Cleansed by Water: The Nature Hunters Academy Series, Book 3

by Quinn Loftis

  It seemed silly to Crescious that they would put so much information about their coven in a book if they didn’t want anyone who picked it up to know that they were dealing in demon magic. But then what did he know? He was just a low-level peon demon.

  “Stupid curiosity is going to get me tortured and then tossed into the lake of fire,” he fumed as he walked down the street unseen by any prying eyes.

  He saw the large manor down the road and chuckled at how cliché it looked. Dark and gloomy, complete with gargoyles. Humans had been around long enough now that one would think they could come up with some new ideas for those who practiced dark magic.

  When he reached the door, he didn’t bother knocking. He didn’t have to. Dolion’s magic was all over the place, which meant the underworld had marked the house as friendly to demons. Crescious simply walked straight through the door.

  As he stepped into the entryway, the smell of incense hit his nose, and he sneezed. He preferred the sulfuric fumes of his home but to each their own.

  He heard voices coming from up a grand staircase in the center of the house and followed them. His short legs had a difficult time climbing the steps, and he felt like a waddling duck. He was tempted to quack but refrained, thinking about how Osiris would have rolled his eyes at him and called him a less-than-flattering name.

  On the second floor, he turned right and headed for the hallway where the voices grew louder. One female voice was practically shrieking while the other kept trying to interrupt, with no luck. Whoever the dominant female was, she was putting the inferior one in her place.

  When he reached the opened doorway where the two women were arguing, Crescious stepped inside and folded his little arms in front of him.

  His thin lips spread into a gleeful smile and, had he been visible to the humans, they would have seen his pointy teeth and probably screamed in fear. Though he was a small demon in the underworld, he was still a frightening sight to humans. His black eyes unnerved them, and his bat-like ears hugging pointy horns in the middle of his skull never gave the humans any warm fuzzy feelings.

  He stood there, simply taking in the ugly scene and relishing in the hate radiating off both the women. Demons drew strength from negative emotions, and cruelty was an especially addicting taste. Crescious wanted to roll around in delight but figured that would be most undignifying for the servant of the lord of the underworld. Instead, he giggled occasionally and sucked up the power from the hostile witches.

  Deciding he’d wasted enough time, Crescious allowed himself to become visible. It took a minute for the two females to realize they were no longer alone. When they finally did, their heads moved in unison, slowly turning toward him.

  Their eyes widened as they looked down at him. Then the more dominant female threw up her hands and muttered something in Latin.

  Crescious lifted his hand, blocking the curse she’d thrown at him.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” he said through his pointy teeth. “Is that how you welcome the servant of the lord of the underworld, witch?” he asked.

  The woman’s eyes widened further. She seemed to gather herself and then her gaze settled on him. “What is your name, demon?”

  Crescious chuckled. “You take me for a fool if you think I would give you such power over me.” He shook his head as he walked closer to them. The two witches backed away, their eyes trained completely on him.

  “What do you want?” the dominant witch asked.

  “I need to speak with Saphora Blackhorn,” Crescious said.

  “You are speaking with her,” she replied. The woman pulled back her shoulders and raised her chin.

  “Fabulous,” Crescious said gleefully as he clapped his hands. He had been in the human realm for less than ten minutes, and he’d found the person he needed. Perhaps he wouldn’t have his hide peeled from his bones after all. “Let me come straight to the point. I need a spell that counteracts one you gave to the demi-lord, Dolion.”

  Saphora’s mouth tightened. “I don't know what you’re talking about. I’ve had no dealings with a demi-lord.”

  “Is that why I feel his specific brand of power radiating off the walls in this very room?” Crescious asked. “Or didn’t you know that demons can recognize one another’s mark?”

  Her face paled and the other witch, the one he didn’t have a name for, covered her mouth with her hand as if she was stopping herself from saying something.

  “You are mistaken, little demon,” Saphora growled. “There have been no demons in this house for quite some time.”

  Crescious gritted his sharp teeth at the “little demon” remark. This witch was no lord of the underworld. She was not an upper-level demon or demi-lord. She was a measly human. One day her body would rot in the ground, and her soul would burn in hell. “This little demon can deliver you to Osiris on a silver platter, little girl,” he bit out, his voice deepening into a growl. And to him, she was a little girl. She was but a child to his centuries upon centuries of existence. His knowledge and experience were so far beyond hers she couldn’t begin to comprehend it.

  “You are going to tell me what I want to know, and you are going to do it quickly, or I will burn this house to the ground with every witch in it,” Crescious said.

  Saphora’s eyes remained on him, though the other witch glanced back and forth between him and her high priestess as though waiting for some kind of cue. Saphora seemed to come to a decision, resigning herself to the fact that she wasn’t going to get away unscathed from this situation. “To what spell are you referring, demon?” she asked.

  “The one that keeps the lord of the underworld from accessing certain places within his domain,” Crescious explained.

  “That’s a tricky one to get around,” she said with a smirk.

  “But you know how,” Crescious said and it wasn’t a question.

  “I do,” she agreed. Saphora walked over to a cabinet with two doors and a lock on the front. She pulled a key out of her robe’s pocket and unlocked the doors, opening them just wide enough to reach in and grab something. When her hand came out, Crescious saw that she had a book, much like the one in Dolion’s chambers.

  She re-locked the cabinet, walked over to a small podium, and placed the book upon it. Saphora flipped through the pages, completely ignoring him and the other witch. Her eyes rapidly scanned each page, and her lips grew tighter across her face. Crescious, and his curious nature, wanted to know what was in those pages. He wished he could devour the knowledge in them and learn to harness the power the witches possessed.

  They were obviously more powerful than Osiris, which meant that, perhaps, he could free himself from Osiris’s control. He leaned toward the book, practically salivating at the idea of having such power. Then the book suddenly snapped closed, and the swirling thoughts disappeared. Crescious shook his head as if needing to clear it from a fog. His stomach clenched as he realized the ideas he’d been having.

  Horror rose up inside of him. He’d been thinking he could become so powerful that he could get away from his lord. Was he insane? He nodded. Probably. But not enough that he would betray Osiris. Why had he envisioned those things?

  “The book is very powerful,” Saphora said as if she could read the thoughts in his mind simply by looking at his face. “It takes a very strong person to resist the power it offers. Power gained by using the spells within its pages.”

  “You speak as if it is sentient,” Crescious said.

  “The blood of many witches is contained within the pages of that book, so, in some ways, it is. Their power lives on through it and in the spells it contains.”

  “Did you find the spell I want?”

  “I did.” She paused as she stepped around the podium and looked down her nose at him. “But I have a price. Nothing in this world is free.”

  Crescious snorted. Why was he not surprised? It was what he would have done if someone had come to him asking for a favor. Never give something for nothing. It was practically the demon golde
n rule.

  “And that is?”

  “Your name,” she said, with a small smile that made him think of a slippery serpent.

  He shuddered. Having a demon’s name gave a person power over the demon. It meant that they could be summoned by the one who held the name. There was no way he could allow her that. Osiris would never stand for it. Crescious might be a peon, but he was the lord of the underworld’s peon, not some filthy human’s.

  “Pick something else. You will not get that from me,” he snapped. His teeth clashed together, and she took a step back from him. It was a show of weakness, and when she realized what she’d done, Saphora bared her teeth at him like a wild animal.

  It made Crescious have a tiny, itty-bitty ounce of respect for her.

  “Fine,” Saphora spat. “Then your blood.”

  Blood magic, Crescious knew, was a witch’s MO. Almost all of their spells called for blood, whether it be all of a creature’s blood or only a drop. The more blood, the more powerful the spell.

  “A drop,” he said. “That is all I will shed for you.”

  “Your lord must not need this spell very badly,” the high priestess said. “You are being awfully greedy with your payment.”

  Crescious rolled his eyes. “Fine, two drops. But nothing more.”

  Saphora picked the book up and put it back in the cabinet. Then she pulled out a vial and a dagger. She approached Crescious and held out the items.

  He took them. Holding the vial in one hand, he pierced his finger with the tip of the dagger. Then he put the blade in between his teeth as he placed the pierced skin over the open end of the vial. He pushed on the tip of his clawed finger until two drops of blood fell into the container. He wiped his finger on the tattered garment covering his body—some rags he’d donned when he came topside. Crescious didn’t like to wear clothes of any kind, but the air was colder than in the underworld, and it simply wouldn’t be good for his image to be seen shivering.

  He held out the vial and the blade to her. “There,” he said. “It is done.”

  When Saphora went to grab the vial, he pulled it back. “The spell,” he growled.

  With a huff, she walked over to a desk and snatched up a pad and pen. She wrote in a quick, sharp motion, and he wondered if there would be holes in the paper by the time she finished.

  A couple of seconds later, she held out the paper to him. She took the vial, and he snatched the paper. Then Saphora grabbed the dagger.

  “It’s been a pleasure, witch,” he said.

  “You might like to know a couple of things about that spell,” she said before he could disappear.

  “What things?” Crescious asked.

  “It requires the blood of the one who cast the first spell,” Saphora explained. “It also demands the blood of one who has greater power than the spellcaster.”

  When she said nothing more, he narrowed his eyes on her. “Is that all?”

  Saphora stared at him, her eyes full of disdain.

  Finally, the other witch decided to speak. “You have to tell him, Saphora,” she said, her voice desperate. “He works for the lord of the underworld. Do we really want to draw any more of his attention than we already have?”

  “You need the blood of a Blackhorn witch,” Saphora eventually said.

  Crescious bared his teeth at her. He should have known that it had been too easy. He’d been about to leave, thinking he had acquired the spell his master needed in under thirty minutes. Fool.

  “And what is the price for this witch's blood?” he asked.

  “Your name,” Saphora said again.

  He began to pace, his feet stomping on the floor as he cursed all witches. They were the reason he was in this situation, as well as Osiris. If witches hadn’t been able to assist Dolion in his quest for power, then none of this would have happened.

  But what else could he do? He had to be able to perform the spell. If he showed up in front of his lord without the means to remove the magic keeping Osiris out of Dolion’s chambers, Crescious would suffer unimaginable pain.

  After several minutes of cursing, spitting, and generally wishing the witches would burn in hell, he finally said, “Fine. I will give you my name, but there are limits for which you can use it.”

  Saphora narrowed her eyes on him and then sharply nodded her head.

  “You can only summon me once. And you cannot command me to do anything to harm Osiris, lord of the underworld. You will not command me to open, or attempt to open, the gates of hell.” As he spoke his terms, he sealed his will with the magic given to him by Osiris. It was unbreakable. “If you go against these terms, you will be sent to the underworld and face the wrath of my lord.”

  “Let it be done as you have said,” Saphora said, the words sealing her end of the bargain.

  “I will give you my name at the same time you hand over your blood, not a second before.”

  The witch went over to the desk and opened a drawer. She pulled out a small glass bottle, not taller than an inch. It was almost full, to where the stopper was inserted.

  Saphora walked over to him and held out the vial. Crescious reached out his clawed hand and grabbed the bottom of the glass. As he pulled it from her he said, “Crescious.”

  The minute the vial was in his grasp, he disappeared from Blackhorn manor.

  He smiled to himself as he reappeared in Osiris’s hall. He’d given the witch his name, but she’d been foolish in not being more specific. She needed his full name in order to summon him. The only being who knew his full name was Osiris.

  “Did you succeed in acquiring what I need?” Osiris asked as he stood from his throne.

  Crescious held up the vial and paper. “I have, my lord.”

  “I admit I am surprised,” Osiris said, almost looking pleased.

  “Thank you.”

  The lord of the underworld walked over and plucked the items from Crescious’s hands. He unfolded the paper and began to read. His face tightened marginally. “Is this the witch’s blood?”

  “Yes,” the demon answered. “But I don’t have Dolion’s blood, of course.”

  Osiris’s lips turned up in a thin smile. “You don’t, but I do.”

  Osiris possessed samples of the blood of every demon in his domain. It was one of the things that made him more powerful than all the rest, that and what was allowed to him by the Creator.

  He disappeared from his throne room and reappeared in front of the sealed chamber that held the book he needed, the one containing the spell locking in the royal elementals.

  Crescious materialized next to him a second later.

  “This better work,” Osiris muttered as he began to read the words on the page.

  “I’m pretty sure my blood is freezing in my veins,” Shelly said as she hopped up and down.

  “Is that possible?” Tara asked as she watched her BFFF imitate a bouncing ball.

  “I don’t see why it wouldn’t be,” Gabby said. Tara shook her head. She was happy to be back with their group, all except for Aston, who was still on assignment. Apparently, he was in Transylvania, which Shelly had declared “cool as shit.” It seemed her aversion to swearing wasn’t coming back anytime soon. Hell had cured her of that affliction.

  “So, when is this shindig starting?” Shelly asked. She was no longer bouncing because Ra had wrapped her in his big arms and pulled her tightly against him. Elias had done the same to Tara, but she had her back against him so she could see everyone.

  Liam had his arms wrapped around Gabby, but she looked supremely uncomfortable. She held herself stiffly as if her limbs had frozen. Tara watched as Liam leaned his head down to her ear and whispered something. Tara was impressed when Gabby finally relaxed into him and laid her head back on his chest.

  “They brought us all to this huge hydro plant and left us standing here freezing our nuts off,” Shelly huffed.

  “Umm,” Liam said, a crooked grin appearing on his face, “I was under the impression that you didn’t h
ave nuts, Shelly.”

  Shelly turned her head to look at him. “Why? Did I ever tell you I didn’t have nuts?”

  “Bloody hell,” Elias rumbled as he buried his face against the back of Tara’s neck.

  “Could we drop the nuts, please?” Gabby groaned as she rolled her eyes.

  Liam winced. “That would be painful, babe. Perhaps remember that in the future when we are—”

  Liam’s words were cut off by Gabby’s hand covering his mouth.

  “No. Just no.” Gabby growled at him.

  Shelly laughed as she turned in Ra’s arms and pressed her back against his chest. “I like the control you have over your man, Gabs. It’s impressive.”

  Gabby jerked her hand away from Liam’s mouth. “Eww. You licked me, you dick.”

  “I can’t help myself. You taste delicious.” Liam grinned from ear to ear.

  “Why do I have the feeling that he’s going to start groping her at any moment?” Tara whispered so only Elias could hear her.

  “Because he probably is,” Elias whispered back. “But I have a feeling Gabby can hold her own against his wandering hands.”

  “Agreed,” Tara said.

  “Can we get back to my original question?” Shelly asked.

  “I imagine the professors are talking to the plant managers about us helping. The water is freezing very fast, and this plant is the largest in the world,” Ra explained. "If it stops generating power, there are going to be millions without heat.”

  “Is it weird that I find your spouting of knowledge hot?” Shelly asked him.

  Ra smirked at her. “Spouting of knowledge?”

  Shelly shrugged. “My brain goes on the fritz when you get me all hot and bothered. I stop making sense.”

  Tara wanted to point out that Shelly rarely made sense anyway, but she managed to keep her comment to herself.

  “What are the professors going to tell the people running this plant?” Gabby asked.

  “I’ve simply told them we’ve been sent by the US government to assist and that we have a heating source that will thaw the water and the engines of the plant,” Professor Frost said as she came striding down the long metal bridge where they waited. “I’ll let the pixies handle the rest. They have a way of making humans see what they want them to.”