Demon's Moon: A Celia Winters Novel Book 2

by Harrison, D. L.

  She drew lightning from the sky, beckoned it to Gerald’s body from all around him. Again and again she struck him, long past any time he could possibly still be alive. She giggled, and then broke down in tears. Suddenly she was terrified, her emotions were all over the place, and she could feel the others in the palm of her hand, two lives that didn’t deserve her uncaring attitude.

  The storm was so big now, and she wasn’t sure how long she could continue to hold onto it. The return to her senses was because her magic was running extremely low. She pulled from it, slowing it down, but it was fighting back, had a life of its own. The book had warned her, and she had lost control anyway, been seduced by the power and the anger and desire for revenge. She could have found a safer way to win.

  She knew she wasn’t thinking straight, but that was no excuse and she knew it. She had an idea that might, just might save those two people, whoever they were.

  She let the thunderstorm go, released it from her control, and focused all her strength and will on the twister. She pulled the energy from that, slowly but firmly, keeping it over Gerald’s yard as it slowly spun down, the people suspended in it, were still unbelievably alive and slowly losing altitude as the twister’s power bled away.

  She collapsed on her side and wept. Her power was done, she couldn’t free herself without rest, and she wasn’t sure anyone could let her out, for all she knew all the others in the house were now frozen and confused, unable to serve their now dead master. She shook her head, and asked her elemental to get a few seconds of the visual view of each of the people in the house. When he got back, she found she was right.

  They were like puppets with their strings cut, no more master. They’d remain that way until she could get free. She thought they’d be okay though, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours, and she could break free. She cried while trying to sleep, if she’d had those powers all the time, she could have killed him from the hotel room, while watching the house through the enchantment on the window. Ed would still be alive, she wouldn’t be alone without Silva.

  Then she felt guilty for those thoughts, because it wasn’t Silva’s fault, if she wanted to play that game, then she should just blame it all on her mother who bound Silva to begin with and caused Silva’s fear of magic. No, there was enough blame to go around, and most of it belonged to Gerald himself.

  She eventually fell asleep, but it took time, and a lot of tears.

  She cried again when she woke up. This time happy tears, Silva was back. She felt the great cat’s concern and love, which was interesting, because she was technically loving herself. Silva chuffed at her in silent laughter in the back of her mind, but didn’t stop sending waves of caring her way. Silva didn’t believe Ed was dead either, wouldn’t believe it until she saw the body.

  She got up and approached the ward. It was still easy with her once again limited power, she cut at the critical bindings of magic, about forty of them, and one by one the powerful wards slowly unraveled, like she was turning keys in a series of locks. She wasn’t sure she wanted to share this, she could disassemble any ward like this. Not in battle, she’d need enough time to study it after getting the info from her elemental, but still, one more thing to hide.

  She felt guilty about it, but she raided one of the woman’s closets first. She wasn’t overly concerned with being naked again, but there was a time and a place, and clothes were available.

  Then she went through the house, floor by floor and room by room, and ripped apart the control spells on everyone she could find. The reactions ranged from shock, anger, and sadness toward being held for so long. She was either thanked gratefully, or others shrunk away, and everything in between. One person even appeared to be completely catatonic. It was hard not to see all their pain, when she could scent all their feelings if she wanted to or not.

  The women had it worse, the men were simply tools, and as hard as that must be, the women also remembered their bodies being cruelly used for his pleasure. They would remember everything. It wasn’t a happy house, but she had no guesses about their future. They might rebuild and come together in support and share their strength, or they might split and go their separate ways because of shared shame.

  She knew she should try Ed’s cell number and that if he didn’t answer, she needed to call the coven, but she was too afraid. What if he’s really gone? She put it off a while longer by cooking them all a large meal, and encouraging them to eat. She did too, she knew it would help everyone get over the shock, as would a hot shower.

  Then she stared at the phone a long time, and picked it up. Her fingers seemed to dial Ed’s number of their own accord, and then the phone rang, and rang. Then it picked up.

  “Hello, who is this,” said a gruff voice.

  She cleared the lump from her throat, “I’m Celia. I’m looking for Ed, the owner of that phone.”

  His voice lowered in question, “Are you the really beautiful woman with the light wavy brown hair that removed that prick’s spell?”

  She giggled, “Umm, are you the wolf shifter that used to be enslaved by Gerald? Then yes.”

  He replied, “We got him here, he’s not doing so well.”

  She started to hyperventilate, “Can you. Can you please. Come get me, at Gerald’s place, I killed the bastard by the way, but I need to get to Ed.”

  Silva was whipping her tail sharply in the back of their mind as she tried to regain her breath.

  He said, “I’ll be right there, five minutes.”

  She felt guilty rushing out the door, but they’d be alright now, or they wouldn’t. Either way it wasn’t up to her, she’d done what she could.

  She jumped in the car as soon as it pulled up, “What happened?” she demanded.

  He took off pretty fast and explained, “We were there last night, we saw you change and jump in the window, neat trick for a witch, anyway, your partner Ed, he got hit with a fireball that burned into his chest and threw him off the roof. He was alive, but knocked out, and his chest was on fire. My friend and I smothered the fire and got him out of there. But there isn’t much we can do for him, and so far he’s been fighting just to stay alive.

  “We thought for sure you were dead, what happened?”

  She sighed, “I killed him, but not before he knocked me out with pain, and stuck me in a cell. He underestimated the damage I could do from there, and this won’t make sense, but in a way he helped give me the power that did him in.”

  He swallowed and nodded, “I appreciate what you’ve done for us miss, and so does my pack, but the sooner you can get your fella up and going, the better it will be for all of us.”

  She smiled, “I understand, the wolf pack near me feels much the same.”

  They pulled up and she followed him into a house while ignoring the looks of suspicion. As soon as she reached Ed, she cast the battlefield healing spell, which would hopefully stabilize him. She had to stretch it out, but not as much as the last time she’d casted it, and it seemed to help, his skin regained some pallor, and while the wound in his chest was still there, it was obviously much better.

  She smiled in relief and felt tears in her eyes when she turned to the wolf, “Thank you, very much. Do you think you could take us back to the hotel?”

  He frowned, “The hotel?”

  She nodded, “I can keep the norms from noticing, but more important all my healing herbs are in the duffel bag in our room, the spell I used is okay to start, but he’ll need real poultices and healing brews.”

  She tilted her head a little and smiled, “Plus, it would get us out of your house, I can’t thank you enough. I know I helped you first, but for shifters to protect a witch… just thank you.”

  He looked awkward, “Don’t go crying now, I’ll take you to the hotel, which one is it?”

  She picked Ed up carefully, surprising the wolf with her strength, and carried him to the car. She sat in the back and laid his head on her lap and held him steady during the drive.

  He look
ed at her suspiciously, “You ain’t a witch with a change spell. You’re that shifter witch we heard about.”

  She nodded, “I am, but we were only here to deal with that asshole Gerald, we’re heading back to Charlotte as soon as Ed’s up and about I imagine.”

  He shrugged, “Stay until you need to go, you’ve done everyone here a service, including the witches under his evil spells.”

  She nodded and the silence on the rest of the ride was comfortable, if a little wary. She had a feeling she made him nervous. Right before she got out, she dropped a glamour on Ed and carried him up to their room. She pulled his keycard out and swiped, and was careful not to bang him when they went into the room. She put him down on the bed, and grabbed her duffle bag.

  She mixed up the poultice while pouring magic into it, and then touched up the wound, the wolves had done a good job keeping it clean.

  She applied the poultice and bandage, and then went back to work. Her emotions were a little frazzled, but she was focused on what she was doing, and could make healing potions in her sleep.

  She had to improvise to make a potion without a kitchen. She put the little four cup coffee carafe on top of her mortar and create a small fire under it. She had to constantly concentrate on that as she poured magic into the ingredients as she cut them up fine, mixed them, and dumped them in the now simmering water.

  She stirred with air while maintaining the fire, she’d been maintaining a constant three on the magic scale the whole time, and Silva was only a little nervous. She sent loving and calming thoughts to her other half as she cut off the magic. Once it cooled, she could strain it and give it to Ed.

  She really didn’t want to talk to anyone, not until she was sure he was okay, so she pulled out her laptop and typed up a report of the last few days, minus their sex life, and sent it to the council. She also sent an edited version to Berny and Fran, so they’d know she would be back soon.

  When she checked it was cooled, so she finished the potion, and managed to get him to drink some while barely conscious. She was exhausted by then, so she lay down next to Ed very carefully, and worked on getting to sleep. She was still a little worried, but overall thought he’d make it, so there were no tears at all this time, just weariness, and a little sadness at all they had found and been forced to do in Albany.

  She was also glad she was more stubborn, and stronger as a shifter. Clearly, she didn’t have what she needed to control the temptation of her weather power without it. She knew she’d be ready, when the time came and Silva could tolerate it, she wouldn’t ever get that drunk on power again. Never again would she get so carried away that other lives in the balance would have no meaning to her. Now that Ed seemed okay, she finally admitted to herself, just how much she’d scared herself when she was glory drunk on her own power and that evil bastard’s death, which was a whole lot.

  Chapter 18

  Her eyes snapped open when she felt Ed’s touch. She smiled at the look in his eyes of relief, he’d obviously believed the worse of her as well. The clock showed it was almost four in the morning, she’d slept for close to twelve hours.

  “You feeling any better? I need to change the poultice, and give you another potion.”

  Ed tried to roll closer against her, but that made him grimace in pain.

  “Better, but apparently I’d better not move like that again. What happened?”

  She stretched over him and gave him a soft kiss, and his light hug felt too weak. She rolled out of bed and carefully changed his poultice and bandage as she told him what happened, careful to edit out the part about her split personality, and her moment of crazy.

  His chest looked to be getting better quickly, just not as fast as she’d like. She wanted to get out of this town and thought they could probably get out of here tomorrow morning if she drove.

  She called down for a carafe of coffee, since she was using the four cup glass carafe to brew another potion and needed a cup of coffee bad. As long as she had them on the phone, she ordered enough breakfast for four as well.

  Ed frowned, “I don’t remember much after you dove through the window, just that I couldn’t get a clean shot, and then my chest was on fire and I seemed to be falling.”

  She replied, “That’s what the wolves told me. They grabbed you and kept you safe at their pack house until I escaped and called your phone. I’m glad I freed them instead of… or you’d…” she trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud.

  She went into the bathroom and grabbed a wash cloth, and then soaked it in warm soapy water and cleaned up Ed’s face, neck, and hands. She helped him to the bathroom, before she took a quick shower herself. She felt better in clean and fresh clothes but was feeling a little manic. She drained the cooled potion and made Ed drink it down. She turned on the television and she was feeling jumpy from all the extra energy. She didn’t want to leave him alone to go running though, just in case.

  Plus, coffee and food were on the way.

  There was a knock on the door and she opened it up. She could smell the eggs and the bacon, and the lovely scent of fresh brewed coffee, the stuff of life. When the man wheeled the tray in, she also scented shifter. She tensed and took a deeper inhalation, and found that the coffee… smelled a little off somehow. She didn’t scent any weapons though; gun oil had a very distinct scent.

  Was it just a rogue shifter that honestly worked for the hotel, or an assassin with poisoned coffee? Is nothing sacred?

  She knew the thought was absurd, of course coffee wasn’t sacred, but damn it.

  She asked casually while her muscles coiled for action, “So, is the food poisoned too? Or just the coffee?”

  The shifters eyes went wide, and he ran for the door. That confused her for a moment, what kind of shifter ran from a fight? She hit him in the back with a stun spell, then wrapped an electric cord around his neck three times and tied his arms behind his back, it would strangle him if he tried to shift.

  His license said he was from Tennessee, so not a current employee of this hotel.

  “Why did you run?”

  He glared, “We were warned not to try and take the two of you in a straight fight.”

  She nodded, he’d said the truth.

  She frowned, “When were you contacted?”

  He didn’t answer so she started to go through his phone but it didn’t help.

  She asked again while pulling the cord a little tighter.

  He gasped a bit, and she let up, “Fine, about twenty four hours ago.”

  That’s what she wanted to hear, he was part of wave three, just a latecomer. For a minute she’d thought it wasn’t over yet. She snapped his neck and looked down at him for a very long time, angry. What were these people turning her into? When this started she’d have never considered torturing an assassin for information, now… she hadn’t even thought it through, she’d just done it.

  Sure, self defense, but she was afraid she was growing cold inside. She put a glamour over the body and ran it down to the white van, and dropped it in the back. She noticed the last assassin was getting a little ripe, but the glamour on the van would keep people from noticing. She didn’t want to leave Ed for long.

  By the time she got back upstairs, the eggs were cold and rubbery. Damn. At least the carafe wasn’t filled with potion anymore, she washed it out and brewed a few cups before rejoining Ed on the bed and tried to enjoy her cold breakfast. At least the bacon was crispy. She was ready to hit the road, she wanted to go home.

  Ed drifted in and out of sleep all morning as his body healed at an accelerated rate due to the magic. She was going a little stir crazy when there was a knock on the door. She jumped up off the bed and then tried to relax. Assassins didn’t normally knock… well, except for that last one. She crept toward the door with her body low trying to catch a scent, when she did it surprised her.

  She opened the door, mumbled a greeting, and invited them inside.

  It was Bria, along with two older witches she’d never seen
before. What was the witch doing here?

  Bria said, “I’m glad you two are alive, I didn’t expect… how is Ed doing?”

  She replied, “He’ll be fine, I figure we’ll be on the road by tomorrow morning sometime. I just don’t want to leave him here by himself. We had another assassin a little while ago, and the bodies are piling up in the van.”

  One of the others pulled out a phone, and gave orders to disappear the bodies.

  Bria gestured, “These are two coven heads of local covens. While you were acting to draw his eyes away from the locals, Damon and I have been working with them to arrange an attack to stop Gerald. It looks like we weren’t needed after all.”

  She bristled, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  Bria raised an eyebrow, “Because, if you were captured we didn’t want either of you to know. I expected you two would be distracting and whittling away at the coven from a distance, not performing suicidal attacks. We were hoping for that much as a distraction and for you two to stay alive, but we had to keep our actual plan a secret, in case you were captured, which you were.”

  She suppressed the growl rising to her throat and merely nodded shortly.

  Bria added, “We were pleasantly surprised you managed to not only stop him, but rescue most of the coven under his thumb. We stopped by for two reasons, first to make sure you two didn’t need help with anything before you left tomorrow. Do you?”

  She shook her head, “I don’t think so, no. Thank you,” she added grudgingly.

  Bria actually smiled, “It’s not all bad, you’re still breathing after all, which brings me to the second part. We did an exhaustive search of Gerald’s study, and destroyed his demonic spell books, but there is one thing we didn’t find. There was nothing in his computer to indicate he’d been in touch with the assassins.”