Demon Day

by Penelope Fletcher

  Breathing hard, I stumbled but my wings fluttered and I was okay. This was not right. “I don’t think I’m supposed to be here.”

  Tomas squeezed my hand. “Do you trust me?” he repeated with a firm undertone. He sounded like he was asking the question for the sake of it and that I should simply say yes.

  I trusted him did I not? Why would I be here if I did not? I decided to come here with him didn’t I?

  “I–” A high-pitched squeal of delight pierced the night, and my eyes rolled seeking the mouth it pealed from. “I–”

  Something icy brushed past the nape of my neck. A mad chuckle echoed in my ears before a gangly vampire appeared in front of me. I stopped dead, my hand slipping from Tomas’ and I heard him curse as another slipped in behind the first, pushing at him so as to get a better look at me, slobbering.

  Stumbling back, I remembered those behind me then spun round to see what they were doing, which was nothing. Well, they were collectively wiping the drool from their chins, and licking their lips as they eyed me up and down hungrily, but other than that, they were still.

  Backing up, I held my hands up and tried to step around the vampire. He feinted to block my way. Heart pounding, sweating, I tried to go the other way and he jerked to block my path. Terrified, I reached out to the Source and armed myself with energy. It buzzed at my fingertips. The vampire spread his arms out wide and swung his head from side to side once then smiled toothily at me, his fangs running out. I was used Tomas’ extended fangs, but he had all his other teeth, unlike the one in front of me who smelt like he bathed in sewage. My stomach dropped as he chuckled oddly, and jerked forward making me jerk back. He did it again and I got the distinct sense he was playing with me, taunting me. Just like I had been told vampires liked to do when they were hunting.

  There was a pained grunt and the littler vampire – who had been trying to get a better look at me –flew toward me and I ducked to let him sail overhead and crash into those behind me.

  The vampire that was playing with me spun, and got Tomas’ fist in his face. He dropped to his knees and keened, then shrank back when Tomas raised his hand again and snarled. Crawling back the feral vampire gave me a wide birth and quivered when Tomas took a step forward to offer me his hand. I took it and let him pull me into his arms.

  I shook so hard I could barely stand. Vampires were not to be messed with. Even as a fairy I knew if a strong vampire got lucky it could take me out. They were powerful, horrendously strong and nearly as fast as fairykind. These ones were also completely insane, and insanity had a way of lending extra cunning to a hunter.

  And I, a tasty blood bag, was standing in the middle of them, my heart beating wildly.

  “Calm down,” Tomas said quietly and stroked the back of my head. He inhaled deeply. “Release your hold on magic Rae, it will bring you nothing but pain here. It is okay you are safe. They got carried away because you smell good.”

  Holding onto the calm tenor in his voice, I let my grasp on the Source go and instead clung to him. Only the pang – that was quickly muted by the darkness – had me wishing it was someone else. The one who bathed me in silver light … but he was not here.

  Why was he not here again?

  “Did I mention that you vampires are creepy?” I shifted back so I could look at his face, my eyes still wide with fear. “You know them?”

  He nodded then focused over his shoulder. “Come on. We are almost there.”

  He took my hand again; wrapping his fingers securely round mine, and sneered once more at the vampires trailing us.

  The fog of uncertainty had thinned in the face of my fear, clarity coming on as an after effect of the adrenaline preparing me to fight or run. Okay…. None of my current situation made any sense. Rather than feeling indifferent about it this time, it made me uncomfortable, and concerned about what was going on.

  “Tomas, I … I decided to come here with you, didn’t I?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t Breandan come with us?” I looked down at our joined hands. I was confused and wary. “Why isn’t he here with me? I think he should be here.”

  “No. Keep moving, Rae.”

  My brows furrowed, my head hurt so much. “But … where? Where are we going?” Tomas picked up the pace. “I mean, we spoke about coming to see your Nest because we need to talk to vampires. We need to be united.” My words were right, we did need to be united, but why did I sound and feel unsure.

  More of the fog cleared and I blinked even as the road opened out and ahead of us was a large stone gray building. Dozens of shallow steps on a gentle slope led up to the big wooden doorway flanked by thick rounded pillars. Engraved into the stonework were small furry animals and flowers, and even those stone depictions looked creepy.

  “Stop.” I yanked my hand from Tomas’ and rubbed my temples, keeping my eyes on him. “What is happening here Tomas? My mind is … not right. I am missing memories, like they’re covered in smoke I can’t see through.” Even saying the words helped me dispel some of the shadows in my mind. “What are you doing?” I whispered. “Whatever you have done to my mind stop.”

  Tomas’s face creased in panic. “Rae–”

  Where was Breandan, and why did the look in Tomas’ eye make it feel like ugly dark things were crawling over my skin? I sought out the bond, was rocked when my awareness of Breandan snapped like a coil, and stretched, and I could identify that it was bad for him to be so far.

  My heart rate leapt and I hyperventilated. “Right now,” I shrieked. “Get out of my head!”

  Tomas caught my chin between his cold fingers. “Don’t fight this.”

  He pulled me forward to kiss me roughly. At the contact the fog thickened and swelled through my mind again. His fangs ran out and sliced my bottom lip open, and his tongue lapped the blood that flowed greedily, but even that was done distractedly, his focus was elsewhere. His influence tried to push me under again, tried to cloud my mind, but I resisted, realizing that he was keeping me this way.

  I shoved him away, my hand covering my mouth as he skidded back.

  He made a sound of frustration. “This will be difficult for you to understand. I don’t want you to feel any needless pain. Accept me back into your thoughts.”

  “Can you imagine if I was the jealous type? I would think you had replaced me, love.”

  The voice came from above and my eyes danced up the stone steps until they landed on a tall, curvy woman with dark brown ringlets that brushed her chin at the front and cascaded down to her shoulders at the back. Dressed in a sleeveless tunic, shredded jeans, and bare foot she came down the steps toward us with an intense expression. Her pink-rimmed eyes never left my face and the intensity of her blink less stare was the most probing and unbalanced I had ever felt on me. She inhaled deeply and her mouth parted as two broad fangs dropped.

  “I sent you for a human, Tomas. You bring me a fairy.” She did not sound angry, more considering anger and merely bothering with apathetic curiosity.

  Tomas said nothing, but the tender expression that had come over his face looking at the female vampire had me extremely anxious about my current situation.

  “Gwendolyn,” he murmured. “I am home.”

  “I missed you,” she said without any real kind of emotion still walking steadily toward me.

  The air around her was disturbed, like the space surrounding her body did not want to get too close. I inched back feeling my wings fit more snugly on my back and my tail curl up to whack my shoulder in agitation. The dark that wreathed round her form was evil, the nasty sticky kind. The dark that cloaked Tomas had never felt evil to me, his dark was clear, but hers was sinister and radiated malevolence.

  My nature pushed at me to run, to attack. To do something, anything, but I just stood there for my shock was too great, and frankly, my limbs felt like they were glued to the floor. Whatever compulsion Tomas had forced on me had not yet freed me. Even as I could recognize my reactions and memories were not as
they should be, I could not bring myself to leave this place.

  Tomas said, “Where is Daphne?”

  Reaching him her eyes left me. The corner of her mouth lifted as her attention switched solely to Tomas. “Your pet is around here somewhere. She has a habit of appearing at the oddest of times at the strangest of places. I think you set her to spy on me, no?” Her voice hardened at the end and Tomas’ face took on an innocently blank look.

  The darkness that surrounded him merged with hers, and they were one. She snaked her hand around his waist, and the other fisted in his hair, pulling his mouth to meet hers.

  Stunned, I stood still and stared at the middle distance, my mind reeling, stomach sinking. I lifted my hand to … what? I was not sure, maybe hit her … but Tomas pulled out of their kiss, grabbed my wrist, slid his other round my waist, and pulled me to stand in front of him, as if offering me up for inspection. His head came to rest on my shoulder, as if in affection.

  The vampire giggled, and her gaze roamed over me, curious. She gave Tomas a toothy smile filled with anticipation and excitement. “This is her … the one that I saw. I remember her gold eyes, but I thought she was supposed to be human.”

  “So did she until a few days ago.”

  It was surreal. They talked about me over my head as if I was not even there.

  The vampire’s eyes lit up and she looked me over. “She has a story to tell I see.” Briefly, her eyes closed and she inhaled and exhaled with a lusty sigh. “Full blooded fairy, delicious.” She stepped closer and took my head in her hands. I tugged once half heartedly, not liking the contact, but she gazed deep into my eyes. “I am Queen here, tell me everything you know,” she ordered, and her pupils contracted.

  I blinked, grabbed her skinny wrists, and yanked them off my face. “No. And don’t touch me.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Tomas? What. The. Hell. Is. Going. On?” I shook my head, still not understanding what I was seeing. “What … I don’t get how … what are you doing?”

  Gwendolyn looked from Tomas to me, and back again so many times, and so quickly, her face blurred. “She is breaking free of your compulsion, yes? But she does not bend to mine … why can you…?” The disgust on her face made her pointy nose screw up in an ugly way. “No. Tell me it is not true.”

  “I did not expect it to happen,” Tomas grated and from the tension in his face, I could not tell if he was embarrassed or concerned. “And I am not sorry. The connection was the only reason my compulsion worked on her. Even now she fights it.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Whether you expected it or not it does not explain how you forged a blood tie with this girl in the month you have been gone when we have been together for the better part of a century. Our mating was not forced and we have never experienced….” Her head swung and she stripped me with a glare. “What passed between you and my mate, fairy?”

  I looked at Tomas and his expression told me nothing. “A kiss,” I said, stupidly.

  Lips flattening to a taut line he made a dismissing movement with his hand. “What has transpired between Rae and I does not concern you.”

  Gwendolyn’s body shook with repressed rage and the darkness began to blot out the whites of her eyes. “Does … not….” She sounded like she was being strangled.

  Chest rising and falling in tense jerks her bone white hands became claws, and even as I saw the thread of her calm snap and her lips curl back, Tomas slid in front of me. She grabbed his shoulder, digging her nails in, but he wrapped his hand around her throat.

  “Calm yourself,” he ordered. “It means nothing.”

  She snapped at him and he released his hold on her throat to pull her into him. Tomas murmured something soothing in Gwendolyn’s ear as she completely freaked out, clawing at him so she could get to me. She made growling noises mixed with rabid shrieks and her dark eyes rolled madly.

  Tomas struggled to keep her in his embrace, but managed to stroke her hair whilst he watched me tremble. The corners of his mouth pulled down when he read the fear in my face.

  Well, what did he expect? I was no longer fully under his compulsion and this situation got scarier by the moment.

  The whole time I had not moved, but I honestly had no idea what to do. I remembered bringing us here using magics, and I could tell we were not near a forest. Hungry vampires surrounded me so running like prey through the streets of an unknown city was not an option, and where was I running to? My senses were muddled from Tomas’ compulsion, and I was not entirely sure I could move my feet yet. The bond between Breandan and I kept stretching into nothing then flowing over me in full force as if he drew nearer, but I ignored it as I couldn’t trust what I felt. I swallowed loudly and forced my heart to stop trying to bash free through my chest, no doubt it was like a dinner bell to the demons that had me trapped.

  The mad fire in the Gwendolyn’s eyes cooled and her rabid expression faded. Tomas let the Nest Queen go and without hesitation, she slinked over to me, around me, taking my measure.

  I ignored her and silent tears spilled over to run down my cheeks. The last vestiges of the compulsion were fading and freed my emotions. They came tumbling back in full force – the fear and complete betrayal. The darkness was everywhere, still writhing and wiggling through me because I was tied to Tomas by blood. He had led me here to these starved and insane vampires.

  Icy breath tickled my ear and cold fingers brushed the back of my neck. “Looking for someone?” Gwendolyn asked quietly.

  She could sense my magic? My eyes closed, and I shook my head, not in answer to her question, but in denial of the entire situation.

  The vampires that had followed Tomas us here watched me openly with hunger, with longing. Everywhere I looked fangs dropped and tongues snaked over parched lips. A few were even salivating, and I looked away from the carnal pleasure I saw lurking in the depths of their bottomless eyes.

  I found my voice, “Tomas, why have you done this?”

  Gwendolyn giggled and tugged on a clump of my hair and I flinched, my hands flitting up to bat her away. Tomas did not answer me. He looked between us, and sighed, as if we troubled and bothered him.

  My mind was still not coming to terms with what he had done. “But I trusted you.” I turned to look him in the face, my confusion, and horror plain. “I trust you, Tomas.”

  Gwendolyn smirked and came to stand in front of me blocking my view of him – twisting a lock of her hair around her middle finger. “Are you so desperate to believe you have done no wrong that you refuse to see what he is?”

  I sucked in a breath. My heart crashed in my chest, which was painfully tight. “I don’t believe it.” I leaned around her to search Tomas’ eyes. “I know you’re mad about Breandan,” I mumbled. “But there was no choice and you know that. There was no choice for me.”

  Tomas finally moved again. He shouldered past Gwendolyn who pushed him back playfully and slowly placed his cool hands on my face to cup it gently. His thumb stroked over my bottom lip. The corners of his bottomless eyes tightened. “I know you will never understand why I did this,” he said earnestly. “I am sorry, for everything, but I had to get you here, Rae. I had to.”

  He let me go, and I staggered back.

  Gwendolyn bit her grubby fingertip coyly, giggled. “Silly fairy.”

  My legs gave way, and I fell to my knees. Tears splashed on the gray concrete like rain, making a dark puddle beneath me. I pressed my forehead to the ground, wanting nothing more in that moment than to curl up and die

  Deception. Everything Tomas had done was a trick, a ruse to get me here.

  Gwendolyn’s laughter and the laughter of her Nest burned me, echoed through the cold, empty buildings to be magnified and thrown back at me, infuriating me.

  I lurched up, filled with fire and determination. An anger so consuming I feared it would choke me if I did not appease it with blood. I drew deeply on the Source until it filled my being with white-hot light then I–

  Nothing!

  I
tried again to channel my power and manifest a fireball but nothing happened. Staggering back, a terrified squeal of horror was torn from my throat as I repeatedly tried to use my magic. I could not wield the energy gifted to me as my birthright. The breath whooshed from my lungs, and I looked down at my hands, willing them to fill with fire. My head snapped up and I sent Tomas a hate filled glare.

  He raised a thick, dark eyebrow. “Do you remember what I told you, Rae? That some vampires used to be able to touch the Source before they turned,” he said coolly, and inclined his head toward Gwendolyn who smiled sneakily.

  “No magics for you,” she chimed and waggled her finger.

  Holding onto the Source was making me agitated so I released it, and focused on the vampire Queen. She had some power, this I could feel, but not enough to manage a spell great enough to hold me back.

  “You are not powerful enough to cast this enchantment,” I said. “Who did?”

  The animated expression bled from her face until all that was left was the effortlessly blank look all vampires seemed so good at. “I think you should be more worried about what happens next.” Her hand stroked the side of her throat and her tongue flicked over a fang.

  The vampires surrounding us took a step forward and the anticipation became so thick in the air I could taste it.

  I blinked and Gwendolyn was behind me, yanking my head to the side, fangs scraping my throat. Yet, as the points of her fangs pricked my skin I wrapped my hand in the ringlets that brushed my wrist and yanked, hard. There was no way in hell she was biting me. Her head jack-knifed back and I released her only to run at super speed right into Tomas’ waiting hands.