Dacia Wolf & the Fallen Prince

by Mandi Oyster

  I had been pacing away from her. I turned too quickly and lost my balance. My chest tightened, and pain lanced through my body.

  Cody jumped up, steadying me. “Who?” he asked.

  Aurelia bared her teeth. It was an odd expression on her, but I’d seen her dragon do it before. I knew how terrifying it was in her natural form. “I have been forbidden to say, lest I break a pact made several millennia ago.”

  I sat next to Cody, no longer sure of my strength. “What can you tell us?”

  “Until Mavros is able to lure a mortal into his trap, he can only return to Earth for forty-five days once every 999 years. His time on Earth is fleeting, and as it grows shorter, he will become increasingly desperate.”

  “If you were there, why didn’t you know this?” I felt like I was accusing her of lying, of keeping things from me, but I didn’t understand.

  She took my hand. Power rushed through my veins. “I was young. Elizabeth was one of the first beings I was asked to protect.” She pinched her eyes closed, and pain rippled across her features. “When I failed, the elders sent me into isolation. I mourned Elizabeth’s death in solitude.”

  Her sorrow seeped into me, and I squeezed her hand.

  Samantha bit her lip. “So you didn’t know anything about Mavros when you were sent to protect her?”

  “No.” She stood and walked to the window. “We have to tread carefully where he is concerned. We are not allowed to interfere.”

  “You said that before.” Dan leaned forward. “Why? What do you mean?”

  “I cannot elaborate.” She opened the window, and the breeze lifted her hair. “It is imperative that I do not give too much information away.”

  “Okay.” Slumping against Cody, I asked, “Is he stronger than Nefarious?”

  “Not necessarily stronger but more cunning.” She tapped her finger against her chin. It seemed like the more time she spent with us, the more body language she picked up on. When we’d first met her, she was eerily still. “Nefarious was evil. All of his intentions were evil. He was here for only one purpose, and he thought he was strong enough to win. Mavros, too, is evil. However, he knows he needs you. He will do everything in his power to captivate you. If he does—if you agree to be his—he will destroy everything you know and love while you stand by his side watching. You will have immortality but at a heavy cost.”

  I pulled Cody’s arm over my shoulder, needing him to steady me. “Since I don’t want immortality at any cost, I’ll have to do my best to keep putting him off until I can figure out a way to stop him.”

  “Why wouldn’t she try to stop him?” Samantha stilled Dan’s hand by placing hers over it. “Dacia isn’t like that. She has morals.”

  “It has nothing to do with morals. Once you make a promise to a demon, you cannot go back on your word.”

  Realization slammed into my chest. The air was sucked from my lungs, and a wave of dizziness swept over me. “Oh, my God.” Every head in the room turned to look at me.

  “What have you done, Dacia?” Aurelia asked. “What did you promise him?”

  “In a dream, after Mavros attacked Arion, he made me promise something.” I concentrated on the dream, but the details were muddled. “He told me I’d want to go back on my word but I wouldn’t be able to. He said that since I said his name in my promise, I wouldn’t be able to get out of it.”

  Cody lifted his arm from my shoulders and stood up. “What, Dacia?” He sat in Cookie Monster, clutching his head. “What did you promise?”

  Tears pooled in my eyes. “I swear I don’t remember. It was a dream. How can dreams affect reality?”

  “You must be diligent even in sleep.” Aurelia rubbed my arm. “Mavros is probably right. Whatever you promised will most likely be binding, and I fear you will discover your oath at the worst possible moment.”

  I swiped at my eyes. “You warned me any promise would be binding. I should’ve known better.”

  Samantha shook her head. “It was a dream. Nobody blames you.”

  I looked at Cody. “Nobody?”

  “Nobody.” He gazed at me, hurt and fear dwelled in the depths of his blue eyes. “But, what if … what if you already bound yourself to him?”

  “I do not believe that was the promise she made,” Aurelia said.

  “I know I’m newer to this than the rest of you—” Dan cleared his throat “—but, I was thinking about everything you told me about Nefarious. Didn’t you have a necklace or something that let you know when he was near? Does that work for all demons or just him?”

  Cody, Samantha, and I looked at each other and shrugged. Then I said, “I don’t know. Maybe I should get that back from Sarah and try it. If I know Mavros is around, it might help me focus on something other than him or teleport to safety or something.”

  “That was a really good idea, Dan.” Samantha beamed at him. “We were there. We should’ve thought of it.”

  “If that works, you might be able to avoid him completely.” Aurelia nodded, tapping her finger against her lip. The action reminded me of Sarah. “As long as your friends are with you, you could keep them safe, too. When did you first see Mavros?”

  “The Tuesday before my birthday,” I answered.

  “We will assume that was his first day on Earth,” she said. “That would mean you have thirty-two more days before he returns to the Abyss.”

  I walked over to the calendar and marked a big “X” on September 23rd. “If your assumption is correct, this will all be over by September 23rd, one way or the other.” I flipped the calendar back and forth between August and September, trying to convince myself it wasn’t that long and that I could do it. “At least, I know it’s not going to last forever. Maybe I’ll even be able to go home for Christmas.”

  Cody stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You can do it.” He rested his chin on the top of my head.

  I folded my arms over his. “Thirty-two more days. Piece of cake,” I said with false enthusiasm.

  “Keep thinking positively.” Aurelia’s voice was full of confidence and encouragement. “I know you can get through this.”

  “I’m about a third of the way there.” I was trying to sound optimistic, but on the inside, I was panicking. I wanted to silence my inner-voice, but it kept repeating, Oh, my God, I still have thirty-two days to go. I’m never going to make it!

  “On the way to class this morning, Dacia overheard a couple guys talking about a panther being spotted around the dorm.” Samantha sounded uneasy. “Do other students need to worry about Mavros?”

  “For now, I believe there is no need for anybody outside this room to worry,” Aurelia answered.

  “Okay.” Samantha sounded a little more relaxed.

  Aurelia stood, looking at me. “If it is okay with you, I need to check on Arion.”

  “Go ahead.” I blinked, and she was gone.

  I tugged my hand through my hair. “Before I collapse, I need to see Sarah.”

  “I’ll go, too,” Cody said.

  After calling her, I grabbed Cody’s hand. The world blackened. Our bodies squeezed in and stretched out. Light seeped in through my eyelids. I stumbled forward. Cody lifted me, carrying me to the couch.

  “Take my strength, Dacia.” He held me against him, and his energy seeped into me. I slowed the flow to a mere trickle, not wanting to take too much. He’d spent enough of the day sleeping.

  Sarah came out of her office and stood in front of us. “Are you all right?”

  “She’s weak,” Cody answered for me.

  My mouth opened, but the words wouldn’t come out. Taking a deep breath, I tried again. “Aurelia said I’m using so much energy healing that I’m exhausting myself.”

  “How are your injuries?”

  Once again, Cody sav
ed me from talking. “Better, but not good.”

  I clung to Cody, allowing his strength to burn off my exhaustion. “I need the amulet.”

  “Why?” She sat across from us, running her hands along her pewter slacks, smoothing them out.

  “Mavros is a demon,” Cody answered. “The amulet worked on Nefarious.”

  “So, maybe it works for all demons,” Sarah finished for him.

  “It was Dan’s idea,” I said.

  She rubbed her jaw, shaking her head. “We should’ve thought of it. We were all there and saw what it could do.”

  Cody lifted me slightly, resituating me in his arms. “Maybe we were too close to the problem.”

  Sarah raised her finger and walked to her office. I thought she was getting the amulet, but she came back with a planner. She flipped a page back and forth. “I can’t get it for a day or two. Do you think you can get by until then?”

  My stomach plummeted to my knees. “I’ll be careful.” In all honesty, I was disappointed. I’d hoped I’d be able to walk out of here wearing the amulet. A lot could happen in two days. The entire universe could come crashing down in that amount of time. I could swear my loyalty to Mavros by then.

  Chapter 18

  Angels And Demons

  Tuesday followed the same pattern as Monday. I was on edge, expecting Mavros to show up and cause a ruckus. I sat in my classrooms staring at the doors, looking over each student, wondering when he’d show up. When Cody, Samantha, and Dan were away from me, I worried about their safety.

  As often as she could, Aurelia grabbed my hand or my arm and sent a stream of power flowing through my body. With each burst of energy, my wound healed a little more.

  I felt strong enough to eat dinner in the cafeteria. I sat with my back against the wall and watched the door anxiously.

  “Relax,” Aurelia said.

  I shook my head. “I can’t. I have a bad feeling. Mavros has all but disappeared since he attacked me.” My hand fluttered to my chest at the thought of his claws ripping into my flesh. Even though I was better, I was far from healed. My torso was wrapped in bandages, and at times, breathing was difficult.

  Cody looked from my hand to my face. “You okay?”

  “Fine, reaching up was just an instinct.”

  He took my hand in his gently rubbing his thumb over it. “Don’t overdo. If we miss class, we miss.”

  Samantha smiled at me. “He’s right.”

  Dan, Cody, and I all turned to look at her. “Who are you, and what did you do with my Sammi?” Dan asked.

  When we got back from dinner, Marcy stood in the hallway. As soon as she saw us, she said, “I’m not going to have to kick Cody out of here nightly, am I?”

  “No,” I told her. “He’s turned over a new leaf. He no longer stays in girl’s dorms longer than he should.”

  “Good.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “It got a little old last year.”

  I shrugged. “Well, you know, things could be worse. You could have demons or crazed magicians trying to kill you.”

  “Uh-huh.” She looked at me like I had three heads. “That could happen.”

  “I’m just saying … life could be worse.” I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head, the hint of a smile played on my lips.

  “Good to see you, too,” Cody told her as we walked by.

  When we were in our room, Samantha looked at me like I’d lost my mind and said, “What was that about?”

  “I don’t know.” I laughed. “She just irritates me sometimes. We should’ve seen about renting a house.”

  “That would’ve been cool,” Dan agreed.

  “I don’t think my parents would’ve gone for it.” Samantha’s lips pinched together. “Besides, where would we get the money?”

  My mind flashed to the treasure Aurelia had given me. We didn’t need to rent a house. I could buy one for us. Maybe if I made it through this, we’d have to consider getting out of the dorms next semester.

  “I know, but it was a good thought.” We stepped into our room, and I said, “Cody’s going to have to stay here, and I don’t want to put up with Marcy banging on the door every night.”

  “It’ll be okay.” Cody went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, holding it out. We all nodded, and he tossed one to each of us. “We got good at hiding last year.”

  Samantha snuggled against Dan on the couch, chewing on her lip. “Do you think Dan should stay, too? I don’t know if it’s a good idea for him to leave on his own every night.”

  “I think it would be best for him to stay.” Aurelia stood by the door. “We have no way of knowing if Mavros will try to kidnap anyone to use as leverage. We need to do whatever we can to avoid that.” She tilted her head, and her eyes had a faraway look in them.

  “You can go to Arion. We’ll be fine.” I turned to Samantha and Dan. “If you’re going to stay, you can sleep in my bed.”

  Samantha’s eyebrows scrunched together and her eyes narrowed. For a second, I thought her claws might come out.

  I patted the back of the couch. “I’m going to curl up on the couch with Cody. It keeps my nightmares at bay, and apparently, it really annoys Mavros.”

  “I’m not sure annoying Mavros is the best idea,” Dan said, “but, I think keeping your nightmares away is a good thing. If you can get some sleep, you’ll be able to think better.”

  i

  My head rested on Cody’s chest. I was comfortable and content, but sleep wouldn’t find me. I rolled off the couch and grabbed a bottle of water. After downing half of it, I paced, growing more restless by the second.

  I’ll just go out for a minute, I thought to myself. I’ll be fine. Some fresh air will be good for me.

  Knowing I was making a mistake, I snuck into the hall and pulled the door shut without making a noise. Most of the time, I would’ve had to worry about Aurelia, but she was with Arion.

  Standing outside the door gazing up at the beautiful night sky, a gentle breeze blew, lifting the hair off my neck. I searched for familiar constellations and took pleasure in breathing in the fresh air. I felt revitalized even though I knew I should feel guilty. If Cody woke up, he would be a nervous wreck, but I belonged out here. I wanted to go for a walk but knew that would be carrying it too far.

  With a huff, I turned to walk back into the building and stepped right into Mavros’ arms. He held me for a brief moment, sighing with contentment.

  He stepped away, releasing me. “You heard me calling, and you came.” His words were practically purred. “I was afraid you’d resist me.”

  Staggering back, I pressed my hand to my chest. “You called me?”

  “Yes.” He lifted his hand but let it fall to his side. “I’ve missed you, Dacia.” Standing between me and the door, his stance was relaxed.

  I could’ve teleported to my room, but I didn’t feel threatened. “What do you want with me?”

  “Eternity.”

  “But, why me?”

  “You’re perfect.”

  “Perfect.” The word came out on a laugh. “No, I’m not.”

  “Ah, and she’s humble, too.”

  My cheeks warmed at his comment. “Nobody’s perfect.” I kicked at the ground with my toe. “So … why?”

  “You are beautiful, intelligent, and powerful, but more importantly, when I am near you, I feel alive. My heart beats faster.” He strode closer. His dark eyes softened. “The palms of my hands sweat. Butterflies flutter obnoxiously in my stomach. Of all the women in the world, you are the only one who makes me feel this way. You, Dacia, are the only one for me. When you’re near, I realize why I never stayed on Earth before. Without you here, it wouldn’t have been possible for me to be happy. Now that we’ve met, I know you are the reason for my existence.” H
e reached out and took my hand in his. “Don’t you feel the same way about me?”

  With him touching me, it was hard to concentrate on anything else, but somehow, I managed to tell him the truth. “Not the same. I feel passion and desire when I am with you. Right now, I want you to pull me closer to you. I want you to kiss me and hold me and never let me go, but I don’t love you.”

  “If you want me like that, then say yes.” His fingers grazed my cheek, and I leaned into his touch. “If you would say yes, I could hold you forever and never let you go. You would learn to love me as I love you.”

  I shook his hand off my face. “I will always love Cody.”

  He dropped my hand. His eyes flashed before he turned his back on me. Hatred radiated off him. “If Cody was no longer in the picture, would you change your mind about me?”

  He didn’t try to touch me or make me look in his eyes. He stood with his hands in his pockets, his back on me. Was he asking me without having me under his control because he wanted me to like him or was this just another trick of his?

  “If Cody was out of the picture, it would be the end of my world. It would take me a long time to get over him … if I ever did.” I watched him for the slightest movement. If he gave any indication that he was about to attack, I’d teleport to the safety of my room. “I think it would be months, if not years, before I even considered dating again.”

  “But, by then it would be too late for me.” His shoulders slumped. “What will it take to make you mine?”

  “I’m sorry, Mavros, but it’ll never happen. I gave my heart to Cody. It’s no longer mine to give away.”

  He turned to face me, staring me straight in the eyes. His eyes looked dark and tormented. Instead of feeling tingly all over, I felt terrified.

  In the span of a breath, I was surrounded by darkness. Wherever I was, it was pitch black, and I was positive this place had never seen the sun. I stuck my arms out in front of me and walked forward, feeling my way. There was only nothingness. I tried to teleport out, but I couldn’t visualize anywhere.