Demon Blood: Book 16 of The Witch Fairy Series

by Bonnie Lamer

  “In other words, you’re saying I can’t change what I already did, so let’s go forward from here.”

  Kallen smiles at me indulgently. “You know me so well.”

  “Fine, then let’s go to the archives,” I concede. “I can’t stand the idea that we left Raziel and Adriel in the hands of the Demons.” Oh, what I am going to do to them if they are harming my friends. If the gruesome images of revenge running through my mind come true, I may need to consider that I have a little Demon blood running through my veins, as well.

  A smile forms on Dagda’s face. “I do not believe there is a need.” He is staring through the window which looks out over the driveway. He moves to the door and opens it wide.

  A second later, Tabitha comes trudging through with a large bundle of books in her arm. “Bring the rest in here,” she calls over her shoulder.

  I watch in amazement as several Fairies who must work at the palace follow her through the door with their own bundles of books. They pile them all on the kitchen counters, leaving the island counter free, and then go for more. There are seven piles in all when they are done. As soon as they put the final books down, the two Fairies who helped Tabitha carry them from the carriage she used to get here stand by the door waiting for further instructions. Tabitha waves them away. “You can return to the palace. If the scribe has more, bring them immediately.” With a nod to her and then the King and Queen, the Fairies turn and leave.

  The rest of us stare open mouthed at the piles and piles of books. And scrolls. Some of them ancient and crumbling.

  “They are only going to get read if you actually take them and open them,” Tabitha snarks. “What are you waiting for? We have work to do.”

  20 Chapter

  “I assume this is everything the scribe could find on Demonology?” Dagda says to Tabitha.

  “No, they are recipe books,” Tabitha mutters under her breath. This earns her a scowl from the King, but since she brought us all this information, saving us what would probably have been yet another dangerous trip to the archives with me involved, he can’t really snark back.

  “You must have started as soon as we left,” I say, grabbing for a book. “Thank you.”

  Kallen reaches out and grabs my wrist, causing me to glare up at him in annoyance. “Tabitha, are any of these books from the dark magic section?” he asks. Good point. I probably shouldn’t be grabbing any of these books until I know the answer to that question.

  “Most of them,” she informs us.

  Trying to find a way not to sound offensive when he suggests I should not touch any of the books, Kallen’s eyes find Taz and Felix. “Perhaps you should check on your Familiars. The rest of us can start on this.”

  Okay, he picked something more offensive to say. “I’m pretty sure they’re just sleeping off the effects of the dark magic,” I huff. “If I thought they were still in trouble, I would have done something about it already.”

  Kallen’s eyes narrow. He struggles for a moment, but he manages to bite back the retort dying to jump off his tongue. I marvel at his restraint. “Of course,” he says through teeth pressed together so tightly, his jaw hinges creak slightly. Loosening them only enough to be able to utter more words coherently, he says, “I was simply trying to keep you from killing yourself or others. But, by all means, pick any book you would like.” I guess he couldn’t hold back his snark, after all.

  Well, if he’s going to put it that way. I pull my hand back, folding my arms over my chest. “What do you expect me to do, not help?”

  “Perhaps you and Tana could check the area,” Dagda says innocently.

  Not innocently enough for his wife. “My dear husband, do you suspect I will be tempted by the magic in these tomes?” Tana demands.

  Maybe because I’ve already overreacted myself, I take pity on my father. I also sneak an ‘I’m sorry’ glance at Kallen as I say, “I don’t think he’s worried about you. I think, like Kallen, he’s worried about the magic these books contain. They recognize something in us, and we don’t want to give the magic a chance to escape. I was barely able to control them earlier today. I don’t know if I’m up for a rematch yet.” Actually, I feel like I could fight a thousand Demons I am so wound up. But, best I don’t announce that to the masses.

  After a look which promises Dagda that he and his wife will be having more words over this later, Tana turns and walks toward the door. I give Kallen a little smile and follow her outside. I figure at the moment, it’s probably best to do the opposite of what the woman who once gave her soul over to evil does. Okay, that was harsh of me. Tana has been great lately. Still, it’s easier to forgive than to forget.

  “Do you want to stick together or split up?” I ask Tana. She is standing in the middle of the driveway with her arms crossed and her toe tapping. I suspect there are a lot of things on her mind, and whether or not we split up is not one of them. So glad I’m not a mind reader at the moment.

  “What I want to know is when any of you will trust me.” Her words are short and clipped, but there is pain in her eyes. Turns out, she is a lot less angry than hurt.

  Guilt climbs up my brain stem. She has worked hard to prove to us that she has changed, yet we all still tip toe around her like she’s one step away from psychoville. “It’s not that Dagda doesn’t trust you. He’s worried for you,” I try to clarify.

  Tana is not having it. “Worried I will become evil again. That is the same as not trusting me.” She does have a point.

  I try a different tack. “Do you trust yourself one hundred percent to never fall prey to the pull of dark magic again?”

  “Yes,” the Fairy Queen responds without hesitation. Her eyes fixed squarely on mine, she adds, “I lost too much. I will never do anything to hurt those I love again.”

  I guess I didn’t expect her to respond with such conviction. Which is why a dumbfounded response falls out of my mouth. “Really?”

  Tana cocks her head to the side and gives me a sour look. “Thank you for letting me know where you stand in regards to trusting me.” As my expression turns sheepish, hers softens. “I apologize. Of course you will always have a voice in the back of your head warning you to beware around me. That is my fault and I cannot expect it to go away simply because I have declared my ways changed.”

  By the end of her little speech, she appears so lost and heartbroken, I feel even worse. “No, you’re wrong. I need to shut that little voice up. I know you’re not going to turn evil again.” I am tempted to hug her, but I’m not certain whether she would appreciate it or not. She ranks up there with Isla on not being a huge fan of the touchy-feelies.

  Tana opens her mouth to respond, but my attention is caught by something else. A dark shadow has suddenly formed around the Fairy Queen. I have no idea where it came from, it just materialized. As I watch, it begins to take shape. Almost human shape. It swirls around her as if the being is made of smoke, but it definitely has arms and legs and a head. “Get away from her,” I growl, startling Tana.

  Panic in her eyes, Tana is instantly on high alert. “Xandra, what is it?” She whips her head around, looking for the danger she knows is in the air. But, she can’t seem to see the Demon. Only I can for some reason.

  I don’t respond to Tana, my attention focused solely on the evil force surrounding her. I pull magic and prepare for a fight. Oh, how I wish Taz and Felix were out here with me. The Demon is making tighter and tighter circles as it slithers around Tana’s body. Can’t she feel it against her skin? “This is my last warning,” I growl.

  “Xandra, what are you going to do with all that magic?” Tana asks, fear making her voice louder and shriller than normal. Or, she’s trying to get the attention of those inside.

  “I am going to vanquish a Demon,” I inform her evenly, not taking my eyes from the undulating evil.

  “Are you certain there is a Demon present?” she asks. Her tone is taking on a pleading note.

  “I can see it,” I assure her.

&n
bsp; The Demon turns its face toward me and smiles, exposing its charred gums and horrifying teeth. With a tongue like a lizard, it licks Tana’s cheek. Tana doesn’t even flinch. Gross. Why can’t she feel that? “I can taste the evil that still resides in her,” the Demon hisses. “She will make a perfect host.”

  Host? It’s going to possess her?! “I won’t let you have her,” I snarl.

  Tana’s eyes are wide with fear now. “Xandra, what are you talking about? There is no one else here. It is only the two of us. Please, let the magic go.”

  I open my mouth to explain that she is wrong, that there is a Demon about to possess her. But, it happens so fast I don’t have time. The Demon is slithering an inch from her body one second, and the next, it seems to mold itself to her form. In a flash, it sinks into her. “No!!” I cry and I let my magic fly.

  Dagda’s mournful shout rings through the air. “Xandra, no!”

  It’s too late, my magic has already made contact.

  21 Chapter

  The sheer horror in Dagda’s voice snaps me back to my senses. I need to pull my magic back from Tana’s convulsing form before I kill her. Yes, I need to exorcise the Demon from her, but it’s not going to happen with blunt force magic, I’m sure. Before I can pull it back, though, I am tackled to the ground by my father. I don’t believe he’s trying to hurt me. He’s trying to distract me. Hoping that if I turn my attention to him, I will forget about Tana. Unfortunately for him, my magic doesn’t work that way. Now, it has two targets. It tears through Dagda just as it is Tana.

  The driveway is filling with bodies. Kallen drops to his knees next to me, but he’s smart enough not to touch me. “Xandra, what is going on?” His voice is calm, but there is an undertone of fear. Fear that I am about to kill two Fairies he loves.

  I’m straining to pull my magic back so I need to force the words out. “Possessed. By. Demon.”

  I may have just shortened my husband’s life by a few Cowan millennia. “You are possessed?” he asks as evenly as a terrified-that-his-wife-is-possessed-by-a-Demon husband can.

  “No. Tana.”

  Relief flashes in Kallen’s gorgeous green eyes. Which is quickly followed by guilt. He doesn’t want his mother’s sister to be possessed, either. His head swivels toward her and he stares hard. Then harder. “How do you know?”

  “Saw it happen,” I manage between gritted teeth. With a last tug, my magic comes rushing back to me so hard, I fall backwards. Both Tana’s and Dagda’s bodies are suddenly very still.

  Tabitha rushes to Dagda, who happens to be closer to her. “He’s alive,” she announces.

  “So is Tana,” Isla calls out. “She is breathing.”

  Fortunately, Isla has not reached her yet. Scrambling to my feet, I cry, “Get away from her!” Did Isla not hear my conversation with Kallen? “She’s possessed.”

  Isla stares back at me, doubt clouding the green of her eyes. “Possessed?” She takes a step back from Tana, but continues to stare at the Fairy lying unconscious on the ground. “Are you certain?”

  I nod emphatically. “I saw the Demon meld with her.”

  Isla turns to Tabitha. “Check her, please.”

  Glancing between Isla and me, Tabitha asks, “Is it safe to touch her?”

  “Perhaps it is best to take Xandra’s word for it,” Kallen suggests. “We know nothing of how Demon possessions work.”

  Dagda groans and pushes himself up on his elbows. “What happened?”

  “Um, you got in the path of my magic,” I admit. “Sorry about that.”

  Understanding washes over his face, followed by dread. His eyes begin a frantic search for his wife. When he finds her on the ground, he pushes himself up, ready to go to her. Kallen stops him with a hand on his shoulder. “Wait. I am not certain how much you heard, but we believe a Demon has possessed Tana.”

  Dagda shakes Kallen’s hand off. “Nonsense. I sense no magic other than hers.”

  “Like you didn’t sense the Demon magic these last few days,” I point out.

  An angry flush crawls up my father’s neck. Whether he is angry at me or the Demons, I am not certain. “What can we do for her?” he demands of us all.

  More than one shoulder wants to raise in a helpless shrug. I’m not embarrassed by my ignorance. I let mine do it. “I don’t know.”

  “We cannot leave her out here on the ground,” Dagda insists. “I will carry her inside.” He marches forward, ready to pick his wife up in his arms and keep her safe.

  He’s about five feet away when Tana bucks her back and shoots to her feet like an acrobat. She could join the circus with skills like that. Her eyes are blazing with fury and it’s all directed at me. “You!” She stalks toward me with homicide in her eyes. With an extra side of crazy. “You tried to kill me.”

  “Tana, you’re possessed,” I inform her. If Taz was out here, he’d mention how the Demon probably already knows this.

  “Is that the excuse you gave them?” she mocks. “Everyone here knows you hate me and want me gone so your precious mother isn’t uncomfortable.”

  Kallen comes to my defense. “Tana, that is not true. Xandra has never hated you.”

  “Like you would ever say anything to upset your sensitive little wife,” Tana accuses.

  “Hey! I’m not that sensitive,” I exclaim, probably proving her point. Pulling myself together, I say as calmly as I can, “It’s the Demon in you making you think these things. They are not true.”

  Tana gives me a ‘you poor, stupid girl’ look. “Demons cannot possess. Everyone here knows that.”

  “I do not know such a thing,” Kallen counters.

  “She is behaving strangely,” Garren says in a stage whisper to Isla. “I believe Xandra is right.”

  Tana whips around so she is facing him and before Garren knows what hit him, he is on the ground. Wow, Demons are fast with their magic. Before Tana can strike again, though, I put a wall of my magic around her. I really hope it holds. I should also probably stop thinking of the Demon as Tana. She is still there somewhere, but it’s pretty clear the Demon is the one in control.

  I feel Kallen add his magic to mine. I glance up at him to give him an appreciative smile, but he’s not looking at me. He’s watching Dagda carefully. What is the King going to do now that we have his wife essentially caged in magic?

  I’m not certain what he would have done if the Tana Demon remained calm and collected. But, when it hits the magic and lets out a bellow of rage so loud and insane it makes the trees tremble, what my father does is add his magic to mine and Kallen’s. He moves closer to Kallen and me and I slip my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze in support of the difficult decision he just made. The right decision, but difficult all the same.

  Inside the cage, the Demon’s shrieks slowly become words, and they are some pretty nasty words. There is no way in any universe or reality that we could do the things with our body parts that it is suggesting. Some of them couldn’t even be surgically accomplished by a coroner. Slowly, the words begin to change. They are in a language I don’t understand, and I suspect that is not a good thing. Enough of that. I take its voice away.

  As soon as the Demon realizes what I have done, it begins to rage again. Silent shouts and threats are directed toward me. It throws itself against the magic only to end up on the ground, writhing in pain. It hurts me to watch Tana’s body be battered like this, but deep down, I am one hundred percent certain she would be angry if we let the Demon free. A quick glance at Dagda tells me he believes the same thing, though his hand does tighten significantly around mine. Ouch. I may need to get used to having only four fingers on that hand because there is definitely no circulation in my pinkie at the moment.

  After a few minutes, Tana’s body finally stops convulsing. The Demon is able to push up from the ground. It stands in the middle of the magical cage, careful not to touch any of the edges again. Its eyes glow an eerie silver and it snarls at me. Its expression is so angry and determined, I expect i
t to keep fighting against the magic. Oddly, it doesn’t. It simply stands in the middle of the cage and glares at me. It’s pretty creepy, actually.

  “I believe being in Tana’s body weakens the Demon,” Kallen says quietly. “It cannot break through our magic in this state.”

  Interesting. A suspicion is niggling at my mind. Deciding to take a gamble, I approach the cage. “You, like your friend before you, are at our mercy,” I inform the Demon residing within Tana. Unfortunately for us, like the position we were in with the last one, we cannot keep this up forever. “Unless you can free yourself of the body you have taken, you cannot fight us off. If I am wrong, get on with it so we can finish this fight. I really hate to kick someone when they’re down.” Unless it’s a Demon. I find I could quite easily kick a Demon when it’s down. If only it wasn’t in Tana’s body.

  Out of the corner of his mouth, Kallen says, “Please do not antagonize the Demon.”

  I grin up at him. “Not antagonizing, just offering suggestions.” I turn my attention back to Tana and her uninvited guest. “If you could leave her body on your own, I suspect you would have done it by now.”

  “Are you saying it is trapped within her forever?” Dagda asks. I have never heard his voice so anguished.

  Keeping my eyes on the silver ones before me, I shake my head. “No, not forever. I am certain there is a spell or a ritual which can free the Demon. As a matter of fact, it began to speak one before I took its voice away.”

  Kallen’s lips curl up into a grin as he stares down at me. “But you took its voice away before it could finish. You never cease to amaze me, my love.”

  I grin back. “That is what is going to keep us happily married for eternity.”

  He chuckles. “One of many things.” The pure lust in his eyes gives me a clue as to another item on the list. I want nothing more than to kiss him at the moment.

  “Can we please get back to saving my wife,” Dagda hisses next to me.