by Linsey Hall
“And I’ll save them.” Pride rang in my voice.
Cunning entered my mother’s eyes. She smiled grimly.
“Yes, you will save them all. The demons who suffer so badly will be freed upon the earth.” My mother smiled benignly. “And the horrible humans will be ended. Their evil and cruelty will be gone from the world. You will be their Demise.”
Nausea twisted my gut. That was how she’d done it. Spun a story that was wholly opposite of the truth.
My mother was clever, and I had been young.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the Shadow beside me. Watching me. He fiddled with something in his hand, then magic shimmered around him, something new. A white haze that crept toward me. But my mother spoke again, distracting me.
“You will practice hard?” Desperation glinted in her eyes.
My younger self nodded eagerly.
I found myself agreeing with her. Of course I would practice hard. I had to save the demons and be the demise of the humans. The world needed me. That terrible barrier had to come down.
I shook my head, confusion clouding my mind.
Had I really just thought that I needed to tear down the barrier and release the demons onto the earth? That was freaking nuts.
From beside me, the Shadow’s wispy magic reached out toward me. When I breathed, I tasted the mist on my tongue. Cloves. It tasted like cloves.
Holy fates. He was using some kind of magic to control my mind. In addition to the Influenta Curse, it was an extra layer of control—they were serious about making me do their bidding.
Which meant they were worried I’d fight the Influenta Curse. That meant I could fight it. Hope flared. They were scared of my free will, so they were trying to crush it.
I closed my eyes, sucking in a deep breath and trying to resist. I focused on my goal. On my friends. But my eyes snapped open against my will, forced to watch.
Over and over again, the scene played in front of me as I struggled to fight the Shadow’s control. He was forcing me to watch—to return to that mindset. When I was that young, I’d have done anything to please my parents.
It took everything I had to protect a scrap of my mind. I prayed it was enough, because no matter how hard I tried, I kept falling back into the Shadow’s magic, believing that I really should help destroy the barrier between the Underworld and Earth. I was the only one who could do it. If I didn’t do it, who would?
Finally, the scene in front of me ceased. I blinked, slowly coming back to myself. But I wasn’t fully myself, not really.
The Shadow’s magic still hung heavily over my mind. I fought it, keeping it at bay, but it was still there. Still lurking.
“Do you see? You want to be part of this,” the Shadow said.
I turned to him. “Yes, you’re right.” My speech was slow.
He smiled, nodding in a satisfied manner.
And honestly, I couldn’t blame him.
Because I did kind of believe that I wanted to help. My mind flashed back and forth between myself in the present and myself in the past. So when I told him that I wanted to help, part of me meant it.
Inwardly, I shook myself. I shouldn’t be falling for this!
I focused on the thought of my friends, trapped somewhere deep inside this castle. They needed me. I had to remember them. They’d keep me grounded.
“Then rise,” the Shadow said. “We will prepare the chamber.”
Slowly, I stood. “The chamber?”
“We did not know when you would come to us, so there are things to be done.” He snapped his fingers, and two demons appeared in the room. They were massive beasts at least eight feet tall with huge horns and hands that could tear me apart.
They were easily the scariest demons I had ever seen.
“These will be your companions while you wait,” the Shadow said.
Companions. I almost scoffed, but just managed to hold it in. I didn’t want him knowing I wasn’t one hundred percent into his plan.
And the horrible truth was, occasionally, I’d think to myself that the plan wasn’t actually so bad. When thoughts of my friends wouldn’t ground me, I’d reach for the bracelet that Roarke had given me, rubbing my fingers against it.
The demons led me down a wide corridor, one at my front and one at my back. I saw no one as we walked. I felt a presence, though. Black mist hovered in front of the stone. Were the Shadows part of the castle?
I shuddered.
Nah. That was too crazy.
But still, I studied the stone as I walked, looking for eyes.
This whole place was getting to me.
The demons led me up a tall spiral staircase to a chamber at the top of the tower. Memories of my childhood flashed in my mind. This wasn’t the same place, but I hated towers now.
There was nothing in the room—not even a chair. No windows, either, so throwing myself out wasn’t an option. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room while the demons each stood beside the door.
Hmmm.
I needed a plan. Because hanging out in here, waiting for my own shit to get really dire, was not going to work.
Chapter Fourteen
My mind raced at I collected and discarded plans. I tried calling upon my ice magic. If I could just send a bolt through each of their chests, I’d be golden.
Of course, my ice magic lay dormant inside me. In fairness, this would be a terrible holding cell if it allowed me to use violent magic.
Which meant I had to get out of here, then use violent magic.
Tentatively, I tried my Phantom form, doing my best to only turn part of my body Phantom. I didn’t want the guards getting even a hint of my plan. When my fingertips glowed blue, I grinned. I tried pulling my sword from the ether, but it didn’t come.
Damn.
Though not surprising. A sword definitely counted as violent magic. At least I could adopt my Phantom form. It wouldn’t do me much good in a fight against these guys, but fortunately, I didn’t want it for a fight.
I retreated inside my mind, trying to remember the spiral staircase that had led up to this tower. It was directly below this room, filling the bottom portion of the tower. If the door was directly across from me, then that meant there was an open space leading onto the stairs right below me. I shifted left a couple feet for good measure.
“Don’t move,” growled one of the guards.
This plan was nuts, but it was all I had. Not wanting to alert the guards, I prayed for luck rather than knocking on my head.
I called upon my Phantom form, shifting as quickly as I could. Then I jumped up, willing myself to sink through the floor when I landed. I rarely used this trick, but when I fell through to the stairs directly below the room, I grinned.
Then almost shrieked and stumbled backward.
Another massive demon waited on the stairs, blocking my escape.
The Shadows had been prepared for anything.
My heart leaped into my throat as I called on my ice magic, praying that the protective enchantments on the room above didn’t extend to down here.
Fortunately, my magic swelled within me. When I heard the demons from the room above open the door, I called for Pond Flower. I didn’t stand a chance alone. One demon blocked my way down, and two more were coming from above.
I felt Pond Flower as soon as she appeared on the steps above me, but didn’t turn to look. The demon below was charging toward me, massive hands reaching out. I powered up an icicle and sent it straight through his chest.
It pierced him, sending him reeling, then toppling down the stairs. Shit! I didn’t want him rolling out into the corridor at the bottom and being seen.
I threw my ice magic outward, creating a thick wall in the stairwell. The demon’s body slammed into it, stopping abruptly.
I turned, just in time to see a demon trip over Pond Flower, who blocked their way. He hurtled down, passing through my Phantom form and slamming into the ice wall that I’d created.
The last demon stopped right before Pond Flower. She growled, her black flame rising up from her fur. The protective barrier.
Thank you, Pond Flower.
The demon edged down toward her, his eyes bright with violence, then pulled up short. He couldn’t get close lest he risk her horrible flame.
So he risked my ice instead. Just as he hurled a blade at me, I sent an icicle through his chest. His silver blade flew end over end. I dodged, though not quickly enough. It sliced across my shoulder. Pain blossomed in my arm.
Fortunately, my icicle hit my target, sinking deep into his chest. His eyes widened, and he clutched the wound. I glanced at my own wound, grateful to see that it wasn’t terribly long or deep. My leather jacket had helped protect me.
Hoping that the demon was done for, I whirled and raced after the one who’d fallen down the stairs. He was struggling to his feet, one leg clearly broken.
A tinge of guilt streaked through me. Though he was massive and huge and in the employ of someone evil, I hated attacking someone injured.
But my friends… If I didn’t get out of here and save them, they’d be dead.
I sucked in a breath and sent an icicle through the chest of the last demon. The demon fell, bleeding out on the stairs.
I considered taking at least one of their powers, but I didn’t have time. Who knew what could be happening to my friends right now.
Pond Flower and I skirted around him, slipping through the ice wall. I walked through in my Phantom form. She just disappeared on one side and reappeared on the other.
“Thanks for coming,” I whispered. “That trip maneuver saved my butt.”
She smiled up at me, tongue lolling. It was easier to hang on to rational thought while she was with me—she grounded me. Though the Shadows’ magic was still inside my mind, making me think that maybe it wasn’t the worst idea to help them break the barrier between the Underworld and Earth, Pond Flower reminded me of who I was and what was really important.
We hurried down the stairs, stopping abruptly when we reached the corridor.
A Shadow stood, blocking our way.
The hair at my nape stood on end. Immediately, I could feel that he wasn’t the one who had cursed Cade and me. Though he had no face that I could see beneath his ephemeral black cloak, surprise rolled off of him.
I wasted no time calling my sword from the ether and lunging. It was the only way to kill a Shadow that I had found. Before my blade could make contact with his form, his hand whipped out.
Electricity shot through me, pain like I’d never felt. I faltered, nearly dropping my blade. The Shadow hit me again. I smelled burning.
My hair?
Shit, this was going to hell fast.
I gripped my sword and pushed through the pain, lunging for him. He danced back, too quick, and hit me with another bolt of electricity.
I fell to my knees, vision blurring.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Pond Flower creeping around behind the Shadow. She’d turned fully to black flame, and her eyes glowed bright red. She was one scary bitch.
She crept up behind the Shadow, clearly intent on pulling a tripping maneuver like last time. Fortunately, the Shadow’s gaze was on me. I could feel him charging up his electricity. He was about to strike.
All I had to do was muster one last drop of energy and get my blade through him. A moment later, Pond Flower was right behind him. I lunged to my feet, striking out with my blade. The Shadow leaped back, tripping over Pond Flower.
I followed, piercing him through the chest with my sword. I felt the strangest sensation as he fell back, slipping off the blade.
Though he lashed out with his electricity again, it was weak. I’d landed a mortal blow.
His cloak fluttered as he fell, a shadowy apparition that was both real and not quite. Instinctually, I reached out and grabbed the edge of it. I yanked hard, pulling it off of him.
It came easily, fluttering toward me. The Shadow itself was roughly human shaped, though I still couldn’t make out features. Though I’d called them men in my head, there was no gender that I could determine.
The body faded quickly into the stone below.
Becoming one with the castle?
I prayed it was really dead.
The cloak hung limply from my hand. It felt like silk and smoke, a strange combination that was imbued with dark magic and evil.
I shuddered as I pulled it on. Pond Flower stepped back briefly, concern in her red eyes and her fur on end.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “Just a disguise.”
She padded up, sniffing me. Her fur flattened, relaxing. Though I couldn’t blame her for being freaked out. Wearing this thing felt awful. Like a slimy touch that was also prickly. It even made it harder for me to remember what my real goal was. Save my friends or help the Shadows?
No matter how hard I tried with my stolen demon magic, I couldn’t fully overcome the magic that I’d inhaled.
I reached out, sinking my fingertips into Pond Flower’s fur, seeking her grounding presence. The black flame that encompassed her in her full-on hellhound form tickled my fingers. It’d kill anyone else, but our strange connection made it pleasant for me. When she looked like this, with her brown and white spots fully consumed by the black flame, she nearly blended into the strange castle walls.
“Stay like this,” I whispered. “You’re hidden. Stick close to the wall.”
An ornate silver mirror hung on the wall across from me. Even I nearly blended into the castle wall. When I pulled the hood up, it was hard to tell I wasn’t a Shadow.
“Two goals,” I whispered to Pond Flower. I felt more myself when I was talking. “Kill the Shadow who cursed Cade and me, then rescue my friends.”
I called upon my dragon sense, using it to find both my friends and the Shadow that I sought. By my calculations, there should be four Shadows left. I’d slain one back in Germany and then one right now—hopefully. I prayed that the other four weren’t all clustered together. I could really only handle one at a time.
Fortunately, my friends and the Shadow were all on the bottom floor of the castle. In the dungeons, probably.
Pond Flower and I crept along, our footsteps silent on the stone beneath our feet. The whole castle vibrated with dark magic, and the walls never stopped looking weird. Almost like the castle was built of smoke, but not. One strong wind could blast it away.
My dragon sense tugged us through dark corridors and by massive rooms. But there was very little furniture. If there was a barracks for the demons, maybe that would show signs of life, but I didn’t think the Shadows were truly alive. They were more like sentient evil.
I shuddered, following my dragon sense to a stairwell that led down. This, too, was a spiral staircase. I tugged the cloak tighter about myself, hoping to pass as a Shadow if I came across any demons. I kept my ice magic charged up, just in case.
The staircase led down at least four flights, and it got hotter with every step. By the time I reached the bottom, I was sweating. The hallway was wider here, with doorways positioned all the way down.
Why were the Shadows down here? Were they threatening my friends? I hurried, muffling my footsteps with my sound magic.
Soon, my dragon sense was going off like mad, tugging hard to the doorway on the left. I sidled up to it, holding my breath. When I peeked in, I got a glimpse of three Shadows, all standing around a table and looking at a piece of paper.
I jerked back and squeezed my eyes shut.
Shit.
I couldn’t take three. I’d be killed, then my friends would rot in the dungeons. Or worse. Even just looking at the Shadows made me think that maybe I should go in and join them. Help them with their plan.
Damn the magic that had twisted my mind.
Quietly, I sucked in a deep breath, getting a hold of my mind. Pond Flower pressed herself against my legs, making it easier.
Fortunately, none of the Shadows had been facing the door, so I was able to slip b
y without them noticing. The corridor turned right about twenty yards later. The air began to stink—that awful dungeon smell that was so characteristic of places like this. Blood, bowels, fear.
I prayed that my friends were okay as Pond Flower and I slipped along. Every now and again I’d sink my hands into her fur to remind myself of my goals. This mind control stuff sucked.
My dragon sense pulled hard as I reached the end of the hall. I was so close—I could feel them. Just on the other side of the heavy door.
Footsteps sounded behind me.
Shit.
I glanced around, spotting an open door. I ducked in, Pond Flower behind me.
Of course it was too good to be true. Whoever was stomping their way down the hall turned into the room. I had a half second to check out the back of the demon. I used it, sending an icicle into his back before he could turn around. He grunted then fell.
When no one else came in, I sagged against the wall, panting.
That had been close.
I gave it a few more seconds, then peered out into the hall. No one was there, so I hurried out, headed straight for the door to the dungeons. I’d just drift right through in my Phantom form and—
Yelping sounded from behind me. I spun, shock and fear hitting me like a baseball bat to the head.
One of the Shadows had Pond Flower. Somehow, he’d gotten ahold of her with his shadowy arms. And it hurt her. The yelps were growing louder and louder.
Two more Shadows drifted beside the one holding Pond Flower. She wouldn’t leave because I was still here.
“Go, Pond Flower!” I screamed.
She struggled, trying to break free to get to me. But I knew she could use her magic to disappear back to the FireSoul headquarters.
She refused to.
“Go!” I put every ounce of command that I possessed into the word.
Her eyes rolled, then she disappeared. I prayed she went back to the FireSoul hideout.
Inside, I screamed for Draka, but I knew it wouldn’t work. She’d never come when I called—only when my life was truly threatened. And even then, she didn’t always show.
