by Monica Davis
“It was the only way Fumar could get to me. He could only become one with the vortex as a sacrificial offering. He had provoked the demons until they realized what he was. They wanted to bring me his soul to learn their fates. The souls of shapeshifters are particularly valuable, due to their double nature.”
Ilaria stroked Fumar’s fur. The cheetah rubbed up against her leg, purring. “Fumar had foreseen this in his dreams. He is the reincarnation of Memnost. And now he’s home.”
“Memnost?” Marla looked at Fumar, who winked at her. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to, my child. You’ll forget it all soon enough.”
Marla had heard that the spirit of Memnost was the Oracle. The original one, the first demon in the underworld. That would mean that despite her aversion to demons, Ilaria loved the one demon that had created all this. Crazy.
Marla heard Ilaria’s bell-like laugh. “Crazy — you said it.”
And Memnost had returned — as a shapeshifter.
Other images ran through Marla’s mind, showing how Kitana had guarded the secret of Memnost’s return and Ilaria’s love for him.
Kitana had been a priestess of the Oracle!
Further scenes washed over her. She saw herself as a small child, and Obron bringing her to Ilaria. Grieving for her mother, she hadn’t accepted either food or soul energy, and it looked like she would starve. Obron had asked Ilaria for help.
“At first, I did it just for Kitana,” she said, “but soon you became like my own daughter.” Ilaria sighed. “Now you know the answers, but unfortunately I have to take them back. The danger that the High Council will learn of it is too great. If they knew that Memnost had returned …” They would want to abuse the power of the original demon, but Memnost had changed. Ilaria’s love had changed him.
Love … was that the key to happiness and peace?
Marla nodded, despite having understood very little, and gave Ilaria her hand. Marla trusted her implicitly. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Ilaria’s blind eyes shimmered. Marla felt very light, almost weightless as she lost the memories and her body was recharged with the energy of souls. Fog poured into her nose and mouth, penetrating her lungs and delving deeper into her body. Marla felt no guilt in consuming them, as they were already lost. She became dizzy, as though alcohol had gone to her head. She swooned, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself in Ilaria’s arms. The closeness felt good — Marla felt good. But something was wrong with Ilaria. The priestess didn’t seem to want to let her go. She stroked Marla’s hair and whispered, “I’ll miss you.”
Fumar weaved between her legs and looked at her sadly.
Marla broke away from Ilaria’s embrace. A sense of foreboding crept over her, and goose bumps spread across her entire body. “What did the Oracle tell you?” Her throat was suddenly dry.
Ilaria looked directly at Marla with her ice-blue eyes, as though she could actually see her. “The Oracle prophesized that you would soon be leaving this life …”
Vanessa held the paper in her trembling fingers, reading it over and over. “Come to the fitness trail, station 5, tonight at nine. Alone. I have to see you. Daniel.”
Danny … he was alive, and he wanted to see her! Excitement, relief, and anticipation made her heart hammer against her ribs. She paced up and down her room restlessly. She wanted to run over to Anne and James to let them know that she had received a sign of life from Daniel. The note had suddenly appeared on her desk. Had Daniel brought it in person? But why couldn’t he visit her here — why in the forest at night, where it would be so dark? What he had written next made Vanessa even more suspicious: “P.S.: Please don’t tell anyone about this.”
Was it a trap? But it was clearly Daniel’s spidery handwriting; Vanessa had recognized it right away.
What should she do? Anne and James were both so terribly worried.
There was only an hour until the appointed time, so she would have to leave soon. Vanessa decided to write Anne a letter telling her that Daniel was apparently okay, and that she was meeting with him. She’d put it in the Taylors’ mailbox when she snuck out of the house and set off toward the lake …
Vanessa’s palms were so damp with excitement that she could scarcely hold on to the handlebars as she rode her bicycle through the forest at the bottom of Peak Hill. She was only a few meters from station 5. She knew the fitness trail well, but now, when she could barely see anything, everything looked different. Alien. Spooky. It was quiet — too quiet. She could only hear the wind rustling through the trees and the crunch of gravel under her tires.
Why had Danny insisted on meeting here? Vanessa didn’t like going out alone at night, and in the forest to boot! No one would be out jogging at this time, as the path wasn’t lit. It was more likely that she’d run across some juvenile delinquents drinking an illicit beer or two.
When she saw the pull-up bars emerge from the darkness, Vanessa dismounted and pushed her bike the rest of the way. Her battery-operated light was of little help. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted. Vanessa shuddered, and goose bumps ran down her back. It was pretty creepy in the forest. Suddenly the image of Joe Adams flashed before her eyes, his face blue and covered with ice crystals.
The tall trees around her swallowed up the moonlight. Vanessa walked bravely on; the thought that she’d see Daniel soon gave her courage.
She leaned her bicycle against the frame of the pull-up bars and looked around her. Suddenly, there was deadly silence in the forest. No cricket chirped, no nightingale sang. Only the wind blowing through the treetops continued its eerie whistling.
Ice-cold sweat ran down her spine. She took a step back, eyes on the gravel path; it was barely visible, just a slightly lighter stripe disappearing into the darkness.
“Daniel, where are you?” she whispered, cursing herself for her idiocy.
A rustling and snapping of twigs behind her made her freeze. She sensed that she wasn’t alone anymore, and her heart skipped a beat. Run! was her only thought, but before she could do anything, an arm grabbed her from behind and a hand pressed against her mouth. Then she was pulled backward into the bushes.
TO BE CONTINUED
Preview
Vanessa’s life is in danger. Only Daniel can save her, but he’s under the spell of the demons. The Scepter of Power could seal his claim to the title of Overlord. As he searches for it, Daniel learns not only about his true origins, but also a great deal about himself. Ultimately, he has to determine which is stronger: the desire for power and respect — everything his demonic half yearns for — or his humanity?
Daniel Taylor and the Scepter of Power
By Monica Davis
Daniel Taylor
Stay tuned for the next season of Daniel Taylor and his adventures.
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