Night Demon

by Lisa Kessler

  She’d been in this hot, humid rainforest for months trying to unravel the mystery she and Lukas had found in that ancient Mayan altar, and now she sat with someone who could give her the answers they’d been searching for. Lukas should be here. The realization that they were no longer a team settled like a rock in her stomach.

  “Ch’en worried for her people. Her gift was dreams. Dreams of the future. She thought she could control the Demon and use her to protect the people from the white men coming from the sea.”

  Without warning, a spark popped in the center of the fire. Gretchen’s heart leapt into her throat as the noise echoed off the stone walls surrounding them.

  Zafrina poked the fire back into submission. “Ch’en was loved and respected by our people, and she cared for them in return. When she told the immortal brothers of her visions, warning them of the destruction she had seen, the gods did not see the future as she did.” Zafrina turned to look at Gretchen, almost as though she anticipated Gretchen’s questions. “Ch’en kept searching for solutions to save her people, and one night she found the ancient writings telling the story of the destruction of the second creation of man.”

  “She found Camalotz.”

  Zafrina nodded slowly and turned back toward the fire. “She studied the writings, and her animal spirit, the wolf, counseled with the moon for many nights before she finally made the decision to summon the Demon.”

  “Your animal spirit is an alligator, right? Can you change into anything else?”

  “No, only the alligator,” Zafrina said. “There is a link between all living things in this world. Inside of every human soul there is an animal that each spirit can reach on a higher level. Our immortal blood enhances that connection with the animal spirit inside and allows us to become that animal.”

  Gretchen nodded slowly, her chest tightening with emotion as the memory of Lukas flying away from her filled her mind. A great horned owl seemed like a perfect animal spirit for him. He was a thinker, a man always yearning to learn. Wise, like the owl. It made perfect sense.

  Lukas had only been gone a couple of nights, but it felt like months. Her heart ached to hear his voice, to see his smile. She missed him and couldn’t stop herself from replaying his leaving, telling her to forget him. Gretchen gnawed gently at her lower lip, pushing the feelings back so she could concentrate.

  “For some of our kind, it can be a painful union, but as we age, it becomes easier to open ourselves and allow the animal to come into our bodies, shaping us in their image. As the years pass, we also gain a better ability to maintain our human mind while in our animal form. It is sometimes tempting to surrender completely—body and mind—to the beast.”

  “Okay…but why did she and the wolf think that bringing back the destroyer of mankind could save anyone? It doesn’t make sense.” Gretchen leaned forward, closer to the fire.

  “Because Ch’en believed that the one who summoned the Demon could also control it. Alom, the god who first brought Camalotz into this world, called her to destroy the humans. Ch’en called her into the world to destroy the white men who came from the sea. She thought the Demon could be controlled and save her people. But she was wrong.”

  “So how did they kill the Demon before?”

  “The Demon cannot be killed, only caged. She is not of this world, so her existence will never end in this world. A thousand years before this one, Camalotz was welcomed back here by Ch’en to protect the Mayan people, but she nearly destroyed us all. Five hundred years later, the Spanish finished what Camalotz had begun.

  “The brothers tried to help Ch’en calm the Demon and control her, even creating a mate for the Demon, a Guardian, but nothing quenched her thirst for death. When they discovered she could not be destroyed, the only way to cage her again was through an ancient ritual of sacrifice.”

  “Why did they have to sacrifice the Goddess, too, though?”

  “Only the life of the one who summoned Camalotz could bind her spirit and keep her from entering this world. There was no other choice.”

  Gretchen nodded slowly, pondering all she’d been told, when something occurred to her. “If Ch’en was sacrificed, then who called the Demon back this time?”

  “I do not know. The spell cast by the immortal brothers tied the Demon to Ch’en’s soul. It would keep the Demon from entering this world until the immortal goddess walked the earth again. The moment she walked among us again, the Demon would awaken from her sleep, but only Ch’en could summon Camalotz to free her.”

  “So Ch’en must have been reincarnated…”

  Zafrina nodded solemnly.

  Gretchen watched the fire, lost in its flames and her jumbled thoughts, and finally shook her head. “What am I supposed to do? Find her and ask her to sacrifice herself again? What if she’s not so willing this time?”

  “I am certain the brothers are searching for her now. That is not why I brought you here.”

  “Then what do you need me to tell them?”

  Gretchen shivered when Zafrina tenderly caressed her cheek. Her orange eyes sparked again, reminding Gretchen that this was no ordinary woman. Zafrina leaned in closer until Gretchen found her uncomfortably close, like a lover. Zafrina’s breath brushed over her lips.

  “I know what the Demon is thirsting for. The brothers have misunderstood her hunger.”

  Gretchen swallowed the lump in her throat, unable to turn away from Zafrina’s stare. She couldn’t move. Was Zafrina hypnotizing her? Finally, she managed to find her voice. “If it’s not death and destruction, then what does the Demon want?”

  “The most primal need in this world, Beautiful One.” Zafrina kissed her lips tenderly, then her forehead before meeting her gaze again. “Camalotz is fertile. Her body yearns for a child.”

  “The Demon is trying to reproduce?”

  “It is an undeniable instinct as old as time itself.”

  “But two of them…they’d kill everyone on this planet,” whispered Gretchen.

  “Everyone in this world will kill themselves in order to feed them.” Zafrina rose to her feet. “So you understand why you must tell the brothers.”

  Gretchen shook her head slowly. “Not quite. How can this help them stop her?”

  “Because they believe they should fear her slaughter of the mortals, but the real fear should be a baby growing in her womb.”

  Gretchen got up, pacing the cavern while she struggled to articulate the questions bouncing inside her head. “But I thought demons couldn’t reproduce… You said she’s not part of this world. How can she have a baby here? Wait—” Gretchen stopped and looked over at Zafrina. “How can you possibly know this is what she’s after?”

  Zafrina stepped closer to Gretchen, rubbing her hands together with every step. Without a word, she placed one hand at the small of Gretchen’s back, and before the scientist in her could protest, Zafrina placed her other hand over Gretchen’s lower abdomen.

  “Your body is still fertile, aching to feed and birth a new life.” Zafrina stared into her eyes and added softly, “But you must mate in order to conceive. It has been years since you shared your body with another.”

  Gretchen yanked her hands away. “Don’t touch me, okay? None of this”—she gestured to her body—“is any of your business.” Gretchen’s brow furrowed as she went on. “And I blocked my thoughts. How did you get inside my head?”

  “I did not.” Zafrina took a step back, letting her hands fall to her sides again.

  “Then how could you know?”

  “It was not your thoughts I heard. It was your body.”

  Gretchen rolled her eyes. “Please, Zafrina, I can’t take any more riddles, just answer me. How could you possibly know those things?”

  Zafrina’s brow furrowed. “I know nothing of riddles. I was worshiped on this island for centuries because of my gifts. I am a priestess of fertility. My abilities are not like the other Night Walkers of this earth. I am in touch with the body’s instincts and desire to reproduce. T
hat is what speaks to me.”

  Gretchen gnawed at her lower lip. “I’m supposed to believe that my body told you I haven’t had sex in a few years and that it wants to have a baby?”

  Zafrina nodded slowly.

  Gretchen smoothed out her shirt. “So, did you touch the Demon like that? Is that how you know what she’s after?”

  “No. No one touches the Night Demon but her lover. He is our Guardian from her wrath, but even he cannot halt her feeding completely.”

  “If you didn’t touch her, how do you know she’s pregnant?”

  “I do not,” Zafrina answered. “But the thirst to reproduce is heavy in the air whenever I sense her nearby. If she is not already with child, she soon will be. That is what the immortal brothers must know. They must stop her before—”

  Gretchen finished the thought. “Before she has a child.”

  Zafrina nodded, and turned toward the fire. “You must find the brothers and warn them.”

  “You won’t come with me?”

  “I cannot,” Zafrina corrected.

  Gretchen started to reply, but a familiar voice interrupted.

  “Gretchen?”

  Chapter Twenty

  The Guardian settled his weak patient back into the corner of the cavern, covering her shivering body with a poncho he’d taken from the city. She still couldn’t speak, but he’d fed her all that he could without suffering himself. His strength would be required in order to hunt and bring her more blood.

  A distinct rattle sounded behind him. The Guardian spun around and froze when he saw the serpent writhe into the cavern and coil up, preparing to strike. The snake’s venom would do little harm. He would feel the pain of the bite, the sting of the poison in his veins, and then he would heal.

  It wasn’t the threat of attack that held his attention as the snake rose up, furiously shaking the tiny rattles in its tail, its forked tongue rapidly flicking out toward him. He waited for the serpent to strike, but the attack never came. The Guardian took a cautious step closer and shook his head in disbelief.

  The snake had no eyes.

  He kept himself between the rattlesnake and the defenseless woman in the corner, his gaze wandering over the large reptile. But before he could reach out to catch the snake, the scales melted, blending with one another until they became tanned skin. His eyes widened as the form continued to mutate, until his Camalotz stood before him. Blinded.

  He reached out to cup her cheek, coaxing her a little closer. She nuzzled into his arms, burying her face in his chest as her hands wandered over his body.

  “In tial?” Her voice was a harsh whisper, almost an exhausted growl.

  “Yes. Always yours,” he whispered in answer, wrapping her safely in his embrace.

  Her hands made their way up his chest, along his shoulders, and he contemplated her condition. Who had maimed her so severely? Surely it was one of the gods, maybe more than one. Camalotz was not of this world. Her body could heal from any injury, but this was no ordinary wound. Part of her immortal body was missing.

  Would blindness slow her destruction of this world? Perhaps. He wasn’t sure the Demon would remain blind. Could Camalotz grow new eyes, or would she be forced to rely on her other senses? She had returned in the form of a snake, after all, finding her way back to him with the animal’s keen sense of smell. Would she be forced to take the form of animals that use senses other than sight?

  He looked down at her, pondering her fate as her hands made their way up his chest to touch his face. Suddenly, she answered his silent questions without a word. The Guardian growled in fury, gripping the Demon’s wrists as her nails clawed into his skin.

  She wanted his eyes.

  …

  “Gretchen?” Lukas knew it was her—he’d tracked her scent—but seeing her silhouette in the firelight, alive and unharmed, made him fear he might be dreaming.

  She turned toward him. “Lukas?”

  He took a step forward and only then noticed the native woman behind Gretchen. “Who is she? Did she bring you here?”

  The woman’s orange eyes blazed. Another Night Walker. Lukas tensed, ready to attack.

  “I have told you all I can. Blessings, Beautiful One.” And she was gone before Lukas could question her.

  Instead, he rushed to take Gretchen in his arms. He held her tight and nuzzled into her hair, breathed her in, relief soaking into his body. She was alive.

  He drew back from her, resting his forehead against hers. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  Gretchen rolled her eyes and stepped back. “It’s good to see you, too.”

  “I told you not to come back here. If the Demon found you…” He couldn’t finish his thought. Now that he saw she was safe, he needed to keep her that way. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll take you someplace safe, and once the sun comes up you can fly back to the states.”

  “No.” Gretchen crossed her arms, lifting her chin a notch with that stubborn glint in her eyes that gave him the urge to kiss her senseless. “You don’t get to swoop in here like some kind of supernatural knight in shining armor. I’m not a damsel in distress. If we don’t stop this Demon, there won’t be a safe place for me to go anywhere.”

  He clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth to keep from saying something he would probably regret. Reaching out to hear her mind, he hoped he might discover why she seemed determined to remain in the jungle when common sense should be telling her to leave.

  Instead, he found a lullaby being sung over and over. He frowned but couldn’t suppress the wave of pride that washed through him. Gretchen shielded her thoughts, keeping her secrets safe from any who might try to ascertain her motives.

  She must have learned the technique from the Night Walker who brought her here. How could she have mastered the skill already?

  “Your mind is closed to me now.”

  She nodded. “Zafrina explained how to shield my thoughts.” She relaxed her stance slightly. “I also know how the wolf and the Goddess of the Moon fit into the puzzle now.”

  Lukas took her hand. “I didn’t want you to sink even deeper into this.”

  She pulled her hand away. “Did you honestly think I would walk away after you called me a fool and shifted into an owl? Really?”

  The corner of his mouth threatened to curve into a smile. “I never believed you were a fool.” He sobered, bottling his emotions as best he could. “I don’t think you realize what a temptation you are to me. Is it so wrong for me to want you to be safe?”

  She groaned and walked past him out of the cave. Lukas frowned. Gretchen was an intelligent woman. Why couldn’t she grasp that he wanted what was best for her? He followed her out, standing beside her under the stars.

  She glanced at him, then back up at the white lights in the sky. “Is it wrong for me to be incapable of turning my back on someone I care about? I’m not stupid, Lukas. I realize this is dangerous, and there’s a chance I’ll be injured or even worse.” She cleared her throat. “But if I ran now, I’d have to live with knowing I could have helped and I didn’t. Forgive me, but that’s not who I am or who I’ll ever be.”

  He stared up at the moon and closed his eyes. “If something happens to you, I will have to live with that guilt. Forever.”

  He felt her warm hand slide into his. Her fingers entwined with his as he opened his eyes and stared down at her. She smiled and he wished he could freeze time.

  “Then we should be sure nothing happens to me.”

  Lukas laughed, surprising himself at the sound. “If only it were so simple.”

  …

  Gretchen’s heart fluttered at the sound of Lukas’s laughter. If she lived through this, she hoped she’d get more chances to hear him laugh, to see the sexy smile that he hid from the rest of the world.

  All she had to do was survive. The sudden dose of reality sent a wave of adrenaline through her body. “I guess we need a plan.”

  “I’m assuming my plan to send you as far away from here as possible i
s off the table?”

  “I’m not leaving.” She bolstered her courage. Maybe she was a fool, after all. “We’ve got to get to the pyramid at Chichen Itza. Zafrina told me the Night Walkers from the altar glyphs are actually four immortal brothers, gods. I have information for them about the Demon.” She felt him tense beside her. “They won’t hurt me, Lukas. They’ll need me alive to help them.”

  “If the Night Walkers from the glyphs still exist, they’re ancient. My power increases every year. I can only imagine how strong they are. I won’t be strong enough to protect you from them.”

  He let go of her hand and walked toward the jungle. She stared at his back, the way his broad shoulders gradually narrowed down his muscular back to his trim waist. It just figured that she’d finally found a gorgeous man who understood her passion for her work, but with one small hitch…

  He wasn’t human.

  A week ago, she would have thought that sounded like a television sitcom. Today, it wasn’t nearly as funny.

  She followed him through the jungle for over an hour in silence. When the vegetation started to thin, she realized he’d led her to the beach.

  “How are we going to find a water taxi at this time of night?” she asked.

  Lukas looked over his shoulder at her with a small smile. “We’re not taking a boat.”

  Gretchen frowned. “It’s over a mile back to the mainland. I’m not that strong a swimmer.”

  Lukas held out his hand to her. “Trust me.”

  …

  Issa stalked through the jungle, using his preternatural senses to track Mulac. If there was any hope left of stopping the Demon, he needed to locate the God of the North before Kane did. Kane had never had a tight rein on his emotions, and since the murder of his mate, Issa didn’t feel like he could trust Mulac into Kane’s care. Not right now.

  Because Mulac could fly, tracking him was difficult. Issa was forced to rely on his hearing more than his sense of smell or sight. Night creatures sang around him as he moved silently through the jungle. Until he caught a scent that caused his entire body to freeze.