by Bonnie Lamer
Yes, the last time I was here, I used magic. I was a tad bit smarter about it then. I wound commands into my spell which prevented the books and scrolls and whatnot from using my magic to fuel what is written in them. Yeah, I didn’t do that this time. Kallen’s fear of my destroying the archives pops back into my head. Damn, I hate it when I prove him right.
Shrieks and howls erupt in the musty air. Dust flies as books flop from the shelves in their eagerness to open and let loose their contents. The sound of tearing and crackling paper is all around us. Smoke begins to rise from several aisles as some of the tomes set on fire. I assume from conflicting spells struggling for control of the magic that is being pulled through me. I am losing control of it. I drop to my knees as I struggle to stop the flow of magic being ripped through me, but I can’t tamp it back down. There’s simply too much of it.
Dagda drops to his own knees before me. He attempts to grab my shoulders but I scoot away, not letting him make contact. Too dangerous at the moment. “Xandra!” he shouts.
“I’m not deaf,” I inform him over the shrieking around us. Oh, maybe he did need to yell.
“Fight it!” he tells me.
Does he realize how much that makes me want to feed him to one of the darker books? “I am!” I growl back.
His eyes flit to the floor and then back to me. A grin forms on his face and I’m convinced for a moment that he has gone completely bonkers. “Then channel it,” he says.
I have no idea what he’s talking about until my eyes follow his to the floor. The book I was holding a moment ago is lying there. Open to a particular page. I guess it just took another book eating my hair to activate whatever it is that makes a magic book open to the right page. Or it was just dumb luck. I’m going with the hair eating theory.
As soon as Dagda is convinced I understand, he backs off. Rising to his feet, he moves back several feet until his back is almost touching the row of books behind him. He’s smart enough not to get too close to the book shelf. He likes his scalp and who knows how many more books with teeth there are here.
Grabbing the book, I don’t bother to stand. The book with teeth that let go of my hair when I flung magic at it snaps at me and I kick it away. Sitting with my legs crisscross, I put the spell book in my lap and read aloud the words on the page. “Wickedness lurks in the shadows, biding its time in the hedgerow. Casting forth its ugly magic, waiting for consequences tragic. Fighting this darkness will take heart, winning may wrench this soul apart. I will fight black to black, harnessing evil in my counterattack. Use the darkness to bring to light, the mastermind of my plight. Expose and twist with iron fist. Bring me now this black hearted fool whether he be Angel or ancient Ghoul. Entangle him in this mire of evil and sin, trap him now here within. Trap him in evil’s embrace, no longer allowed to torture and abase.”
Okay, I am still going to blow up the archives. The shrieking reaches a crescendo. A tornado like wind erupts through the aisles. I cover my head to avoid having falling books crush my skull. Dagda reaches a hand out to pull me out of harm’s way but I wave him off. “Don’t touch me!” I shout. The hurt in his eyes cuts deep. He doesn’t realize if he touches me, the magic being wrenched through me will take a detour through him. “The magic will use you!” I try to explain. He still doesn’t get it, but he now has an idea that maybe it wasn’t personal. He nods and backs off. Meanwhile, a book clunks onto my skull because I am too busy explaining myself than making sure I don’t get knocked unconscious. I scowl at Dagda even though it wasn’t really his fault.
My eyes are ripped from my biological father by what is happening in the main aisle of the archives. Scrambling to my feet, I rush to get a better view with Dagda on my heels. A black cloud is forming. Magic from all corners of the archives are coalescing, converging, creating a powerful darkness that roils with energy. And any second now, it’s going to explode and destroy us all, I just know it.
Then again, I do have a tendency to be wrong sometimes. The energy, the dark magic, doesn’t explode. It actually seems to be shrinking. Dagda and I watch in fascination as this great cloud of dark energy grows ever smaller. The magic being pulled through me is still so powerful I am having trouble remaining on my feet, but I am in too much awe to fall down.
After several long minutes, a form starts to take shape within the swirling blackness. A misshapen being. Its shrieks and howls replace that of the books and scrolls. It overpowers them, quiets them as if they know they are inadequate compared to this…this thing before me. As it comes into focus, its own howling begins to quiet. Its eyes find me and it roars in a voice so sharp and loud, I feel my eardrums burst and my nose begins to bleed.
I force myself not to wipe at the blood dripping toward my lips. I don’t cover my ears. Because I know in my heart that if I show any sign of weakness, I’m dead.
16 Chapter
The creature has come into sharp focus now. It’s tall, lanky form is hunched over, a hump on its back making it impossible to stand straight. It takes me a moment to determine that its skin is actually black, it’s not a trick of the dark smoke and energy swirling around it. Its eyes are glowing silver and red alternately, pulsing and changing colors as its fury grows. Its teeth are fangs with long, sharp incisors hanging out of its mouth. Its head is bald, the skin on it wrinkled and cracked. It looks as if it has spent years in a fire pit, slow roasting like a pig at a luau. Just not in such a cheery situation. I suspect this creature comes straight from the bowels of hell.
“What are you?” I ask barely above a whisper. I really don’t expect it to answer me. How could such a thing be capable of speech?
It does answer me. It’s voice crawls along my skin. “I am one of many,” it hisses.
That doesn’t bode well for me, I’m sure. “Then why did the spell bring only you?” I ask. Hmm. Asking my enemy to explain how a spell I cast works. That doesn’t make me look silly at all. Besides that, the answer comes to me all on its own. “Because you were the one casting the reality spell.” Look at me, I’m a genius. If only I could have figured that out before I let slip that I don’t always understand my magic. Never a good thing to admit to one’s enemy.
The creature doesn’t say anything more. I’ll take his silence as confirmation. Looking more closely at it, I decide I can’t really tell if it’s male or female. There’s still too much smoke and magic surrounding it. Regardless of its gender, it is one ugly beast. It is fighting against the magic holding it, focusing all of its attention on this. In fact, it seems to have forgotten Dagda and me altogether.
As if his name crossing my mind suddenly sparked his ability to speak, Dagda whispers, “I did not truly believe they exist.”
I sigh in frustration. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard you say that?”
Surprised, he turns to me. “There are other beings of legend you have discovered?”
I am not getting into that discussion at the moment. I shouldn’t have even brought it up because now my biological father’s curiosity is going to be eating at him. It better not affect his ability to fight if need be. “Let’s just concentrate on this one. What is it?”
Dagda’s eyes move back to the dark being. “I believe it is a Demon.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “I know not what else it could be.”
“A Demon?” I groan. “Really?” I remember a conversation a long time ago about Demons. I could have sworn Kallen told me they don’t exist. Or, did he just imply that? Doesn’t matter now, I suppose, because here one is.
“As I have never seen one before, I cannot be certain. It does fit the general description, though.”
“We’ll go with Demon then. How do I get rid of it?”
This gets the creature’s attention. “You think to vanquish me, precious Witch Fairy of the Angels?”
Putting my hands on my hips, I nod. “That was the general idea.”
A snarl curls its almost nonexistent lip over its fangs. “I am not a lower being such as yourself. My magic holds
upon my death.”
Meaning I’d be trapped in this reality if I do actually vanquish him. Casting a sidelong glance at Dagda, I say out of the corner of my mouth, “I assume Demons lie.”
He nods. “I would assume so.”
Great. Returning my attention to the Demon, I say, “I don’t believe you.”
“Then vanquish me now.”
I would. I really would. If only I knew how. Which I don’t. I bet there’s a book in here somewhere which would tell me how, but I doubt the Demon is going to wait patiently for me to find it. Thinking back to Demon lore in my realm, I try another tack. “Are you bound by the deals you make?”
“Xandra,” Dagda says in his best ‘don’t make stupid deals with Demons’ voice. That’s a new one. He’s pretty good at rolling with the flow with these things in any reality, I guess.
Ignoring Dagda, I ask again, “Are you bound by the deals you make?” The Demon still does not answer me. I suspect this is because the thing does not want to admit to what I am beginning to believe in my heart. If it makes a deal with me, it cannot for whatever reason, go back on its word. “I thought as much,” I say smugly. Too smugly, I am sure. It’ll come back and bite me in the ass, I know it will. And it’ll leave teeth marks. Long, deep teeth marks probably shaped like Demon fangs. Okay, now I am totally grossed out by the idea of a Demon biting me in the butt. But, I don’t know what else to do at the moment. What can I do besides make a deal with him? When I thought about casting the spell, I certainly didn’t expect a Demon to show up, so obviously I didn’t research what to do with it when it did. Basically, I’m stuck in a stalemate and I’m screwed. Unless I make a deal.
“You cannot hold me with this trifling magic indefinitely,” the Demon hisses.
I study him for a long time before speaking. He has slowed in his fight against the magic. Not because he knows he is close to winning, but because he is tired. And because he knows his attempts are futile. I most certainly can hold him indefinitely with this magic. Except, that would require me spending my life here in the archives doing just that. Which isn’t going to work for me.
“You will cease altering realities and return everything to what it was before you cast your spell. You will leave me and everyone I know and care about alone. You will leave this place and never come back. You will never again use magic in this realm or any other realm in this universe. You will forget you even know who I am. If you agree to this, I will let you go.”
“Xandra, you cannot,” Dagda hisses.
I turn to him and throw up my hands. “Then what do you suggest? I hold him here for eternity?”
Pressing his lips in a thin line, Dagda remains silent. I’ve actually shut him up. That never happens. He always has an opinion to add. Not this time. Must be the time he spent in iron in this reality wore him down.
“I accept your terms.”
Oops, I forgot about the Demon. Hmm. He acquiesced rather quickly. And with no counter demands. That cannot be a good thing. On the other hand, I do not feel even a tingle on my skin indicating the thing is lying.
“The deal has been made. You must release me,” the Demon insists. What his lips are doing now is probably supposed to be a smug smile, but it’s too horrific to even closely resemble one. “Unless you do not keep your word, daughter of the Angels.”
Funny, a Demon calling my word into question doesn’t really bother me. But, I suspect that my Angel blood would not be happy if I went back on my word. Which is why he called me daughter of the Angels. Not to mention that pesky fact that I need to release him eventually anyway. Eying him, I can’t help but ask, “What is the catch? What did I miss when making my deal?”
The creepy smile gets even wider proving beyond doubt that I made a terrible mistake in judgement here. I was only able to see its awful yellow front teeth before. Now I can see its even awful more awful brown back teeth as it grins at me. “I am not the only one,” he cackles.
Damn. I forgot about that. “I suppose your friends will be coming for me, then.”
“Not just you.”
I hope that wasn’t supposed to make me feel better. “Why? What did I do to you?”
“You are distorting the balance.”
“What does that mean?”
“You know what it means,” the Demon hisses. “There must be balance of dark and light.”
My mouth drops open. “You mean I am bringing too much good into the universe? But, that’s my job!”
“And this is mine,” he hisses. “Now, release me.”
“So that your buddies can keep coming after me?”
“That is no longer my concern. I have made my deal with you and shall abide by it. What befalls you after this is of your own doing.”
“Comforting,” I mutter. Straightening my shoulders, I bolster my courage to follow through with this stupid deal I made. “When I release you, what happens?”
“Your reality is restored.”
“Intact?” I ask. “Everything will be exactly the same?”
“Yes,” the Demon hisses. “Everything outside of this room will be the same.”
My eyes flit to Dagda. He shrugs his shoulders as if to say, I have nothing to add. Helpful. I look back at the Demon. “Fine. Go.”
I suck in a breath as the magic is yanked back through me. It feels like sludge as the bits of dark magic attached to it filter through me on their way back to their books and scrolls. All I can think as this happens is, at least I didn’t blow up the archives. I came pretty close to destroying it, but I didn’t blow it up. I am still reeling in this wonderful fact when the Demon pops out of existence.
Dagda reaches out a steadying hand and shakes his head. “I will never doubt anything you say ever again.” Well. That’s nice.
“That probably won’t last,” I mutter.
Suddenly ashen, Dagda wipes a hand over his face and groans loudly, “Tana is going to kill me. Perhaps we can bring the Demon back?”
I almost laugh because he just might be serious. I suspect he now remembers the last few days and all that he did during them. Interesting. With the magic gone, they must all remember their actions now. I wonder how Mom’s taking it. Glad I’m not with her at the moment. She’s probably as horrified as I was when I saw her and Dagda kissing. Okay, I snicker a little bit. I blame it on the stress of the last few days. Really.
17 Chapter
The door to the archives slams open and Kallen, Kegan and Tabitha charge through them. I gape at the trio. Their clothes are torn, there’s blood on Tabitha’s arm and several bruises on Kegan. Kallen doesn’t look injured, but he does look exhausted.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Xenia’s guards,” Kallen responds. He glances around the archives. “What happened in here? I thought perhaps there was another tornado. I see I may not have been far off.”
The magic may have returned to wherever it comes from, but the archives are still a disaster. “Demon,” I tell him, hoping that will distract him from the ‘I told you so’ which is probably dancing on his lips at the moment.
It does. His gorgeous green eyes grow large with disbelief. “Demon?” His eyes go to the King for confirmation. I’d be insulted but I did just throw the idea of Demons at him. Who wouldn’t have doubts?
“I would not believe it myself if I had not seen it with my own eyes,” Dagda says behind me. “But it was, in fact, a Demon.”
“Impossible,” Tabitha claims with a wave of her arm. “They were all destroyed ages before the first Fairy was born.”
“Apparently, someone missed a few,” I grumble.
“A few? There was more than one?” Kallen asks.
I shake my head. “No, just the one, but he said there are more.”
“Hey, if you guys have things covered here, I’d really like to find Alita and Keelan,” Kegan says, anxiety crawling all over his handsome features.
Guilt washes over me. Of course he wants to find his wife and child now that he remembers they ex
ist. “Go,” I tell him. “We got this.” He doesn’t wait for anyone else to respond. Kegan tears out of the archives in search of his family.
Now that I think about it, Alita wasn’t present in any of the realities. I wonder why. In a massive ‘duh’ moment, it comes to me. She is a walking dark magic detector. She would have given it all away. Fear washes over me. Did the Demon harm her to keep her from alerting us? I meet Kallen’s eyes and know that the same thought is going through his mind.
We are not alone in this. “Follow him,” Tabitha orders. “Make sure she is okay.”
I reach out and grab Kallen’s hand. “My way is quicker.” As soon as I make contact with his skin, we are standing in front of the ocean side cottage where Alita’s parents live.
Her father is pacing outside. He looks up when he senses us and relief washes over him. “Is it over?” he asks.
“Yes,” I assure him, though I’m not certain what ‘over’ means to him. “Is she okay?” He knows I mean Alita, not his wife even though I hope she is fine, as well.
“She has been near death’s door for three days. She would not eat or drink while she was conscious she was so ill. The babe had to be bottle fed.”
A wave of guilt washes over me. That first day this all began, when I took a walk on the beach, I chose to avoid this small cottage. I thought it would be upsetting to Alita for me to come to her with tales of her and Kegan being together with a child. If I hadn’t turned and walked the other way, I would have found her in this state. I would have known then that something involving dark magic was occurring. I would have found Keelan alive and well and proof that I wasn’t crazy. Maybe I could have saved them both some suffering. On the other hand, I still would not have known what was causing this to happen. Not until I found that book in the archives. I’m also sure there would have been obstacles put in place to postpone me finding Alita as long as possible.
“How is she now?” Kallen asks.
A smile breaks through the worry on Alita’s father’s face. “She is awake and her headache is gone. A bit of color is returning to her face.” Storm clouds form in his eyes. “She has been asking for Kegan, but he has not been about.”