Awakening

by S. C. Mitchell

  “Oh no, little witch,” the demon chuckled. “You are much too valuable to kill, or allow to be killed, even for such defiance as you have shown.”

  The Demon Lord’s leer made her skin crawl. Still she stood silent, resolute. There had to be some way to strike back at these bastards from within their compound. She’d never contribute to the evil they did in the world. She’d find a way to kill herself first.

  “And what of your child? Wouldn’t you like to see it born?”

  Anna froze. Curse the female Ballor. The Demon Lord’s Lady could detect pregnancy in human women with just a look. In this way they controlled the harem of their Lord, as he bred his army of lesser demons. Because his Lady had detected her pregnancy, the Demon Lord knew of it and he was using it against her.

  Her child…Jack’s child. Did it matter? She had almost terminated the pregnancy anyway. But now she could keenly detect that spark of life floating in her womb.

  “Here is your choice, little witch,” the demon continued. “You can summon my army and keep your child alive and with you for as long as you serve my wishes or…you can continue to defy me and I will rip the child from your body and kill it before it is born. Kill it, right before your eyes.”

  The demon chuckled as Anna cringed at the image.

  “Oh, you’ll live, little witch, I’ll see to that, and after you’ve healed, you’ll go right to my harem where you’ll breed demon after demon for me until your body gives out. One way or another you will add to my army, either as summoner or mother.”

  Anna bowed her head, defeated. The thought of her child, dying like that…

  Tears leaked from her eyes. Her heart fisted in her chest. In that moment she knew she wanted the child and that she would do whatever was necessary to keep it. And because of that, the Demon Lord had won.

  And he knew she was beaten.

  “You will have comfortable quarters and a work area. Ask for whatever herbs and instruments you need and they will be provided.”

  The Demon Lord turned to his son then. “I’m putting this project in your hands, Kwinlox. See that no permanent harm comes to her, but feel free to be persuasive if she happens to find her spine again.”

  The demon’s son rose from his throne and lurched toward her.

  “Oh, she’ll be productive, Father, I assure you,” he said grabbing her roughly by the arm and dragging her from the room.

  Through the corridors of the compound he pulled her. She was forced up two flights of steps and down several hallways, until the Ballor stopped in front of a closed door. He punched a code into an electronic keypad next to the doorway and the door opened with a click, then he pushed Anna into the room beyond.

  “Jux!” the demon shouted before he entered himself.

  The room was small. It contained a metal stool, a cot, and two worktables. A counter with a sink and stove lined one wall and through a doorway in the back she could make out a small bathroom.

  “Welcome to your new home, witch,” the demon said. “Time to get to work.”

  A black-scaled, bat-winged Falgolite demon entered the room. “All went as planned, master?” it asked.

  “Yes,” the Ballor answered. “It was almost worth the injury she inflicted on me. Father was well pleased.”

  The Ballor, Kwinlox, turned to Anna. “One day, witch, there will be a reckoning for what you did to me. I promise you that. But for now, enjoy your new luxury apartment. Jux, here, will get you whatever you need to prepare for the summoning.”

  “A summoning can only happen under a full moon,” Anna said.

  “I am aware of that, witch,” the demon answered. “Tonight is the last night of the full moon this cycle. You will be ready to summon by the time the moon is up tonight or you will find the next month rather unpleasant. Do not disappoint me.”

  With that, the demon turned and left the room. The door clicked behind him, locking her in with the Falgolite, Jux.

  “Don’t be stupid, witch,” Jux said. “Start listing the things you need now and I will get them for you. Kwinlox is not one to be crossed.”

  The futility of her defiance gripped her. Defeated, she took the pad and pen that the demon offered and started listing the herbs and equipment she would need for the Ritual of Summoning.

  Own the disguise. Hide in plain sight. Visibly invisible. – Druidic Twilight by Zon, 1540

  Chapter 15

  Dense woodlands surrounded the huge compound. Jack surveyed the building and grounds with Nathan, Kelly, JJ, and Salina.

  “It’s no use, Nathan,” JJ said. “They’re shielded. She has to be in there somewhere, but I can’t locate her.”

  “The others will be here shortly,” Nathan answered, “but an assault on that compound will be too dangerous without adequate reconnaissance.”

  Anna was in there, maybe hurt, probably scared. Jack needed to get to her.

  “What about me?” he said. “I could change to the Whargan form and go look around. They might just ignore me.”

  “Exactly what I was hoping you’d suggest,” Nathan said. “Can you do it?”

  Jack concentrated. It was late morning, with no hint of the moon in sight. The sun flickered in and out of some light, fluffy clouds. Dark and a full moon made the change easier and less painful, but he’d managed it under worse conditions. They were still in the full moon phase, so he had that going for him. Finding some shade would certainly help.

  He pulled back into a denser patch of forest. The darker it was, the easier the change seemed to be. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his head of worry. The rich, earthy fragrance reminded him of Anna’s garden…and Anna herself. She was all he could think of. He had to get to her.

  Willing the change, he accepted the pain and nausea that wracked his body. He morphed once again into the Whargan form, but the transformation had him gritting his teeth in agony. He held it all in though, and his head eventually cleared, then he strode back to the group, intending to continue on toward the compound.

  “Jack.” Nathan Gray held up a hand to stop him. “Your clothes. The demons don’t wear them in their demon forms.”

  Of course. He should have stripped down before he changed. His clawed hands were clumsy trying to unbutton his shirt. Damn, he’d have to rip it off. He sure as hell wasn’t going to revert back now.

  “Here, Jack, let me help,” Miss Grant said, working the buttons loose. Embarrassment flooded his face as she undid the front of his pants for him, not that anyone would notice through the fur.

  Finally shedding the last of his clothing, he bounded toward the compound. As he approached, he noted movement outside the building. Men, or what looked like men, patrolled the grounds. Some of them carried weapons, pistols in holsters at their sides, or rifles slung over shoulders. They appeared relaxed, and even as Jack approached and was noticed, no one seemed surprised.

  Maybe confidence would get him through where knowledge failed. He strode right up to the nearest guard and grunted in kind of a questioning way.

  “You must be one of the new ones,” the man laughed. “Go in, take a right, go down the stairs and then take a left. Karven will know what to do with you.”

  Jack sighed in relief as he walked through the front doorway of the compound without raising any suspicions. One thing he knew for sure, he wasn’t going downstairs—at least not yet.

  The compound was a sprawling complex of connected buildings and Jack was quickly lost in the many rooms and corridors, but he eventually found some stairs that went up and decided to take them. He avoided confrontations and for the most part everyone ignored him. There were demons all over the place. Whargans, like himself. The red demons like he’d fought in the clearing that night. What had Anna called them? Kolthas? There were also some black-scaled demons with the same basic look of Kolthas demons but with wings like bats. And they could actually fly.

  He knew Anna had been studying these creatures for a long time. How could it be that most of the world was so completely
in the dark? From what Anna told him, these things had been around for thousands of years. They’d lived among humanity and done all manner of evil throughout the ages, yet most people didn’t know they existed.

  A fourth demon type resembled bloated, grey-skinned zombies. These appeared to be pretty stupid creatures, who he found mostly sitting around, staring out windows or watching television. The other demon types appeared happy to leave them alone.

  All told, it was a freakish collection of creatures. At one point he saw a huge, orangish-gold Ballor demon striding purposely through the mansion. It also had bat-like wings like the black demons, but this one’s wings were purple. Jack did nothing to bring himself to the notice of the Demon Lord and moved away as quickly as seemed prudent. The last thing he wanted was to be discovered.

  He crept into a wing of the building that seemed quieter, and there he picked up a familiar scent. Anna. He could use his Whargan sense of smell to track where she’d gone from here.

  There were fewer demons moving through this part of the complex, fewer scents to muddle the trail. He entered a long hallway with lots of closed doors on either side. Jack thought that this might be a sleeping area. Did these creatures even sleep?

  Toward the end of the building, the trail led down a long hallway and into a large chamber where two demons were standing guard in front of a closed door. There were no other exits, so Anna had to be through that doorway.

  One of the demons was the black bat-winged type. The other was a red Kolthas.

  Jack edged close enough to hear what they were saying.

  “She’s pregnant, I tell ya,” the bat-winged one said. “The Lady saw it right off.”

  Jack stayed as hidden as he could, crouching behind the doorway. Thank goodness, in his Whargan form, he had enhanced hearing.

  “I bet his Lordship was miffed to find that out,” the Kolthas said. “She’s a looker, that one. He’d want her in the harem no doubt, if she wasn’t already knocked up.”

  “Nah, this one’s special,” the first demon replied. “She’s that summoner they’ve been making a fuss over the past weeks. Gonna summon us up a big army, I hear tell.”

  Were they talking about Anna?

  “So that’s why they got her locked up here, away from all the fuss.”

  “Yup, so you guard her well…and no playing with her either, like we can with the other slaves, or Kwinlox’ll have your hide, and mine too.”

  “Ha, sonny-boy don’t have to know, Jux. I won’t leave any marks. I got ways…”

  Jack’s gut churned. He wasn’t about to let that demon mess with some poor pregnant woman. But he steeled his emotions and kept hidden. Whoever that woman was, she must be with Anna. In any case, they weren’t in any immediate danger, and he wanted as much information as he could get before he did anything rash.

  “Don’t even think about messing with her, Baulk,” the winged one said. “She’s that special to Kwinlox and his Lordship. If she wants anything, you get it. The lock code is 5448 if she knocks and asks for something, but watch her if you go in. She is an Arcanist witch, you know. Even with the magic shield up, they’re tricky. Don’t let her melt you or anything. I’ll only be gone an hour, so just stay here and make sure nothing happens.”

  The Falgolite started to leave, heading straight toward the doorway Jack was crouching behind. Jack looked for a place to hide. Taking a chance, he opened one of the closed doors just down the hallway and walked in, shutting the door behind him just as the Falgolite passed by.

  Inside the room was a young man, naked and rail thin, on his hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. His back was criss-crossed by welts. It looked like he’d been beaten, rather severely, quite recently.

  “I…I’m sorry master,” the young man stammered, “I am almost finished.” He cringed, as if expecting to be hit, but continued scrubbing.

  A slave. This poor kid was a slave of the demons. Jack’s heart went out to him, but he dared not blow his cover. He simply grunted and lay down on the bed, trying to ignore him. The boy finished his cleaning and made a hasty exit.

  Alone in the room, Jack was able to think. Anna was somewhere behind that locked door just down the hall. He’d accomplished his mission of finding her. But he needed to know she was safe and well. So, he had to figure out a way into that room.

  As he lay on the bed, his mind went over everything the two demons had said. The woman in the room beyond was a summoner. They had to be talking about Anna. But they’d also said there was a pregnant woman back there. And it sounded like they were talking about the same woman. Could it be?

  Anna told him not to worry, that she would take care of everything, if she got pregnant from that first encounter. What had she meant by that?

  Damn it. He had to put thoughts like these aside for later. First, he had to find a way into that room. He rose from the bed and looked out the window. He was at the back of the compound with a view across the lawn toward the wooded area where he thought Nathan Gray and the others were waiting for him. How long had he been gone? An hour? More?

  He knew if he waited too long they would act, attacking the compound. Determined, he yanked open the door and headed down the hallway.

  The lone Kolthas demon still stood in front of the locked door. Jack simply strolled up to him and grunted.

  “What?” the demon responded. Jack continued to grunt and gesture down the hall, hoping to lure the demon away from the doorway.

  “You Whargan are as dumb as Droggas sometimes,” the demon said. It pointed to the floor. “Stay here and guard.” Then it pointed to the door. “No one goes in or out.”

  The demon spoke to Jack as if he were a young child. Whargans must be pretty dumb, if the other demons treated them like this. Well, the one that had lived inside of him hadn’t been the sharpest tack in the box. Jack almost chuckled as the Kolthas demon headed off down the hall muttering, “I’ll go find out what’s going on.”

  Playing dumb was certainly easier than acting smart, but could it really be this easy?

  As soon as the demon disappeared down the hallway Jack punched in the code on the keypad by the door. He heard the mechanism give and turned the door handle.

  She was there and alone. Naked, beautiful, Anna stood at a cook-top, stirring some concoction and adding herbs to it.

  “I don’t need anything,” she said over her shoulder. “Go away.”

  The room was filled with that heavy, herbal scent that Jack would always associate with Anna’s cottage. He forced the change, keeping his eyes on Anna. It was easier when she was near, or maybe he was just distracted by her naked form. In any case, it seemed less painful to shift forms.

  “Anna,” he said as he became human once more.

  “Jack?” she said, flinging herself across the room into his arms. Her lips on his, her soft skin pressed against him. It took all his strength to pull away from the embrace. God, he wanted her right then and there, danger be damned, but he knew he didn’t dare.

  “We have to get out of here,” he said, reluctantly ending the embrace. “Nathan Gray is calling in a strike force to hit this place, but it would be better if we were out before that happens.

  “Nathan Gray?” she asked. “Here?”

  “Miss Grant, JJ and Salina also,” Jack answered. “That’s how I found you.”

  Anna’s expression went thoughtful for a moment. “You need to go back,” she said. “Stop them.”

  He took a step back. “What? I need to get you out of here.”

  The others would be waiting for them. But for how long? They’d never set a time limit on his reconnaissance. How much longer would they wait for him?

  “There’s more at stake here than just me,” Anna said. “Dozens of slaves and a harem full of poor women that need rescuing as well.”

  Anna was being noble, it was so like her, but he wasn’t about to let her sacrifice herself. “We can help them after you’re safe.”

  There had to be a back entrance they could f
ind to sneak out. He’d fight off the whole compound if he had to. He just needed to get Anna to safety.

  “No, Jack. If I disappear, the demons would be on their guard. We need to take this place by surprise or these people will be in greater danger. I have a better idea.”

  “I’m not leaving you here,” Jack said.

  Anna returned to the cooktop and gave a quick stir to the pot boiling on the burner. Why was she delaying? What was she thinking?

  “You have to leave me, Jack. You have to go back to Nathan and tell him to delay the attack until tonight. After the full moon has risen.”

  He shook his head.

  “Listen, Jack, they want me to do a summoning tonight. Remember the lightning. Think about it. This place…at night, with no power. No lights. We’d have a much better chance to rescue everyone.”

  Jack’s gut churned. Damn it, she was right. But how could he leave her? What if something went wrong?

  “Plus, they have some kind of dampening field around the place that inhibits Arcanists power,” she continued. “It’s almost impossible to work any magic. So they’ll have to bring that down for the summoning to work.”

  The plan made sense. He didn’t like it, but he understood. That still didn’t make leaving any easier.

  Anna kissed him. “Go. Wait for the lightning my summoning will cause. Nathan will know what to do.”

  “You take care of yourself,” he said resigned. He willed the change back to Whargan form.

  “You too,” she said as he slipped back out the door.

  He was none too soon. The door had just closed behind him when he heard footsteps pounding down the hallway toward him.

  “Stupid Whargan,” the demon shouted. “There’s nothing going on. Go away and leave me alone!”

  Jack grunted, shrugged his shoulders and hung his head. He shuffled off toward the doorway as the demon lambasted him with curses. Jack kept up his act until he was far down the hallway.

  He was still lost in the large mansion, but it didn’t take him long to find a stairway down and a door that led outside. Only a few guards patrolled back here, but he forced himself to walk as casually as possible toward the forest. Now was not the time to bring any unwanted attention to himself.