Demons Forever (Peachville High Demons #6)

by Sarra Cannon

"Or she might pull you into another trap by telling you something scary about what's happening back home."

  My blood chilled in my veins. "What do you know about what's going on back there? Have you heard something?"

  "See? You care too much. The Order knows that about you, and they will do whatever it takes to use it against you."

  I sighed. I knew he was right. I'd just left the safety of the dome to save someone I thought was Mary Anne. But what else could I do? "I spent my whole life with no one to love and no one who loved me back," I said. "Now what? You expect me to go back to keeping everyone at arm's length so the Order can't use love against me?"

  "That isn't what I said."

  "Yes it is," I argued. "But I can't do that. I can't turn my back on my friends and the people I love."

  The king stopped his pacing and turned to look straight into my eyes. Silence filled the space between us, as if he wanted to share something, but couldn't quite find the words.

  "Then you better learn to be smarter about where you go and what you choose to believe," he said, finally finding his voice again. "Or you'll get yourself killed."

  I swallowed, but my mouth had gone completely dry.

  He was right. I'd been stupid to believe that was Mary Anne out there in the woods. If she had decided to leave the Underground, she would have contacted me through the stones.

  But maybe some good would come of it. Downstairs we now held a witch who had once been very important to Priestess Winter. When I disappeared from the Halloween Ball with Jackson and the other shadow demons, it was the tigers she had sent after me. When I was a prisoner on the third floor of Shadowford, the priestess had trusted the two tigers to watch over me. And when I was pulled through the portal to the shadow world, she sent the tigers to bring me home.

  She trusted them and she kept them close. If anyone knew Priestess Winter's secrets, it was the tiger witch.

  Somehow, I was going to have to get down there and pull them out of her. With or without my father's permission.

  The People We Left Behind

  Jackson waited for me in the garden, a notebook and pencil on his lap.

  "How did it go?"

  I shrugged and sat down on the edge of the marble fountain. "He treats me like an ignorant child."

  "Well, in his defense, he is about five hundred years older than you," Jackson said. He flipped his notebook over, hiding the page from me.

  I didn't even have the energy to ask him what he'd been drawing.

  I dipped my hand into the cool blue water. "He locked the witch in the dungeon," I said. "He told me I couldn't go down there to question her or anything."

  "Did he say why?"

  "He thinks she would try to manipulate me into another trap," I said.

  Jackson put his hand on my leg. "Harper. He's probably right," he said. "She would do anything to hurt you. She's fiercely loyal to the Order of Shadows and Priestess Winter specifically. I doubt there's anything you could say to her that would make her break that loyalty, you know?"

  I shook my head. "I'm not so sure about that," I said. "What if Priestess Winter wasn't even behind that attack today?. There was something about the wild look in her eyes and the way her fur was all matted up. I got the feeling she'd gone rogue."

  "That could all be part of the trap," he said. "There's no way to know."

  I sighed. "I hate being stuck here in the shadow world, moving from safe house to safe house, avoiding all the action. I want to be doing something productive."

  "You are," he said. "You've been training nonstop for weeks here, and it obviously paid off, right? You took on four very powerful witches today. Most people would have fallen within seconds, but you didn't. You beat them."

  I looked down into the water of the fountain and a stray piece of hair fell over my eyes. With a touch so gentle, Jackson tucked the strand of hair behind my ear and bent over to kiss my cheek. Warmth rushed through my body, and I closed my eyes, taking in the feel of his lips on my skin.

  Just knowing he believed in me made everything seem more manageable.

  Still, I felt restless. "What good is all this training if I spend the rest of my life here under the safety of some magical dome?"

  I stood and took a familiar path through the garden. There were lots of flowers and beautiful blooming trees here, but the white roses were my favorite. I walked toward them and Jackson followed.

  "What is it that you want to do?" Jackson asked. "If you go back to Peachville, you'll have the entire Order coming after you."

  "Not the entire Order," I said. "There are people who would stand with me. I know it."

  "Like who?"

  "Like Lark and her mom. Mrs. King. Caroline and her mom from Cypress. I know I'm not the only one who would stand up against the Order of Shadows," I said. "Plus, didn't your shadow demon friends know other witches who want out? Other demon gate towns who are tired of using demons as slaves and having to obey the High Council?"

  "Yes, but getting everyone to stand up and fight against them isn't going to be easy," Jackson said, quickening his pace to keep up with me. "Those women are afraid. They've seen what the Order has done to other towns who stood up against them. Towns like Aldeen."

  I shivered, remembering the horrible scene Lea had shown me. Priestess Winter had killed all the witches from the Aldeen demon gate in one shot by killing their prima and pouring her blood onto the portal stone. The image of her death was etched into my memory like a nightmare.

  "Aldeen was caught by surprise," I said. "If we all banded together, maybe we could be the ones to surprise Priestess Winter for a change. If we could perform the reversal of the gate ritual and free Aerden, we could prove to others that there is still a choice. Still a chance for a life of their own."

  "We don't even know for sure the ritual will work," he said. "What will happen to us if it doesn't? We have to think smart, Harper. Priestess Winter has eyes everywhere. Even people you think are your friends could be her closest allies."

  I stopped at the fence around the white rose garden, out of breath from walking so fast. I knew he was right. There were no clear lines to show good and evil, and I had no idea who I could really trust, no matter how much I wanted to think I did.

  "Look," Jackson said, putting his hands on my shoulders and turning me to face him. "I know you want to take action, but rushing in without a good plan and without the skills or knowledge to defeat the Order would be foolish. I know it feels like we've been here for a long time, but we only just came to the shadow world a few months ago. We need to be patient, get our plan together before we just go in, guns blazing, so to speak."

  I shook my head. "I feel so cut off from Peachville. We have no news about what's really happening over there. I guess that's part of why I wanted to try to talk to the tiger witch. To see if she could give me some clue about the state of things back home."

  "I bet things are mostly the same," he said. "Except that we're gone and the Order is looking for us. Other than that, it's probably the same old stuff. Who knows if the people of Peachville even remember us? What if the priestess somehow made them all forget we ever existed?"

  A dark feeling washed over me. Priestess Winter and the higher-ups in the Order were capable of almost anything. I didn't put any dark magic beyond their reach. They were always toying with people's lives, their emotions, their memories. And after I left, they had to have been very angry. I shuddered.

  "What is it?" Jackson asked, pulling me close. "What's bothering you so much about being gone?"

  I leaned my head against the solidness of his chest. "When you pulled me through to this world and saved my life, you took away some of the Order's power," I said. "When we found the ring, we took even more. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy we did it. But at the same time, I'm terrified."

  "Of what?"

  I thought about my friends. Courtney. Lark. Mrs. King. People I truly cared about. People the Order knew I had become close to. People they could use against me
in the most horrible ways. My father was right. I did care too much.

  "I'm terrified of what they'll do to the people we left behind."

  A Hero Locked Inside

  The following morning, I awoke to shouts outside the castle.

  I threw the covers off my legs and stood, squinting at the bright sunlight that streamed through the gauzy curtains. What in the world was going on out there? Was it another attack?

  I only had a chance to take a few steps toward the patio when Tuli came rushing in from the hallway. "Princess Harper, wait, wait! Please do not step outside," she said. "I do not think anyone could see you from here, but we want to make sure you look your best today."

  I would have been alarmed by her just crashing in like that except that the smile on her face was as wide as I'd ever seen it.

  "What's going on? Has something happened?"

  She giggled. "The people of the city have gathered in the streets to celebrate your victory over the Order yesterday."

  She practically skipped into the closet and came out moments later with a purple dress.

  "What do you mean, celebrating?" I asked.

  She held the dress up to my skin as if checking the color. "I mean the people of the city are outside the castle's front steps calling for you, singing your praises, bringing you flowers and gifts. Celebrating your battle with the witches yesterday," she said. "And I cannot let you go out there in your pajamas, so here, you are wearing this today."

  My stomach fluttered.

  "What are they expecting me to do?" I asked as Tuli pushed me toward the giant floor-length mirror in my bathroom. "Do I have to make some kind of speech or something?"

  I traded my nightgown for the pretty purple dress. Its asymmetrical design looked great on me. Not that I wanted to go around wearing dresses all the time, but Tuli knew what she was doing when it came to fashion.

  "Just be yourself," she said. "The people of the city are here to see Harper. They aren't expecting anything or anyone else. They simply want to show their appreciation."

  "But that's what I don't understand," I said, wincing as she brushed through my wavy hair. I hadn't used any glamours to straighten my hair in a long time, but now I kind of missed them. Glamours had been so much easier. And less painful. "Appreciation for what?"

  "For standing up against the Order, of course," she said. "The people champion your father's kindness and they appreciate that he has given them a safe haven to live with their families, but most of all, they are grateful to have a king who is willing to fight for them. They are uplifted to see that, like your father, you are willing to stand up against the Order and fight for what is right."

  I shook my head. It had been foolish for me to go outside the domed city unprotected. I hadn't done it to be some kind of hero.

  "But I didn't even realize they were from the Order when I left the city," I said. "I thought I was going outside to help a friend."

  "It doesn't matter the reason for the fight," she said. "Many people saw what you did. There are not many who could stand against four witches. You fought like a real warrior yesterday."

  Nervousness trickled through my veins, leaving me slightly shaky and weak in the knees. "I thought they'd be angry with me for bringing the attention of the Order here to the city."

  "We live in a domed city, Princess. Drawing the attention of the Order is nothing new to them."

  When she was done fiddling with my hair, she walked with me to the throne room where my father was waiting.

  "You look lovely," he said, holding his arm out to me.

  I looped my arm in his, wanting to hold tight to him like a little girl. "Thanks," I said, my voice uncertain.

  I had no idea what to expect from the crowd outside. Did they really think I was some kind of hero for fighting those witches? I had only been trying to stay alive.

  I took a deep breath, my trembling hands betraying my nerves. "Does this bother you?" I asked. "Their praise for something you thought was foolish."

  "This isn't about me," he said. "Are you ready?"

  I nodded, not sure I'd ever be ready, then walked with him to the balcony. The damage from that first attack nearly two months ago was gone and everything looked brand new. The steps of the castle were filled with flowers and gifts. The moment we came into view, someone in the crowd shouted and pointed up toward us. The loud cheers of the people below brought tears to my eyes.

  I took my arm from his and eased closer to the balcony's edge. I leaned against the railing and stood higher on my tip-toes so that I could see everyone more clearly. Another cheer broke out, and I couldn't help but smile. I waved to the crowd below, unable to believe this was really happening to me.

  I looked down at the mixture of humans, demons, and hybrids, hope radiating in their eyes. They believed in me. They really thought I was capable of doing something extraordinary.

  Was I?

  Or had I gotten in way over my head? I'd somehow managed to survive this long, but was it luck? Or was there really a hero locked inside of me? A warrior?

  I touched the scrap of white fabric tied around my wrist. It was frayed at the edges and stained, but it was my talisman. My reminder of what the Order was truly all about.

  I stared out at the people of my father's city and swore to myself I wouldn't let them down. I wouldn't let myself down. Somehow, I would find my way back to Peachville. And even if it took my entire lifetime, I would see the end of the Order of Shadows.

  Inner Demon

  The rest of the week went by in a blur. I threw myself into my training, spending almost every spare moment of my time down in the dungeons.

  I'd been able to beat the tiger witch and her friends outside the dome, but the fight was way too close for comfort. Would I be so lucky next time? I still hadn't learned how to control the demon side of my power enough to use it to any real advantage in a fight.

  If I was truly going to be a warrior, I would need full access to both sides of my power.

  Jackson and I had agreed to wait until after my father's welcome home dance to make a decision about whether to stay here or go back to Peachville to try the ritual. As the week wore on and the day of the party approached, I began to feel more and more restless.

  I wanted to go back to Peachville. There was no secret about that. I had never really been great at being patient, and I was dying to get back there and see if this spell would work or not. I also wanted to make sure my friends were safe. On the other hand, I knew I was still weak. In a one-on-one fight with Priestess Winter, would I even last five seconds? The thought made me shiver.

  How could one witch be so powerful she would make even a demon king nervous?

  If I didn't learn to make the most of my hybrid powers, I knew I wouldn't stand a chance against a truly powerful witch. And I had no doubt that once she found out I was back in the human world, Priestess Winter would come after me with everything she had.

  Piotrek and Liroth worked with me in the mornings, but in the afternoons, Jackson and I were alone in the training room.

  "What do you want to work on today?" he asked. "More shields?"

  I sighed and shook my head. I was exhausted and frustrated. I'd been practically killing myself for a week and didn't feel like I'd really made any progress.

  "What's wrong?" he walked over to me and put his arms around me.

  I rested my head against his shoulder. "I suck at this," I said. "We run the same drills every day and I'm still struggling."

  "You're getting better," he said. "These things take time, Harper. You can't expect to master an entirely new form of magic in a couple months. Think of it this way. It's like someone who is paralyzed for years, then suddenly regains use of their legs. It's not like they'd be able to just stand up and start running a marathon. It would take months of intense therapy for them to learn how to even walk again. Much less run. You have to give yourself more time."

  I pushed away. "We don't have time," I said. "Every day we spend here i
n the safety of this dome, the Order is plotting against us. They're pulling more demons through their portals and recruiting more young girls to their cheerleading teams. Every day they get further and further ahead."

  "And what exactly do you think we should do about it?" he asked. His jaw tensed. "We've talked about this a hundred times already. If we rush into something because we're impatient, we're going to get ourselves killed. Then who will stand against the Order?"

  I kicked at the stone floor. "I wish I was improving faster, that's all," I said. "I know I'm getting better at switching from human to demon form, but the actual magic itself still feels strange to me."

  "How so?" he said. "Let's talk it out."

  I shrugged. "It's hard to explain. I mean, I can use both sides of my magic to create the same fire, but I still don't really understand why I would use one over the other in a fight."

  "Okay, then let's try them both," he said. "One at a time. See if you can put into words how they're different. Then we'll figure out why you might use one in certain situations instead of the other."

  I stared down at the floor. I was so used to magic coming easy to me. Sure, I'd worked hard, but most things only took me a few days to really master. Using demon magic was different. It scared me. Every time I started to use it, something inside me panicked, and I backed off.

  I wanted to understand it, but at the same time, part of me wanted to just settle for using my normal witch magic and stay far away from the demon side of myself.

  "Come on," he said. "We'll start easy."

  He moved a training dummy to the middle of the room, then came to stand beside me.

  "Try to set the dummy on fire using the human half of your power," he said. "Really concentrate on how it feels and where your power comes from."

  I breathed deep, taking a moment to really connect to the earth beneath my feet. I raised my hands up, spreading my fingers wide as the tips erupted in flames. I drew them back and pushed forward, sending flames dancing through the air toward the dummy.