A look of pure hatred settled on the fox demon’s face. “The only thing it, all of this still won’t come close to the hell you’ve put Mickala through, the pain you’ve made her suffer.” He whispered another word, and the tendrils of the plant shot forward with an astonishing speed, and the screaming began. The sounds caused Victor to cover his ears on the other side of the doors, but Aiden never even flinched. Even Ian eventually had to look away with a grimace, but the fox’s cold eyes never left the wiggling mass of flowers and vines in front of him.
***
For over ten minutes, Aiden watched impassively as Valez shrank in front of him, the screams turning to gurgles, and then, finally, there was so sound at all. Well, except for the sound of tiny teeth gnashing together, the leaves rustling against each other. A few minutes later the last scream, the plant slowly began pulling back, shrinking back to fit inside its purple shell. The last tendril gently nuzzled Aiden’s cheek before being encased completely, and the seed closed back up. He put it back into the pocket he’d gotten it from. The only thing left of Valez was a few scraps of cloth, and Aiden gave a dark smirk. “Let’s see you regenerate now.”
Ian’s eyes were wide as he really took in the situation; Mickala unconscious on the floor, Aiden’s still bleeding head. “Aiden, what the fuck happened?”
The fox demon opened his mouth to answer, but before he could say anything, the doors suddenly burst open, one of them coming completely off the frame, Mickala’s seal disintegrating completely. Ian, who had survived solely on his instincts for centuries, reacted instantly. Victor slid to a stop, his eyes wide as he tried to take in everything. Aiden had to admit, he was doing pretty well, considering he had a sword tip at his throat. “Ian, no!” he said, holding his hand out. “That’s Victor!”
The dragon demon froze, then instantly apologized, sheathing the blade with a low bow. Victor’s eyes were round as he looked around the room. He uttered an impressive string of swears, then Aiden gave a low chuckle. “It’s all right, Victor.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Aiden? Is that really you?” Aiden nodded, and he looked to Ian. “And who the hell are you? What happened to Mickala?”
“Yes, it’s me, and this, this is Ian. I hope you can forgive him. He’s still a little high-strung.”
Ian apologized again, but Victor shook his head. “No blood, no foul. Um, someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?”
Aiden sighed, then he swayed slightly, and Ian’s eyes narrowed. “I just got out of the shower when I felt him in the room. Before I could even blink, he hit me from behind.” He brought his hand up to his head, then looked at the wet blood smeared on his fingers. When he looked up, his eyes seemed to have lost their focus, and when he spoke, the sudden disconnect in his voice alarmed Ian and Victor. “I didn’t even smell him.” He took a step toward the chair, then swayed again, even more off balance this time. Victor helped him sit in a chair as Ian gently picked Mickala up, being careful with the large wings, and laid her on the bed.
“I’m going to get a friend to help them,” Ian said.
“Nehela?” Ian looked surprised that he knew about her, but he nodded, and Victor gave a faint smile. “Mickala called me this morning before they flew home and told me about the three of you.”
Ian disappeared, and Victor went into Mickala’s bathroom and wet a washcloth before bringing it to Aiden. “Thanks,” he said, holding it to his head. “I’m really sorry about Ian. He can be a little jumpy sometimes.”
Victor shook his head. “It’s fine. Will you and Mickala be okay?” He grew increasingly concerned at the way Aiden’s eyes kept going in and out of focus.
“I will be, but I don’t know what he did to her before I came to.” A few minutes later, Ian was back with Nehela, and he introduced her to Victor. She gave a low bow, then turned to Aiden, but he waved her away. “Go…go helf…help Mickala. I’ll…I’ll be arlighth,” he said, his words slurring and coming out twisted.
Nehela looked at him in concern, then at Ian, who just shrugged. She sighed, shaking her head, but she did as he asked. It didn’t take her long to heal the wolf demon. “She’s not as bad as it looks, really. It’s just mainly bumps and bruises, and possibly a mild concussion, but I think the worst is two cracked ribs.”
“Good,” they all breathed.
She went to Aiden then, healing the laceration on his head, but she could feel his energy acting funny, weak and fluctuating. She frowned deeply, glancing at Ian. “Did he use the Amanganza Plant?” Ian gave her a quiet affirmation, and she shook her head. “You stupid fool, Aiden. I’ve told you a thousand times not to use it if you’re hurt. It draws too much of your energy.” She sighed, tossing her long blonde hair back. “But, I guess the good outweighs the bad. Valez won’t come back from that.”
***
Mickala was having a strange dream. She was walking on the beach with Aiden, but he suddenly began to fade, then he disappeared completely. Her eyes snapped open as all of them but Victor felt Aiden’s energy take a nosedive. His eyes rolled back in his head as it slumped forward to his chest. She jumped from the bed and was at his side in an instant, pushing past Nehela and Victor. She put her hands on Aiden’s forehead, opening a channel between them, using her own energy to keep his heart beating while she worked to stabilize his. It was several tense seconds later, but his energy freefall slowly leveled off. She worked to bring it back to normal levels.
Sweat covered her body, and she felt the first warning signs of an impending reaction headache, her neck tightening, her vision blurring and dimming with each heartbeat, but she didn’t care. Slowly, she began disconnecting her own energy, on constant alert for any signs of his faltering, but it stayed steady. She finally disconnected completely, and her head dropped onto her chest as she sat back, afraid to even move. Ian knelt beside her, wanting to put his hand on her shoulder, but he knew it was just set her headache off even worse. “Are you okay?”
She winced at the explosion of pain in her head, even though Ian’s voice was barely loud enough to classify as a whisper. “I think…I might…have overdone it,” she said, her eyes closed tight against the light, her hands clenched into fists in her lap. Each word was coming carefully and from gritted teeth.
“I think you did, too,” he replied, knowing exactly what was happeniing. “Come on.”
He and Victor helped her to bed, her eyes still closed, and she was biting her lip with every step, every move she made. She was asleep as soon as her head was on the pillow. They got Aiden into bed beside her. Ian looked at Victor. “You wouldn’t have any green or chamomile tea, would you? Actually, willow bark would be best.”
“I have all three. I couldn’t figure out what in the world she was asking for when she called me this morning, and I had to go to three different stores before I finally found it. She’d never asked for it before. I’m glad to see it’s coming in handy. It’ll help?”
Nehela nodded. “When demons overexert themselves mentally, it can cause extreme migraines, which can last for days, or even weeks. And they’re a hundred times worse than the ones humans get. The tea will help, especially if you have the willow bark. Think of it as the MVP of headache teas.” Victor asked if she’d like some as well, and she smiled faintly. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
He waved her away. “Please, no. You don’t have to thank me, Nehela.” He was back about ten minutes later, the tea already steeping in a silver tray with cups and just about anything which could go in it. “I know absolutely nothing about willow bark tea, so I brought everything.”
She shook her head. “This is perfect. If you put anything in it, it’ll essentially make it useless.” She poured herself a cup, then took a sip, her face grimacing at the bitter taste. She smiled. “Leave it to an Englishman to know how to make a perfect cup of tea.”
He laughed, giving a low, fluid bow. “At your service, milady.”
She drank a little more, then sighed. “Gods, that’s fast. I feel
better already.” She looked over at Mickala and Aiden, then smiled as she looked back at Victor. “They’ll be out the rest of the night, but they should be okay. Aiden’s energy is back to where it’s supposed to be, and holding steady, and Mickala’s just exhausted. She needs rest. She’s been through so much so fast these past couple of weeks.”
“I hope she’ll be able to, but when is the life of a demon ever calm?” Ian said, and they could hear the bitterness in his voice.
Victor sighed, rubbing his hand over his hair. “Especially if that demon’s Mickala or Michelle, from what I understand.” He looked at them. “Aiden or Mickala was going to ask you, but I somehow ended up talking to you first. You’re both welcome to stay, if you’d like. God knows we’ve got the room, so please, consider yourself at home.”
They both seemed stunned by the offer, thanking him. Nehela touched his arm gently. “Get some rest, Victor. It’s late, and it’s probably been a long day for you. I give you my word, Mickala and Aiden will be fine.” Thanking them both, Victor left, and Ian and Nehela both took turns catching catnaps through the rest of the night. The wolves, Kita and Ash, were curled up on their enormous beds at the foot of Mickala’s, but neither of them slept, seeming to know something was wrong with their alpha.
Eleven
Swords and Arrows
The next day, Mickala woke up to a blinding pain which stabbed deep into her brain, one which made the headache she’d gotten in Miami look like a minor inconvenience. Someone had made sure her curtains were pulled tight, but even the low light made her feel sick to her stomach. After the first nauseating attempt, she knew there was no way she could open her eyes. She felt someone press a large, hot mug in her hand, then she heard Aiden’s low voice. “It’s willow bark,” he whispered, and even that soft sound made her cry out, her hand to her temple.
She took a grateful drink, then another, and Aiden refilled it. It took almost three mugs before she could open her eyes all the way. “Better?” he asked.
“Much, thank you.”
“I should thank you,” he said, taking her free hand and squeezing it gently. “Ian, Nehela, and Victor told me what you did.”
“Don’t be silly,” she replied, sitting up the rest of the way. “Where is everyone?”
“Well, it’s only 10:30, and it’s already over ninety degrees. I’ll give you one guess,” he said, grinning.
“They must be in the pool.”
“And you would be right.”
She frowned at the large bruise on his face, and he grinned. “Don’t look like that. You’re even more multi-colored than I am. So, um, should I call you ‘angel’?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well…” he started, then nodded down at her. “Those were kind of hard to miss when I woke up this morning.”
She looked and saw the magnificent wings spread out beside her. “Oh, those.” Aiden raised an eyebrow, and she shrugged. “It’s part of being a Solarian royal.”
She asked where Valez was. “He’s gone,” Aiden said. “For good this time.”
“How do you know?”
Aiden laughed darkly, tossing his black hair out of his eyes. “He made great plant food. You feel up to joining the others?”
***
“Hold on a second. Plant food? What the bloody hell are you talking about?” He started explaining about his Amaganza Plant, and her mouth fell open. “Wait. You’ve actually gained control over one of those things? Aiden, they’re really dangerous. There’s been so many stories of them turning on their holders.”
He grinned, then shrugged. “As crazy as it sounds, I think mine likes me or something. It makes this strange purring sound, and I’ve never heard one of them do that before. Anyway, Nehela thinks that’s what made me so weak last night. They do take an incredible amount of energy to summon, and with me already being hurt, it took more out of me than usual. In the end, though, it was most definitely worth it.” He eyed her. “Are you sure you feel like going outside? It’s brutally hot out there.”
“Yeah, I think so. Where’s Victor? Is he okay?”
“Yeah, he’s fine. He’s getting some more doors since he kind of broke them down last night when your shield collapsed, and he met Ian and Nehela. They accepted his invitation, by the way.” He laughed as he helped Mickala to her feet, then pulled her into an embrace. “Victor’s getting quite the houseful.”
She grinned, her headache dissipating more by the minute. “And he’s the only human.”
“Oh, and he also said he’s got some people coming by to fix the holes in your wall, so your room should be as good as new by tonight.”
She moved slowly, but she wasn’t as stiff as she thought she would be. Aiden left, and she changed into a dark teal bikini, then grabbed her sunglasses, tanning oil and a towel before she headed outside. The morning heat was tremendous, and she seemed to instantly wilt, all her energy seeming to be sucked out. Nehela stretched out in a chair in a dark green one piece, but she immediately sat up and asked how she felt. “I’m okay, but I’ll be even better in just a minute.” She set her stuff in the chair beside the elf, stood a few feet from the edge of the pool, then she did a cartwheel and a back handspring right into the water. She swam the entire length of the pool and back again before surfacing. “Now I’m good,” she sighed, and they laughed.
Aiden jumped in right behind her, and he and Ian started a water fight, eventually dragging the elf and wolf demon into it. Victor was back about thirty minutes later, the new doors for Mickala’s room in the back of his truck. He talked to them for a few minutes, then Aiden and Ian helped him take the heavy wood doors upstairs.
Mickala and Nehela went into the kitchen to get something for lunch together, eventually deciding on hot dogs and hamburgers for the grill. They talked the whole time, and Mickala eventually turned to look her oldest friend in the eyes. “Nehela, can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” she replied, setting the knife she’d been using to cut tomatoes down.
“Is there something between you and Ian?” she asked bluntly. The elf suddenly did something Mickala’d never seen her do before. She turned a brilliant red, and Mickala couldn’t have gotten a better answer. “If there isn’t already, you want there to be. Am I close?”
“You couldn’t have gotten any closer if you tried,” Nehela said, her eyes going up to where Aiden and Ian were helping Victor hang the doors. “I’m not going to lie to you, Princess. I’ve liked Ian as more than a friend for a long time, but he’s such a…man. He’s totally oblivious.”
Mickala smiled. “I don’t think he’s as oblivious as you think, and I think he might feel the same way. I’ve been watching him when he’s around you. He’s usually so self-confident and arrogant, but when you’re around? He acts like a ten-year-old with his first crush. It’s actually kind of sweet.”
***
“What’s kind of sweet?” Ian asked as he and Aiden came downstairs. Victor was right behind them.
“Oh, nothing,” Nehela said, waving her hand, and she and Mickala collapsed against each other, laughing.
“Um, I don’t think I want to know,” he said, getting everything ready to take outside. “Because, I have the strangest feeling it was about me.”
“If that’s the case, and the word ‘sweet’ is getting tossed around, you’re probably better off not knowing,” Aiden said with a laugh.
They got the grill going and laid everything on it, then Aiden and Ian jumped back into the pool with Victor as the girls lathered on the sun tanning oil and stretched out in the chairs. It only took about fifteen minutes for the food to get ready, and they sat down to eat in the patio’s shade. It astonished Victor, the amount of food the guys could eat, and Mickala just laughed, saying they all ate like she did. “My God. I’m going to have to the store everyday now.”
As soon as they finished, all the men jumped back into the pool, starting another epic water fight. Mickala and Nehela, not even in the pool, ended
up soaked. “Oh, get over it,” Ian grinned as Nehela groaned, wringing out her blonde hair. “A little water isn’t going to hurt you.”
Mickala slid her sunglasses up, her head resting on her palm. “What exactly is that supposed to mean, dragon boy?”
“Exactly what I said, wolfie,” he replied. “What do you think you’re going to do about it?”
A slow smile lit her face up. “Oh, I was so hoping you would ask.” Her eyes seemed to glow slightly, and the water began rippling as if the ground was shaking. One minute, Victor, Ian and Aiden were treading water, and the next, they were standing at the bottom of the deep end of the pool. All the water was in an undulating, quivering block above their heads. Her control was so great, not even the smallest drop fell. “So, since we’re having a water war, it’s my turn, right?”
“Okay, okay! You win!” Ian said, his eyes wide. Aiden voiced his concern about her head.
“Nah, this is child’s play,” she said with a grin. “I think it’s raining, though.” She began letting it fall a little at a tie, and Ian and Aiden could leap out of the pool in an easy jump, but Victor had to scramble up the steep incline, then use the steps to get out. As soon as the human was clear, she let the water fall with enough force to shake the ground. None of it came back out.
“Show off,” Ian said in a grumbling voice, and she just smiled innocently at him.
***
The sun was setting by the time they got out and went inside. Victor’d had to get back out about an hour before the others as the men came to fix the walls in Mickala’s room. Despite all the damage, it didn’t take them long, and as soon as they finished. she went to take a shower and change clothes, then she fell asleep across the bed. Aiden kissed her forehead before going downstairs. Hey, Aid. I’ll be down in a little while. Nehela’s still awake, and now’s as good a time as any to talk about a few things.
Releasing the Demons: Solarian Chronicles II Page 10
