Realm Walker rw-1

by Kathleen Collins

  His mouth drawn in a tight line, deep furrows of worry creased his brow. “The first is that it completes the task for which it was summoned.”

  “Yeah, I’m not okay with that. What’s option two?” she asked.

  “If we knew the spell that summoned it, we may be able to discover the unbinding spell to release it from the summoning. There are hundreds of spells that could have been used.”

  Her mouth curled into a satisfied smile. For once, something was going her way. “I not only know the spell. I have the whole book.”

  She dialed James’s direct number at the Apocryphan.

  “I need your help,” she said when he answered.

  “What’s going on?”

  “We found the demon, but we need the spell that summoned it. Can you send the book through a portal?”

  “No. If you’re going to work with that book, you’re going to need my help.”

  She glanced at her dad and Thomas who was still frozen. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “That’s the only way you’re getting the book without filling out the forms.”

  Curse it. That would take days. “All right. But just you. No one else. Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll send you a portal.” She snapped the phone shut.

  Of course, he had his own portal mages, but they wouldn’t be able to open one in the Agency without authorization. Since her father was already in the building, he didn’t have that problem. That and the fact he’s a god.

  Fifteen minutes later, the phone rang. “Where are you at?”

  “My office. I can be out front in five minutes.”

  “Not necessary. Is Sara there?” She didn’t want her getting a glimpse of what was going on down here. She could be pissed at Juliana later for keeping her out of the way, but she wasn’t going to risk her getting hurt. Because if she knew her brother was demon-ridden, she would get involved whether anyone liked it or not.

  “Not at the moment, but you can’t open a portal in the Apocryphan. No one can,” he answered.

  Juliana nodded to her father and he waved his hand through the air. A portal opened just down the hall from them. James stepped through and it snapped shut behind him. He clutched the book to his chest as his eyes darted between them.

  “James, this is my father Aeron Rowantree. Dad, this is James.”

  James turned his gaze on her. “How did you do that? Your father? What...” He snapped his head back to her dad. “Did she say Rowantree? As in...”

  Her dad smiled. “The dark fae god of death? Yes, that would be me.”

  James blinked a few times, then turned back to her. “This explains so much.”

  She frowned and held out her hands. “Book, please.”

  “You’ll get blood on it.”

  “Then give it to me,” her father said. James hesitated but a moment before giving him the book.

  “Why isn’t Thomas moving?” James asked. “And why is he in the cell?”

  “He’s our host,” Michael said.

  James paled. “You can’t be serious.”

  Her father flipped through the book and found the summoning spell. He rubbed the back of his hand against his chin as he read. “This translation is incorrect.”

  “I know, but it obviously didn’t affect the spell,” she said with a shrug. “Is there a counter in the book or do we have to write one?”

  “Only one way to find out,” he sat on the floor with the book in his lap and she sat beside him. They started to scan through the spells one at a time.

  “You acted like you didn’t know why you could read that,” James said.

  She shrugged. “What do you want me to do, James? Run around announcing to everyone I meet that my father is a god? While I’m at it, why don’t I just tell everyone Thomas and I are United? Then I can paint the target in neon colors and add flashing lights.”

  “Don’t take it personal,” Michael said from where he leaned against the bars of the cell. “She keeps secrets from everyone. And gets pissy when we don’t like it.”

  She dropped her head forward for a moment. “I don’t have time for this. If you can’t focus on saving Thomas, get out.”

  “No,” her dad said. “We’re going to need them.” He turned the book so she could see the spell he found. They had to have a circle and four people just like the original spell. Of course they did. “Do we know what of yours they used for the summoning?”

  “No, but as we’ve got all of me here, hopefully that will cover it. I’ll draw the circle. You translate the spell. Use the same translation as the original. We don’t want to screw anything up.” Really, she just didn’t want the word sacrifice showing up anywhere on the page. She was afraid James wouldn’t read the spell if he thought she might get hurt.

  Her father nodded and mentally moved Thomas to the cot in the middle of the cell so he’d be out of her way. “Finished,” she said as soon as the circle and the symbols were complete.

  “Give him the book,” she said to Aeron, pointing to James. “You’re the Summoner, James. Stand on the symbol at the back of the cell. Michael, you stand over there. You’re the Witness. Dad, you’re the Master, obviously. And I’m the Beacon.”

  “Go ahead,” she told James as she took her place.

  “Demon of the dark, we summon thee.” The moment he started talking, infusing his words with power, light shimmered around the perimeter of the circle. “We call you back from the task for which you were summoned.”

  As he said the words, the demon sat up on the cot, no longer enthralled by her father. It looked only at her, ignoring the others.

  “I, the Summoner, call you back and command your presence.”

  The demon stood and walked to the edge of the circle directly in front of her. Trapped on the other side of the protective line, it extended Thomas’s fangs and his eyes turned black. It was obviously anticipating the sacrifice part much more than she was.

  “The Witness observes, acknowledges the importance of the task and releases you from it,” James continued. She glanced around the circle. James’s attention was solely on the book. The other two were both looking between her and the demon. Aeron’s fists were clenched at his sides and Michael had drawn a lethal-looking blade.

  “The Master requires no further duty from you in this realm and releases you to return to your own.”

  She locked eyes with the demon. “And finally the Beacon,” James said. The demon curled its lip in disgust at the mistranslation. “The Beacon gives of herself to seal this spell, to confirm the sincerity of our words.”

  She drew the knife on her right thigh and slashed it across her hand, wincing at the sharp pain. Eyes never leaving the demon, she squatted and laid her hand on the perimeter of the circle. She shot a thread of power into it and stood. “Blood and power are the only sacrifice you’re getting from me.”

  The demon snarled.

  “You have been released, Demon. Return to your realm and be gone.” James finished and shut the book. The demon just continued to stare at her and growl.

  “What did we do wrong?” Michael asked.

  “Nothing,” her father said. “It has been released from the task it was summoned for. It is powerful enough that it is not forced to answer our command to leave. It knows the fate that awaits it in my realm.”

  The demon continued to ignore everyone but her.

  Her father held out a hand. “Sword please.”

  She put the knife away and drew the longer blade but held onto it. “Why?”

  “Because the only way to assure the creature comes out without damaging your Mate’s mind is to use the sword. Once it is out, I will take control of it.”

  She blinked. “You want to stab Thomas to chase the demon out? I don’t think so. Isn’t there any other way?”

  “I can remove the demon from him without this step, but if the demon resists it could shred his mind. He would be a vegetable for the rest of his unnatural life.” His voice radiated with i
mpatience and she felt like a schoolgirl failing a basic lesson. “Besides, he is Vampire. He will heal.”

  It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her father, but he was a god of death. She wasn’t letting him anywhere near Thomas with an enchanted blade.

  “Do you want me to do it?” Michael asked, evidently understanding her hesitation.

  She shook her head. “No. I’ll do it. Everyone else get out.”

  James started to protest but Michael steered him toward the door. Her father stopped next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “I would do this for you, daughter. I know you care for him.”

  She rewarded him with a small smile. “That’s why it’s got to be me. Besides as much as I might love my mate, I owe the demon.”

  Once they’d all left the cell and shut the door behind them, she widened her stance. Sword ready, she nodded at her father. With a snap of his fingers, the summoning circle vanished and the demon leaped.

  She sidestepped and brought the sword to slash across his back. The demon dropped to his knees. “I’m sorry, Thomas,” she whispered then ran the sword into his back, piercing just to the side of his spine. The blade burned with red light.

  Thomas sagged to the floor as she slipped the blade out. The toxic black cloud that was the demon seeped out of the wound and rose toward the ceiling. She stepped back to make sure it didn’t come anywhere near her.

  “Form,” her father said and the cloud coalesced into a dark form. For a split second, she saw familiar dark eyes looking at her from a Spanish complexion. Raoul. Then the demon shrank until it resembled a three-foot hunched-over old man. Her father snapped his fingers and a cage slightly larger than the demon enveloped it. It shrieked and then both demon and cage disappeared.

  “What was that?” she asked, still gripping her sword.

  “I commanded it to show you its summoner before I sent it home. There it will serve as an example to those that choose to disregard my word.” The chill in his voice sent a shiver up her spine.

  * * *

  Thomas stayed bent over, hands on the floor. His eyes were closed and he concentrated on breathing, on ignoring the pain that infiltrated every cell of his body.

  She’d done it. His Juliana had saved him. And almost gotten killed in the process. Just like Raoul had killed her when he left her here alone and defenseless. What a fool he’d been. Grief flooded him as he remembered the details of the report he’d read before he’d gone into the mindless rage that allowed the demon to take control. He groaned.

  His bride put a hand on his back. “Thomas?”

  He wasn’t sure he could respond. Not yet.

  “Thomas?” she repeated.

  Michael crouched in front of him and held out a bag of blood that he’d torn open. Juliana’s hand slid away as she took a step back. He shot his hand up and grabbed her wrist before she could move any farther from him. Just her touch helped lessen the pain, the grief. She grounded him and he needed her. “Stay.” His voice was rough from the abuse his throat had taken from the demon. “I need you. I need to touch you.”

  She shifted so she was sitting and let him keep hold of her wrist. He eased himself up so he was semi-upright, but still on his knees. He took the bag from Michael with his free hand and gulped down the blood. The blood fueled the magic that coursed through his veins and immediately his body began to repair itself. Sweet relief streamed through him. When the bag was empty, he held out his hand for another. They repeated this procedure with two more bags. Finally, though he was still covered in blood, he was healed.

  He moved so he was sitting and pulled Juliana against his side.

  “Sorry I stabbed you,” she told him.

  He smiled at her apology. No doubt, she’d carry the guilt of doing what was necessary to save his life for some time. That’s just the way she was. “Hush,” he told her and hugged her tighter against him. “It was less than I deserve. I never should have left you unprotected. I never imagined...”

  The tall fae cleared his throat and they both looked at him. He leaned against the bars on the inside of the cell with his arms crossed over his chest, watching them.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” she said. “Thomas, may I introduce my father, Aeron Rowantree? Dad, Thomas Kendrick, but you knew that.”

  Her father was the dark fae god of death. After the initial bit of surprise, Thomas realized that made perfect sense. He also knew the man was the demon’s true master. The demon had gone into such a state of mindless panic when the fae appeared that Thomas hadn’t been able to gain enough control to keep track of what was going on. He’d only become aware again when the demon focused on Juliana with intense hatred. It had taken every morsel of his power to make it so Juliana could use her sword on him without being hurt.

  Thomas nodded his head once at his father-in-law. “My lord.” There were few he would address as such, but a god deserved no less.

  Juliana snickered and her father arched a disapproving brow as he straightened. “Daughter, I am pleased that I could be of assistance. You might call me more often when you are not in dire straits however. It would be nice to spend some quiet time with you.”

  “You know where to find me,” she said. “Besides, at least I didn’t die this time.”

  Her father froze. “Die?”

  “Um, yeah. You know, quit breathing, flat line, three times. Ring any bells?”

  Thomas clenched his jaw. While he realized it was a gift from the gods that his bride could cheat death, he didn’t like to be reminded of it.

  Her father ran a hand across his forehead and he wondered if gods got headaches. “Technically you never died.”

  “The doctors might disagree with you on that,” she said.

  “I can’t bring you back to life, Juliana. I am a god of death. Not life.”

  There was silence for a long moment before Michael spoke up. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to clarify this. I’ve seen it myself. How is it that she wasn’t dead?”

  Michael had been there when she died and hadn’t mentioned it to Thomas. The knowledge angered him more than the fact they’d slept together. If his second had told him that Juliana was putting herself in danger, that she died for gods’ sakes, he would have come home long ago.

  Her father sighed. “While it might have appeared she was deceased, her body was actually in stasis. I felt her nearing the veil that separates the living from the dead and simply refused to claim her. I healed her enough that she was able to remain on this side. If she were ever to cross over completely before I reached her, or if she was dying of something I couldn’t cure, she would be lost to us for good.” He looked Thomas in the eye. “Remember that, Vampire.”

  Thomas would remember. He found it difficult to believe he’d ever be able to forget this conversation.

  Someone pounded at the door at the end of the hall.

  Her father looked at the door and back to James. “We really must go. They’ve been doing that for several minutes. I’ve been suppressing the sound, but they are getting more persistent.” He stepped forward and kissed the top of Juliana’s head.

  With a flick of his hand, a portal sprang up in the middle of the cell. James stepped up to it and Thomas’s eyes fell on the book his brother-in-law carried. Now that the demon wasn’t muddling his thoughts, he knew where he’d seen it, couldn’t believe he’d ever forgotten, demon or no demon. “That book. Where is it from?”

  Juliana looked at him. “We found it at the summoning.”

  He glanced down at her, studied her expression. “You don’t recognize it?”

  She shook her head. “Should I?”

  Yes, she should. “It was the only thing you had when you moved in. You gave it to me and demanded I put it away, said you never wanted to see it again. It was missing from its case when I returned to the house. I assumed you’d taken it with you.”

  She closed her eyes and tapped her forehead with the heel of her hand. “It was the book. That’s what they had of mine
to tie the demon to me. The whole freaking spell. I still don’t remember anything before I came to the house and some of the early bits of that time are missing, too. I’m not surprised I didn’t remember it. Obviously I recognized it on some level though, I was still scared of it.”

  Someone pounded on the door again, yelling to be let in.

  “We must go,” the god said again.

  James nodded. “I’ll see it gets back to the two of you,” he said and stepped through the portal. It closed behind him.

  “I leave her in your capable hands, Vampire.” Her father stepped back and disappeared in a burst of ash and smoke.

  She coughed and waved a hand in front of her face. “I hate when he does that.”

  Michael ripped the top off another bag of blood and splashed the contents over the top of a roughly drawn design on the floor just before the door at the end of the hall burst open.

  * * *

  Thomas rearranged himself so his legs were out straight while he leaned against the wall and pulled her to sit sideways in his lap. He pressed her head against his chest. “Stay there,” he told her, his voice a whisper in her ear. Suddenly feeling very comfortable and very tired, she did as he asked. Besides, the longer she could avoid Ben the better.

  Footsteps moved down the hall and stopped in front of the cell. “I assume since the door is hanging open and you two are in there that everything has been resolved?” Ben asked, bitterness tainting his words. “Are you okay, my lord?”

  She snorted and Thomas squeezed her hip in warning. This “my lord” crap really had to stop. Uppity vamps and dark fae.

  “Thanks to Juliana, I will be fine,” Thomas answered and his chest vibrated against her cheek.

  “She’s good at that. How is she?” Jeremiah sounded concerned but not overly so. He apparently realized that Thomas would not be this calm if something were seriously wrong with her.

  “Fine. Exhausted. I need to take her home.” If Thomas wanted to get her out of there, she wasn’t about to argue. She could be chewed out by Ben later.

  “There’s a lot of blood out here,” Jeremiah pointed out.

  “My fault,” Michael said. “I spilled a bag in my rush to get to Thomas.”