Molony nodded his head. He placed his hand on Demona’s shoulder. “I’ll go see Ezekiel about the parley and start getting things in order.” He turned toward the church.
Demona found her tent and rested a little while before deciding to venture out into Roost Haven. She wanted to find Felix and see what he had been doing. She assumed that he was still assisting Kaleb with any necessary fortifications before they were ready to leave. Now that there were even more pairs of hands, they could afford to leave a few more people behind to guard the base, while they went to confront the demon priest.
Demona stepped out of her tent and looked around at the crowded base. Between the volunteers, neutral refugees, and the new reinforcements their numbers had swelled to almost three hundred. Around her the new arrivals were setting up sand or green colored canvas tents that they had brought with them. Boxes of nonperishable food items were being carried into the church. Numerous weapons were being checked in and organized at the armory.
“Demona,” a voice called to her.
Demona spun around in response to her name. She saw a familiar face come jogging through the crowd in her direction.
“Oakley!” Demona hugged him when he got closer.
“I wanted to say hi before things got too chaotic.” Oakley motioned to everything around him.
Demona nodded in understanding. “How are you and Benen?”
“I’m good. Benen is the same as always, just growing like a weed,” Oakley smiled. “Speaking of which, he wanted me to give you this.” Oakley handed Demona a folded piece of paper.
Demona unfolded it to find a drawing that had clearly been done by a small child. “Is that supposed to be me?”
Oakley grinned and leaned over the paper. “Yes, he said that’s supposed to be you with the sword killing the giant. And that is Felix in a whirlwind. Like how you made one in the training field in Gleannbroch, he said.”
Demona giggled. “That kid is something else!” Demona said. It brought a smile to her face. She could not remember the last time she laughed or smiled. It felt like ages to her. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
Oakley shrugged. “I volunteered.”
“We appreciate it; we can use all of the help we can get.” Demona grabbed hold of his hand and gave a slight squeeze.
“Any idea where Felix is? I wanted to say hello to him too,” Oakley asked.
Demona shook her head. “Sorry, I was just about to go look for him myself.”
Oakley half turned and stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Oakley beckoned a man standing behind him to come forward. “Demona I would like you to meet Napoleon Brennan, your cousin.”
Demona was shocked. A cousin. She had never thought about searching for her extended family. Of course she would have some, but between focusing on finding out what had happed to her parents and dealing with her destiny, she had not had time to spare it any thought. Demona almost smacked herself in the head for not thinking of it before. She had known that her grandmother was alive; at least she was back when her parents had died. She never thought to try and find her, or any other family members.
Demona realized she had not said anything. “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting that.” She reached her hand out for a handshake.
Napoleon reached out and grabbed her hand with a firm grasp. “Call me Leon.”
“I’ll let you two do some catching-up and go find Felix,” Oakley said.
Demona reached out her hand to stop him. “Will you tell him that I’ll find him later?”
“Sure,” Oakley said. He left Leon and Demona to talk alone.
Demona led the way as they began to walk around the base. “So, that makes you my cousin on my Dad’s side?”
“Yup, our fathers were brothers,” Leon replied. He had the slender build of the ljosalfar Elvin people. He had the same dark brown colored hair that Demona remembered her father having.
“Wait. You said were brothers?” Demona asked.
Leon nodded solemnly. “My father died several years ago, he was Napoleon the first,” he said. “We were surprised to hear that you were alive when word spread through GLC. We knew that something devastating had happened to your family, but we never knew what exactly happened. It was as if you dropped off the face of the earth, nobody knew where you were and Grandma made sure that the family searched everywhere for you.
“When news reached us that the daughter of Uncle Darryn had been found, we were ecstatic.” Leon bowed his head. “The whole family is sorry for your great loss.”
“Thank you. The memories from the day they were killed still haunt me,” Demona said. “But I guess it wasn’t just my loss, was it? It was my whole family’s loss.”
Leon nodded. “We were sad to hear of their tragic ending.”
Demona directed them to a log in the grove where they could sit and warm themselves by the burning barrels. “Tell me about the rest of our family.”
Leon paused for a moment to think. “Let’s see… our grandparents are no longer with us. Grandpa died before you were born, but Grandma passed only just recently. They only had two children, my father and yours; my father being the oldest. Other than me, you have two other cousins. My sister, Lydia, and my brother, Uriel.”
“Wow,” Demona tried to process all of the new information.
“Uriel is about your age. He’s in Gleannbroch receiving an education to become an ordained priest. Lydia lives in Dissium with her husband and daughter, Tilly.”
“I can’t believe this!” Demona said. “So many family members to get to know. Had we ever met? I don’t think we have, but sometimes I find that I’m still missing memories or they’re fragmented.”
Leon shook his head. “No, we never met.”
Demona studied Leon’s features. Other than his full head of brown hair and delicate frame he resembled her father in other subtle ways. He also had soft porcelain skin, very much like her complexion. I wonder if I share any other physical similarities with my other cousins. “I’ll have to go to Gleannbroch and Dissium when this is over so I can meet Uriel and Lydia.”
Leon grimaced. “I would not suggest meeting Lydia… While my brother and I are allied with the GLC, Lydia, and particularly her husband, remains neutral. That is why they live in Dissium; they want nothing to do with the light or dark beings. They live in an isolated ljosalfar community.”
Demona looked sullen. “That’s a shame.”
Leon gave a half smile while he nodded. “It is.”
“And what about you?” Demona asked.
Leon did not answer immediately. He needed a few moments to figure out what he should share. “There isn’t much to say, really. I live near the northern headquarters, in Wisconsin. I’m an ally to GLC, as I mentioned before. I’m a bachelor…Umm, That’s about it.”
“That sounds nice and calm,” Demona replied.
“It is. Probably a lot calmer than what you’re used to.”
Demona nodded vigorously. “You have no idea…So you came to help us?”
“I did. I hope that my elemental powers will be of use,” Leon replied.
“I have them too. I mean, I know I’m only half Elvin, but I have elemental magic, too.”
“Grandma always said there was something special about you,” Leon said.
Demona smiled. “Ha-ha. If only she knew…”
“It’s fascinating that I’m related to the chosen one.”
“So, you know about all of that?” Demona asked. “I’m glad someone is excited about it.”
Leon looked serious after her comment. “That’s why I’m here. How could I let my cousin, the chosen one, fight a battle without being there to support her. It would be a disgrace to our noble heritage if nobody from our family fought alongside you against such a great evil.”
“I appreciate the support, Leon.” Demona nervously picked at her fingers. “I’m so grateful. Just don’t get yourself killed before I have a chance to get to know you better.”
“I w
on’t.” Leon reached into his pants pocket. “Here,” Leon handed a small piece of paper to Demona.
Demona took it and flipped it over. It was not a piece of paper, but an old photograph of her parents when they were younger. Demona studied the picture. Her mother’s hair was a wild, wavy brown, not much unlike Demona’s.
“I thought you would want it. You look like your mother,” Leon said. “I compared your father’s features to my father’s. They looked very similar when they were younger.”
Demona held the photograph over her heart. Tears glistened in her eyes. “You have no idea how much this means. Thank you.”
Leon shrugged. “That’s what family’s for.”
Word went through Roost Haven that a meeting was to be held on the plans for the next day.” Molony called everyone to gather around at the picnic tables, where he stood on a table. The fire in the burning barrels that dotted camp stood out against the blackened evening surroundings. The firelight seemed to bring his red hair to life as he stood waiting for the murmuring crowd to quiet down.
“Tomorrow is the day we face evil itself. Tonight, don’t worry about the specifics of the upcoming battle. Instead prepare your hearts, minds, and bodies for what you will face.” Molony paused. “We’ll leave for our destination at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning. We ask that you think on this one thing. If your heart tells you to go with us to battle, then go. If your heart tells you to stay, then stay. Guards and other personnel will be needed to keep things safe and running smoothly both while we are gone and when we return. I wish you all a good night and Aleph be with you.” He stepped down and made his way back to the hospital wing.
Demona sat beside Felix on one of the cold wooden benches. They gripped each other’s hands tightly. The crowd began to disperse into their tents for the night. Demona wondered how many of them would actually sleep. She pondered if she herself would be able to rest. She tried to brush away the thought of the upcoming battle and the important role that she had in defeating the demon priest out of her mind.
Felix must have sensed her anxiety. He kept a tight hold on her hand as they walked towards their tents, but when Demona went to stop so that she could say goodnight he kept on walking. Demona, with her hand still in Felix’s, allowed him to guide her wherever he was going. They walked through Roost Haven where the noises of restless people could be heard within their tents. They kept going until they reached the back gate of the base. The guard allowed them to pass, but warned that they needed to be careful. Felix nodded that they would and led Demona out into the darkness.
Demona quickly produced a small flaming orb that she sent out to light their way. She realized that Felix was following the path to the rocky outcrop. They walked silently following the glowing light that floated ahead of them. They were careful to step over the rocks as the path grew more treacherous.
It was too dark to see the valley below when they reached the outcrop. Felix led Demona to a large flat rock where they sat. Felix turned to her and took her in his arms. He leaned in and kissed her gently on her cheek. Then, on her nose. He brushed her hair over her shoulder and placed his hand on the back of her neck. He pulled her face towards his and kissed her deeply.
Demona had never felt Felix so passionate; it caused warmth to flood through her body in that very instant. The intensity of his kisses consumed her and she sank into the feeling. They laid back on the flat rock, on which they sat, and held each other tightly as their kissing grew more rhythmic.
Demona pulled Felix on top of her. She unzipped his coat and reached her arms inside and around his back. She grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him closer. She wanted to feel every inch of his body on hers and she pulled with all of her strength as if trying to crush herself with his weight.
Their breathing grew heavier and faster. Their kisses became harder and hungrier for each other. Demona opened her legs and brought her knees up, so that Felix could lie comfortably between them. He placed both hands on her hips and pulled her closer to him.
His body was warm and hard; Demona wanted to posses it, to be part of him. Her body was on fire and her breathing was rapid. The sensation, the desire, was overwhelming. It was suffocating. She pushed her hands upward on Felix’s chest and he pulled away from her slightly. Felix looked searchingly into her eyes and moved to lie beside her. He knew that now was not the right time for them to take the next step.
Felix pulled Demona toward him and she snuggled into the place between his arm and chest. She rested her head in the nook between his arm and chest and listened to his heart thumping quickly, his rapid breathing trying to slow itself down. He held her tightly on the bitter night and they stared up into the starry sky.
Chapter 19:
The Battle
The following morning, after Demona had a steaming cup of coffee on the snowy, cold morning, she made her way to the entrance of Roost Haven. She sipped her coffee as quickly as she could without burning herself. She daydreamed as she walked through the base. Her mind was on the previous night and how close she had come to truly being one with Felix. She was happy that she was able to spend alone time with him, before the upcoming battle, just in case one or both of them did not return. She took another sip of her coffee and almost choked, because of the distracting thoughts. Now, she just needed to clear her head of Felix and his magical touch.
It was Demona’s turn to take the lead with getting things going before it was time to leave for the abandoned portion of Route 61. She walked into the church and through the sanctuary and picked up a wooden box that contained about two dozen protection charms. She walked through the gathering crowd and found the people that she felt were vital to protect from magic spells.
Demona gave one to Molony, since they would need to keep him protected in order to make sure that things ran smoothly at the mobile medical unit. Then, she gave one to Ezekiel, just in case the headquarters was attacked while they were gone. She handed them to her friends Kaleb and Ileana who would both be out on the battlefield helping to keep formation, lead the others, and helps protect them as they faced the demon priest. She placed one around the neck of each of her fellow artifact wielders and reserved one for herself. The rest she handed to those in commanding positions with a vital role during the battle and she included some of the defenders that would be on the front line.
Everything was as ready as it could be for them to depart Roost Haven for their destination. The GLC defenders, volunteers, volunteer refugees, and other GLC reinforcements and allies had prepared themselves before they arrived. They were armed with weapons and protective gear. They had said silent prayers to Aleph and participated in any rituals their cultures performed before battle. They were working themselves up to be prepared emotionally for what was to come.
The GLC members, volunteers, and reinforcements gathered around in a tight group near Ezekiel. Despite his continued grief over the loss of his wife, he managed to speak an inspiring prayer over those going into battle. Demona herded the crowd through the base’s entrance and out into the lot where the dozens of cars, SUVs, and RVs were parked and waiting. They had already been preparing the vehicles to leave, by making sure that the engines were in working condition and the tires were sturdy. The drivers had parked in a line in front of the entrance and waited until they were loaded to full capacity before pulling away down the dirt road.
Many of the defenders they sat calmly and stared out the window as the vehicles pulled away. The defenders were the least anxious of the group, because most had been in battle before. Others, especially the volunteer refugees from Terra Hollow were clearly nervous. Some chewed their fingers and nails, others wrung their hands, and some chewed on their lips. Demona hoped that they could find the courage to make it through the battle and home safely. She tried to brush the thought out of her mind that some of these people might not return.
Demona and Felix made their way to his red sedan after seeing that everyone was loaded into the vehicles. Grantly trotted happily
, in their direction, from the entrance of Roost Haven. He gave a single woof to get Demona’s attention. Demona turned to the large furry dog and gave him an instruction to sit. The dog promptly listened.
Demona bent down to look in the dog’s eyes. “I need you to listen carefully boy. You need to stay here. I know you have a habit of following me around, but I don’t want you in any danger. You might be my spirit animal, but I’d like to keep you alive instead of having a spirit ghost following me around.”
Grantly yipped in response.
“Now, I don’t want to hear any back talk. I’ll see you when I get back.” Demona stood and patted Grantly on the head. He looked up at her with an expression that almost seemed depressed. Then he whimpered as she climbed into the passenger seat of the car.
Horde of the Demon Priest (Demona Book 3) Page 16