by Patti Larsen
I woke in my cell, head pounding, mouth parched, a burning need aching in my gut and heart even as I rolled off the edge of a narrow metal plate, falling with a grunt of pain on my hands and knees for the second time on the icy stone floor.
My stomach heaved, bile exiting in a rush, though whatever I'd had for dinner was either long gone or hadn't traveled with me. And while I let my brain wander off, wondering if what I ate did cross the veil or if my demon body was totally separate, I huddled against the wall with my still-shackled hands over my knees and cried myself hoarse.
How had this happened? How had I gone from packing for school to being locked up, power blocked, accused of murdering my own grandmother? I tried to reach for Dad, rational thoughts brief and fleeting. At least part of me remained aware through the growing sense of urgency inside me and the terrible, aching emptiness of where my power used to be. Almost too aware of the horrible truth facing me.
I wasn’t guilty, no way, no how. Power or no power, proving my innocence, offering evidence, had to come first. I gritted my teeth and jerked myself under some modicum of control.
No luck with Dad. No power, remember? Okay then. Gotcha. Take stock. I was alive. Wicked. Count that as a win for the home team. A little worse for wear, but intact. I scrubbed at the crusted, dark mess still coating my hands, flakes of Grandmother's blood falling from my skin to the damp floor while I shuddered continually. Stop that. Big girl panties, put them on. My head impacted the wall behind me as I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe. Dad would never believe I killed her. So stop being an idiot. And any second now, he'd be down here, breathing fire, to rescue me. So chin up, kiddo.
I'd handled worse.
Oh, but I hadn't, had I? At least back home I had those I could rely on to save me if I needed help. Here, on Demonicon, accused of killing their beloved leader, with only my father on my side—if he even was, what the hell kept him?—and every other demon out there ready to strip me of power at the first opportunity, my very limited window of salvation seemed narrow indeed.
Theridialis. Sassy's dad. Right, yeah. Buddy number two. He'd never believe it either.
I couldn't sit there anymore, shaking so hard my teeth rattled together, clearly in shock. I had to get up, start moving, if only to warm my freezing body, toes and fingertips losing feeling from the cold. Hands tucked under my arms, wishing I'd been wearing a winter coat instead of my t-shirt and pajama bottoms when I'd run headfirst into disaster. I paced in my bare feet, swearing when I got home—no way I'd even consider “if” as my mind seized on the word and wailed—I would wear the fuzzy socks Gram gave me for Christmas every day and be grateful for them.
It felt like forever since I'd woken, an age, a lifetime. Were they planning to leave me down here to starve, rot away in my own filth? I clutched at my stomach and chest as the intensity of my pain increased. Odd, it seemed to fade as I drew closer to the door and grow stronger when I turned back. Finally, something to latch onto, a little mystery to explore and keep me sane.
Yes, not my imagination or anything. I pressed my hands to the cold metal door, even reaching up on my tiptoes to wiggle my fingers out the narrow bars at the top, the only opening. Though the pressure didn't vanish, it eased enough I noticed it. But the moment I backed away, I doubled over as a spike of red-hot fire jammed me in the guts and my heart constricted.
I sank to the metal slab, tears trickling down my cheeks as the pain slowly eased, but didn't fade completely. That's where I was crouched when someone shouted on the other side of the door just before it clanged open to slam into the rock wall, ringing like a giant bell of doom.
“Sydlynn!” Dad rushed to me, gathered me into his arms. I collapsed against him, sobbing again, clutching the front of his robe as best I could with my hands shackled together, the open doorway calling me toward a golden light and freedom.
Home.
“Dad.” I gasped for air, caught my breath, slapped myself mentally. “Dad, I didn't kill Grandmother. You have to believe me.”
“Of course I believe you,” he whispered. Spun with a snarl of rage. “Why is her power blocked?”
One of the Guards wavered before shrugging. “Orders, my lord.”
Dad froze, face turning to stone. The Guard's face suddenly flushed as he fell to his knees.
“Forgive me, Ruler,” he choked as his body lifted from the ground, grasped in a fist of amber magic before crashing to the floor with a horrible crunching sound.
“That's the last time you'll make that mistake,” Dad growled as I clung to him, all the while wondering what he'd become. A crack of magic, so loud I let out a meep of fear, shattered the stone holding my hands together—
—here, we're here, are you all right? We're here with you now.
My powers, vampire, Sidhe, demon, calling for me, catching in mid-cry, embracing me even as Dad embraced me, flooding me with their magic while I hugged myself inside the circle of my father's arms and rocked in relief, more tears leaking down my cheeks.
Damned tears.
“Syd.” Dad let me go, took my hands in his, flinching at the flecks of blood I'd failed to remove. “You need to let me in so I can see what happened.”
Yes, yes of course. I threw my defenses wide, opening to him completely. I was sure in my need for him to find what he was looking for I showed him a few things I'd be embarrassed my dad knew about later. But, for the moment, there could be nothing between us.
I was there again, in the basement at home, Dad beside me as he followed me through memory.
She called you? Dad felt the magic as I reached for the pool of it hovering over the pentagram. Was pulled through it again. He fell with me on the polished floor, looked around when I did. Crawled to Ahbi. Looked at my bloody hands. Heard her last whispered words, saw the transfer of magic as she told me to avenge her and watched, face cold and dark, as the magic of Demonicon rose in a rush and thundered away.
To you? Had to be. He felt so powerful now, more powerful than ever. Like his mother had been.
To me. He waited, finally showing some emotion when Ahbi's personal power left her and entered me, my struggle to rise and follow the pressure I now felt inside.
Syd, Dad sent. Oh, Syd. How could she?
A tear tracked down his cheek as together in the memory we bent to kiss Ahbi's forehead just before Pagomaris stormed in.
Ameline did this, Dad, I sent as we surfaced. “She even told me she planned it.” I stammered my way through telling him about the email, words choked around a throat so tight I thought I'd lose my ability to speak any moment. “This is all my fault.”
“But how did she cross?” Dad shook his head. “If it was Ameline, she needed a demon form to enter, Syd.”
“She found a way.” I was certain of it. There was no other explanation, not after what Ahbi told me about witch magic. “She's obsessed with becoming maji.”
“I have to leave you.” Dad stood, face hardening, but sadness in his eyes. “I'm sorry, sweetheart. Until you've been cleared by a tribunal, I can't release you. As much as I know you're innocent.”
What the...? No. Freaking. Way.
“Dad!” I stood, went after him as my energy wrapped around me, Ahbi's magic driving me toward the door. “What did you mean, how could she? What did Grandmother do to me?”
“Just stay put,” he said. “I'll convene the tribunal immediately. You'll be out of here and on your way home in no time. Trust me, cupcake.” His fingers stroked my cheek. “I'm sorry, but there's so much more to this than you know. I have no options.”
The door clanged shut behind him with such finality I simply stood there, trembling, waiting for him to come back. He had to come back. He couldn't just abandon me like this.
Could he?
My pacing recommenced while a new argument started up.
Let's just leave. Shaylee had found her voice. She chose to speak so rarely I almost jumped when she piped up. This is a terrible circumstance. We have enough collective
power to open the veil and go home.
She was right, we did. My demon roared her protest.
We have to stay. She hadn't spoken to me since we'd come together again the night we put the Wild Hunt to bed, and I found I'd missed her voice. Only now it was tinged with another's. With Ahbi's. We have an oath to fulfill.
I didn't swear any oath, I snapped at her. Ahbi asked, but I didn't say anything. Did I? My panicked mind went back through the conversation, stumbling over Ahbi's dying words. But I was sure I was right.
It appears that doesn't matter, my vampire said in her calm and gentle voice. From what I understand of the pressure you're now under—with you thanks to our association—the geas Ahbi Sanghamitra placed on you was done without you needing to consent.
So that's what Dad meant. Leave it to Ahbi to saddle me with some revenge oath. She should have trusted me to kill Ameline anyway. That was my plan, after all.
No need for demonic death pacts.
We have to leave. My demon paced in my head. The evil one will escape us. She can't escape us.
Got that one, loud and clear, I sent. Let me guess, since I'm not entirely new to this rodeo: if we don't fulfill this oath?
We will die, my demon sent.
Craptastic.
***
Chapter Four
Again, it seemed like forever went by while I discarded urge after urge to break out of my cell and go hunting. I only succeeded in keeping my demon in check thanks to the combined power of my vampire, Shaylee and my witch magic, even as the urgency of the imposed oath slowly built in pressure until I felt certain my chest would explode.
More voices behind the door spun me around, eagerly reaching for Dad, lurching to the exit. Only to find myself clutching, not at my father, but the sadly smiling Theridialis.
“Sydlynn, dear girl,” he said as he hugged me to his portly body while the door closed on us. “How are you holding up?”
How was I holding—?!? He was lucky I had a firm grasp on my demon or he'd be prone on the floor and likely unconscious for a very long time.
“I take it that means you're not here to let me out.” Clenched teeth served me well yet again. At this rate, I'd be wearing dentures by the age of twenty-five from all the grinding I'd done over the years.
“I'm afraid not.” He released me, sagging, round belly a wave of jiggles as his head fell forward, mouth pulling down at the corners. “Things are not going well, Sydlynn. I came to warn you.”
Um, what? “Dad has proof I didn't kill Grandmother,” I said.
“While that is true,” he said, “there is other proof being presented before the tribunal, a great deal of it, in fact. And since your father's word can't be unbiased...”
“He's Ruler,” I snapped. “His word should be good enough.”
“I agree.” Theridialis sighed, sitting gingerly on the edge of my metal bunk, the bolts holding it to the wall groaning under his weight. “But there are many who oppose your father, Sydlynn. Who see him as weak, no true replacement for his mother. And who now circle like kaftaka with fresh blood in the water.”
I didn't know what a kaftaka was, but sharks and razor teeth seemed to fit the bill.
Theridialis burst into tears, chubby hands covering his face. I tried to sit beside him, but didn't want to risk the bunk collapsing beneath us. Instead, I patted his back, feeling very weird I was comforting him when it was my ass on the line.
“My own ex-mate,” he choked at last, “speaks against you.” He looked up, amber eyes bloodshot and glowing in his grief. “I know not why she lies, or what her agenda is, but my heart is broken, Sydlynn. Sassafras's mother and I have known each other for centuries. This is a betrayal of all we've ever stood for.”
Considering in what low esteem Sass held his mom, I found Theridialis's reaction odd, but continued to pat his back. “Does she have a lot of sway?” This could be very bad.
“She does,” he said. “Though never with Ahbi herself. With other demons who have craved Ruler's power for a very long time.”
“Her word against mine.” I shook my head, trying to calm my pounding heart. “I'll win, Theridialis.”
“That's just the thing,” he whispered. “She showed us the murder, Sydlynn. And it was your magic that killed Ahbi.”
Excuse me, please? “Hell, no.”
“Hell, yes.” He snuffled, wiping his face on the sleeve of his elaborate robe. “Let me show you.” One hand clamped over my wrist as Theridialis's mind opened and I found myself thrust into the same familiar scene.
But this one was different. My grandmother stood at her desk, reading something she'd etched in fire before her. I felt a surge of magic—witch magic, definitely—watched as Ahbi stood with a smile, gesturing as she cleared her working space and approached the window, the veil tearing open.
I stepped through the gap, power flaring in my hands as I crossed, impacting Grandmother's chest. She cried out, reached for me as she fell. I approached her, kicked her with one foot until she rolled on her side, and then her face, groaning.
Grinning, I spun and left the scene.
“Wait!” I jerked my hand free of Theridialis's grip, lungs collapsing as I fought for air, more sobs trying to surface while I struggled with what I'd just witnessed. “That wasn't me.”
“I know it wasn't,” he said. “But it looked like you, and the witch magic made it feel like you. To the tribunal, that could be enough.”
“This is a trick.” Fiery anger finally surged and I let it, feeling it engulf me as I spun away from the unhappy demon, my own howling her fury. Almost time to let her out. “Ameline set me up.”
“Your father mentioned this witch you've fought in the past,” Theridialis said. “And that you think she is the cause of Ahbi's death?”
I turned back, hardly hearing him while I tried to formulate a plan of escape. I couldn't stay here any longer. I'd done this song and dance one too many times and wasn't sure even my particular invincibility would protect me if it came to a guilty verdict. Humans might burn witches and vampires drain their own dry, but demons had particularly dark hearts and I had no desire to be stripped of my magic, turned into a drooling, empty shell and disposed of in the heart of the mountain's magma core.
Nope. Nope. No thanks.
Theridialis still waited for an answer to his question. “Ameline did this,” I said. I know she did.” My eyes met Theridialis's amber gaze. “I need to talk to Dad.” This was nuts. No more sitting around. Ameline might have pushed me into a corner, but no way was I letting things go any further.
The grief and shock holding me hostage shattered as I let my demon out.
But Theridialis surged to his feet, shaking his head, horror on his face. “No, no, you mustn't.” He glanced at the door, as though knowing what I was thinking, hands grasping for me while he turned back to face me. “Please, you mustn't.”
“I won't let them strip my power and kill me for something I didn't do,” I snarled.
“Nor will I,” he whispered. “Or your father. But if you flee now, before you can be heard...” he shook his head, jowls trembling, eyes pleading with me, magic too. “You must think of your father.”
To hell with politics. Dad was a big boy and I wasn't going down for this, no way, no how. But the fear on Theridialis's face made me sigh, stuff my demon back down while she cursed me and kicked at the other magicks holding her in.
Just a few minutes more, I sent her, barely enough of a consolation to calm her, as I clenched my fists around a double handful of Theridialis's robe, reaching for Dad myself only to meet a solid wall of nothing.
“Shields.” More teeth clenching. My jaw was getting a wonderful workout. Fine. Whatever. “Tell Dad,” I said, since I couldn't do so myself, “he has an hour.”
The portly scientist nodded quickly. “I'll tell him,” he said. “Once I've cleared the prison level.”
And the shields. Lovely.
Theridialis left me to fume. Now that I'd broken free of
the dark melancholy and horrible weakness, the oath Ahbi instilled flared to further life, driving me to pace in stomping steps. My feet ached from the impact on the floor, hands clenched so tight I couldn't feel my fingers from lack of circulation. I knew the geas had to be reaching its pressure limit from the tingling racing through me, demanding I pay attention, go after Ameline at once. I had to act soon or, according to my demon, die.
Dying was not on my agenda for tonight.
When the door opened the third time and three Guards marched in, crowding my little space, I released a relieved gust of air and almost smiled, not in happiness, but because things were finally moving ahead.
“About time,” I said.
“It certainly is,” one of them answered. And closed the door behind him.
***
Chapter Five
I should have been expecting an attack. After what Theridialis told me about the hostile environment above, not to mention my previous experience on Demonicon, an attempt on my life was an obvious thing, wasn't it? But, like a doofus, I wasted a precious moment on “huh?” while the three Guards, the closed cell door now shutting out the rest of the world, gathered their power and pounced.
Not for the first time and certainly not for the last, I was grateful for the presence and vigilance of the other powers living with me. Without them, I know my life, as invincible as I might have been, would have likely ended that night.
As it was, my vampire threw out a shining silver shield only just in time to block the first blast of golden fire even as Shaylee's earth magic dove deep under the rock and burst forth, turning the ground beneath the hulking Guards to rubble, driving them to their knees. My demon reacted next, a massive lash of magic whipping through the trio as they howled in pain.
