Demon Warden: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy (The Cursed and the Fallen 1)

by Selene Kallan

  I clench my teeth tightly, opening my eyes but keeping my gaze down. “I said no, but he kept insisting, I asked him to take me home, but he wouldn’t listen. He gave up on trying to talk me into it and started hitting me. I ran away from him, but he caught me, and something inside me snapped. Grandma had forbidden me to use magic, but I cast a spell to create fire. The look on his face… He left me in the middle of the woods at night, barefoot and vomiting, and if not because grandma found me unconscious and hypothermic by the road I would have died. Or maybe not, I mean, could I have died?”

  I lift my gaze and blink, surprised to see the dark aura leaking out of Nox. I usually have to touch him to see his aura, and it’s normally silver-amethyst, not black. He’s clenching his jaw, and his murderous gaze is fixed on the wall beside my head. I shiver, the temperature in the room has descended and I’m sure it has nothing to do with the thermostat.

  “I should have consumed his soul,” Nox says, voice calm and chilly, making a shiver run down my spine.

  “Erm, I’m not sure it would have been very tasty,” I say, surprised at myself for trying to joke.

  Nox looks at me, his gaze as unreadable as ever. “Oh, on the contrary, wicked souls are quite delicious.”

  I can see it then, feel it, the powerful demon behind the refined facade. The strangest thing is, I’m not afraid.

  “I’m sorry,” he says, blinking away the murderous look. The darkness fades.

  I shrug. “Others have had it worse, I was lucky if you think about it.”

  Nox snorts. “I’d not describe such a situation as lucky, Dinah. And I don’t understand why he should be allowed to roam the earth, free to commit such heinous acts again.”

  “Demons don’t do that kind of thing?” I ask, hoping he sees my curiosity as just that.

  He frowns. “Rarely, as surprising as it may sound. And they usually don’t live long if they go down the path of depravity, the Asteri take care of them.”

  I hug my knees. “Really?”

  He nods. “Free will, remember? If a human wants to have sex with a demon, that’s their prerogative, but rape is forbidden.”

  “Why don’t the Asteri get rid of the human rapists, then?”

  Nox lets out a disdainful sound. “Because human souls are redeemable, and it’s not the Asteri’s duty to reap them, it is ours. But we are oftentimes too busy running away from them or the Nephilim to do our jobs.”

  “This world is far stranger than I thought,” I muse.

  Nox sighs. “And there’s still much you need to learn.”

  I groan. “Not tonight, please.”

  His lips flicker in a tiny smile. “Not tonight. Try to rest, I have something to show you tomorrow.”

  He gets up from the bed and—against my better judgment—I want to drag him under the covers and just hold on to him, like a giant, grumpy teddy bear.

  “Don’t you have a million questions about tonight?” I ask.

  He nods, arranging the cuffs of his pristine black shirt. “That I do, but it can wait until the morning. Goodnight, Dinah.”

  “Goodnight,” I mutter, watching him as he leaves the room. He doesn’t close the door, and a tired Isir pokes her head inside.

  “Slumber party?” she requests, brown eyes worried and warm.

  I swallow hard. “If you want.”

  Isir smiles. “Yes.”

  I lift the covers and Isir closes the door, then crawls to bed with me. Her arm wraps around my waist, my back against her chest, the heat of her body is comforting. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

  CHAPTER 16

  NOX

  I tamp down the tide of anger until I’m far away from the penthouse. Dinah’s screams are still echoing inside my head. I’m glad Bryce wasn’t there to hear and see it. She would have been embarrassed and much less prone to talk about it.

  I saw it all.

  The moment I placed my hands on her arms, I got a deluge of her memories, of the hurt and fear and disgust. Of that muddy road and her fire.

  I could feel the searing pain in her leg, taste the bile in her throat as she retched on her arms and knees.

  I knew there was pain under her vibrant and crazy personality, but seeing it, feeling it is something else entirely.

  The records of the attempt of rape have been deleted. Daniel Beaumont’s family is wealthy enough to bury most of his crimes. The time he served was a joke, and he even got a reduced sentence; that’s why he was able to harass Dinah again.

  I’ve portalled directly outside the Beaumont residency. The white house is large, three storeys with a wide porch, and no neighbors in a one-mile radius.

  Perfect.

  I remain invisible to the human eye as I scan the property, finding the trace of polluted energy with ease.

  He’s alone in the house except for the old Golden Retriever shaking with cold, fast asleep against the entrance door. I cast a light sleep spell followed by a warming one on the old dog, and he begins to snore.

  I portal directly inside Daniel’s room. There are trophies on a small table and a framed uniform on the wall. The stench of sweat and stale liquor cling to the bastard, haphazardly lying on the king-sized bed.

  Sending a current of chilling power, I wake him. It takes him almost a minute to realize I’m standing a foot away from the bed.

  Recognition flashes in his blue eyes and he screams in a higher pitch than most females I’ve known. The scent of his fear makes me smile.

  “Remember me?” I ask, my voice is cold, inhuman.

  “I-I haven’t seen her again! I swear! Please!” Daniel screams.

  His thoughts are painfully easy to read, he wants to rage at me but he’s terrified to do so. He’s afraid of Dinah too, but his sickening obsession is stronger.

  “You’ll never lay your eyes on her again,” I say.

  A flash of anger flares in his eyes, breaking through the cowardice.

  I send visible lines of my power to coil around his wrists and ankles. He whimpers, pulling feebly on the black vines.

  “How many more?” I ask, probing inside his mind.

  He cries out again as flashes of more foul acts blink in fast succession in my mind’s eye. The dark hunger I keep locked deep inside me rises, demanding I drain his corrupt soul, now.

  But I hold back.

  I rip his mind open, making him relieve his worse memories, even those he doesn’t know he has. A flash of Magdalena Novak’s angry face and a bolt of blue magic surprise me. The memory is broken and feeble but I get enough pieces to recognize the spell. Magdalena had deleted his memory of Dinah’s magic, of her fire reaching for him. All in an effort to keep Dinah safe from anyone who could believe the bastard when he cried “witch”, I’m certain.

  I tug at the degenerate’s life-force, eliciting yet another cry. The tearing of his very energy feels like claws on his limbs and fire on his veins. Small blood vessels have broken in the whites of his wide eyes, it’s only a matter of time before he cries blood.

  “No! Please! I don’t want to die!” he screams.

  I laugh. “There are fates worse than death.”

  I tug some more, just enough for him to feel his life ripping in pieces, not enough to make him lose consciousness.

  He soils himself, crying out and squirming on the bed, blood pouring from his nose, ears.

  “You’ll never do it again,” I say.

  He whimpers. “I won’t, I promise.”

  I scoff. “Your promises are not necessary.”

  I tug at his life-force harder this time, he barely croaks out before falling limp on the bed, blood pouring out from his mouth and eyes. The flicker of dark soul-force living inside him slides towards me—feeling like cool ether rippling up my arms and being absorbed by my system, curling around my spine. It’s barely anything, human souls are so frail. But the deep satisfaction, almost pleasure, in knowing not a piece of him remains in this world is fulfilling enough.

  There are empty bottles of beer
and cigarettes on the bedside tables, along with stronger spirits. I lift one of the bottles, using telekinesis, to pour the amber liquid on the dead body. A single drop of my fire creates an almost violent burst of flames.

  I walk down the stairs to the kitchen, opening the gas on the stove. Portalling outside, I take a look at the sleeping dog; he’s still snoring, completely unaware of what just happened. Kneeling, I pick up the old Retriever; he’s warm and his clean, gentle soul —all animals have a soul, no matter what humans like to believe—washes away some of the disgust and cold anger.

  A single spark of my power causes a delightful explosion. The dog nuzzles my neck and lets out a huff, still wrapped in a light sleep spell. I stay for a moment, breathing deep as the cleansing fire consumes the corruption staining the property. I cast a lazy spell that prevents the fire from going too far and portal away, wondering if Alice feels like having an old fur ball around the hospital.

  * * *

  Dinah sits on a stool by the island, eating her omelet and bacon with relish, as usual. She looks tired, but not as if she’s going to break. Her gaze meets mine, a smile flickers on her lips and I feel utterly satisfied with knowing one of her nightmare catalysts is gone for good. Her wavy, golden hair is a chaotic mess around her pale face, cheeks full, and slightly pink. I blink, looking away and drinking a gulp of scalding hot coffee I don’t taste. Isir stayed with her all night, keeping her safe from her nightmares. And part of me wishes it had been me.

  Hells, Dinah wanted me to stay. Her mind was too weakened, and I read her thoughts with ease.

  I fight against that impulse, against the flare of affection I can no longer deny. Nothing good can come out of it. Dinah’s too young, still too inexperienced to decide which side she’s on. Sure, she’s our friend now, but who guarantees she will continue to be once she’s exposed to her kin? Once she is free of whoever has been using her.

  Dinah has earned the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t trust her completely, and I’m certain she doesn’t fully trust me either.

  “So, did you try to use your power to fight back?” I ask.

  The flash of fear in her eyes makes me want to take the question back, I should have let her finish her breakfast first. She bites her plump lower lip and sits straighter, displaying more bravery than she gives herself credit for.

  “I did, not at first, I admit,” she confesses with a small wince. “But once I tried it was too late, he was draining me and I couldn’t reach it.”

  I don’t like that answer one bit. If a Nephilim was able to take out the demon with just a spell and a relatively small burst of light power, it couldn’t have been that powerful. And Dinah has resisted a worse attack before, Kazzian is more powerful than that.

  “What?” Dinah asks, cocking her head and furrowing her brow a bit, silver eyes alight with curiosity.

  “You should have been able to use your power, and the sudden entrance of that Nephilim is very suspicious.”

  She frowns. “Are you sure you’re not a bit biased?”

  I roll my eyes. “Yes, I am, want to know why?” She nods. “Because someone took down the wards in the toilet area and the residual magic points to either a Fae or a Nephilim.”

  Normally, I would have felt the wards falling, but I had been in Hell, trying to find any inkling as to where Kazzian was hiding his coward arse.

  Dinah bites her lip. “Fine, good point. I admit I’m not Aaron’s biggest fan, yes he saved my life, but he’s also a racist asshole.” She gives me a pointed look that says ‘don’t be a racist asshole’. “However, without him, I’d be dead. And what if it was a fae who took the wards down?”

  I frown. “There was a fight between drunken fae and lycans nearby, so I won’t rule it out.”

  “And what if the demon had been sent by Kazzian?” Dinah asks, voice trembling.

  I nod. “That is a possibility of course, but I’m afraid we’ll never know.”

  If I’d been there. If I’d had a chance of interrogating him…

  Dinah smirks triumphantly. “See, we can’t just point fingers without evidence, good detectives know that.”

  I look at her bright, slightly crazy stare. “You’re a detective now, are you?”

  She huffs with mock haughtiness. “Indeed, I am. It is clear to me you’re not familiar with the science of deduction, my dear Watson.”

  I chuckle, her faux British accent is good. “And for some reason you’re Sherlock.”

  She smiles. “Minus the drug problem and hat.”

  I try to fight down the smile but can’t. Her grin melts away a little of my resolve.

  “Ready?” I ask, picking up her plate.

  Dinah stands. “Just a minute.”

  She hurries to her room and I take a deep breath.

  Isir stalks into the kitchen, chocolate eyes alight with mischief and a knowing smile.

  “Don’t,” I warn.

  “Don’t what?” Isir blinks innocently.

  I arch a brow and pour her a cup of coffee.

  Isir sits on Dinah’s vacant stool. “Don’t mention you were wrong about her and she is a perfectly nice, deranged girl?”

  “Yes, exactly,” I say, tone stern.

  The succubus rolls her eyes. “Very well, I should also not mention she’s one of the few people you touch without flinching, or that she trusts you more than you trust her.”

  “That would be a wise idea,” I agree.

  “Very well,” Isir sighs, winks.

  She’s never been intimidated by me, not even when I found her emaciated and almost broken after being brutally experimented on by humans. Not when she’s seen me at my worst moments.

  “Ready!” Dinah cries bursting into the kitchen, her eyes fall on Isir and she smiles. Deep affection leaves her in gentle waves.

  “Good morning, sexy,” Isir teases. An equal feeling emanates from her, mingled with fierce protectiveness. Weeks ago I thought there could be something between them, but I can’t read anything beyond the bond of friendship.

  Dinah snorts. “You snore, did you know?”

  Isir gasps. “I do not!”

  Dinah smiles wickedly. “You don’t, but the look on your face! Priceless.”

  “If you two are quite finished,” I say, placing a hand on Dinah’s back and leading her to the balcony.

  “Have fun!” Isir chants.

  “Where are we going?” Dinah asks, placing her hands on my shoulders. Her bright orange-golden aura is almost blinding, silver eyes big and curious.

  “A secret town called Locthus, its population is almost completely supernatural.”

  Dinah blinks fast. “That’s brilliant.”

  I step closer to her and wrap my hand more securely around her waist. “Unfortunately, we won’t be sightseeing today, it’s a business visit.”

  Her shoulders slump. “Oh, well, maybe another time?”

  I nod. “Absolutely.”

  Her smile is dazzling, I keep my face impassive as I become hyper-aware of her energy, her sunlight-oranges-lavender scent, the heat of her body so close to mine.

  “Portalling requires focus,” I instruct, looking for a distraction. “You need to be familiar with your destination and be aware of the flow of the planet’s electromagnetic pulses.”

  “So, you can’t portal to a place you’ve never been to before?” Dinah enquires.

  “I can if I have a picture and a general sense of where the place is,” I explain. “Now, take a deep breath and don’t close your eyes.”

  She obeys, filling her lungs and tightening her grip on my shoulders.

  “Watch.”

  I force the process to be slow, opening the energy bridge that will take us just outside the wards of Lochtus. Amethyst energy and wind envelop us from our feet to our heads as we travel; Dinah takes in the bending of the space and the flickers of the forest around the energy cocoon with wide eyes. When the vortex vanishes and our feet land on plush moss, she looks around with mute fascination. Her emotions
are always easy to read. I release her, immediately missing the contact.

  “Wow, I didn’t even get nauseated this time,” Dinah comments with awe. Her brow furrows. “You’ve been brusque with the portalling on purpose, haven’t you? You mean bastard.”

  I can’t fight down a smirk. “Not really, you’ve become accustomed to it and less afraid. I simply made it slower so you could feel how it works.”

  She snorts incredulously and follows me as I walk towards the edge of the forest. I spy her small smile, the mix of sadness and relief in her face as she breathes in the refreshing scent of the forest, looks at the birds chirping, and worries her lower lip with her teeth.

  Dinah stops in her tracks and looks around us with wide eyes.

  “The wards,” I explain. “They keep humans outside and also hostile supernaturals.”

  I urge her to keep moving with a light touch between her shoulder blades.

  “It feels like static and as if I’m being scanned,” she comments. “Very cool, your magic, right?”

  “Yes, partly.” I refrain from pointing out that identifying magic is a skill that must be learned, and it’s quite impressive she’s figured out on her own. It’s best when she doesn’t know she’s skilled at something, it makes her less self-conscious.

  Almost too soon, the two-storey building looms in sight.

  “I must warn you about something,” I say.

  Her eyes snap to meet mine, and I fight down the urge to smile.

  “This is the house of a fae male, Khaylen, be careful not to stare at him,” I inject warming and sternness to my voice.

  Dinah blinks. “Oh, is he badly scarred or something?”

  I nod with mock seriousness. “Or something.”

  I almost falter with the look of genuine concern on her face. “I’ll be careful.”

  “Good.”

  Dinah takes a deep breath as she examines the two-storey building with round eyes. The polished wood gleams under the sunlight and gives off a waft of pine and old magic. The porch and balcony are of matching size, both have benches and potted plants. Four windows on the top floor and two on the first, the leaf-patterned crystal glints in the morning sun.