Aiden shook his head, laughing. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize your names myself. You’re two of the most feared demons in either world. Your father was Kristopher, right?” She nodded. “And he was no weak wolf himself. I’m just glad the mystery’s solved.”
They both laughed, and he stood to go, saying good night. She reached out and took his hand. “You don’t have to go back to sleeping in the room, Aiden. Not unless you want to, I mean. I’ve kind of gotten used to you being here.”
“Are you sure? I know I hurt you.”
She shrugged. “I hurt myself, and you don’t have to run back there first thing in the morning.”
“What about Travis?”
“What about him? I’m free, demon, and way over twenty-one, although he isn’t aware of the last two. What’s he going to go? Ground me?” She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Mother would never go along with it.” She grew thoughtful. “I think our mother had our meeting planned.”
“It feels that way,” he agreed. “Mine had never begged me to go with her like that.”
“Mine, either.”
They laid down, and Mickala was asleep in just a few minutes, and she curled up against Aiden’s side. He wrapped his arm around her waist, her own draped across his stomach. They both gave an almost silent sigh of content.
Over the next couple of days, Mickala felt as if she’d found heaven on Earth. The two grew even closer, the last major hurdle out of the way, and their feelings abut each other were soon obvious. To his surprise, no one said anything in the morning when Aiden came out Mickala’s room. The only downfall were nightmares plaguing Mickala’s sleep, dreams she couldn’t remember, but were strong enough to cause her to growl and snarl in her sleep. Since she couldn’t remember them, she dismissed them as unimportant.
***
Unfortunately, Mickala had learned long ago, no good thing seemed to last forever. A week before she and Aiden were to go back to Georgia, Travis came home from work, his face looking just like a thunderstorm. As soon as he got in the house, he headed straight for the liquor cabinet, and they heard ice cubes going into a glass, and the three demons could smell the Jack Daniels as soon as he took the lid off the bottle. Mickala looked at Michelle. Mom, what in the world is wrong with him?
I don’t know, she admitted, looking at her husband, worry clear in her eyes. He hardly spoke to me on the way home. You can probe deeper than I can. Can you figure out what happened?
I can try, she said, then closed her eyes. A few minutes later, she gave a silent sigh. He missed his promotion at work. He thought it was his, and from what I can see, it should have been. Instead, it went to a brown-nosing bloke Travis trained, but he couldn’t do the job half as well as Travis could. He’s going to be right brassed for the next few days. She felt Aiden’s confusion, and she laughed. Sorry. It’s British for pissed off. Even after almost four years, I haven’t converted to American slang and swears yet.
Michelle rolled her eyes, and it amazed Aiden how much the mother and daughter looked just like each other at that moment. Great. So, he’s a ticking time bomb.
Well, all bombs detonate, and it just so happened to point at Mickala when it exploded, while they were talking about what to cook for dinner. His face went as red as a tomato, and he called Mickala everything from childish and lazy to a slut for letting Aiden sleep in her room. His rambling tirade went on for about five minutes, and she kept her head lowered the whole time. Aiden could see her hands curling into tight fists, however, before she made them relax, her nostrils flaring in anger. As soon as he drew a decent breath, she fled to her room. Michelle looked at Aiden. Go with her, she said. I’ve got him.
When Aiden came in, she was lying on her bed, and he laid a hand on her back as she viciously wiped away a tear. “Why did you make yourself stop crying?” he asked.
“Because, I’m a demon, and demons don’t cry,” she said, an edge of sarcasm in her voice.
“That’s not true,” he said. “It just takes a lot of us a lot longer to get to that point. Hell, even I’ve cried.” She looked at him, an eyebrow raised, and he shrugged. “I have, when Zach died.”
“It wouldn’t be so bad, but I really do like Travis, and Mom loves him.”
“Is he usually like this?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. We get along great. I know he’s upset about his job, but it’s not like it’s my fault.”
“I know that, and I’m sure Travis knows it, too. When he calms down, I’m sure everything will be fine,” he said. In the living room, they heard Michelle’s raised voice as she gave Travis hell.
A few minutes, Michelle stuck her head in the door. “We’re going to the store, but we’ll be back soon, okay?”
Mickala nodded, and Michelle said she loved her. “I love you, too, Mom.”
As soon as their car pulled out of the driveway, Aiden looked at her. “What do you really look like?”
She managed a grin. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
***
He grinned in reply, and they both climbed to their feet and closed their eyes. Both of their hair grew, and Mickala’s turned black, hanging almost to the back of her knees, while his turned silver, brushing his thighs, and they both grew taller. Aiden topped out at just over seven feet, but she was almost six and a half feet tall herself. She had black clothes on, a crop top with long, flowing off the shoulder sleeves, and a long, low cut skirt with a slit to her hip, and black five-inch heeled sandals. Aiden’s clothes turned to a black tank top and black wide legged pants with black slipper like shoes. Their eyes opened, and they had turned colors as well, along with gaining a slight almond shape to them. Aiden’s eyes were a dark gold, and Mickala’s were almost honey colored. Ears on top of their heads replaced their human ears, and Mickala had two pairs of diamond studs and two pairs of silver hoops in each, while two pairs of golden hoops decorated Aiden’s left ear. They also grew long, flowing tails that matched their ear and hair color. As a last change, Aiden’s power skyrocketed, raising chill bumps on her tanned skin, but hers only rose a little.
Mickala looked up at him, and she took his breath away for a few seconds. It was an appraising look he returned. “Nice,” they said in unison, and his voice had deepened, revealing the power his human voice only hinted at. He frowned. “You’re still shielding?”
She laughed, and he had to close his eyes against the shiver it caused along his spine. “Oh, yeah.” Her voice had gotten huskier, and it was wreaking havoc with his heart. Her ears twitched a little, and the faint smile on her face told him she was quite aware of the change of pace. She dropped her shields, and while her looks took his breath away, her power made it impossible to draw a breath for several seconds. He took an involuntary step back, overwhelmed, then swore as he hit his head on the wall, but he didn’t move back toward her.
She laughed again. “Are you okay?” she asked, shaking her head. “Next time? Duck.”
She reached up and rubbed the back of his head, but he took her hand, then brought it to his chest. “I’ve never been better,” he said, his voice low, then kissed her. Her free arm went around his neck, the hand he held to his chest clutching the front of his shirt. His arm went around her waist, and he lowered her to the bed, his body pressed against hers. Their black and silver hair mingled together on the dark blue comforter under them. Several seconds later, they both pulled away, panting.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he said.
She laughed. “Guess again,” she said, then pulled his head back down and kissed him again. He rolled to his side, and she scooted up against her headboard, her knees to her chest, and she wrapped her arms around them.
***
“You look right. No offense,” he said in a hurry as she raised a black eyebrow. “You’re beautiful as a human, but in your halfway form…” he shook his head. “There are no words.” He raised his own eyebrow. “You’re blushing?” The red tint he noticed seemed to
glow brighter, and the fox demon laughed. This time, it was her heart which skipped a beat. “You are! You’re really blushing? Why in the double realms are you embarrassed?”
She hid her face, but he tipped her chin up. “I can’t help it,” she said. “I’ve been in the human world for so long, their blood emotions are rubbing off on me.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”
“In this life? I’m seventeen.”
“This life?” His eyes were wide. “What do you mean, ‘in this life’?”
Her eyes grew thoughtful. “I’ve had several lives. Some of them have been long, some have been painfully short.”
“You can be reborn?”
“I could, as long as my spirit lived beyond my body.” She shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain it, but now my father’s gone, I don’t know if it would work anymore.” He asked how many lives she’d had. “About fifteen, I think. I’m just over three thousand years old altogether.” His mouth dropped, and she laughed. “Mother is over five thousand years old herself. It took her two millennia for her and father to find each other.”
“Do you remember your past lives?”
“Everything. The memories usually start coming back when I’m three or four. It’s the reason my adoption was no big deal.”
“Why did she choose a human?”
“For protection,” she said with a shrug. “As I’m sure you know, our family is the largest set of traitors in the history of the demon realm. We fight to protect humans, so we’ve always had a rather large target on our backs. That’s how my father died, trying to protect Mom from a demon hell bent and determined to be the one to prevent yet another traitor from being born in either world.”
“I understand that,” he said, smirking. “I’ve had my run-ins with traitor hunters. And it’s worked so far? I mean, I just don’t see her placing you with humans, especially for protection.”
She nodded. “That’s the point. If you can’t see it, do you think most others would expect it, either?” He shrugged, acknowledging her point. “Of course, it hasn’t been a perfect solution, but fortunately, I’m very capable of handling myself. Anytime a demon has been unlucky enough to find me, they haven’t lived long enough to tell others about it.”
Four
Scars of History
There was a sudden subject change, and he asked her if she was going to eat dinner. She shook her head. “I’m suddenly not hungry.”
“Do you want me to stay with you?”
She shook her head again. “If you’re hungry, eat. There’s no use starving yourself because Travis has gone temporarily insane.” Aiden looked so serious, and she took his hand. “Please, smile, Aiden.”
He flashed a quick grin. “Better?”
She actually laughed. “Much, thanks.”
They were quiet for a few minutes, then he looked at her. “I love you, Mickala.”
She smiled, her eyes lighting up. “I love you, too, Aiden.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she heard a click in her mind, and she knew from his expression he’d heard it as well. She realized that no matter how many times she’d said the words before, they had never felt as right as they did right then. She knew in that instant Aiden was her soulmate, the one she never knew she was searching for.
It’s about damn time, Ian burst in with a laugh. If there’s one thing worse than a lovesick demon, it’s two of them. I’m just glad for my sake you got everything worked out.
Both Aiden and Mickala laughed. Shut up, Ian.
He gave a fake groan. I can tell the two of you belong together. All three of them laughed. Seriously, though. I’m glad both of you are happy. I know Aiden deserves it, and from what I know about you, Mickala, you do, too.
Aww, thanks, Ian, Mickala said and grinned. Who knew you had such a soft side?
Don’t tell anyone or I’ll have to kill you.
She laughed, but it had a dark edge to it. You can try.
He hesitated. Maybe later. I’ll let the two of you get back to what you were doing.
They both laughed as he pulled out of their heads. “He’s crazy,” Mickala said.
“You don’t even know the half of it. The stunts we’ve pulled together over the last three hundred years, you wouldn’t even believe,” Aiden replied, shaking his head. “Just think, you’ve only known him for a couple of weeks. Give it time.”
“I can imagine.”
A few minutes later, they heard the car pull back up into the driveway, and they both changed back to their human forms. The last of Mickala’s black hair returned to its brownish-blonde, and Aiden’s eyes turned to their laser green when the front door shut a little too hard. Mickala winced. Travis still upset?
Yes, and it’s pissing me off, Michelle replied, and Mickala and Aiden both heard the dark undertone in her voice.
About ten minutes later, the smells of food cooking began floating into the room, and a little while later, Michelle said that dinner was ready. She said she was coming, and Aiden raised an eyebrow. She shrugged, a faint grin on her face. “My stomach just changed my mind for me. Apparently, I’m hungry and I’m not allowed to skip. Sue me.”
“No thanks. I don’t think I could afford the legal fees.”
***
Dinner was tense, and she could hardly enjoy the taco salad Michelle had made, even though it was one of her favorites. Every time she tried to talk, Travis jumped all over her, and eventually, she just gave up. She even quit trying to eat, just pushing her food around. Michelle took pity on her, telling her she would clear up, and she escaped to her room. Aiden helped Michelle, then went into her room.
Mickala was already in her halfway form, pacing swiftly, her tail swishing from side to side in agitation. He could hear her breathing coming in low growls, her chest rising and falling sharply. Her hands were curling and uncurling from fists, and it looked as if her nails had grown out into claws. Aiden reached to put a hand on her shoulder, but the look in her eyes as her gaze met his turned his blood to ice, and he wisely pulled his hand back.
Finally, she slowed, then sat beside him on the bed. He turned to his halfway form, then called her name softly. Instead of replying, she simply turned into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, laying his head on top of hers. “It’s going to be okay, Mickala,” he said, stroking her hair.
Later, they were still in their demon forms, and she had fallen asleep with her head in his lap while he and Ian were talking. Are you happy now? he asked.
More than ever, Aiden replied, a small smile on his face as he looked down at the sleeping wolf demon.
Listen, I’ve been doing some research on her and Michelle. Not only are they extremely powerful, but there’s so much more to them, it’s amazing. And more than a little frightening, Ian said, and Aiden could see him shaking his head. He had figured on nothing less from Ian. Whenever confronted with something new and had nothing to do with humans, the first thing he would do was go to the demon realm and start asking questions.
What do you mean?
For one, their demon forms only go back two generations on Michelle’s side. Long, long generations, but only two.
Mickala’s grandmother?
Yes. Gods, Aiden. They’re powerful. Half the demons fled in horror at their names, and the other half almost seemed to worship them.
Okay, pyro. You’ve got my attention, so you are eventually going to explain this, right?
Yes. I’m just trying to figure out where to start.
Mickala gave a quiet mental laugh, her eyes still closed. Don’t worry, Ian. I’ll explain it for you.
They heard the relief in his voice. Thank God.
They all laughed, then Ian said he would talk to them later. Aiden looked down on her, and she was looking up at him. “Okay, so what is he going on and on about?”
***
“Mother and I aren’t just your average demons. I guess I’d better start from the beginning. We aren’t from Earth, either the hu
man or the demon realms. Well, my grandparents, Angel and Sathe, weren’t. She was originally born on a planet at the other end of the universe called Solaris. She was the princess, and my great grandmother, Selene, was the queen.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re royal?”
She nodded. “Grandmother was betrothed to Prince Sathe of Elagon, Solaris’ neighbor planet, their closest ally. A family destroyed Elagon, but Selene didn’t believe in executions, so she sentenced them to a lifelong imprisonment. Several years went by, and they escaped, and they marched on the palace. During the battle, they killed Selene, and Angel, the new queen, watched as Sathe died in her very arms, making his younger brother, Ari, a king at only fifteen. Angel used the strongest attack known to our bloodline, and she killed the leader of the family.
“Being bound to the royal bloodline, when the heart of the last royal stops, Solaris would self-destruct. Angel was dying, and she knew what would happen, so she used the very last of her energy to transport the entire population of Solaris and what remained of the Elagonians to another planet.”
“Earth,” he said.
Mickala nodded. “Yes. Selene was reborn here on Earth, in a time similar to this, along with her husband Daniel, and a few years after they got together, Angel was reborn. Sathe and Ari were also reincarnated.”
“But, you said you were three thousand years old, and Michelle was five thousand. How does that work?”
“Um, well, we can control time to a certain extent, but I’m getting ahead of myself.” Aiden let her continue, but she could feel him dying to ask questions. “The clan that had been responsible for everything had also come to Earth, and once everyone remembered their past lives, the battle began anew. Once again, Selene died, but Sathe was still Prince as his father Michael was alive and well. This is where our wolf background comes in. Angel and Sathe, my grandparents, were the beginning.
Releasing the Demons: Solarian Chronicles II Page 3
