny skin and onyx hair match his umber colored eyes. He looks like he doesn’t belong, his aura is almost peaceful, but then thunder sounds and his eyes flash silver like lightning, a Thunderbird.
“We don’t know yet what Kia is. She could have been using her powers out of grief. It doesn’t mean she’ll be on your team,” my father spits, but I hear it — the worry in his voice. He doesn’t believe what he’s saying.
“Sure, whatever you say, General. But know when it’s time, I’ll be there to collect your Kia. She’s stronger than you can manage and her power isn’t something the world needs to see unleashed,” says the Prince. The Prince winks at me, he’s enjoying this, and I want to smack him. My face must tell him as much because he laughs at me, his violet eyes alight with amusement.
“Oh my, the spunk of this one, Pierre. How delightful. I thought for sure she was going to be boring and end up killing herself during training, but perhaps there’s a chance she’ll survive after all.”
“Enough Nox,” my father snaps, his power flinging out towards all four corners and slamming everyone back. He grabs my hand and pulls me from the room leaving me no choice but to follow. I tell myself no
t to look back, but I can’t help myself.
That’s the Demon Division. I knew what the Demon Division was, we all did, but no one knew who they were. They were kept down in the bowels of the ADA. I had assumed so, because they were demons themselves — too difficult to look it, too ugly or horrific.
If I have to be surrounded by them all the time, I don’t think I can make it. They are just all so … consuming.
Chapter Five
The drive home is quiet. Both my father and I trying to make sense of what has happened. The Prince says there is no test that my dad is lying, but why would he do that? The Prince seems quite certain that I’m going to be joining the DD with all of those men — those very powerful, very consuming men. I try to remember what each of them is so I can do some research. Books are safe, I can get lost in the pages for a few hours and not have to think about all this.
Cambion, Unseelie Prince, and Thunderbird. The last man, the one with hair the color of fire on a midnight beach didn’t show his power. It will be impossible for me to know unless we meet again, something I’m not too keen on.
I shiver thinking about the way their eyes roamed over me, and how small I felt. I have never once considered myself to be weak, but the power that rolls off of those men, it made me wonder why we kept the Demon Division in the basement. It was clear that they have more power than the EOO. I wonder if that’s part of the reason why Cruce and my father have so much animosity. I shake my head, clearing it of the images of the men who might soon be my teammates. I will learn all I can about them, especially the Unseelie Prince with the amethyst eyes, and the next time we meet they won’t catch me unawares.
When we get home my mother is waiting for me, and her arms open before I even have the car door shut. I run to her and she embraces me so hard I feel like she’s going to crush my bones. Her love pours into me, and I feel myself beginning to fray at the seams, but I rein in it. I can’t break down again. I have to find out the truth first.
Draiochta Academy: All Genres Academy Anthology Page 34