“You should have just let me talk to her.”
“It wasn’t about your friend. That wolf should never have abused my kindness. I had to teach him a lesson,” Rafe said.
I could tell this was one of those things they didn’t really understand, anyway. I did like that they were so quick to protect me, so I wasn’t sure how to explain that the problem was really more of a general discomfort with the culture of this place. They obviously wanted to do anything to make me happy, but that was different than understanding what made me happy.
What if I’m making a mistake?
“I don’t think your friend understands,” Hiron said. “She kept bringing up your mother as a concern, and we already let you know you can see your mother. You can explain all of this the next time you visit.”
I nodded, trying to shake off the uncertainty. You need to be with your mom right now. What if that was really true?
Now I was taking on this life where I had to lie to her. In some sense, I would never be there for her again, because from now on I wouldn’t be the Dakota she knew. After she had done so much for me…
But maybe it was like Xado said. I had to live for myself. If I waited for her to die to be the person I was really meant to be… Well, that wasn’t good.
“I’m fine. I’m sure me and Nicole will have a good laugh over all this later. How do we get to the Symposium?”
“We have to open a path,” Xado said, turning toward the forest surrounding the castle. “This one will do.” A narrow path wound into the dark forest.
“To explain it more clearly,” Rafe said, “travel works very differently in our world. We have to know where we want to go and have an intention to go there, and as long as we’re not blocked from entry, paths go wherever you want them to go.”
Even as we were walking, I started glimpsing some kind of towering building peeking out through the trees that I could have sworn wasn’t there a minute ago. “Is that the Symposium?”
“The meeting hall of the Symposium, yes,” Hiron said.
“That’s crazy…”
It was a pleasant walk down a path that wound through the forest, and before I could get tired, the thick trees opened up and a valley spread before us, layers of hills all around vanishing into mists. A grand building rose up from the valley, with multiple towers fanning out at somewhat asymmetrical angles. The building was a slate gray color that seemed to swallow what light penetrated the moody layers of clouds overhead, with little black roofs that sloped diagonally. It was pretty severe, but also kind of cool. Other paths wound down from surrounding hills and I could see other demons coming down from other hills. Most were fairly human in appearance, but some had horns or claws or wings.
“This might be a shocking sight for you at this early time,” Hiron said. “But part of your test will be accepting it as normal. Just remember, this is all normal and no one here can hurt you.”
I found his hand, groping slightly, and clutched it. “It is scary…but also cool.”
Still, as we walked down the path I started feeling more and more nervous and shocked. I prided myself on being open to anything, and I thought since I already knew other demons, I was cool with the magical world. But I was seeing things I could barely process. Cyclops demons. Fauns. Slender beings with long curled horns and bat wings. At some point it was just too much and I really wanted to look away.
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to come here often,” Hiron said as we reached the main road. All the paths fed down to this one main thoroughfare, which had market vendors lined along it selling strange foods and spell ingredients and cloaks made of glittering fabrics and furs and scales; all manner of things. The meeting hall loomed ahead of us and from here, I saw two lower wings branching off from the main towers. They had sentry towers and big arched doorways and windows. “This is just the center of the demon world; the gateway to becoming a part of us.”
I immediately realized that in this moment, I had two choices. I could freak the hell out, or I could accept that everything I had ever wanted to believe or imagined might be true, and I could just groove on it.
You’ve been looking for something beyond what you know for your entire life. Are you going to chicken out now? Heck no!
“I’m not worried,” I said. “This is where I belong. This is magical. I’m going to be a witch.”
Xado laughed. “I’m not sure the Symposium will ever have seen a bride like you.”
The guys all seemed very pleased with me, and none of them acted like anything we saw was out of the ordinary. A few carriages trundled by. An elegant horned lady rode a black horse to the gates. There was a cart of people in chains, wailing. I could only guess they were accused of some crime and on their way to be judged or something. Despite my declaration, my knees were shaking.
We passed over a bridge that led to the towers. They seemed to get taller and taller as we got closer. It was like looking up at skyscrapers by the time we were at the doors.
“Does every demon bride have to come here?” I asked. I wondered if Edie had ever seen all this. She never mentioned anything like this.
“Only if you are going to live in the Sinistral Plane,” Hiron said. “However, once the Symposium has determined your status, any further dealings would mostly be handled by the Council of Sinistral Witches, because you will be accepted as a witch. Their high offices are in the Fixed Plane, so you won’t see anything like this.”
The main entrance was a soaring room with a huge ceiling lit by candles everywhere. Various doors branched off for different sorts of business, but we headed straight back through two big doors that were held open. A dark haired man, as tall as Xado and dressed all in black leather, stood guard. He looked mostly human, but little tendrils of black smoke wafted off of his skin. Then I noticed the irises of his eyes were glowing red.
“Perinor,” Hiron said. “I am Hiron of Antaria and these are my two bond-brothers. We wish to seek approval from the Symposium to claim this human as our bride and Lady of Antaria.”
Lady of Antaria? Ooh. I didn’t even know I got a cool title.
Perinor nodded. “Congratulations, Lord Hiron of Antaria. Rare that I see a lass who meets me in the eye.” He paused when he saw Rafe. “I remember you.”
Rafe grunted noncommittally.
“I definitely do. You’re dragons, right?”
“Yes.”
He chuckled. “I thought so. Black is a good color on you,” he said with some sarcasm.
He waved us forward down a hall.
“Rafe, was he just throwing shade on you?”
Hiron gripped my shoulder and shook his head.
“This is not the time to piss anyone off,” Rafe said curtly.
Now we came into a circular room with no windows or candles. There was a faint light coming from the floor, just enough so I could be sure my feet wouldn’t crash into anything. Of course, Hiron, Xado and Rafe were sticking close to me anyway.
Once we were all gathered in the center, hundreds of candles suddenly lit spontaneously, and now I squinted against the lights. A dozen demons were sitting above us in a circle in red velvet chairs, looking down. Eleven of them were men, so…great. I’m sure the one lady demon had a really annoying time working here. Several of them had huge horns and black tattoos on their skin, a few more had wings, and a couple looked like imposing and very sexy humans. The lady had pure white hair and dark skin with a glowing blue mark on her forehead, plus some serious cleavage busting out of a sleeveless white gown.
“A human bride,” one of the men said, licking his lips. “You should have doused her in perfume and dulled her scent. I’m not sure I can think straight with such a delectable morsel smelling of fear and hunger.”
I was afraid to actually complain to the Symposium, but I still made a little gasp of annoyance.
Xado growled while Hiron turned on the man with a look of death. “With respect to the rest of the Symposium, even in this room I will not tolerate another m
an lusting after my bride,” Hiron said.
The lady demon fired a bolt of magic at the lip licking guy and then gave me a slight nod. “Don’t mind the incubus, sweet.”
The head demon seemed to be the oldest looking one, his mane of hair streaked with gray, his expression as long-suffering as anyone who had ever worked a tedious government job. “Please, are you finished stating your business, Lord Hiron?”
“We also request permission for Lady Dakota to become a novice witch and forego her binding spells,” Hiron said. “She is able to cast a protective spell and begin to learn witchcraft under the supervision of Xado, my bond-fellow and sorcerer.”
“Hmm.” The leader demon glanced around at the rest of the Symposium. My heart was pounding at this vague response. They conferred with a few glances, slight gestures and raised eyebrows. Then there was a round of nodding.
I think that was good?
“Lord Hiron, you and your bond-fellows can step outside for just a moment.”
Never mind. That wasn’t good. I didn’t want to be left alone here.
“They just want to make sure Xado isn’t lending you strength,” Hiron said. “But you’ve already done this once.”
“And very well, might I add. You can do it again now,” Xado said.
I lifted my chin bravely, trying to hold back some tears. I think I was just nervous.
But as they all left, the image of Mom flashed in my mind. The lady demon watched me, tapping her chin with a colorful feather quill pen. “Cast a fresh protection spell for us now,” she said. “The spell trunk behind you has all the ingredients you would need.”
“The—?” I turned around and saw that there was a case next to the doors. It looked like a traveling trunk but with a door that opened out like a cabinet, and was about waist height. The top of it was a flat surface to work on with extensions that could fold out for more space. I hadn’t noticed this before.
I felt a world away from being alone with Xado in the workroom, discovering the wonder of a grimoire with my own name on it and the spell ingredients they had been carefully saving for their future bride. We were alone, and he seemed to understand my feelings about my mother, and I felt safe.
Now I struggled to remember the few simple ingredients. I remembered the turtle shell because I worried over the turtles. The rest was a blank.
This felt so real. And yet, so unreal. I was in a room full of demons waiting for me to cast a spell.
Mom…you always told me I was strong like you.
But in this case, what does strong mean? Is it saying yes, or saying no?
I knew I didn’t really have a choice anyway. If I couldn’t cast the spell, I would still be sworn to the guys. I just wouldn’t have any freedom here. So I had to do this.
I should have taken Nicole’s hand.
Why did I balk?
Everything could have gone back to normal.
I’ve never committed to anything. People always tell me I’m a ‘free spirit’.
But is that true? Do I really want to be a free spirit? I’ve been looking for this my entire life. Did I always know magic was real somewhere deep down?
My breath came faster as I realized I was panicking. I couldn’t shake the feeling that if I embraced this life, I was letting my mom down and doing something wrong. But I also wasn’t able to bring myself to take Nicole’s hand and go back to my normal life.
“Take a deep breath and proceed,” the elder demon said.
“She’s conflicted,” another demon said, in a bored tone. “She’s probably worrying over someone she loves. Once they get like this, it’s hopeless.”
“I don’t know…I can sense she has considerable potential,” the lady demon said.
“Potential is nothing without will,” the other demon argued. “Sinistral magic is fueled by singular focus.”
“Yes, it’s true, she would be better suited to the Ethereals,” the woman said.
“You’d better hurry up, little one, or you’ll be bound to your masters,” the incubus said. “You will never be permitted to leave their sight again, and they will be very hungry for you indeed.”
“Someone forgot to fuck a nymph before work today,” one of the other older demons said in a droll tone.
“But…that’s not true on the Fixed Plane, right?” I asked. “I can still go see my mom.”
“They must stay close to you,” the lady demon said more gently. “If you can’t protect yourself.”
“If you’re going to do it, you’d better do it now,” the elder demon said, obviously hinting that we shouldn’t be having this conversation.
Crushed pearls… I reached for a bottle. Sacred ash… Venom of a manticore…
I tried to put everything out of my head but the moment at hand, quickly mixing the ingredients into a thick sludge. Much to my relief, I suddenly remember the spell words perfectly. I smeared the sludge across my palms and recited them.
Nothing happened.
Before, a feeling of warmth and protection came over me when I cast the spell and my hands briefly glowed.
I froze. Twelve demons stared down at me.
“Thank you, miss,” the head demon said. “That was quite an admirable effort. I’m afraid you are not suited to be a witch.”
“What?” I cried. “But I did it perfectly when I was with Xado! I am very ready to be a witch. It’s just a little hard to do when you’re all staring at me and making comments. Some of them very inappropriate. Let me try it one more time.”
“I’m afraid that I sense a deeper reluctance within you,” the head demon said with a sigh. “You have something pulling you to the Fixed Plane. You have no focus. It’s all too common; in fact, it’s much more rare to see a human bride pass. Personally, I would rather not even waste my time allowing brides to become witches. Your men will keep you close and teach you our ways and you’ll be better off for it.”
“Don’t be discouraged,” one of the other demons said. I think he might have been a fellow dragon. “I doubt you’ll complain about your husbands keeping you close once we give them their binding spells.”
“Edie said demons weren’t really bad, but you really are demons,” I said. I should have been freaking out but my main feeling right now was sheer frustration. I knew I was meant to be a witch. “All I’ve ever wanted is to learn magic. Since I was a kid. I used to imagine it all the time, and after all, I’m the one who cast a spell on accident to get myself into this situation.”
“But your world doesn’t even have magic,” said a guy wearing a ruffled coat.
“Well, that isn’t quite true,” the lady demon said. “Perhaps she is sort of a…natural witch. But that simply isn’t enough, I’m afraid. I’m very sorry. I wish we had a different result for you.”
“Tell her mates to return,” the head demon said as some of the men chuckled. I was getting so pissed. I was afraid to go completely ballistic on the ‘Demon Symposium’, but seriously.
“So that was it for all time?” I cried. “One try and I’m done? I’m coming back next week. I’ll practice. I can do this.”
Now some of the chuckles were turning to outright laughter. “She’s so determined! Dear, I’m sorry, it’s just not like it is on your TV programs.” They weren’t taking me seriously at all.
“Yes, yes, ha ha,” the dragon demon said, waving his hand. “We laughed at Rafe himself, but he saved the region of Antaria. This girl is worthy of a storied lineage such as Lord Hiron possesses. Lady Dakota, by all means, keep working on your will to do magic. Maybe someday you will find a way.”
A few of the other men and the woman nodded, but I was still fighting not to cry.
Another failure. Another test where I had “failed to apply myself”. But the consequences had never been so grave before. I was more of a prisoner in this world than I realized.
Chapter Sixteen
Rafe
We were sent back out of the room. Perinor glanced my way from the other end of the hall, still
looking amused. He smoothed his hand over his hair like he was combing short hair, making fun of me.
Yeah, it was no secret I’d had a hard time adjusting when I came back to this place. For five years I’d lived the life of my dreams. Humans fed off me and I fed off them, but even more so, I loved the free-wheeling atmosphere of the Fixed Plane. The music that was changing fast, the sense of power and freedom and the energy of long nights jamming with Declan or the humans I’d hired to back me up, endless cigarettes and city lights.
And unless you’d lived it, you’d never know. Most demons were so old-fashioned that once I came home, I didn’t even speak the same language anymore.
The first time I’d come to the Symposium when I got back from the Fixed Plane, I made the ridiculous and unforgivable mistake of dressing in clothes I’d bought at some shop where lots of rock stars bought their audacious menswear. A light blue suit, a skinny black tie, and hair that was considered scandalously long in America and scandalously short here.
I thought I was cool, and was young enough not to realize how ridiculous I would look to a man like Perinor. He was a shadow demon with a longer lifespan even than a dragon, and seemed to have lost all tolerance of youth pretty early on.
But I wasn’t so young anymore either.
“Ignore him,” Hiron said. “You’re better than him, Rafe.”
“That, I know,” I said. “But maybe he needs a reminder.”
“I wouldn’t mind giving his own hair a singe,” Xado said.
“Don’t,” Hiron said.
Perinor saw Hiron trying to block me and was quick to take advantage of the situation. “You still have that suit, Baby Blue? That beautiful bride of yours deserves better.”
“Fuck you.” I lunged for him, only to feel Hiron’s arm clutch mine, holding me back.
“Rafe,” he said through gritted teeth. “He’s the head guard of the Symposium! Try and control yourself.”
“He insults the honor of your name,” I said. “Aren’t we bond fellows?”
“We are, but some of us don’t want to get into a brawl right at the foot of the most powerful demons in the realm.”
Captured by Dragons: A Reverse Harem Paranormal (Brides of the Sinistral Realms Book 2) Page 9
