Demon Blood: Book 16 of The Witch Fairy Series

by Bonnie Lamer

  My eyes dart around the room and I realize she is right. Not only are we in the living room, we are surrounded by everyone we care about. It seems my blood levels have been restored, because there is plenty of it inside me to rush to my face without my legs feeling numb. “Sorry,” I mumble.

  Kallen chuckles and helps me to a sitting position. Not easy considering the fact that I still have my wings. They must have been healing me while I was unconscious. I have never loved my wings more than I do at this moment. Scanning the room again, my eyes rest on Alita and Kegan. Keelan is cradled in his father’s arms and I blurt out to the new parents, “I’m sorry I had to use Keelan as a weapon.” To Alita specifically, I say, “I’m especially sorry for the things I said down there. I didn’t mean any of them.”

  Alita nods. “You couldn’t let the Demons in on your plans, I know.” There is still a lingering tinge of hurt in her eyes, but I know in her heart she really has forgiven me.

  A thought slams into my brain. “Oh my god, Tana!” I exclaim. I passed out before I could make the Demon relinquish its hold on Tana.

  “Here,” a soft voice says from across the room. My eyes fly to her and I find my step-mother molded against my father’s side. I doubt he’s going to be letting her go for a very long time. That might get awkward in some of his meetings as King, but I’m sure he’ll make it work.

  I am relieved to see that her eyes have returned to a pleasant shade of green versus silver or red. The Demon is definitely gone. “I’m sorry we couldn’t save you sooner,” I say lamely.

  Kallen puts a hand on my chin and turns my head toward him. “Will you please stop apologizing? You just saved the universe from Demons, a feat the Angels themselves could not accomplish. Trust me when I say all is forgiven.”

  Raziel grins down at me from over the back of the couch I am currently sitting on. “Take it from someone who can see the future. No one is holding a grudge over anything that happened today.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you supposed to tell me things like that?”

  With a wink, he says, “I have been given special leeway in this particular situation.”

  “So we discovered. Thanks for that prophecy, by the way. And yes, I did feel morally desolate,” I grumble. “What about Grandma. Was she given permission to tell me the things she did?”

  Raziel nods. “She rehearsed that speech many times, for it had to sound like the ramblings of a worried grandmother instead of a recipe for a spell.”

  “She did a great job. If she hadn’t slipped me that feather, I never would have figured it out. I have another question. Why could Alita and her mother see the Angels? And you and Adriel for that matter.” Fallen Angels can’t see their counterparts without reacting like mere mortals in their presence. Blindness, death, etc.

  “The rules are different in the Demon labyrinth,” Raziel explains. “The veils are lifted for there can be nothing but truth there.” I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I’ll take his word for it.

  My eyes are drawn to Keelan again. “Will he be okay?”

  Alita nods. “The Angels assured me he would. It did not even hurt when they drew the Demon magic from him.”

  I bite my bottom lip trying not to ask the next question. Kegan answers it anyway. “He still retains magic. We do not know how strong he will be since all traces of Demon magic were stripped from him, but likely as strong as I am at the very least.” Kegan smiles like the proud father he is.

  I smile in return. “I’m glad to hear that.” Now, for the question which will determine how eager I am to work with the Angels in the future. Directing my question to Raziel and Adriel, who is standing next him, I brace myself for the answer. “What did the Angels do with the Demons?”

  Adriel’s lips curl into an evil little smile. “Nothing.”

  “What?”

  “Absolutely nothing. They were left in their labyrinth.”

  “Technically, they were left in the pit,” Raziel corrects. “The Seven get to spend eternity with the rest of their kind languishing in the pit with no hope of a better existence.”

  “That may actually be a punishment worse than death,” I muse.

  “My parents have returned home, but my mother did have a request before she left,” Alita tells me with a mischievous smile. “The next time you decide to travel to hell, she would like you to leave without her.”

  I laugh. “I will keep that in mind.” Sobering, I explain, “I had to take her, though. Keelan needed to be surrounded by those who love him deeply to keep him comfortable and feeling safe in order for him to guide us, and you needed the support, as well. Kegan was out of the question. He would have done something rash and stupid and the Demons would have seen him as a threat and killed him immediately.”

  My husband chuckles beside me. “She knows you so well, Cousin,” he tells a glowering Kegan.

  “Actually, it was Grandma’s idea,” I admit. “Keelan also drew strength from the familial bond when we stood united as I spoke the spell.”

  Kegan’s nose wrinkles. “He may have just saved the universe, but his diaper is about to destroy the inside of my nostrils. I will take him upstairs to the nursery and change him.” Fatherhood has definitely changed him. He didn’t even rise to the bait of my and Kallen’s teasing other than his glower. Impressive.

  “After several days in hell, I could really use a shower,” Adriel announces.

  There is distinct lust in Raziel’s eyes as he says, “I could, as well.” It’s not hard to figure out that they will not be showering alone.

  “I would like to return home and rest,” Tana tells Dagda.

  Dagda smiles indulgently. “Of course, anything you want.” Though, from the lust in both of their eyes, I don’t think they will be doing a whole lot of resting. Eew. At least they seem to have forgotten about the episode between Mom and Dagda. Speaking of which, I search the room for my parents. I am relieved to find them across the room standing together. Dad has a casual arm slung around Mom’s waist and they are smiling. All seems to be well with them, too.

  Kallen stands up and says with a wink, “You look like you could use some rest, as well.”

  Now, the lust in his eyes is far from eew. “Most definitely.” I don’t even bother to say good bye to anyone before teleporting us to our room. They must be used to that by now.

  In our bedroom, Kallen removes our clothes and leads me to the shower. My wings are about to get very wet. Which is okay since I was lying on the ground in the Demon labyrinth. I’m sure they could use a good washing.

  Standing under the perfect temperature spray, I kiss my perfect husband. “I thought I was going to die,” I murmur against his lips. For once, I honestly thought I was going to die. After all, the Angels have no cure for Demon poisoning.

  Kallen smiles against my lips. “Good thing I had faith enough for both of us that you would not. You see, you are not allowed to die without me.”

  I quirk an eye brow. “I’m not?”

  He shakes his head. “You are not. The love we share is too great. You are bound to me for eternity and nothing can get in the way of that. Not even death. Though, I would appreciate it if you would stop testing that theory.”

  Smiling against his lips, I purr, “I will do my best. If you could ask the universe to do the same, I would greatly appreciate it.”

  “I have already put in my request to the powers that be.”

  The time for words is done. I press my lips against Kallen’s and we spend the next several hours proving to the universe that its threats of tearing us apart do not scare us. We will survive anything it throws at us and will celebrate our victories in each other’s arms every single time.

 

 

 
= " -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%); -moz-filter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share