Demon Witch (The Ternion Order Book 2)

by Daniel R. Marvello

  Noreen shrugged. “Maybe more … I don’t know. There’s no way to measure these things exactly.”

  Blackstone sat back and thought.

  “Our primary goal is to rescue Cara as quickly as possible,” he finally said. “She is an innocent victim caught in the middle of an Order conflict.”

  “Yes,” Noreen agreed. “We need to rescue Cara for more reasons than you know.”

  Blackstone’s calm finally cracked with the addition of another unexpected complication. With an exhale of exasperation, he asked, “What now?”

  “Since we learned about the demon witch, we’ve focused on the ramifications. We haven’t seriously considered how it happened in the first place.”

  “Does that matter?” Jonathan asked.

  “Perhaps,” Noreen replied. “It goes back to motivations. I’ve been thinking about why a witch and a demon would pair up. Marcella gains incredible physical and magical powers, but how does the demon benefit? And which of them suggested the arrangement?”

  “I’m still not seeing the relevance,” Jonathan said, shaking his head impatiently.

  Noreen stopped and gave Jonathan an irritated glare. “If you let me finish, I promise you will.”

  Jonathan held up a hand in apology and then waved for her to continue. “Sorry.”

  “Although it’s possible that a lupusdaemon approached Marcella, it would need a powerful reason to give up full control over its current body in exchange for a back seat in Marcella’s body. I think it’s far more likely that Marcella initiated the bargain in an effort to strengthen her defenses against the Order.”

  Jonathan’s brow furrowed. “Okay. But doesn’t that have the same net result for the demon? Getting a back seat as you put it?”

  Noreen paused before responding, and Blackstone sharpened his attention on what she was about to say.

  “Not if she summoned a lupusdaemon from the abyss. The demon would have nothing to lose and plenty to gain. When you factor Cyrus into the equation, it also explains how she managed to get two lupusdaemons to accept the arrangement.”

  Blackstone suddenly understood what Noreen had been getting at. They had to rescue Cara sooner rather than later because … “You’re concerned that Marcella might cast a summoning ritual with Cara as the sacrifice.”

  “Exactly,” Noreen confirmed. “I just hope we’re not too late.”

  Blackstone had hoped to avoid bringing up the fact that the full moon would rise that night. It would increase the perceived risk of the plan he was about to propose.

  “If we’re going after Cara, we’re going to need backup,” Jonathan said. “I can’t take on a rescue mission and defend the sanctuary at the same time. Even if I leave Noreen in charge of the sanctuary squad, I don’t have enough people.”

  “You need me on that rescue team,” Noreen objected. “No one in this region has more mission experience.”

  Jonathan shrugged. “Hey, I hear you. But you’re one of the targets, along with Amanda and Kyle. We can’t very well send any of you right into their stronghold.”

  Blackstone shook his head. “We don’t have time to get backup, and we also can’t take the security risk. We have to use the resources we have available. That includes everyone at the sanctuary with skills we can use. I want to hit the Foundation at dawn.”

  “That’s insane!” Jonathan objected. “We’d be delivering the people we’ve been trying to protect right into the enemy’s hands. Besides, we can’t possibly get ready by dawn.”

  Noreen’s expression turned contemplative. “After our talk with Skyler Arpin, I’m not sure how much of a stronghold it is. It’s possible we’ll get some inside assistance.”

  Jonathan’s face was getting redder by the moment. He was obviously not accepting any plan that put Jessie in harm’s way. “You can’t trust the word of a demon! You’re just worried about your nomination to the Court of Elders,” he accused. “It wouldn’t do to bow out of such an important mission, especially when you are partly responsible for the situation.”

  Noreen glared wordlessly at Jonathan. Even if there was some truth to his accusation, the remark had been hurtful. Her stare seemed to make Jonathan check himself.

  When he turned to Blackstone, Jonathan’s voice hardened. “This is a bad idea. You talk about a security risk in one breath and then offer up the coven as a distraction the next. Now you want to storm a werewolf lair on the night of a full moon!”

  Blackstone ignored the angry barbs and stared blandly. He doubted he could say anything to make Jonathan feel better about the situation. He just needed to make sure the man would follow orders.

  “After dawn, the moon will no longer be an issue,” Blackstone replied with confidence he didn’t entirely feel. “Security is indeed an important consideration, and I believe our charges are safest if they stay with me.”

  “You have a pretty high opinion of yourself,” Jonathan grumbled.

  Blackstone held up a hand to forestall any more comments. “I know the plan is not ideal, but think about it. We could hardly assemble a better team for this mission. I understand that bringing the targets with us puts them at greater risk. That’s why this mission has to be about more than a rescue. I intend to put an end to this conflict once and for all. If having the coven with us distracts the enemy, so much the better. Our witches can take advantage of that, too.”

  Jonathan shook his head slowly, his mouth turned down into a frustrated frown. “You’re going to turn my kids into orphans.”

  Blackstone mentally voiced a calming prayer while he watched Jonathan. He waited until the man’s gaze locked on to his. “Don’t sell us short. Think about what you’ve seen over the past couple of days. Imagine what we can do when we are prepared and on the offensive. We face a powerful enemy, but not an invincible one.”

  Noreen let out a small laugh. “The blood trail Skyler Arpin left behind after Jonathan shot her was proof enough of that.”

  Jonathan sat back in his chair and blew out a long breath.

  “I don’t like it,” he said, “but I can see you’ve made up your mind. Just promise me you’ll ask for volunteers. No one should be forced to go on a suicide mission.”

  “I have no problem agreeing to that promise,” Blackstone answered.

  And he didn’t. Everyone Blackstone wanted on the mission had already volunteered in one way or another. They didn’t know the full scope of what he had in mind, but no one seemed interested in being left behind.

  As for the full moon, Blackstone argued with himself that the odds of a lupusdaemon attempting a possession during the attack were slim and that attacking at dawn should eliminate the risk. Still, he had to admit that no human knew everything about Vollmond Ritus.

  Chapter 21

  Wrath

  Marcella leaned her head back against the cushion of the couch and closed her eyes. Her entire body ached from the effects of her own damned spell. She knew that Blackstone and the other members of his special unit were able to protect themselves from witchcraft, but what she had seen went much further than that. Blackstone had somehow reflected her magic. If she had been fully human, it probably would have killed her as it was intended to kill him.

  She’d never seen anything like what he’d done. She carried the power of an entire coven. Standing alone, he should not have been able to withstand her attack, much less throw it back at her. It should have burned right through any defense he could raise. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled when she recalled the alien sense of his magic and the odd way he’d invoked it … as if he’d been praying.

  It would have been one thing if she had caught him in his home ritual space where he could employ powerful static protections like a casting circle. A deflection shield of the sort he’d used was normally drawn from elemental earth and anchored to a specific location.

  His magic was assisted by a powerful spirit, Iledaste commented in her head.

  What did that mean? How could Blackstone tap into that kind o
f power so quickly and easily. Was he also possessed by some form of demon?

  Not a demon, Iledaste stated flatly. His magic was of the light.

  Was he some kind of priest, then? If so, he was like none she’d ever heard of. He wore no obvious symbols of piety. His dress, while relentlessly black, did not give the impression of official vestments. One thing a priest could usually be relied upon was a dedication to the trappings of office. They were what set him apart from others and proclaimed his power.

  Iledaste offered no additional opinion on the matter.

  Whatever Blackstone was, he was even more dangerous than his reputation suggested. The next time they met, she would have to be better prepared.

  A feminine cry of agony erupted from the kitchen, reminding Marcella of what a disaster the attack on the Order sanctuary had been. They had not only failed in their mission, but several of her team had returned injured. The sanctuary guards had loaded their rifles with silver-coated bullets. None of the injuries were life-threatening, but the silver retarded lupusdaemon healing magic.

  Rutlinger tended to the wounds using medical equipment he kept at the Foundation. Skyler Arpin was the only patient who chose to have her bullet removed while in human form, the others preferring to rely on Rutlinger’s comprehensive veterinary expertise. Either way, there was only so much that local anesthetic could do for the pain.

  The phone rang and Marcella opened her eyes. Cyrus immediately rose from where he had been sitting on the couch across from her and picked it up. After a few monosyllabic responses to the person on the other end of the line, he walked over and handed her the cordless phone.

  “This is Marcella.”

  “I hear your mission to rid the world of Amanda Clark hit a snag,” responded the snide voice of David Bonham.

  Marcella was stunned that he already knew of her failure. They had been back at the Foundation for less than an hour. “How did you hear that?” she snapped.

  “I have sources,” he answered.

  “If those sources are inside the Order, I would appreciate your sharing them with me.”

  Her comment was greeted with mocking laughter.

  “What’s so damn funny?” she asked, trying to control her anger.

  “I really don’t see how you can expect to lead an alliance when you can’t even manage your own pack,” he answered.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Of course not. And that’s the problem. You seem to have forgotten what it means to be alpha.”

  Marcella went still. Bonham knew something she didn’t. What was she missing? She directed that last thought at Iledaste.

  The demon seemed have made some sense of Bonham’s cryptic needling. Allowing the Pack to remain dispersed was a mistake. We should have insisted that everyone stay here until the work was complete.

  Why? What have the others done?

  They have renounced.

  Marcella didn’t understand the full implications of the term, but its basic meaning was clear enough. Some of the Pack members had officially abandoned her.

  “They will be dealt with,” she assured Bonham.

  The line was silent for a few moments. When Bonham spoke again, his tone was deadly serious. “Perhaps it’s you who should be dealt with. Your little war is making trouble for all of us.”

  Do not let the challenge go unanswered, advised Iledaste.

  The handset creaked as Marcella’s hand tightened around it. “Bring it. Come on over, and we’ll see who deals with whom.”

  “It may come to that,” Bonham said. “But for now, it will be more fun watching your battle with the Order from afar. You’ve attracted the attention of a powerful enemy. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out.”

  A powerful enemy, indeed. Marcella wasn’t yet sure how she would defeat Blackstone, but that had become her primary goal. Eliminating the Gold Ridge Coven would be a comparatively simple matter once he was out of the way.

  You must project confidence, Iledaste warned her.

  “The enemy is only human,” Marcella said dismissively. Iledaste chuckled in the back of her mind at the irony of the statement. Without the demon within, she would be only human. Instead, she was super-human, and she was going to crush Blackstone at the next opportunity.

  “No one in the Order is ‘only human,’ as I’m sure you’re beginning to appreciate,” Bonham argued. “I’ve fought them myself although it has been many years now. It was not an experience I care to repeat.”

  “So you hide behind the petty human lives you’ve adopted.”

  “We don’t hide,” Bonham said confidently. “Hiding would attract the attention of the Order. We play the human game of life, stealing a new form only when we must.”

  Bonham’s lack of ambition disgusted Marcella. “Bah. You expect us to live petty, unworthy lives.”

  “It beats the existence that awaits us in the abyss.”

  As much as she appreciated finding out about the traitors in the Selkirk Pack, Marcella had no interest in debating philosophy with Bonham. If he wasn’t going to help, she had no use for him. “Good bye, David. Call again when you remember what it means to be lupusdaemon.” She could sense Iledaste’s approval and appreciation of the irony.

  “I’ll be watching,” Bonham warned.

  “Enjoy the show,” Marcella retorted before punching the off button on the handset.

  Holding the phone out to Cyrus, she said, “Call the other members of the Pack, and tell them to get over here.” When he tried to take the phone, she held on to it until his eyes met hers. “Stay alert. If anyone refuses, I want to know exactly what they say.”

  Cyrus narrowed his eyes. “You think they’d dare to refuse?”

  Marcella lowered her voice so only Cyrus could hear. “David Bonham seems to think they’ve renounced.” She would let Cyrus’s own demon fill him in on what that meant. “Make sure it’s true. We’ll deal with anyone who refuses the summons later.”

  Cyrus nodded and started to bring up the first contact number, but Marcella interrupted him.

  “Make the calls from the conference room,” she said. “And close the door.” There was no point giving Rutlinger the satisfaction of learning about the situation. It might give him ideas.

  David Bonham’s call had shaken Marcella even more than the failed attack on the farm. She quickly shielded her thoughts from Iledaste even though doing so would reveal her doubts. She was losing control over the Pack and the mission. That must not happen. Her bargain with Iledaste lasted only as long as she moved forward in her plan to achieve a position of dominance among the packs in the region and did her best to eliminate Amanda Clark. If she failed, Iledaste would try to take over. She doubted she could withstand a sustained attack on her consciousness from the lupusdaemon.

  It’s not over yet, Iledaste advised.

  The demon had read into her mental silence. The surprise was that it was being supportive.

  I agreed to this arrangement for good reasons, the demon continued. I have no intention of failing. I will not return to insignificance. Bonham must be put in his place.

  The demon’s support burned Marcella’s doubts to ash and the fire fueled her anger. The Pack was not doing its part, and it was time to do something about it. Fenris seemed enthusiastic enough, and Reggie was following orders. But Adolphus was resisting her, and she had serious doubts about Skyler. Not only was Skyler sulking, but she was behaving secretively, like she was up to something.

  Skyler had the misfortune of choosing that moment to limp out of the kitchen and through the living room, heading toward her bedroom.

  “Skyler, a word please,” Marcella said in a too-sweet voice. Skyler’s face had a wary expression as she came to a halt. “I hope your injury wasn’t too severe.”

  “No, just painful,” Skyler answered. “Dr. Rutlinger said it will heal quickly now that the silver has been removed.” She started to leave but stopped when Marcella spoke again.
<
br />   “How fortunate the shooter’s aim was off.”

  Skyler went still. Marcella noted the tension in her stance and the alarm in her eyes. Yes, she was hiding something.

  “What really happened at the farmhouse?”

  “I … I told you,” Skyler said. She tried to feign exasperation, but it was a poor job that only highlighted her underlying panic. “I pretended to be unconscious until I saw my chance to escape.”

  “They left you alone that whole time?”

  “No, a hunter kept me covered, which was how I got shot. Fortunately, we’re faster than they are.”

  “Yes, we are,” Marcella said in a harsh tone. “So much faster that your target should have been dead within seconds.”

  “She fought back … she had a knife … and then Kyle intervened.”

  Skyler’s half-truths stoked Marcella’s smoldering rage. The cold anger and distrust combined to inspire a flash of insight that cut through Skyler’s deceptions. Skyler and Adolphus had failed to kill the witches because Marcella herself had failed against Blackstone. They were playing both sides of the conflict.

  Three long swift strides later, Marcella’s fingers were gripping Skyler’s neck. With her first step, she had started an incantation. She completed it while staring into Skyler’s fear-stricken eyes. The spell immobilized Skyler, leaving her barely able to breathe and speak.

  “What did you tell them?” Marcella hissed.

  “N–Nothing,” Skyler squeaked. “What do you mean?”

  “Liar!” Marcella shouted into Skyler’s face. “You are spying for them.”

  “No!” Skyler objected, but Marcella didn’t believe it.

  We must make an example of her, Iledaste interjected with an acid tone.

  Skyler’s betrayal was the final straw. It was worse than failing to follow orders. It was worse than renouncing the Pack. It was mutiny. Treason. And it must be crushed.

  Her focused anger and the goading of Iledaste drew dark spirits to them like iron filings to a magnet. Marcella drew on the power of those spirits and tightened the grip of the immobilization spell, crushing the breath from Skyler’s lungs.