Dealing with the Devil (The Earthwalker Trilogy Book 1)

by Siddoway, Jennifer

“I’m not going to use my powers flippantly,” I informed him bitterly. “I just need to learn self-defense—”

  “And apparently how to conceal your scales,” he corrected smugly. “Don’t think yourself so superior that you can afford to cast aside the gifts you have just to prove a point — that’s dangerously close to encroaching on my domain. But before we get carried away with that, you may want to get dressed.”

  Gasping slightly, I looked down at the tank top and boxer shorts and immediately became self-conscious. Blushing at the intimate circumstances of our encounter, I turned away from him and tried to limit the amount of exposed skin I was showing. “I guess you're right.”

  He kicked his feet up onto my vanity and put his hands behind his head, “Carry on.”

  “You're just going to sit there?”

  “Where else would you have me go?” he demanded with a quizzical eyebrow.

  I pointed at the door and commanded, “OUT!”

  Aidan rolled his eyes and sighed. With a snap of his fingers the demon was gone, but I heard his voice ring clearly in my head. “Call for me again when you are ready. I'll be waiting.”

  I shivered slightly at the veiled threat and grabbed a set of clothes hanging in the closet. A few minutes later I was dressed and tiptoed quietly down the stairs. My stomach was doing backflips after having cast my first demonic spell and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I’d spent so much time trying to reject that part of myself I felt guilty and torn, as if I’d given up, but I couldn’t exactly walk around looking like a dragon! Even still, I had managed to wield a little power without causing destruction or drawing attention to myself, so I had to count that as a win and consider it valuable progress.

  Dad and Nate were both in the kitchen having breakfast when I came down, while Nadia got some coffee. Nate looked as if he'd been up late playing that Star Wars last night, his bed head stuck out around his ears as he took hesitant sips from the orange juice in front of him. I noticed he pulled his chair to the extreme far end of the table, away from Dad in a passive aggressive display. Obviously, he was still angry about yesterday’s revelations.

  It had only been a few weeks since my entire world had been turned upside down, so I knew how he was feeling. I walked up behind his chair and gave him a hug, nuzzling my face into his dark, brown hair. He reached up to pat me on the arm while I grabbed a banana from the counter.

  “Hey,” he greeted lazily. “Were you able to get that spider?”

  I snickered, peeling the skin off my chosen piece of fruit. “Oh, yeah, I got it. Did Elyse ever make it back?”

  Our father frowned morosely and shook his head before taking another sip of his coffee. “I’m afraid not, sweetie.”

  Nadia narrowed her eyes as she gave me a once over and I suspected she knew a glamour spell had been cast. “Good morning, Wynn. You’re looking well. Did you think about my suggestion yesterday?”

  “What suggestion?” Dad asked suspiciously.

  “I thought it might be a good idea for her to get a tutor,” she responded coyly. “It might be able to help give her a leg up on the ACT's.”

  I choked on my coffee and nodded. “Yeah … I was thinking about that earlier. I do think I need some … guidance.” We smiled knowingly at our inside joke. I thought up quickly, “There's a study group that meets in the Community Center on Main, I thought I'd go check it out. Do you mind, Dad?”

  He sat back in his chair, looking back and forth between the two of us. “How did you plan on getting there?”

  “I thought I would walk, it's only a couple blocks. I could use the fresh air.”

  He nodded stiffly, “Well, that seems like a drastic change in attitude! I’m not too pleased with you running off yesterday, but I think we can put that aside for now. Go ahead, have fun. Let me know if you need a ride.”

  “What about you, Nadia, any plans for the day?”

  “I was going to visit your mother in the hospital,” she told me gently. “Then your father and I were going to compile as much information as we could for Elyse about her mother.”

  “Wow, that’s really nice of you. I look forward to seeing what you find. Thanks Dad, I'll see you later!”

  I grabbed my phone and bag, slipped on my headphones, and let the door fall shut behind me. Music helped me think, it soothed my soul. I'm not sure if it would help today, however, there was too much on my mind. Outside, a slight breeze blew, whipping my hair around me in a red haze.

  While walking down the path, I reminded myself, a means to an end … and called to my mother’s demon. “Aidan, I'm ready.”

  He was at my side before I could even blink, his immaculate suit looking out of place on the back roads of Alabama. “That took less time than I expected, I'm impressed.”

  “Where do we start?”

  Aidan smiled wickedly and held out his hand towards me, “Come, I'd like to show you something.”

  ~ * ~

  “That's a rookie mistake,” Aidan scolded. “You're getting sloppy.”

  My stomach growled with hunger and I glared at him furiously, “We've been practicing for hours! I'm exhausted … and starving! Can’t we take a break?”

  Aidan huffed in annoyance, “I suppose you're right.”

  I rolled my eyes at him when he wasn't looking and stared off into the distance, trying to piece together all the skills I had learned as I caught my breath. He had shed the jacket he was wearing when we first arrived in the park and hung it neatly on the branch of a tree. As my new teacher, he was ruthless with his discipline and had exceedingly high expectations of what he expected me to accomplish. I tried my hardest to keep up, but most of what he showed me was above my skill.

  After spending the morning practicing, I could summon an energy ball and occasionally move things with my mind, though I wasn't strong enough to move anything larger than a tennis ball. My favorite new trick, however, was learning how to Blink. That was the first thing he taught me after the glamour spell this morning. Aidan called it “short range teleportation”, but I liked my word better because you blink and then you're gone — that's how fast it is. The only downside was after about six or seven times I started getting really dizzy.

  Glancing over in his direction, I noticed he had leaned back against a willow tree, which emphasized the dramatic lines of his lean and wiry frame. The glint of his earring in the sun light was the first thing that caught my attention, followed by his silver blond hair and intense brow ridge. Even though I hated him and resented my dependence on his temporary mentorship, I had to admit he was unbelievably handsome.

  I scowled, grinding a pebble into the dirt. “Do you think I'm ready?”

  “For your next test? Absolutely not, but you've made progress. We’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of your potential.”

  “Who is it?” I asked him softly.

  “I'm not allowed to say.”

  I turned on my heel and scoffed, “Then what good are you?”

  “Ooh! Testy are we?” Aidan mused. “Tell me who have you met so far.”

  “I've met … Mammon,”

  Aidan nodded. “Yes, very good. Who else?”

  “Abaddon, Lord of Sloth. That still leaves five other slots available.”

  “Yes,” Aidan told me calmly. “And I am one of them.”

  A chill ran down my spine as he reminded me of the not-so-insignificant fact he was one of the Demon Lords I would face. “Which one are you?” I asked him boldly.

  He raised an eyebrow, “I thought you would have already guessed that by now.”

  “No…”

  “Then I suggest you do some research,” he spat, clearly offended.

  I nodded slowly. “And you want me to do well on this assignment, why?”

  “Because if you don't prove that you can control your aberrant powers then the Elders are going to destroy you.”

  “Wouldn't that just mean that I would die and become a demon anyways?”

  He shook his head. “If th
at were the case than I wouldn’t have fought for you in the Grove — you’d be mine no matter what. I didn't say they were going to ‘kill’ you, I said they would ‘destroy’ you. Your soul would be obliterated, as if you never existed, in this or any other plane.”

  “That's … crappy,” I ended lamely, not knowing what to say.

  Aidan took a step towards me. “Well, don't worry, because we're not going to let that happen. Once you've passed your probation and the Celestial Court has been appeased that you won’t explode like an atomic bomb, then you and I can get to work on the bigger picture. I want you to embrace every aspect of yourself, the good and the bad, so you can live up to your full potential. I will make you … magnificent.”

  He tenderly brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear and I felt my breath catch at his icy touch. What bothered me most was that it didn't bother me. I shouldn’t be all right with this, I told myself over and over again. He’s supposed to be just a means to an end.

  “What do you mean my full potential?”

  Aidan grinned. “Rule the world to start. With proper training, this place could be your playground.”

  I laughed, “I just … don't ever see that happening.”

  “That's because you lack proper vision,” he crooned condescendingly. “You'll get over that soon enough. You just need to keep practicing.”

  “Okay, can I get something to eat before we move onto global domination?”

  Aidan scoffed before waving his hand, summoning a delicious ruby red apple, and offering it to me. I took it from him and raised a critical eyebrow. “You’ve got to be joking.”

  “What?” he asked with a look of innocence on his face.

  “You aren’t honestly expecting me to take an apple from the Serpent who tainted Eden, are you?”

  He grinned and there was a sardonic twinkle in his eye. He was trying to be funny.

  “I thought it was appropriate.”

  “I’ll pass. Try something else.”

  “Fine,” he sighed and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich appeared in my other hand.

  Aidan snatched the apple from my grasp and took a bite of it himself, “Well, if you’re not going to eat it, I will.” I took a cautious bite from my sandwich and waited to see if anything happened. Aidan seemed amused and sat back down on the park bench to enjoy his apple.

  Once I was done, I pulled a water bottle from my backpack and chugged the entire container. “My my,” Aidan uttered judgmentally, “You were parched, weren't you?”

  I hummed in acknowledgement, wiping my mouth with my sleeve.

  “Well then, have you rested enough?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then you’re ready to continue?”

  I nodded carefully and Aidan smiled, cracking his knuckles as he stared off blankly into the distance. “Good, then come to me.”

  I took a calming breath and stepped towards him cautiously. Aidan stopped me almost instantly and corrected my mistake, “No, no. I want you to teleport.”

  Huffing angrily I told him, “I still haven’t got the hang of it!”

  “And this is the only way you’re going to learn,” he informed me cruelly. “Now try it once again.”

  Scowling at him, I followed his direction and cleared my mind to attempt the short range teleport. It’s not that far, I told myself. All it takes is focus.

  I strained my thoughts to will the force to happen, but nothing took place and I was left standing there empty-handed. My eyes narrowed fixedly as I stared at the place I was trying to be. It mocked my feeble attempts at magic and nothing happened. I stood up exasperated and let out a tired sigh, while turning to Aidan apologetically.

  “Try it again,” he insisted

  “I AM!”

  “Not hard enough!” he shot back angrily.

  I was tired of his verbal abuse and felt a white hot rage boiling up inside of me. When that feeling became crisp and clear I tried again to prove him wrong and used that force to pull me right to where he stood. One moment I was standing in the clearing, and the next I was inches in front of his face. Proud of myself, I stood up tall to face him and looked him squarely in the eyes. His eyes dilated slightly as I felt his breath against my cheek. “Very good,” he told me breathily. “Now do it again.”

  He reappeared thirty or forty feet farther down the path, which was the limit of my ability. Anytime I tried to shift farther than that, it was like I came up against a wall. I stretched myself as far as possible trying to keep up with him and heard his voice ring clearly in my head. Squaring my jaw in determination, I tapped into the power I’d used before.

  “AGAIN.”

  “I’m sorry, are we playing tag?” I inquired breathlessly.

  “…If that’s what you’d like to call it, yes.”

  Right.

  “Alright then.”

  I grinned at the prospect of it and tapped into that demonic energy once again

  ~ * ~

  Slightly before dinner, I returned home giggling like a madman.

  We had spent the entire afternoon zipping around the city and using sleight of hand to express my demonic power without risking being caught. I’d enjoyed myself immensely, far more than I’d expected to this soon, but using magic had set me free and I was seeing the world in a brand new way.

  “It's nice to see you smile,” Aidan whispered tenderly as we walked down the dirt road towards my house. “And to be the cause of it.”

  “Don't let it inflate your ego,” I teased jokingly.

  He chuckled and paused to leave me at the gate, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. “Goodnight, precious. I expect we'll see each other soon.”

  Without another word he disappeared into the shadows and I stood alone in the driveway. I huffed at his cool and abrupt departure and walked to the porch to let myself inside. Elyse’s car was in the driveway, which made me nervous because I hadn’t expected to see her back so soon after last night’s bombshell revelation.

  I stepped over to the door and peeked through the glass to see what kind of reception would be waiting for me once I got inside. Kevin and Elyse were seated on the couch looking at a photo album with Nadia. Elyse wasn’t exactly smiling, but nodding solemnly as she turned the page to another set of pictures. I didn’t know what to think of that, so I opened the door and shook off my coat.

  “Hey, guys,” I greeted them a little confused. “What's going on?”

  “Nadia’s showing me pictures of … my mom,” Elyse responded, fighting back tears of deep emotion. Looking down at the book they were holding, I recognized it as the same one Nadia had shown us yesterday. “It’s her wedding present,” she explained. “I can’t say it’s not … poetic.”

  “Will and I put it together for them while Elyse was out today. I thought she’d appreciate the small memento of both her parents while celebrating her own big day. Your father had several pictures and legal documents he contributed as well — I think it turned out lovely, don’t you think?”

  Elyse beckoned for me to join them.

  “Are you okay?” I asked her.

  She nodded stiffly and flipped to the front page. “Look,” she told me urgently, pushing the book in my direction. “Dad found this tucked away in their closet, we clipped it in right after the wedding photos.”

  I took a deep breath and picked up the sheet of paper. It was folded neatly in half and I opened it, scanning it with caution. Surrounded by a blue border was an official document from the State of Alabama — Elyse’s birth certificate. There it was, printed in black and white:

  Elyse Abigail Hendricks

  Born February 10th 1992

  to

  William Thomas Hendricks

  and Anna Lynn Richards

  I set the paper down and picked up another one. Everything was here; Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificate, even Anna's Certificate of Death.

  “You can’t argue with the facts,” she muttered dryly through a teary eyed smile.

  Elyse s
niffed as Kevin put his arm around her. “We love it, Nadia. Thank you so much. It’s still just a bit of a shock.”

  “Don’t worry about it, darling. I understand completely.”

  I set the album aside and wrapped my arms around my sister in a tight hug, wishing there was some other way I could comfort her. “You’re still my sister and nothing is going to change that. Who cares if Mom wasn’t the one who birthed you? I love you and we’re not going anywhere.”

  She rested her head against mine and let out a tired sigh. “I know. We’re family. Where else am I going to go?”

  My heart fell slightly as I broke eye contact. “I guess you’re right. You’re really going to be okay?” I pressed.

  She sighed. “I have to be. Upset? Yes. Confused? Check. But this is the only family I’ve ever known. Michele still raised me as one of her own, what more could I ask of her? I love her, she’s part of who I am.”

  I felt a chill at that statement and thought bitterly, If you only knew.

  “Oh, has Ryan called?”

  “I'm afraid not, dear," Nadia responded knowingly, placing her hands carefully in her lap.

  “Were you expecting him?” Dad responded.

  “Apparently not.”

  ~ * ~

  After dinner I asked Nadia if I could talk with her privately. She followed me up the stairwell. “Is this about the photo album? I didn’t…”

  “What? No, it’s not about that at all. I just wanted to ask you—”

  “Mistress, help!” Blix called to me as I opened the door. He was laying on the floor, being playfully mauled by Cleo and her new best friend. “Call off these vicious beasts!”

  “Oh, it looks like you’ve been busy,” she told them cheerily. “Hemingway, down.”

  The fat, grey tabby gave her a dirty look and slunk off towards the guest room. Cleo chirped at me happily and twitched her tail as she showed off her hard earned prize. “Nope you too, girl. Blix, get out of here.”

  He disappeared in a puff of smoke and Cleo chirped at me confused. “What’s this about?” Nadia asked me candidly. “Did you have fun today?”

  “I did,” I confided sheepishly with a nervous laugh. “I got to use my powers and it felt … good! I didn’t hurt anyone, or lose control, it was extremely liberating.”