A strong hand came down and hit the back of Becca’s head. Pain radiated through her skull, her vision fleeting. She clenched her hands. Pushing back the pain, she tried to concentrate on what was being said.
“Do you want me to gather the others for the feast, Your Majesty?” the demon behind her asked.
Bile rose in the back of her throat. Becca had a feeling that she’d be the main attraction of this feast.
“You said this one was strong, a magician. Why is she so ignorant?” the Queen asked the other demon.
“I don’t know, Your Majesty.”
Becca kept her gaze slightly lowered. With one chance before she was devoured, she trod this path very carefully. “Your Majesty, please forgive my ignorance. We only know what we are taught. They told me Lazaro opened the dimension and used the demons to bring power to the Earth.”
She snarled at the mention of Lazaro. Her eyes narrowed, growing darker. On her back something twitched, and Becca realized the demon had wings as well.
Becca didn’t have magic to control this demon, but she did try to sense her. This beast emanated righteous anger. An anger Becca was all too familiar with.
“Lazaro hurts a lot of people on Earth.” Becca kept her head lowered.
“Why do I care if filthy humans are killed?”
Since Becca didn’t have an answer, she avoided the question. “I was trying to close the portal to stop demons from coming to our world when I was captured.”
The Demon Queen looked to the other demon, her brow raised. It was such a human expression, it confused Becca. What was this place?
The demon who still held Becca answered the unspoken question. “She was tied to a chair. Using her powers, she convinced me to take her over the other two.”
“You wanted to come like the others? She’s just another worshiper who wants to cage us.”
“No. I came to protect the others. See for yourself.” Against all instinct Becca ever had, she lowered her shield and opened herself to this demon.
When the Demon’s consciousness touched her mind, Becca fought her revulsion. She had only done this one other time with a magician, who was an ally, and it felt as personal and intrusive as this. As this demon barged into her mind, scouring her thoughts without an ounce of delicacy, Becca felt raw and exposed. She let her though, knowing it may be her only chance to survive.
Leaning back, she released Becca’s mind. “Your ignorance doesn’t help your race or mine.” She paused tapping on the armrest of her chair, which Becca realized was really a large thigh bone.
“Nothing will change while we remain in ignorance, Your Majesty.” Becca bent her head, asking with her humility. Every second she breathed was a blessing.
“I’m not a teacher or wet nurse.” She turned her head, looking out a tall window.
“I was trying to close the portal and kill Lazaro myself, to make way for the truth.”
The Queen bared her teeth, showing rows of sharp pointed teeth. “There is no way to close the portal,” she screamed at Becca.
Pulling back, Becca froze. Her insides chilled all the way through. There was no way to close the portal. She would have thought the news wouldn’t hit her so hard. She had grown up in this insane world, but somewhere deep inside she always hoped for the tales of old when magicians didn’t hold all the power.
Amazed she wasn’t dead already, she found the courage to ask the next question. “Then what keeps you from going to Earth and killing Lazaro and everybody else?”
She didn’t see the strike coming but flew across the room slamming into something hard. She must have blacked out for a minute, for when she came to, the others were talking.
Damn, my brain will never be the same after this. The fact that she thought that she’d still be alive to have a coherent brain made her chuckle which hurt her whole body.
With his back to Becca, the demon with six arms spoke to the Queen. “The guards will be sad to miss out on their full moon banquet. Are you sure?”
“Yes. This girl is unlike the others. She was honest in her desire to kill and shut the portal. If I can use her to strengthen us, I will.”
“If she still works.”
“She’s alive and thinking.” The Queen turned her icy eyes to Becca. “Take her to a cell. Let me think.”
As rough hands grabbed her, she winced, nauseated by the movement. Nothing felt broken, but everything hurt. The demon picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. The world spun around her, and she thought she might vomit. Closing her eyes, she wondered if a quick death would be kinder.
One day blended into the next and the aching hole in Darion’s heart continued to threaten to take him under. How could she dare leave him like that? Yes, he would have done the same if possible, without hesitation, but it was supposed to be him. He had no family left here without her. No solace in sleep, no peace without her by his side. He had nothing.
As Darion sat against the stone wall, Navina stirred at his side, reminding him he did have something. This child had forced him to hold things together, and not kill everyone including himself in a fiery explosion. Becca died for Navina and him. Darion had to get her back to her mother. Until then, he had to keep his shit together.
They currently sat in a musty room, somewhere underground. After the demon stole Becca, Darion lost it. He still didn’t recall his thoughts or what exactly happened. There was a fire, something burning so bright, but then he’d been knocked out, waking up here a day or so ago.
Navina had already been here when he came to. She didn’t remember anything with the demon. It killed him to tell her what happened. He hadn’t quite accepted it himself. Despite her strength, Navina had taken it hard, crying in and out of her sleep. Their circumstances had finally broken the girl’s spirit.
Which brought him to his current position against a stone wall with Navina on the ground next to him, as she fell asleep during one of her breakdowns. He couldn’t blame the girl. The trauma alone would rattle the strongest of men. And Becca was like a big sister to her. Navina’s mother wasn’t a witch and her father, who was a weak wizard, was very abusive. So, her connection to Becca came fast and was strong—similar to his own with Becca.
The girl’s breathing had changed, and he knew she was awake. “I miss her.” The girl’s weak voice hurt his heart.
“Me too.”
“I don’t want a demon to use me.”
That was every magician’s nightmare. “They won’t. We have a month until the next ceremony. Plenty of time for Andre and the others to find us.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He didn’t feel like lying to this girl, even to protect her. “I can’t.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “But I can promise you I will die before I let them hurt you.”
“That’s what Becca did. She died protecting me, but now she’s not here to help.” The girl choked back a sob. “If you die to save me, then I’ll be all alone with no one to protect me. Kill me first, Darion. I don’t want to be alone.”
Even in mercy, he couldn’t do that, wouldn’t do that. “You keep fighting. That’s all we can do. Every chance you get, you fight. You don’t quit. Hear me?”
The speech was for him as much as for the girl. No matter how much pain he was in, he kept fighting. He fought to keep Navina alive.
Chapter One Hundred Twelve
Two days had passed since Peter first arrived at Lazaro’s office, and he hadn’t left. He had been working with Geoffrey to organize potential hosts for Lazaro’s demon army. Most of the demons weren’t exceptionally strong, level two or three. But pair it with a magician-born host and several hundred Soultorns were a force to be reckoned with.
Yes, it bothered Peter to kill so many good magicians. They weren’t really dead though, their body and magic continued to fight the good fight. And Peter stood on a thin line between preparing Soultorns and being one himself.
Geoffrey was a quiet man in his forties. All business in every aspect, from his pressed suit
to his no-nonsense manner, which made him efficient and fast. If that’s what it took to have longevity in Lazaro’s world, Peter could do that. He never asked what they were creating this army for, he just did his job. They even offered him clean clothes, a place to sleep and brought up meals, to save time.
On his third day at the job, he finally got some answers. Geoffrey had found matches for over thirty demons. Lazaro had come in before lunch and completed the ceremony, binding him to his creations. Before he left, Lazaro approached the two men.
“I’ll need another batch tonight, fifty at least.”
Peter stared straight forward and answered with Geoffrey, “Yes, sir.”
They worked without eating, processing the Mundanes and wizards that were brought in. Pickings were getting slim.
During one brief break, while security was escorting a group outside, Peter stood at a window, overseeing the city. He could see the river, powerful and flowing. People beyond count filled this city. He assumed that this wasn’t the only building in town that was creating this type of army. How much would be left after a battle of this magnitude?
But how many lives would it cost? Raised in a coven, he was not new to death. Killing was a part of a magician’s life, a part of controlling the Mundanes. Tired, he pushed away his thoughts and got back to work.
At the end of the night, Lazaro returned to finish creating Soultorns with the hosts they collected. Dark circles hung under his eyes, and for the first time to Peter, Lazaro looked tired. Granted, Peter was wiped after creating one Soultorn, and Lazaro had been creating an army. Whatever would cause this man to worry must be bad.
As security escorted the Soultorns out, Lazaro turned to the desk and dug out a bottle of scotch in the bottom drawer. Peter wished he’d known that was there earlier. Lazaro took a long pull from the bottle and set it down.
“In case neither of you have heard, a battle is coming our way. The rebel group you fought, Peter, has gathered others. My seers say it will start tomorrow. Both of you will be reassigned tonight to prepare.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Geoffrey, go meet Stan Epsom for your assignment.”
“Of course, sir. Best of luck tomorrow.” The man left without a second glance, and Peter’s empty stomach ached.
“Where would you like me to report, sir?”
“To me. I have something new that I’m creating. Something I’ve only tried once before and never at this magnitude.” Lazaro took one more pull. Eyes red, he set down the bottle and began speaking an incantation. Magic rippled through the air, and a demon appeared in one of the many empty pentagrams.
Not just a demon, an enormous green beast. While it’s four feet remained in the pentagram, the large lizard-like body extended a good twenty feet, the width of the room. Its wings unfurled at least as far as well. It snarled at Peter and displayed an impressive set of sharp teeth.
Peter stepped back and stiffened, not able to stop the fear now. It curled around his spine and froze him in place. He had been loyal and faithful, what more could Lazaro ask? A quiet voice that dripped with horror answered: he could ask for everything.
“Please don’t make this hard. It’s been a long day. Be honored I saved one of my strongest for you.”
Peter shoved down the instinct to fight, knowing fighting would only make it worse. Each heavy step carried him towards his fate. Maybe this is how it was supposed to end? He would make the ultimate sacrifice towards this cause thar he had fought towards his whole life. Maybe as a Soultorn, he could be the tool he never was in his real life.
Chapter One Hundred Thirteen
They had been traveling for two days straight. Caleb had slept in short periods here and there, when they’d stopped for food or in the passenger seat of one of the trucks. They were only a couple hours from the rendezvous point, so they made camp with the others to wait for the signal.
Unlike those traveling with Andre’s group, this group was all soldiers. It took less than an hour to make camp, eat dinner, and settle in for the night. Men gathered around fires, drinking and sharing stories.
Caleb found Alex and Marcus with a small group.
“Have your pack set up over there.” Alex pointed to a spot a few feet off.
“Thanks, man.” Caleb grabbed his shoulder in thanks, holding on a moment longer. Tomorrow was war, it made you appreciate the things you had in life. “Thanks for everything.”
“No getting sappy now. Get a drink.” Alex winked at him.
“I need to check in with Nikki first.” Caleb headed off.
“I’m sure you do,” Alex called from behind.
Caleb smiled at the insinuation. In reality, he was unsure of what was happening between them and now wasn’t the time to try to define it or take advantage of it. He cared for her and wanted to make sure she was alright. Simple as that.
Being one of the few women with them, Nikki had her own tent for privacy. Walking up to it, he wasn’t surprised to find Patrick outside of it.
“Waiting for an update from Andre?” Caleb asked.
“Yes. I talked to Scarlett. We’re still on schedule to meet up at midday, but I wanted to make sure Andre is still on track. He was working on the Michigan coven, which couldn’t have been easy.”
“Is it by a lake?” Caleb asked.
“Yes. Why?”
“He won’t have a problem.” Caleb noticed Patrick’s inquisitive gaze and realized he must not have met Andre before. “Nikki’s father could be the Greek God of water.”
“I heard, but never—”
“It’s a trip. Trust me.”
He nodded in appreciation. “Will do.”
Nikki called from within the tent. “Come in.”
The tent wasn’t overly large, not quite tall enough to stand and probably only sleep four small adults. He glanced at Patrick who didn’t seem concerned, so Caleb followed him in. Ducking his head, he entered then noticed small stools to sit on. He took a seat.
“The tent is protected, so I thought it better to talk here where no one else can hear.”
Patrick nodded. “I agree. While my men have sworn loyalty to me, you never know. What did your father say?”
“He has the Michigan coven, but he’s still working out leadership positions. They don’t have much against Lazaro. So, it is taking some force that my father doesn’t like to take.”
“Once he completes the blood oaths, he shouldn’t have a problem,” Patrick said.
“That’s the problem. He doesn’t believe in those.”
“Wait—”
Before Patrick could complain too much, Nikki cut him off. “He found a leader who is supporting him. Things will come together in time, but it just took longer. He’s still on track for tomorrow.”
“Good.” Patrick stood, as much as he could, and dusted off his pants. “Get some sleep, we’ll meet first thing before heading out.”
Caleb stood to follow Patrick out the door, but Nikki called him back. “Wait, I have other news about Becca.”
Patrick paused and turned back. “Anything I need to hear.”
“Just some news about a friend,” Nikki told him.
“Goodnight then.” Patrick left, leaving Caleb alone in the tent, which now felt a lot smaller.
“What happened?” Caleb asked.
“She’s not answering Elizabeth.”
“What do you mean? She’s blocking her out?”
“No,” Nikki glanced down. “Elizabeth thinks we may have lost her.”
It felt like a blow hit the middle of his chest. She couldn’t be really gone. Becca was like a cat that always landed on its feet. “Is she dead?”
The pain slowly grew, and he struggled to make sense of it. He had lost her once before, not knowing what happened to her. He never forgot that empty spot in his life.
“We don’t know. There’s not a lot of reasons why she wouldn’t be able to talk to her sister though. We’re not counting on them for tomorrow.”
He didn’t remember sitting
down but found himself on the ground staring at his hands. “Do we know about Darion or Navina?”
“No.” Nikki sat next to him, her smell comforting. “You loved her.”
“Yes. I did. Maybe not how you think. She was my best friend for years, and I thought she always would be.” He shook his head, trying not to be dragged down by this. Not now. When Lazaro lay dead, then he could grieve. He stood to leave.
Nikki grabbed his hand, pulling him back. “Stay. Please.”
He stared into her beautiful eyes, sympathetic and caring, not sure he would make a good bedfellow right now. He was barely holding himself together.
“I’m not expecting anything. I just don’t want to be alone and don’t think you should be either.”
Caleb stepped towards her. “I care for you, more than I wanted to care about someone again. Everyone I love seems to get hurt, tearing my heart apart a little more.”
“I understand, more than you know.”
He remembered she’d also lost her mother.
Her large eyes looked up to him. “Just for tonight, stay?”
He knew what she was asking. He nodded and pulled her into his arms, knowing if he stayed it would be for more than one night. His heart didn’t work any other way.
Sun peered into the cell, and Becca flinched against the light. Her head throbbed, and she covered her eyes with her arm. There was nothing in the room but a blanket, a pitcher of water, and a bucket that she had used a couple of times through the night, throwing up the little she had in her stomach.
Spending enough time around Doc, she knew enough to figure she had a mild concussion. A dull pain throbbed in the back of her head, but her vision and her stomach felt better this morning. If not for the damn light piercing her vision.
With the rise of a new day, she had a moment to process everything that happened. The demon realm was nothing like she imagined with rooms, tiled floors, even a functioning society, or at least a Demon Queen. No, nothing like she imagined.
Yet, here she was alone, thinking about Darion and the pain he must be going through. And Navina? God, she better be okay. Though if anyone could save and protect Navina, it was him.
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