Remembering how she’d joined with Steffahn, she had to admit it was entirely possible. It wasn’t sex. It was so much more than that. She was living proof, after all. A human who controlled three elements. It was unheard of, even in modern times. Though her strength in fire paled beside her abilities with air and water, it still enhanced both.
She took up the daemon’s hands again. “How do you know all this?”
“We crave knowledge. We learn. We share. We grow through learning. We live through learning. Scion will learn. Scion will see. Good and bad exist in all things.”
She sat down, leaned back against the cave wall and closed her eyes. The archivists really were a spy network. Right there in her own house, little spy creatures. They probably knew a lot more than anyone had ever guessed. Even Steffahn had praised their skill. After all, nobody paid any attention to them. And they shared it all via their odd little communication system, so what one knew, the others knew. A pretty useful skill. And they’d tried to warn her.
Beware of danger from within.
Once more she had to wonder what the hell they meant. Danger within her own body? Her own house? Within the archivists themselves? Within the pages of a book? Only the archivists knew the answer. They knew a lot more than they told. And they kept it under lock and key by allowing one query at a time. She liked the Carraig better. They didn’t seem to live by the same set of rules.
She didn't see a clear way out of this mess she'd created. She needed help. She needed someone to summon her out of here before Rasmussen did. For once in her life, she was willing to beg for someone to help her, but she had no obvious way to do it.
Tarian reached for her interpreter’s hands. He blinked and took hers.
“I need to get a message out. How do I do that?”
“We cannot speak to other than We. You are We. You cannot speak to other.”
“There has to be a way. There has to be. Everything depends on this. I have to get out of here. I have to destroy Rasmussen and I can’t do that sitting here.”
A muttering began in her head, a lot of it words she didn’t recognize.
“What about the archivists? They're one of you, aren't they?” The muttering grew louder, and then died down abruptly.
“They were We once.” The voices didn’t sound happy at all.
“Why do you say that like it’s in the past? They look and talk just like you.”
“They are not We now. They are released.” The daemon’s eyes blinked slowly, and a note of wistfulness permeated his tone.
“How did they get released? Why not the rest of you?”
“They were summoned. They made agreements. They were released. They are no longer We.”
“Can you talk to them anyway?”
“We…can.”
The silence that reigned was almost deafening.
“Do you not like them anymore because they’re free?”
The eyes blinked furiously. It had the odd effect of a thousand flashlights going on and off.
“We are not small minded.”
“What is the problem then?”
“It is painful. Sacrifice is required.”
“It’s worth it.”
“They may not accept. They are not We.”
“Can we at least try? They are my archivists. Surely they’ll listen.”
Tarian waited while voices murmured in her head and images flashed. They went by so quickly she couldn’t even see what they were. Finally, one voice answered.
“We will help. Will Scion help We?”
“What do you mean?”
“We would enter agreement with Scion. We will make possible a message, if Scion offers in return.”
It sounded suspiciously like the deal Steffahn had engineered, but without her side of the bargain.
“What could I offer that you need?”
Voices cascaded over one another in her head. Excited, elated voice.
“Hey, one at a time. My head!” She dropped his hands to rub her ears, even though the sound hadn’t really come through the usual method, her ears still reacted with an odd buzz that irritated, and it didn’t help the pain either.
The creature extended his hands. She took them, grateful that the chorus now seemed solidified once more.
“Freedom.”
Such a simple thing, yet complex in execution. She had no idea how to free them. All she could truthfully promise was to try. If she agreed to try, what mess would she fall in to? She needed more time to figure it out, and she didn’t have it.
For once, the voices in her head remained silent. Still. Expectant. Hopeful.
If she did not enter into this deal, what would happen?
“True results cannot be seen.”
She could imagine the possibilities. Rasmussen could summon her, and the game would be over. Her friends saw her vanish, they might figure out how to get her back on their own. Maybe. She could simply remain here, forever. Calliope would become Scion, and Rasmussen would then go after her.
None of the possibilities sounded good. But making a deal like this, like the one with Steffahn, without all the facts seemed foolish in the extreme. What loopholes were there in this deal?
“We do not deceive. We offer the ability to communicate, though time will be limited. If Scion attains freedom, and in return offers freedom to Carraig, then Carraig offers fealty to House of Xannon until released by Xannon blood. We offer knowledge, and protection to the Xannon, in exchange for freedom. Penalties shall be forfeiture of freedom, if either party fails.”
Stunned, Tarian absorbed both the words and the meaning behind them, and the images the Carraig sent along with them. Allies. Free to roam, as they used to do. Control of their earth power once more. But bound to her and her family. Bound to protect them, or lose their freedom.
Freedom for freedom. Simply put. She would ensure they remained free and in return they would ensure she, and her family, were protected as well as they could. They allied with Earth, the one power she couldn’t wield herself. They would help her get out of here.
What was Rasmussen doing right now? Had he ripped her sister apart? Had he gone after her mother? What about Daric, and Alex, and Frankie?
No treasure is worth the price.
“If I can’t find a way to free you, what happens then?”
“Penalties shall be forfeiture of freedom, if either party fails.”
They waited, like statues. Like Steffahn. No coercion. They’d presented a choice, and it was for her to agree, or not.
You chose strong allies.
Strange, that Steffahn’s approval of the archivists could sway her decision. She didn’t know him. He did things for purely selfish reasons. Yet, in this case…
“I agree.”
“It is agreed.”
The words reverberated around the cavern as though Tarian changed something with far-reaching consequences with one small statement. It didn’t feel wrong, exactly. It just felt…monumental. And somehow, somewhere, she felt like she’d missed an important piece of the puzzle. Something vital that she hadn’t considered. She shrugged. Whatever it was didn’t matter. She’d done the deal.
No turning back now.
A group of the daemon gathered around the pillar on the island the instant the words were whispered in her head. The group formed a tightly packed, giant fur ball with arms and legs protruding at odd angles. She almost laughed at the absurdity of it.
The Caraigg in front of her pulled on her hands to lead her over to the fuzzy ball. They sloshed through the water, which turned out to be about knee deep and cold. The closer she got to the group in the center, the colder it became. Her toes froze in her boots. The water soaked her jeans almost up to her crotch by the time she got to the island. The scratches on her arm stung every time water splashed them. She scrambled up onto the island next to the ball.
The creature behind her shoved her into the fuzz ball, which reformed around her. She found herself in the middle of large
eyes that blinked in unison, a lot of arms and hands and feet, and a comfortable blanket of furry body parts. Then something in her brain shifted, and suddenly she felt as if an antenna had been shoved into her head. She could hear so much, not just the creatures in this room but other things as well. The entire world felt like it was in the room with her, and all of it was talking, singing, humming or shouting. It blended together to create a deafening noise.
In the background, one particular sound grew louder as the rest faded away. Humming. She’d know that sound anywhere. Calliope. She did it all the time when she was working on something.
“Calli!”
“Wait,” a voice said.
The hum grew so loud, it nearly hurt her ears. Then a pain bloomed in her body, deep within her bone marrow. Panic set in as she realized how trapped she was in this fur ball with no magic and no way out.
“We listen,” a voice came.
Tarian struggled to speak through the pain. “I need to talk to Calliope.”
“That is not allowed. She is not We. She is allowed one query only.”
“Are you kidding me? She doesn’t even know I’m here. She doesn’t know to ask! I need her help!”
“She is not We. She is allowed one query only. We seek an answer. We seek to understand how Scion is now We.”
“Scion went after the book you told me about and then did a stupid ritual that got her trapped down here in this stupid cave, that’s how. I need help!” In an effort to reinforce the idea, through the pain she pictured Rasmussen and the room he’d left in Philadelphia. All the gore, the eyeball, the fight, Mark Chester, Sucole, all of it.
“Scion has not listened. Scion does not see. Scion joined with daemon. Scion does not head warnings.”
“If you’d been a little less cryptic, I might have.” Tarian gritted her teeth.
“Scion makes agreements. No treasure is worth the price."
"I had to. I tried to fix it." A brief picture of her with Daric flitted through her mind. She clamped down on it immediately. She didn't want to share every detail of her life with these creatures. She had no idea how she was supposed to close off part of her mind when they filled it so completely, but she was going to try.
“Scion does not see.”
“See what?”
Know yourself. Know the enemy. Know the why behind the what. No trap is greater than knowledge. No knowledge is greater than that which is yours by right of birth.”
She thought about that for a moment, trying to see through the pain that jolted her with every word. Her enemy was a demon; what else did she need to know?
“There is strength in yielding. Yielding grants knowledge. Knowledge grants power stronger than magic.”
Their words circled in her head. They thought they were helping, but really they lectured and chastised as a parent did a young child. And like a parent, they didn’t fully explain exactly what they meant. She couldn’t see how she could use it. Not right now, locked here with no magic, with no way out and with every bone screaming at her.
“Help.” She gasped as the pain threatened to tear her apart. She imagined this must be what bone cancer felt like or maybe having your skeleton ripped out of your skin. This wasn’t going to work. Disappointment settled in with the pain. She wasn’t sure if it was hers, or the Caraigg’s.
A pause. Mutters filled the spaces in her head. A word here or there. Agreement. A reluctant acceptance.
“Knowledge grants power. Scion must seek it. Scion has entered agreements without knowledge or understanding.”
“I know…screwed myself.” She could barely talk for the waves of pain rolling through her. The edges of her brain grew fuzzy.
“Scion deceived. Such is the way of humans.”
“Such is the way of all creatures.” She filled her mind with an image of Steffahn and his agreement. A wave of pain threatened to overwhelm her. It was all she could do to keep herself coherent. “Family helps family. No matter the…consequence. Name your price. I will deal with you, if I have to.”
Silence echoed louder than any words. She’d said as much to them before, but not to the Carraig. Awe permeated the silence. Somehow, calling them family meant more than anything else.
“What information shall we give?”
“Tell her…where I am…I’m…in trouble. She needs…the book…on the bed…bring me back.”
Complete silence reigned. Endless seconds stretched to an eternity of agony as she found to keep her wits, her sanity, and the pain at bay.
Somewhere through the pain she realized the humming had stopped. She could feel the connection through some sort of link with the archivists.
With a shock she realized it wasn't her sister she linked with.
"Mother!"
The archivists delivered her message. She felt the concern, the alarm, the panic as it was received. Things she'd have sworn her mother never felt. Thoughts filled her mind, thoughts that didn’t belong to her or the archivists or the Carraig. Overwhelming fear.
“What if I can’t find the right spell. What will happen to her. How can I solve this? How can I leverage the archivists to free her. Or the Mayfanata. Steffahn did this. I should never have let her go after that book. My fault. All my fault. I should have warned her about Steffahn sooner. I should have warned her. Too late, too late.”
“Mother…it’s not your fault!” Tarian shoved the words through her head, hoping her mother would hear them. But the thoughts faded away, replaced by reverberating pain and a sense of loss.
“By ancient agreement. Message sent and received. Help delivered. Scion grows weak. Scion must break link.” The connection severed, and the ball flew apart as each demon body broke free. She lay in the center of the island next to the freezing bonfire and panted.
A creature…the same one?…took her hand and pulled her onto her feet and away from the fire. The pain vanished with the link, but the aftereffects felt like the worst hangover ever. She staggered behind her guide, unable to really see where she was going since she had to focus so hard on getting one foot in front of the other. They sloshed back to the small outer cave. Blissful darkness and comparative warmth enveloped her. She shivered and her teeth chattered.
“Our side of agreement is fulfilled.” The Carraig stepped back away from her.
She collapsed on the floor, curled up in a ball and surrendered to the dark.
Chapter 37
Tarian rolled against something hard and moaned. Everything hurt. Every pore, every joint, every particle of her body. Beyond that, her heart hurt the most. She’d connected with her mother’s innermost thoughts and in them she’d found a frightened girl who worried about her daughter. Tarian had never thought her mother suffered doubt of any sort. Now she knew the truth. Her mother doubted, she just hid it. From everyone. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized what grief she’d caused her mother. She hadn’t meant to. Her mother was a rock, a pillar, a person she leaned against when she needed it and ignored when she didn’t. And it wasn’t fair. She hadn’t been fair. When she got out of this. When, not if. When she got out of this she’d go to those meetings. She’d learn who and why and how, so that her mother didn’t face it all alone.
Tarian started at the touch of a soft hand on her arm. She pulled back, ready to fight, then saw the giant eyes and remembered where she was.
“Scion goes now.”
“I do? I am?” Something pulled at her core, as if whatever it was sucked her entire body into a tube. Her skin tried to get away and hide. Her soul ripped from her body, and then her body followed as a black cloud of dust formed around her.
“Remember agreement!” The thought followed her into black nothingness.
She drifted, feeling lazy. It was nice. No pressure, no responsibility, no fear, no regret. She had something important to do, didn’t she? What was it? Something vital. She could almost remember. She tried to concentrate, but the thought flitted away. A butterfly in a meadow. Never settled.
The
black veil fell away to reveal a yard. She knew this place, but couldn’t name it. Grass. Benches. Sky. Tang in the air. A memory teased her. A fight with…someone.
A man stood in front of her. Her body yielded to him. She was a puppet, and he pulled the strings. She’d do anything he asked. Anything at all.
The man walked toward her. She knew his face, but she struggled to remember his name. It danced around the edges of her mind. He looked angry, but his chin raised in satisfaction as he looked at her.
She tried to ask him his name, but no words escaped. She tried again. Stars danced in front of her eyes. Some force held her upright, and she had a feeling if the force dissolved she’d be on the ground. That force allowed her to breathe. It did not allow her to speak.
Something was missing. Something important. Something she needed and wanted desperately. What was it?
The man crossed his arms and glared. His lips moved, but she couldn't hear anything. Her ears heard no sound at all. Her heart raced. Why couldn't she hear?
A woman joined him. Blonde. Tall. Familiar. She frowned. Her lips moved. Tarian couldn’t hear the words. Something about this woman…important. Very important. The woman looked at the man, who faced her and moved his lips.
"Tarian."
The sudden sound of her name put her entire body on alert. She was ready. She would do whatever this man asked. She waited for the next words with anticipation and dread.
"Can you hear me?" The man looked worried. “Can you hear everyone?”
"Yes." The word came from her lips but she hadn't thought to say anything. Her mouth was not her own. Her body was not her own. It was his. Somewhere deep inside her, a part of her mind pounded at her. This wasn't right.
"What's wrong with her?" A high voice behind her. Soft. Pleasant. Familiar. She knew that voice. She knew it well. Once again, the name escaped her.
“It’s part of the summoning. She can't answer unless I ask a direct question." The man smiled. "Is that right, Tarian?"
Demons & Djinn: Nine Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Novels Featuring Demons, Djinn, and other Bad Boys of the Underworld Page 138
