Demon's Web

by Laura Hawks

  “I did. Although I kept having strange dreams. Almost like flashes, maybe of my memories, but nothing made sense and there was no familiarity about them.”

  “It’s okay baby, they will come in time. Your grandmother should be here shortly, then we will see my mom. They should be able to help. I hope.”

  “I know, Logan. I do. I am worried though. Although, I think it’s more anxious nerves than anything. Are you going to come with us, Tyler?”

  Tyler looked up, his mouth full. Swallowing quickly, he shook his head. “Me? I would love to go, but I’m not really allowed in the Nether Realm.” He then turned away, quickly focusing on making a plate of food for her, realizing he might have said too much.

  “The Nether Realm? Not allowed?” Jaz asked confused but still wanting answers.

  Logan and Tyler exchanged looks and Tyler shrugged. “Sorry, man. Ain’t used to watching what I say.”

  Logan sighed and put down the sandwich he had just made from his breakfast plate. “Your grandmother is a goddess, as she told you yesterday. I am not sure you fully believe it or not, but it’s true. My father is the god of demons. He makes sure they don’t interfere with the Human Realm. This realm. Because of his duties, he lives with other demons in what the humans might consider a type of hell. However, his house, my house, is warded heavily. It’s safe”

  “And your mother? Is she a goddess too? Why can’t she come here? Why do I have to go there?”

  “Yeah,” Tyler spoke up. “Your mom has never visited here. Someone would think she doesn’t like us.”

  “She doesn’t know you, Ty. But if she did, she probably wouldn’t like you. My mother has impeccable taste. She wouldn’t appreciate your dirty sense of humor. Or the smell of you after you eat garlic,” Logan teased lightly.

  “Ha. Ha. Such a load of roach dung. You have me laughing my fucking ass off over here. Asshat. You’re such a dick wad sometimes.” Tyler mumbled the last two sentences almost to himself, but loud enough for them both to hear.

  “Honestly, man. I just found out last night why she has never been here. She can’t come to this realm.”

  Tyler and Jaz simultaneously asked why. Logan gave Jaz a sad look before turning away. She had been there when he learned of this but didn’t remember. It was a strong dose of reality each time she couldn’t recall something about things they shared or just discovered. His arms ached to pull her to him, hold her close. He wanted to kiss her breathless and leave her weak in the knees, but she still didn’t know who he was and certainly wouldn’t allow him those pleasures he had enjoyed less than twelve hours ago. Moving past the thought, he answered them as best he could. Honestly, he wasn’t fully sure he understood all of it himself.

  “Long story short, there was some sort of battle, and in the process my Uncle Jes killed my mom. Although she is alive in the Nether Realm and can go to various other realms, she can’t return to this one because this is where she was killed. I don’t get the whole thing myself, but that is the gist of it. We, Jaz and I, only found out last night. She wanted me to know it was why she hadn’t visited me here or met either of you. It’s not that she didn’t want to, it was just she couldn’t and hadn’t told me why before.” He turned to Jaz. “I think it was her way of letting us know she was okay with us. Or maybe it was an apology. Again, I am not really sure. I’m just glad she finally told us. Anyways, that is why we have to go to her instead of her coming to us.”

  “I’m not sure I like the idea of going anywhere called the Nether Realm. What if I get stuck there?”

  Logan snorted softly. “You won’t, baby. You used to visit my mother’s garden and me often. Besides, I won’t let anything more happen to you. I should have never let you leave alone last night. I should have stayed with you. Maybe if I had, none of this would be happening now. Can you ever forgive me?”

  Jasmine moved over to him. “There is nothing to forgive. I have a feeling I am pretty stubborn when I want to be. If I left alone because I wanted you to have more time with your family, I doubt there would have been anything to stop me from leaving alone.” She moved around the kitchen and poured herself a cup of chicory coffee, inhaling the rich, aromatic scent before cautiously taking a sip of the velvety rich beverage.

  “Hah. You are so right. Always have been,” Tyler readily agreed, then looked up as he sensed an approach to the door. “Your grandmother has arrived. You ready to go?”

  “Mostly. Why can’t you come again?”

  “Because I’m not welcome there,” Tyler replied as he moved to open the door for Archanidou before she ever had the chance to knock.

  “Because you are human or because you are alive?” Jaz questioned as she watched him move to the door. She was surprised when she saw Archanidou moving towards the steps. She knew he said she was here, but how did he know?

  Spiderwoman glided in, greeting the three of them with a “Blissful morning.”

  Tyler shut the door behind her and responded to Jaz’s question. “I’m alive, but it’s not the reason I am not welcome there. I cannot go because of a truce the realm I come from has with the Nether Realm. We stay out of each other’s territory.”

  “So you are not human?” Jaz asked, astounded, though considering all the revelations of the past few minutes, she really shouldn’t have been. Yet, somehow she felt like Alice who fell through the looking glass to a world which was topsy-turvy from what it should be.

  Tyler shook his head. “No.”

  “What are you, then?”

  Tyler looked at Archanidou, almost as if asking permission to tell her. Archanidou nodded to him and waited.

  “I am Fae.”

  Silence.

  “What is that? Like a fairy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where are your wings?”

  “They can only be seen in my realm.”

  Silence.

  “Can you fly?”

  “Only in my realm.”

  “What realm are you from? What is it called?”

  “Faefardom.”

  Silence.

  “How did we meet?”

  Again, Tyler looked over at Archanidou who answered for him. “You were born there. That is where my daughter, your mother, Fern, laid you.”

  “Laid me?”

  “You are my child’s child,” Archanidou said patiently. “Spiders lay eggs. And it is because of the egg that you are so sought after, which is why you live in a warded house, and why you grew up in Faefardom. It was to protect you.”

  “Protect me from what? This is all so confusing.” Jaz rubbed her forehead. “Does this have anything to do with Logan’s mom?”

  “Actually yes, it does. Which is why we are going to see her today. Clarissa is, or rather was, guardian to a very powerful gem. When the gem was destroyed, my children took it to various realms and places to dispose of the miniscule pieces. Fern buried hers with her eggs. Yours was the closest and your shell incorporated the energy of the shard into your very body. It is bound with your heart and the blood which flows through you. There are many who search for any piece they can find of this stone. Therefore, they search for you.”

  “Are they able to get it from me?”

  “Only if they kill you to get your heart. Even though it’s only a minor fraction of the force which once existed when the gem was whole, it is enough to change the balance among anyone who possesses it. It could also be used to find other pieces. A honing device of sorts.”

  “Can I feel the other pieces? Do I have access to the abilities the gem bestows?”

  “No. You cannot feel the other pieces, nor would you have access to the powers of the gem. I removed that from you when you were born and we realized what had happened.”

  “Why?”

  “To protect you. If we could dampen the effects, we hoped it would prevent the call to others that a piece still existed within you and come after you to obtain it. Although I culled your abilities, I was not totally successful in preventing the call of the s
tone embedded within you. For those attuned to it, they can feel its resonance when you are near or if you are exposed in an unprotected area for a long period of time. Faefardom is protected. Those spells ward this house, which is why you are protected here.” Archanidou turned to Logan. “We should go. Your mother will be expecting us soon. I sent word to Shara to ready her for our arrival.” She turned to Tyler. “As guardian to Jasmine, I have secured you a pass to join us, if you desire.”

  Tyler blinked, surprised at the ability to access a forbidden realm. Quickly recovering, he nodded. “I’m ready and willing to attend.”

  Logan pushed his food away and moved to the door, indicating he was ready as well.

  Jaz didn’t move. “How are we going to get there? I mean, somehow I don’t think a car will reach another realm.”

  Archanidou chuckled. “True. However, I am able to open a portal to various realms. An ability you also have. We need to go outside though, where the wards won’t affect us. The back yard is purposely secluded for just this reason. Shall we, my child?”

  Jasmine hesitated. She really was unsure if these people’s elevators just didn’t reach the top floor, if she was part of a scene from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, or if this was really happening. She took another sip from the now-cooled cup of coffee before setting it on the counter.

  “Alright. Let’s get this over with.”

  Chapter 18

  One minute they were in the backyard of their New Orleans Creole Cottage, and the next they were in some sort of receiving room with two massive, winged, gargoyle skeletons staring at them in front of a huge stone fireplace. The blazing fire cast eerie shadows about the room, where Shara waited for them.

  “Greetings,” Shara said, approaching Logan for a hug.

  “Hi. You must be the Queen of Hearts. I’m Alice,” Jaz said, sticking out her hand.

  Shara raised her eyebrow, pulling back from Logan. “Um. No. Logan’s mother will be down shortly. The wedding ran a bit late last night and they only got to bed a few hours ago.”

  “Should we come back, then?”

  From the doorway, a masculine voice boomed, despite its softness, throughout the room. “No. She will be down in a few minutes. Please, make yourselves comfortable while you wait. Can I get you anything?” Azamel gazed over at Tyler warily, his eyes narrowing.

  Tyler wanted to duck behind Archanidou to avoid Mel’s gaze, but he knew it would be cowardly, which he wasn’t. Nor was he willing to appear weak to this god. He stood his ground, lifting his chin slightly in defiance as he did so, but said nothing.

  “Hi Dad,” Logan stated, taking Jaz’s hand and leading her across the room to him. “Jazzy, this is my dad, Mel.”

  Mel looked down at her, as if searching her very soul. It sent a shiver through her, down to her spine. She felt like he was judging her and she was sure she would have been a black mark on the freshly cleaned carpet if she failed whatever test he just did.

  “Shara informed us you lost your memory. I wish we were all so lucky. There are a few things I would like to forget,” Mel said quietly. He turned away from her and spoke to Logan. “Have you narrowed the timeline down as to when it could have occurred?”

  “Yes. We figure there was a two- to three-hour window from the time she left here before a friend discovered her like this in front of the Moon Walk.”

  “That is not a lot of time,” Mel responded.

  “No, Dad. But then, how long does it take to wipe one’s life away?”

  Archanidou moved forward and laid a hand on Logan’s shoulder. “Logan feels responsible. Makes his words seem harsher than he means them to be.”

  “I understand. I would feel the same if it were Rissa who couldn’t remember me or our time together.”

  “Do you think Clarissa will be able to help me?”

  “I can only try,” Clarissa spoke from the doorway as she entered the room. She greeted everyone, her final salutation to Jasmine. Taking the young woman’s hand, she led her to the couch in front of the fireplace. Archanidou sat on the other side of Jasmine. Logan and Tyler both started forth to be by Jaz, but Mel stopped them both. “Let the women do what they must. Do not interfere.”

  Shara realized she was no longer needed and quickly slipped away from the room, anxious to get back to her warm bed and the demon who waited there for her.

  “I’m really not sure what to do here, Ani. I’ve never done anything like this before,” Clarissa admitted, unsure where to begin or even how to. She was the only one who called the goddess Ani and Archanidou allowed her to take that liberty. It always amazed Mel Rissa was allowed to get away with it when everyone else would have been smoked where they stood.

  “Put one arm in front of Jasmine and take my hand. The other behind her to do the same. She will be surrounded by our arms and our beings. I can lead you into her mind. You can follow the call of the gem and, between us, hopefully, we can see why she cannot remember and open the door to allow her memories to return.”

  Clarissa followed the goddess’ instructions.

  “What should I do?” Jasmine asked quietly as she sat between the two women.

  “Think, Jasmine. Focus on what you remember and keep trying to remember what you can’t recall. Imagine a door which you need to open to release all your memories.”

  ‘Well, that makes absolutely no sense,’ Jaz thought. Still, she let her mind go back to the first cognizant thoughts she had.

  Archanidou used her abilities and brought Clarissa into Jasmine’s mind. Once there, Clarissa could sense the stone, even stronger than she could before. Clarissa stood in darkness. Bursts of a fiery orange light would shine as if from underneath a door, then just as suddenly disappear. She followed the minute eruptions of illumination, twisting and turning down the darkened corridors through Jasmine’s mind. A pounding pierced the area as she moved further and farther along. It took her a few minutes to realize what she was hearing was a heartbeat. And with each thrum, the orange glow would appear. It led her to a door, which was barricaded.

  “You need to find a way to open the door,” the whispered voice of Spiderwoman reverberated within Clarissa’s head.

  Clarissa searched for a door handle, hinges, or some way to release the entranceway, but access was unobtainable as far as she could discern. The door was solid. Clarissa tried pushing, pulling, tugging, reaching over and under to try to pry it open, but nothing worked.

  “What do I do?” she asked, hoping Archanidou would hear and answer her.

  “Follow the stone, Clarissa. Just as you would in the world outside. You can use your abilities to break the door, your wolf strength. You can do this, if you believe in yourself and will it to you. Just remember, you need to go to it. Calling it to you will damage Jasmine physically. The thrumming you hear is her heartbeat. It is why it matches the bursts of light of the stone.”

  Clarissa understood. It had been a long time since she first trained with Mel in getting her powers and learning to control them. She had to learn to move past the angry chip on her shoulder, to trust in others in order to succeed, by not letting her enemies use her own personal losses against her. She called up what she had to go through for her training. Remembered the exercises she had to do. Exercises she later passed on when she trained Logan and had planned to use in order to train Trinity. Once she was ready, Clarissa waited for the light to pulse, the burst of energy from the stone. She timed it, mentally counting, until she perceived a pattern. She hunched down, focused. Ready. She would only have one chance. She knew this much, though how, she was uncertain.

  When the beam glowed again, Clarissa was prepared. She had called up her wolf senses, including strength. In one swift movement, she stood, swung and kicked the door with the heel of her foot, cracking the barrier. In that momentous second, Clarissa sensed Trinity and her own heart sped in anxiousness. Her head swam with giddiness. Was it her imagination? Would the gods be that cruel?

  Clarissa took a couple of steps back, her d
esperation overwhelming. She ran and, with both feet, kicked the barrier once again, leaving a gaping hole. Clarissa peered inside and saw Trinity trying to retrieve the essence of the Gem of Avarice, but because it was tied to Jasmine’s heart and blood, it tugged throughout Jasmine’s entire being. Jasmine’s body shut down to protect itself; her mind had one thought—get away to someplace safe. The stone, which was a part of her very life source, felt the pull of Trinity trying to grab ahold of it and did what it could to survive.

  Clarissa’s focus changed. Instead of guiding Jasmine to receiving her memory, it was now about figuring out where Trinity was. She was desperate to get to her daughter. But, just as suddenly as the barricade was dismantled and Jasmine’s memories came flooding back, Clarissa was washed in the tide of them, being forced out. The contact with Archanidou disengaged and she gasped for breath as Jasmine screeched, putting her hands to her head.

  Logan ran towards Jasmine, his arms encasing her to help calm her the only way he could think of. Mel was beside Clarissa, holding her shaking form close against his body as he knelt beside her. Tyler moved to help Archanidou should she need his assistance, but she waved him off, silently thanking him.

  It was going to take a few moments for the others to settle down before they could discuss the complexities of what Clarissa sensed and saw, as well as get any specific details from Jasmine.

  Clarissa pushed Mel back slightly. Her hands tightly gripped his biceps, her knuckles white with the strain as she stared into his eyes. Her next sentence was going to be simple, but the ramifications would be ten-fold. Her voice was shaky, yet firm and determined. She needed a moment to understand what it was she had sensed, time to comprehend what she knew but couldn’t immediately process. Those few minutes Mel had her in his arms, her brain settled on recognizing one of the most monumental discoveries she could grasp. She had to make Mel believe her words if nothing else, but no matter what the consequences, the revelation would propel her forward. Alone if need be.

  “Coyote has Trinity.”