The Stone Demon

by Karen Mahoney

  He frowned and licked his lips, as though trying to pick his words carefully. He seemed disoriented and even a little afraid. “How did you get here so fast? I only just called.”

  “It’s a long story. Let’s get you out of here first, okay?”

  He focused on her for the first time. “I know you’re super strong and everything, but please don’t throw me over your shoulder. My manliness couldn’t take it.”

  She choked on a sob, not sure whether she was laughing or crying. She was just so relieved to be with him again, and that he was okay.

  “Donna?” Navin watched her with concern.

  “Sorry, I just spaced for a minute. Seriously, let’s get you on your feet and worry about everything later.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, using her strength to haul him into a sitting position. “Do you feel sick?” She checked his face anxiously. Maybe he’d hit his head. He might be concussed or dizzy or—

  “You look beautiful,” he whispered.

  Donna froze. “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  Okaaay. A concussion was starting to look like a very real possibility here.

  Their faces were almost touching. She could see a cut on Navin’s cheek, and his eyes didn’t look quite right. Even in the near-dark he looked sort of stoned. His pupils were huge.

  “Nav, I think you might be badly injured. Is your head hurting? I think—”

  “I think you should stop talking,” he said.

  And then he kissed her.

  It wasn’t like when Xan kissed her. Those kisses were hot and wild and tasted of sunlight. Navin’s lips were gentle, uncertain. It was as if he was testing her—testing them—wondering if this was really happening.

  At least, that’s what she was wondering. Donna was so surprised she stayed completely still, allowing the kiss if not entirely participating in it. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, just a little. Just for a moment.

  Just to see …

  His hand was cold on the back of her neck and he tasted vaguely of cloves.

  She pulled away, cheeks flushed. Confused.

  “Nav … ”

  What should she say? Should she say something about the kiss? Maybe she could pretend it hadn’t happened. That might be best all round.

  “Yes!” Navin shouted. He raised both hands in the air. “First base, baby!” He jumped to his feet. “Woo!”

  Donna sat back on her heels and stared.

  Navin was dancing, gyrating his hips, thrusting and crotch-grabbing Michael Jackson-style. “The girl is mine!”

  Donna narrowed her eyes. Her nausea had returned, sitting like a heavy weight in her stomach. She had a very bad feeling about this.

  Navin stopped thrusting and laughed down at her. “Oh, Navin,” he simpered in a high-pitched voice, “you’re so handsome. I never knew you cared. Oh Navin, your lips are so soft.”

  Donna pulled herself to her feet, stumbling as the blade and the cup shifted inside the messenger bag. “Demian?”

  “Bzzt!” crowed Navin. “Wrong answer, princess.”

  She backed away from this crazy person wearing her best friend’s face. She touched her lips with her gloved fingers, wondering how she could have let him kiss her like that. She should have known it wasn’t even real. How had Demian fooled her? She was such an idiot.

  “If this is your idea of a joke … ” Her voice trailed off. Actually, she didn’t think this was the Demon King’s idea of a joke. She didn’t honestly believe that Demian was capable of something as human as … humor.

  Could it be a wood elf, wearing a glamour? They’d done that before, with Navin, but surely it wouldn’t have quite so much personality.

  The being wearing Navin’s form did a slow circle, head tilted back as he scanned the sky and took a deep breath of frigid air.

  “It’s good to be alive, little alchemist,” he said.

  Donna paused for a stunned second. “Newton,” she whispered.

  “Ding-ding-ding! You have won a prize,” the demon declared, opening his arms wide and grinning at her. “It is I, Newton: summoned by the Dragon Magus, entrapped by sheer bloody fluke on his part—appallingly bad luck I was having that day, I might add.”

  Donna thought she was going to throw up. She swallowed and rubbed her hand across her mouth, only half aware of what she was doing.

  Newton-Navin raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter, princess? Didn’t you like my moves? Should I have gone with some tongue? I wondered about that, but you seemed to like the whole shy, romantic shtick … ”

  “Shut up!” Donna gritted her teeth against a scream of frustration, of rage, and felt a visceral urge to punch something. “How dare you!”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Newton said, not sounding even re-motely apologetic. “Did I hurt your feelings? Did you wish it really was sappy Navin delivering the kiss of your dreams? Did—”

  “I said, Shut. Up.” Donna fixed him with a murderous expression. “What did you do to my friend?”

  Newton/Navin made a big show of looking all around. “What friend? Where?” He pulled the waistband of his jeans away from his slim belly and looked down them. “Nope, not much here.”

  She just stared at him, willing reality to change and for Navin to be there with her. Where he belonged. She remembered the kiss and pushed the still-vivid feeling away. It had just been one of those things. A crazy moment of relief.

  And it hadn’t even been Navin.

  Newton touched his toes a couple of times, twisting his body from side to side and then started jogging on the spot.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like I’m doing? What are they teaching children these days? I’m exercising, duh. You have no idea what it’s been like all these years. Trapped. Inanimate. In constant agony.” He sounded out of breath, but he kept jogging. “Wow, this is tough. Does Sharma actually do any exercise? He’s kind of filled out lately, now I come to think about it, so maybe he’s been working out.”

  “You can’t stay in his body,” Donna said, her voice shaking.

  Newton-Navin put his hands on his hips and stared at her as though she were the one who’d lost her mind. “Why not?”

  “You just can’t!”

  “That ain’t no good reason, baby,” he said. “I was Simon Gaunt’s bitch, and now I’m not.”

  Donna let out an angry breath. “I realize that must have been hard for you. But taking someone else’s body isn’t—”

  “You realize nothing,” Newton snapped. He stopped moving and glared at her from Navin’s eyes—only they weren’t Nav’s eyes. She’d known there had been something wrong. She should have trusted her instincts. Instead she’d allowed him to kiss her and now, here they were, in a cemetery in Ironbridge. Navin was … who knows where, and a demon was running around (literally) in his body.

  Her whole world was falling apart.

  “Newton,” she said, trying to get his attention. “You have to give him back. Please. I’m asking you. Begging you. Let him go and I’ll help you find another body. I’ll help you find your own body—wherever it is.” She frowned. “If you have one. Do you have a body of your own?”

  He ignored her, jogging a few steps and then throwing what was presumably meant to be an invisible ball. “Howzat!”

  Donna buried her face in her hands. Could this get any worse? She peeked between her fingers at the person who used to be her best friend.

  “Newton … ”

  “It’s alive!” he yelled to the skies, delight radiating from him. “Aliiive!”

  “Newton!”

  “No, no, no. Don’t call me that anymore.”

  “You’re going to tell me your real name?”

  “No. I changed my name. You can call me the Artist Formally Known As Navin. Get it?”
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  Donna suspected that Nav was still in there somewhere, what with the wacky humor and all. She simply had to hang on to the hope that he was okay—but that hope was a slippery thing, and it was fading fast.

  As she stood shivering in the chill air, and the moon seemed to wink at her from between a gap in the clouds, she watched the figure of Navin Sharma raise his hands above his head.

  “I’m the king of the world!”

  Donna was so busy watching what was left of her friend, and wondering how the hell she was going to fix it, that she didn’t notice the huge shape swooping down on her until it was too late.

  Nineteen

  Strong hands hooked beneath her arms and lifted her up—then kept on lifting. Her whole body rose into the air. Donna froze, holding herself rigid for several moments before her instincts kicked in. She shrieked and thrashed wildly, watching in horror as the cold earth became more and more distant. Newton-Navin seemed very far away, and it had all happened so quickly she could hardly even begin to process it.

  “Stop struggling,” a familiar voice said in her ear. “I’ve got you.”

  Xan?

  “But … how?” She could barely speak as the wind rushed past her face and froze her cheeks. Her mind seemed stretched too tight, almost as though it might snap. She honestly believed she was good at handling crazy shit, but this could be one step too far. One giant crazy leap too far, even for her.

  Her legs swung out and hit tree branches, and she gasped.

  “Hold still. I’m not very good at this yet.”

  “Xan, what happened to you?” Her teeth hurt in the cold air each time she opened her mouth, but she couldn’t help it. Xan was flying!

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  “I … I don’t know. I can’t see you.” She tried to twist in his arms, but it was impossible.

  “Just turn your head to the side.”

  Donna glanced left and then right, very carefully, trying not to break Xan’s concentration. She could see the arc and swoop of wings as they gained altitude, moonlight flashing on the metallic edges and razor-sharp tips.

  They looked beautiful. But they also looked deadly, like weapons.

  Xan wrapped his arms more firmly around her. She could feel the warmth of his chest pressing into her back.

  His voice was filled with joy. “I’m flying!”

  Confusion made her head spin, adding to the sense of unreality that already had her off-balance. Not to mention the fact that she was flying above Ironbridge. “How did Maker do something like this so quickly?” It didn’t make sense; her own operations had taken weeks. Even months.

  Xan held her more tightly. “They’re not real, not yet. This is just a prototype that Maker’s working on. They’re not organically attached or anything, it’s just a harness—but it’s a step in the right direction.”

  Donna knew she should feel happy for him, but she’d just lost Navin and there was still so much to do.

  “Where to, my lady?” he asked.

  “Take me to the Frost Estate,” she said. That was where she could confront Simon—and hopefully find a way to get Newton out of Nav’s body. After all, he was the Magus’ pet demon. Surely he’d know what to do.

  “Your wish is my command,” Xan said.

  She gritted her teeth against the cold air rushing at them. She would make Simon free Navin.

  They began to fly lower, heading back into the tops of the wintering trees. Donna’s heart lifted even as their altitude dropped.

  “Thank you,” she breathed, thinking that Xan wouldn’t hear her.

  “You’re welcome,” he replied, his lips so close to her ear that she felt the warmth of his breath.

  She could hear the smile in his voice. This was just so incredibly … wild. She couldn’t comprehend it. How could she? They were holding a freaking conversation while flying over the Frost Estate.

  They landed after what seemed like only minutes, and Donna wished they could have flown forever. This was one of those times when she knew it was totally inappropriate to be focusing on how romantic something was—what with the fate of world hanging in the balance and all—but, honestly, how could it not be considered romantic?

  Xan had literally swept her off her feet. Swooped in at the last moment and whisked her out of harm’s way. Not that she’d really needed rescuing. For one thing, she believed she could take care of herself. For another, she didn’t truly think that Newton would have hurt her. It wasn’t just that the demon was wearing Navin’s face, or the hope that Nav could influence Newton’s actions in some way. Donna just had a feeling that, for all his bluster and bravado, the demon wasn’t all bad.

  For a demon.

  Xan took her hand and they knocked on the door of the mansion. Donna knew that everybody would still be there, preparing for war, but she had a plan. A plan which she hadn’t exactly thought through and that could have potentially fatal consequences. But she already had almost all of the ingredients she needed to make the Philosopher’s Stone, and she wasn’t going to fail now.

  One more night before dawn—before Imbolc and Demian’s deadline.

  Rachel opened the door, but the expression on her face wasn’t one of happy greeting. Her mouth was set in a grim line as she pulled them inside.

  “Where have you been? The Demon King is here.”

  Donna’s heart thudded. “He’s early. We still have time.”

  “I know,” her mother replied. “I think he’s just playing with us, but he’s been asking for you.”

  Xan tried to restrain her, fear clouding his eyes.

  Donna touched his face with one gloved hand. “He won’t hurt me,” she said. “Let’s just get this over with.”

  A voice called out from behind them. “Did you forget something?”

  She stopped in her tracks, then turned around. Very slowly.

  “Newton. What a pleasant surprise this is.”

  Nav’s face reflected the demon’s displeasure. “You left me behind.”

  Donna smiled. “I do believe you’re pouting.”

  Newton leaned against the door jamb. “I never pout. Luckily, I know how to travel fast—even in this clumsy body.” He hooked his (Navin’s) thumbs into the pockets of Nav’s familiar red and black biker jacket. “Nice jacket, though. Maybe I’ll keep it after everybody dies.”

  Demian entered the hallway from one of the rooms off to the side. “Lovely place you alchemists have here,” he said, his tone conversational. “Ah, Newton. How good to see you again.”

  “And you, Majesty,” Newton-Navin said. He didn’t sound all that sincere to Donna.

  The Demon King raised his eyebrows and waved them all inside. “Shall we?”

  Donna stood in the center of the Blue Room and stared at the gathered alchemists: at her family, her friends (even if one of them was currently possessed by a slightly unhinged demon), and finally at Demian’s cruel beauty. She’d had enough. War was almost upon them, and there were only a few hours left before the Demon King’s deadline.

  Quentin Frost stood beside Simon, watching her with concern. Maker had finally joined them and was sitting in his wheelchair, looking old and tired. Aunt Paige’s face was white as bone, as if she believed the end of the world was pretty much upon them right that very second. And her mother … Rachel actually seemed calm. Her gray eyes were also filled with pride. Miranda stood further back, with a small group of alchemists whom Donna didn’t know.

  Newton-Navin was watching her with a predatory, almost feral gaze. “What are you thinking, little alchemist?”

  Donna laughed bitterly. “Even though you’re not really Nav, you seem to know me the best.”

  Newton raised Navin’s eyebrow. “He’s still in here, princess. I’m just not letting him speak. He really is quite upset … ”

  “He’s not the only one
. I had hoped that Simon could undo at least one crappy thing he was responsible for.”

  The Magus scowled. “I am not responsible for the Shar-

  ma boy breaking into my laboratory—again—and actually letting a demon, of all creatures, take over his body. You’re on your own.”

  Demian took a step forward. “Newton will be home soon enough.”

  Xan caught her gaze, steering her away from Simon, Demian, and from all the others in the room. “Donna, there must be a way around this. You always find a way.”

  “I used to think I could do anything if I put my mind to it,” Donna replied in a low voice. “Now? I’m not so sure. I need to get into the Otherworld to find the Gallows Tree, otherwise everything I’ve done so far will be for nothing.”

  “If you give up, what kind of message does that send?” Xan nodded in Demian’s direction. “To him, I mean.”

  “Who said anything about giving up?” Donna ignored everybody else and stepped into Xan’s arms. She reached up and kissed him, holding him close and tracing the curve of his lips with hers. His temporary wings closed around her, shielding them from the room full of people.

  Donna wondered if he knew she might be saying good-

  bye.

  Xan’s mouth opened against hers. He tasted of tobacco and mints. He tasted of the sun, and she pressed herself closer, trying to lose herself in his warmth, wanting to shut out the rest of the world if only for a moment. His hands cupped her face and he made a sound in the back of his throat. Donna wanted to hear him make it again so she kissed him harder, put more of herself into it and tried to tell him everything she wanted to say with a single kiss. This was her moment with Xan, just in case. Just in case her plan didn’t work.

  Yeah, it was a reckless plan, but wasn’t that what Queen Isolde had said about her? Something about how Donna was unpredictable. Chaotic. Something about a death wish. Fine, she thought. Let me hold tightly to all of that and use it.

  She pulled away from Xan and looked once more into his now-glowing eyes. Their inhuman inner light shone viridian-bright and she tried to smile. Turning her back on him, Donna walked to the center of the room.