by C. L. Bright
Though all the demons living among the spellcasters were very old, they were often childish and impulsive. They enjoyed playing with the children but rarely interacted with adults. I’d had several pointed out to me, and they behaved like beloved pets around the children.
Sin might not have realized it was even worse to lick my face in this form, but I wouldn't guarantee that was the case. She liked finding ways around any rules I set.
It was a game to her.
I said she couldn’t climb into my bed with me, so she jumped onto my bed before me.
I told her to stay off my bed, so she tried jumping on top of me without touching the bed.
Pops had gotten a mattress to put on my bedroom floor since Sin seemed determined to sleep in my room, but she preferred my bed.
I’d dealt with everything from her getting into the shower with me to her eating my toothpaste.
When I returned to my bedroom, I found Sin sprawled out on my bed, dressed in one of my shirts. “Your clothes smell nice, but they’re scratchy. I’m not used to wearing real clothes. Do you mind if I take your shirt off and hold it by my nose?”
“Keep the shirt on,” I told her.
“You’re such a prudish warlock,” she said with a pout. “If you’re bound to a shapeshifter, you should be used to nudity. She has to undress to change forms.”
“That’s different from you hanging out in my room naked,” I argued.
“I’m always naked around you,” she reminded me before looking at my shirt. “Except for now.”
“Well, I don’t always see you naked, and it doesn’t count when you’re in dog form. I’d really appreciate it if you kept the shirt on.”
She let out an exasperated sigh and propped herself up on one elbow. “Fine, I’ll keep the shirt on.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “Don’t lick me in any form.”
“Why not? I thought you didn’t want my dog tongue on you.”
“No tongue of any kind,” I clarified.
She pouted. “Fine, then can I kiss you to wake you up next time?”
“No!”
“There’s no reason to sound so horrified,” she complained. “You like the way I look, and I’m sure you’d like kissing me. I’m very good at it. Well, I was the last time I tried. It’s been a few years, maybe fifty or so.”
“You’re beautiful, but I love Juliet,” I reminded her.
She looked perplexed by my answer. “What does that have to do with me kissing you? I’m not asking you to be my mate.”
“It would be wrong,” I told her.
“Spellcasters are so strange,” she mused. “No matter how many decades I live among your kind, I don’t understand your motivations. Kissing is fun. It’s got nothing to do with love.”
“It does for me. Juliet would not appreciate me kissing you or anyone else.”
She huffed and sat up before swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “You’re ruining my fun again, warlock! That’s all you ever do! I start to have fun, and you ruin it for me!”
“Then why do you keep following me everywhere?” I asked.
She looked stricken.
“You want me to leave you alone?”
I shook my head. “I never said that. Just because I don’t want to be licked or kissed by you doesn’t mean I don’t want you around. I don’t want to be kissed or licked by Pops, but I like his company.”
“Fine,” she relented. “No kissing or licking.”
“Are you going to tell me why you follow me around?”
She shrugged. “I like you.”
“Even though I ruin your fun?” I asked.
“Who doesn’t ruin my fun?” she shot back. “I’m so bored with my life here. How was your shapeshifter? You seemed agitated after your visit, and I think it was about more than me licking you.”
“Visit?” I asked. “Juliet is far from here, so there was no visit, just another dream. This one was much more vivid.”
Sin rolled her eyes. “You’re so clueless.”
“Are you saying that wasn’t a dream?”
“It was,” she replied before adding, “but it wasn’t.”
“That answer was needlessly confusing,” I muttered. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Doing what?” she asked with wide, innocent eyes.
“Giving me little bits of information to confuse and frustrate me,” I replied.
“I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing,” she admitted. “Would you believe me if I told you it’s because I haven’t talked to anyone else in a very long time?”
“I might if you didn’t sound like you’re looking for an excuse that I’ll believe,” I said with a laugh. “Did you have something to do with my dream? All I want is a yes or no answer. You either had something to do with it or you didn’t.”
“Why do you always think things are black and white?” she asked. “The world is full of grays, and the failure of spellcasters to see that has caused the deaths of many shapeshifters.”
“You’re probably right, but don’t change the subject. Was that a dream?”
“Yes, but you shared it with Juliet,” she explained.
“How is that possible?”
“Since your magic is linked, I was able to pull your subconscious minds into the same plane.”
“I’ve never heard of any spell that can control someone’s dreams, and it seems impossible to share a dream.”
“I don’t use spells,” she said around a yawn. “It’s my magic. Of course, you’ve never heard of it. You didn’t even believe in demons until recently.”
“Why did you do this?” I asked.
She shrugged before lying down and curling up on her side. “You seemed upset. You call out her name in your sleep, and you always sound like your heart is breaking. I hate seeing you that way, so I decided it might make you feel better to see her tonight.”
Her response to my pain genuinely surprised me. “Thank you, Sin, and I’m sorry for being so rude to you when you woke me up. I like you, too.”
“Does this mean I can lick you again?” she asked. “You taste delicious.”
I really hoped she didn’t mean she wanted to eat me, but I decided against asking. “I still don’t want you licking me.”
“Fine,” she agreed with a huff. “You can lick me if you want.”
“Uh, thanks. Are you planning to sleep in my bed?”
Her eyes were already drifting shut. “Yes, I’m tired. Don’t worry. I won’t lick you.”
I smiled as I watched the demon grab my pillow and hug it. “Now that I’m up, I’m going to do some planning while you sleep.”
“What kind of planning?” she asked as she cracked an eye open to look at me.
“I’m going after Juliet soon.”
“Good,” she replied. “It’s time for an adventure. We should leave soon.”
“We?” I asked in surprise.
“You may ruin my fun most of the time, but you’re still entertaining,” she explained. “I’m going with you.”
Chapter 11
My time for planning had been seriously limited in the last few days.
Pops had gotten me assigned to one of the teams patrolling the perimeter, so I was busy for several hours each day. I was happy to help more, but it made planning harder since I was exhausted most evenings. Patrolling involved even more walking than hunting.
This was the first day they’d let me go off on my own, and I suspected it was only because Sin kept growling at anyone who got close. She didn’t seem to like any of the spellcasters they assigned to work with me.
I was walking along a narrow river with Sin by my side in dog form. Traveling this far out was against the rules, but I couldn't help myself.
Each day, the pull of Juliet's magic grew stronger. I hadn’t quite passed through the magic in the Black Mist yet, but I was close enough that my connection to Juliet intensified with each step.
“You want to go after her now,
don't you?” Sin asked, having changed forms while my back was to her.
I turned and nodded. “Yes. Do you think this is why they don’t want me walking this far out? Is Pops afraid I’ll take off without warning? Did he tell the others to keep me close?”
“He might be worried about that, but it’s also more dangerous here because you can be seen from the other side of the Black Mist. The veil of magic is thinner. It’s why you’re drawn to this spot. Your link to the shapeshifter is stronger here.”
“Why didn’t anyone mention this to me before?” I asked. “This seems like the kind of thing they should have warned me about before letting me patrol alone.”
I was more annoyed that no one had told me my link to Juliet would be stronger near the edge of the spell, even though I understood they’d likely kept that information from me to prevent me from traveling this far out.
She shrugged. “They probably thought that telling you it’s dangerous was enough to keep you away from this area. You’re not good at following orders.”
“I used to be very good at following orders.”
“That must have been boring,” she mused. “I like you better this way. You think for yourself, but it might be smart to believe others when they tell you something is dangerous.”
I nodded and looked around. “I should have asked for an explanation. All right, we’ll head away from the edge of the spell.”
I hesitated, not quite ready to move away from an area where my connection to Juliet felt stronger.
Just as I was about to start walking, I heard her voice.
“Dante? Is that you?”
“Juliet?” I asked.
“Have you lost your mind?” Sin asked as she looked around. “There’s no one here but me.”
“I heard her, but it must have been in my mind,” I replied as I concentrated on the link between us.
“Juliet? Can you hear me?”
I was relieved when I heard her response in my mind.
“I hear you. Are you okay? I’ve been so afraid for you.”
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I’m safe, but I miss you. I keep dreaming about you. Where are you?”
As I was about to respond, I felt oily tendrils of energy slide along my bond with Juliet before it glided closer to me.
“I have to go,” I told her urgently. “I’ll be coming for you soon.”
I turned, prepared to run, but it was too late.
Chapter 12
“Demon hunters!” Sin shouted before knocking me to the ground.
The air sizzled above my head as a wave of magic flowed past me. Burning pain spread throughout my entire body; I was nearly paralyzed by it and had to struggle to drag myself forward.
“We have to run!” She grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet.
Run?
It was all I could do to stay on my feet under the weight of the heavy black magic pooling around us. I’d never experienced anything like this. I tried to speak, but my tongue felt like lead and wouldn’t move. The magic was too much, and it was dragging me down.
Sin screamed as the shroud of dark magic grew thicker.
"Dante! Please!"
I still couldn’t respond in words, but I focused on getting my feet to move as I dragged Sin along by my side since the magic seemed to hit her harder. I sensed the threat getting closer, even as my field of vision narrowed.
Focus or die!
Those were my only options, and I refused to go down without a fight.
Dark, oily magic continued to flow around us, but this time, I focused on the power and its source as I tried to figure out a way to deal with it. When I pressed at the magic, it retreated slightly, easing the weight on me.
It was strong but not unbeatable.
"Get back to safety, " I told Sin in a strained voice.
“No, I can’t leave you here to fight them alone,” she argued. “You have no idea what you're up against.”
“It's my fault they're here. They followed my bond with Juliet, so I’ll deal with them.”
I heard laughter and spun to find a group of hooded figures standing several feet away from me.
“What makes you think you can stand against us?” one of them asked.
Their proximity made it easier to identify their magic. These were spellcasters.
I didn’t know of any demon-hunting spellcasters, especially since no one I knew outside of the Reaper Ridge community believed demons existed.
Since they were spellcasters, I was better trained to fight them, even those using dark magic. The down side was that they were more likely to recognize me as a fugitive.
It seemed best to try reasoning with them first since I was outnumbered.
“I’m not your enemy,” I said with my hands up and palms out so they could see I didn’t have a magical item to toss their way.
The one who’d first spoken responded. “Then move out of our way and let us kill the demon.”
I shook my head. “I can't do that. She hasn't done anything to deserve death.” Not that I was aware of, anyway.
“She’s a demon,” one hissed. “Why defend her?”
“He’s trying to keep all her power for himself,” another accused. “Stand down and let us take her, or you’ll die, too.”
It was clear I wouldn’t be able to negotiate with them, but I needed to keep them talking longer.
“You think I’ll let you have my demon?” I asked with a laugh, pleased when that question led to a very boring speech about how weak I was. That gave me time to focus on the magic flowing around me.
All magical creatures draw their power from natural sources. In most cases, they take energy from the Earth or living things—either plants or animals. This magic had the dark taint of blood magic, possibly even death magic.
The energy from these spellcasters felt so dark that I wanted to recoil, but I forced myself to continue focusing on it.
Once the long rant about how I was messing with powers I didn’t understand ended, I spoke again. “Death magic is forbidden among spellcasters.”
None of the hooded figures responded at first, likely shocked that I’d figured out their power source so quickly. In truth, I was guessing that it was death magic rather than nonlethal blood magic, but they didn’t deny my suspicions.
"I know who you are." I could practically hear the smirk in the warlock's voice. "I don't know why I'm surprised to find one of our biggest traitors among the demons. This is a good day for us. We’ll bring you in and drain the energy of that disgusting creature with you."
“Disgusting creature?" Sin asked with a laugh. “Is that the best insult you can come up with?”
I heard the pain and unease in her voice, though I doubted the other spellcasters had. Sin was afraid, but she still hadn’t run. It was clear she had no intention of leaving me alone with the demon hunters.
I had trouble holding back my triumphant smile when I found a weak spot in the dark magic. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to send a blast of magic through. That would give us time to escape farther into the protected area.
My power slowly inched through the black magic, picking up speed as it created a bigger hole. As my energy gained momentum, I hoped none of them caught on to what I was doing.
They didn’t, and it was almost too late for them to stop me.
The thing about powerful spellcasters is that they’re often overconfident. I’d been taught from an early age that it didn’t matter how powerful you were; someone could always take you down.
“If you hand over the demon, Dante Verdugo, we may be able to put in a good word for you and save your life,” a witch called out. “You'll die a painful death if you defend this creature. We need her power.”
“Aren't we already stealing enough power from shapeshifters?” I asked in a bored tone as I continued to focus on working my magic through theirs. I was almost there. It picked up speed the closer it got to
the surface.
One of the warlocks laughed. “This situation is too funny. You Verdugos always believed you were better than the rest of us. It's been fun watching the fall of your family. Your poor stepmother is heartbroken.”
“Don't you think it's time to go back and face justice?” a witch asked. “You may not care about how this affects the other Azureans, but surely you can’t allow your family to suffer for your stupidity. More than your stupidity, they are suffering for your weakness.”
I smiled, knowing they were about to see how wrong they were to consider me weak.
My magic burst free in a near blinding flash of light that sent the demon hunters stumbling back.
With the black magic no longer clouding our surroundings, I could clearly see the path back to safety.
I caught Sin’s hand and ran, not breathing a sigh of relief until I felt the veil of the protection spell around us.
When I turned, the demon hunters were on their feet again, looking around for us, but they couldn’t see beyond the Black Mist.
“I messed up big time,” I muttered.
“Yes, but you redeemed yourself,” Sin replied. “I was impressed with how you handled those demon hunters. I told the other demons you were powerful enough to fight them, but they didn’t believe me.”
My eyes narrowed. “Was this some kind of test? Did you set this up so I would fight the demon hunters?”
“No, but I might have if I’d expected them to be here,” she replied. “I just planned to let you connect with your shapeshifter. Demon hunters have never been spotted in this area. I figured we’d have to go to the other side of Reaper Ridge and travel at least a few miles outside of the protected area before we ran into any.”
“You planned to test me against them at some point?” I asked. “You wanted the demon hunters to attack me?”
“Eventually,” she admitted with no shame.
“And did you plan to warn me about them? Give me any clue as to what I was up against?” I demanded.
She looked at me as if I was stupid. “Why would I warn you if I wanted to accurately judge how you’d do against them?”
“I don’t know,” I replied angrily. “Perhaps, so that I wouldn’t get killed? I thought you liked me. At the very least, I thought you had a sense of self-preservation. You could have been killed.”
