Dacia Wolf & the Demon Mark

by Mandi Oyster

  Just as we disappeared, I heard Malcolm roar.

  The cave was pitch black. I summoned fire to my palm and set it on the ground, willing the flames to grow to give us heat and light. Stalactites and stalagmites filled the cave. The firelight flicked its shadows throughout the cavern, making it even eerier.

  Like I’d asked him earlier, Cody had clutched the pillow and blanket so they teleported with us. I had no idea how long we’d be on our own, but I didn’t think a little comfort was too much to ask.

  I set the bags on the floor and dug the other blankets out, spreading the heaviest one over the ground, hoping to ward off some of the chill. Then I turned to Cody. “Well, what do you think?”

  He looked around, nodding. “Home is where the heart is, and you’re here.”

  In all the time I’d known him, Cody had always been a man of few words, but when he said things like that, I felt like the luckiest person in the world. “Hopefully, not for too long.” I wrapped my arms around him and tilted my head up. He brushed his lips over mine. “I don’t know if the fire will last after I fall asleep. It might get cold.”

  We laid down on the ground and covered up with the two remaining blankets. I planned to fight sleep to keep the fire going for as long as I could.

  Picturing Samantha’s face, I thought to her, We are safe for now. There was no way for me to know if she heard me. I hoped the Nephilim would leave her and Dan alone, that whoever summoned Mavros wouldn’t harm them, that the dragons would keep them safe.

  I stared at the ceiling, trying to hold the ghosts of this place at bay. I didn’t want to be here, but it was the only place I could think of besides Draconian’s castle, and since the dragons knew it better than I did, I figured I should avoid going there.

  Hundreds of lights dotted the ceiling. As I gazed at them, they seemed to move closer, growing larger until I saw them for what they were. The silver-haired fairies that healed me when I fought Nefarious hovered all around me. Their presence filled me with peace.

  “Hello.” I stood up and held my hand out.

  One landed on my palm. She was about two inches tall. Her bare feet left tracks on my hand as she stepped closer. “Welcome,” she said in a high, squeaky voice.

  I bowed my head. “Thank you. Without your help, I wouldn’t be alive.”

  “Evil must not prevail.” Her iridescent wings fluttered even though she was standing still. “You were demon-marked, and with his taint still on you, he can track you.”

  I slumped forward. “Is there anything I can do to remove it?”

  “No, but we can.” The fairies surrounded me, landing on me then flitting off, over and over again. Their wings shimmered and hummed as they zipped through the air.

  When they stopped, a silver glow emanated from my body, lighting up the cavern. “Did it work?” I looked into her purple eyes.

  “Yes. His stain has been removed.” She flapped her wings, lifting into the air.

  A lightness filled me. “Thank you.”

  They flew up, making the cave ceiling twinkle like the night sky. Then all at once, their lights disappeared.

  I laid back down with Cody.

  “That was cool.” He sounded awestruck.

  “Beautiful actually.” I rolled over so I was facing him. “They’re the fairies that healed me when I fought Nefarious. I didn’t think I’d have the privilege of seeing them again.”

  “Might be a lotta grief with your powers, but also a lotta good.” He brushed my hair back, tucking it behind my ear. “They should go to the Nephilim and vouch for you.”

  I fell asleep with my head on Cody’s shoulder. When I woke up, my fire still blazed, holding the darkness at bay.

  Malcolm leaned against a stalagmite. “You’re glowing.”

  “Fairies removed Mavros’ taint from me.” I stood up and lowered my hand to Cody. He shook his head and sat up, combing his hands through his hair.

  “Interesting.” Malcolm rubbed his chin. “I didn’t realize it was still there.”

  “Me either”—I shrugged—“but they sensed it.”

  He stepped closer to the flames, and the light made the shadows on his face look creepy. “I wonder if the Nephilim could sense it but didn’t realize what it was.”

  “Yeah.” I pulled my hands through my hair, wondering how bad it looked. “Cody thinks the fairies should talk to the Nephilim.”

  “So, what’s your story?” Cody knelt in front of the fire, warming his hands.

  Malcolm handed me a bag. “There’s no meat in there, but you humans eat strange food.”

  The sack was filled with donuts and bottles of milk. “Thank you.” I took one of each and passed it to Cody.

  He pulled a glazed one out, took a big bite of it, and nodded at Malcolm. “Much obliged.”

  “They believed you fooled me.” Malcolm waved his hand through the flames. “How did you keep the fire going while you slept?”

  I held my finger up until I swallowed the food in my mouth. “I don’t know. I didn’t think I’d be able to, but it worked.” I licked the icing off of my lips. “Do they think you’re searching for me?”

  “Everybody is searching for you.” He flashed me a smile that showed more fang than normal.

  “Everybody?” Cody popped the last of his donut into his mouth.

  Malcolm nodded. “The dragons and the Nephilim. The Nephilim won’t stop looking until they find you. The dragons haven’t committed yet.”

  “Great.” My legs wobbled, so I leaned against a stalagmite for support.

  “Nobody has seen Mavros since you disappeared.” Malcolm’s bronze eyes reflected the firelight, reminding me of a cat’s. “They believe you went with him.”

  “And brought Cody along?” I shook my head and tugged my hand through my hair. “Right.”

  Malcolm didn’t say anything. He just stared at me over the flames.

  “They think I turned to darkness. Don’t they?” My stomach churned, and I regretted eating breakfast.

  He nodded. “We’ll find a way to prove your innocence.”

  “How?” Cody walked over to me and leaned against the stalagmite, not touching me but there if I needed him. “Didn’t believe when it was obvious.”

  “They never will.” I clutched my stomach and bent over.

  Chapter 20

  Hiding Out

  Cody, Malcolm, and I spent the day exploring the cave. We searched for more secluded places to hide, places where I could soundproof the area and create the illusion of a rock wall, places we could escape if the need arose. The cave we had spent the night in was too open, too vulnerable.

  We discovered several water sources, and Malcolm showed me how to purify it for drinking. He leaned close to me, guiding my hands over the water. I worried Cody would be jealous of Malcolm’s proximity to me, but he didn’t seem bothered by it at all.

  When Cody’s stomach growled, Malcolm teleported away. He came back about twenty minutes later with burgers from the student center.

  Cody’s eyes lit up as the aroma filled the cavern. “Thanks.” He smiled when Malcolm handed him two of them. “Wondered what we’d do for food.”

  “After we figure out where we’ll be, I’ll teleport out to get supplies.” I took a bite of my burger and winced. As grateful as I was for food, I could’ve done without the ketchup on it.

  Malcolm shook his head at me, and the beads on his cornrows clanked together. “You will be spotted. Tell me what you need, and I’ll bring it back for you.”

  “I was planning to go somewhere secluded, somewhere they wouldn’t suspect.” I took a drink of the freshly purified water.

  Malcolm sat on the ground next to me. “There are eyes everywhere, Dacia.”

  “Won’t they wonder why you’re getting suppli
es?” Cody had already downed one burger and was starting on another.

  Still eating his food, Malcolm transformed into an older man with a shaved head and silver goatee. “I will be careful.” He morphed back into the version of himself we’d come to know.

  “I can do that, too. You know?” I stared into Malcolm’s eyes as I took his features as my own.

  He shook his head. “They aren’t just looking for your physical manifestation. They’re also searching for your aura. Now, we need to discuss Aurelia.”

  My stomach dropped, and I set my burger down on its wrapper.

  “You’re gonna eat that.” Cody pointed at it.

  I couldn’t think about food right now. I felt horrible for leaving without letting Aurelia know what was happening, but if she went to the dragon council or met with the Nephilim, I didn’t know if she’d be able to hide the memory from them. “What about her?”

  “She is worried about you, but she told us that if any of us knew where you were, we should tell you that you did the right thing.”

  “She suspect you?” Cody leaned back, bracing himself with his arms and stretching his legs out in front of himself.

  Malcolm tilted his head and raised one shoulder. “She looked right at me when she said it.”

  I thought about Arion and wondered if he had been keeping an eye on me for her. Not knowing how much Malcolm knew about Aurelia’s pegasus companion, I didn’t bring him up. “She tends to know more about what’s happening than she lets on.”

  “She is on your side and will continue fighting for you for as long as it takes.” Malcolm stood. “Shall we continue searching?”

  Cody shook his head. “Dacia needs to eat.”

  Malcolm nodded. “You have to keep your strength up. We have no idea how long this will last or how easily I will be able to continue slipping away from the others.” He sat back down. “It wouldn’t surprise me if to placate the Nephilim, they start having us split up into groups to search for you. If they are with me, I won’t be able to continue to bring you supplies.”

  I ate my burger as quickly as I could and washed it down with water. “Satisfied?”

  Both the dragon and the human nodded at me. We continued on our trek through the cave system. A crack partially hidden behind stalagmites opened up into a decent-sized chamber. “This looks like a good place to hide your stuff.” Malcolm squeezed through the crevice. “There’s plenty of room for a makeshift bed, and there’s another way out back here.”

  I didn’t like the idea of guarding two doors but understood why Malcolm wanted us to have more than one exit. We explored a little more before going back for our things. While I packed stuff up, Cody and Malcolm tried to figure out what we might need for an extended stay in the cavern.

  Malcolm helped us bring our stuff to the other chamber. Then he disappeared. I laid the blankets on the floor, sat down, pulled my knees up to my chest, and wrapped my arms around them. I felt like I should be doing something more than just sitting around. I didn’t want to be here forever, and unless I did something to change my situation, I would be.

  Cody sat beside me. “Not the end of the world.”

  “It seems like it.” I rested my chin on my knees. Aurelia might have believed I made the right choice, but I wasn’t sure I had, and worst of all, this choice affected Cody, too. “How can I ever get the Nephilim to believe that I’m innocent if I just hide away?”

  “We’ll come up with something.” He threw his arm over my shoulder and pulled me into his side. “Don’t do anything rash.”

  D

  “Dacia.” Mavros strides toward me. A thick fog rolls in with him, filling the night, muffling everything but his low growl. “You lied to me.”

  I fold my arms over my chest. “Not technically.”

  “You told me you were going to their sanctuary.” We stand toe to toe. He glares down at me, and his black eyes are hard. Sometimes I forget how much bigger he is than me, but looking up at him, I feel intimidated.

  I want to step back, but I fight the urge and hold my ground. “No, I told you I was leaving. You assumed I was leaving for the sanctuary.”

  “Why couldn’t you just go with them?” He steps away. His shoulders droop. “I was trying to keep you safe, but now they’re sending me to find you and do whatever’s necessary to keep you from going to the sanctuary.”

  I smile at him, fully aware that he’s a demon but still hoping he’s on my side. “Thanks for the warning.”

  Chapter 21

  Caged

  By the middle of the second day, living in a cave was wearing on both Cody and me. Not knowing if it was day or night, not being able to smell the fresh air, and not being able to step outside all took their toll on us. The constant sound of water dripping put me on edge. I paced the cavern like a tiger in a cage.

  “Dacia, stop.” Cody’s voice startled me. It sounded harsh in the stillness of the cave, but his eyes were compassionate, understanding. He stood and walked toward me. “Let’s go for a run.”

  We both changed into shorts and T-shirts. Then I created a ball of fire and made it hover in the air in front of us. We jogged side by side through the chambers and single file in most of the passages. The steady thumping of our feet on the rock covered up the sound of dripping water.

  The flames lit up all of the different formations. In the dry areas of the cavern, some of the ceilings were covered in boxwork. Crystal formations glistened in the firelight. The cave system was fascinating, beautiful in its own way, but the outside world called to me.

  I pushed myself, running faster and harder until sweat soaked my shirt. I needed the physical activity to clear my mind and help me come up with a way out of this situation.

  The ground rose, and I slowed my pace. My calves burned from the exertion. The passage leveled off and opened up to a chamber filled by a lake. I ran to the water’s edge. With the fire’s light, I was able to see the bottom of it for a couple feet.

  Cody stopped beside me and looked out. “Kinda creepy.”

  “Why?” I pulled my shoes and socks off and stepped into the lake. I gasped and stepped back.

  He chuckled. “Don’t know what’s in it.”

  “There’s probably nothing in here that’s worse than what’s already hunting me.” I stepped forward again. The shock wasn’t too bad this time. The water was cold. I would love to warm it up and go for a swim, but I didn’t want to hurt any of the creatures who called it home. I trod a little further into the lake and slid on the slick rock. Cody reached out for my hand, but I caught myself before falling in.

  His shoulders slumped. “Careful. You get hurt, I got no light, no way to contact Malcolm.”

  I stepped out of the water. “Maybe we should have him bring us some flashlights … just in case something happens to me.” I chewed on my lip. “I could have one of my lovely nightmares, and you’d be screwed.” I sent a wave of heat to my feet to dry them, then put my socks and shoes back on. “Better yet, we could go get them.”

  “We can’t.” Cody closed his eyes and massaged his forehead.

  I walked up beside him and set my hand on his bicep. “We might have to leave. They’ve sent Mavros to look for me.”

  His muscle tightened beneath my fingers. “This why you’re so wound up?”

  I shrugged. “I hate feeling trapped.” I stepped back toward the water. The blue flames followed my lead. Cody was right. I needed to be careful, to be here, to keep him safe. I lifted my hair off my neck and splashed cold water on it. “To avoid a cage, I put myself in one.”

  The run back was more subdued. I was stuck in my head, trying to figure a way out of this mess but not seeing even an inkling of how to do it. When we were almost back, something spooked me. I turned to Cody and lifted my finger to my lips. Then I snuffed out the light. The cave wa
s pitch black.

  A light moved in front of the passage in the next chamber. Low voices drifted up to me. I leaned close to Cody and whispered, “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

  I turned invisible and teleported right outside the chamber.

  Cash stalked through the cavern, tossing balls of flame against the walls, lighting up the vast space. “I can smell both of you all over this place. You can’t tell me you don’t know where she is.”

  “I caught her scent here, too.” Malcolm leaned against the stalagmite blocking entry into our new shelter. “I’ve come back here several times to try to track her, but so far the only thing I’ve found is her aroma.”

  “You know more than you’re letting on.” Cash turned toward me for just an instant, and I fought to hold in my gasp. Purple horns ringed his head. He had more scales on his face than skin, and his hands ended in wicked talons. “I promised to protect her, too. Don’t take that from me.”

  Malcolm lifted his head and inhaled. Then he looked directly at me and shook his head slightly. “You’ve never acted like you cared, so why now?”

  “Because now she’s gone, and I can’t keep her safe!” His eyes were wild.

  Do you trust him? Malcolm’s voice in my head surprised me almost as much as seeing Cash partially transformed had.

  I don’t know. I wanted to trust him, but if Mavros was right, one of the dragons had betrayed me. He’s always scared me a little.

  Malcolm strode toward him. “Look at me, Cash.”

  Cash locked eyes with Malcolm, and Malcolm opened his thoughts to me. I saw Cash being beaten by Draconian. I saw myself setting him free and heard his vow to never be controlled again. I saw his animosity toward mankind. I felt his fear at me knowing his name and his determination to keep me from using it against him. Then I felt his concern at my disappearance, his failure for not keeping me safe, and his desire to help me.