The Demon Within (A PeaceKeeper Novel)

by Stacey Brutger

  “She won’t thank me for it.” Kelly warned and faced the cupboard, placing her hands on the counter as if to brace herself. “Caly’s one of the best people this world has to offer. Unfortunately, this world has not returned the favor. She’s incredibly strong, carved out by necessity, but she’s a lot more vulnerable than she lets on and has the scars to prove it.”

  “Jarred mentioned something about Carnwennan had healed her.”

  “Physically maybe.” Kelly shrugged and picked at her fingernail. “A car accident years ago destroyed her life, changing her from a normal, healthy girl of six who was very much loved to an outcast no one wanted. She lost her innocence of the world and her parents in one fell swoop while Oscar found his perfect little killing machine.” She opened the cupboard and blindly rummaged inside.

  “The accident happened fast. The Caprice crashed and rolled. Her parents died, while Caly remained trapped in the back seat.” Kelly took down the container of grounds but didn’t move to load the already full coffee maker. “The exhaust burned through the battery wire. Smoke filled the car. She was suffocating. But what sealed her fate was when a spark landed on a small pool of gasoline.

  “Older vehicles were made of metal. The car was twisted in a way there was no hope of escape. Terrified of fire, Brie revealed herself and two girls devised a plan. The only way either was going to escape was by working together. So they merged. Demon strength and a girl’s desperation were enough.

  “Caly shielded Brie from the fire, but no one protected her. Help arrived, but Caly was severely burned. Both were too weak to survive on their own.”

  Kelly slammed the container against the tiled counter and turned, her expression contorted with rage. “The old bastard found out about the demon when she was at the hospital. They called him as her closest relative. He became suspicious at how quickly she healed. Too fast. He confirmed it when he forced her to touch metal.

  “He trapped them together in order to find out what made demons tick, what could hurt them. He kept her isolated like a hermit. No one even knew Caly lived with him until years later.”

  Horror grew in his mind as each word pounded into him, building a story worse than he’d imagined. How could he expect her to forgive, let alone love, a demon? She must see his actions as a betrayal. Ruman managed to choke only one word. “How?”

  A sneer curled her lips. “He bound them with a metal band on her wrists.”

  He flexed his own recently healed hand. “But metal burns the tissue if the demon is close—”

  “It effectively trapped them together. That’s all that mattered.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Ruman slammed his palm on the table, barely curbing the violent need to find someone to hurt. His arms ached to cradle Caly close and tell her it would never happen again. He’d make sure of it.

  “She managed to break the manacle when puberty hit, but they were so closely joined, separation was to risk death. They did it anyway when she turned fourteen. What choice did they have? They either died together in an attempt to escape or remain trapped and died anyway.”

  He didn’t want to hear more, but he needed to know. “And?”

  “It took months for her to be able to function. She didn’t live, she only existed.” A nasty smile came, “The old man was livid.” Kelly stared him in the eye. “She lost half of herself and had to learn how to live all over again. And the only reason I know all this because Cunningham was worried and told me. If Caly ever found out I knew the truth, she would’ve vanished.”

  She reached out for another piece of fudge, changed her mind and closed the bag instead. “She loves Brie. But Brie gained her freedom. Caly didn’t.”

  The coffee he sipped earlier soured his stomach. “Why the hell would she stay?”

  “Where would she go knowing demons existed, and she could see them? She had value. She had a mission. She couldn’t turn her back, not when she knew she could help others like herself.”

  “You think I should leave.” Ruman stood, the chair scraped loudly on the floor. Leaving wasn’t an option. But the longer he stayed, the more pain he inflicted. He’d complained about his life when she’d suffered much worse. It was a wonder that she hadn’t rolled her eyes and told him to get over himself when he told her about his past.

  An amused laugh filled the room, jerking him away from the incriminations running loose in his head. “That’s the last thing you should do.”

  “Then why—”

  “You need to make sure you know the difference between the two women.”

  “Of course I know the difference.” Brie was like family. Caly was his life.

  “Caly doesn’t know that. You jumped from her bed into Brie’s arms and happened to be holding her dagger.”

  “That’s not the way it happened.”

  “Prove it to her.”

  “How?” Frustration made him growl the words. If he thought it would help, he’d reach across the table and force the words out of her.

  Kelly smirked as if reading his thoughts and dodged out of reach. “You’re a big boy. Figure it out.” She sailed from the room without another word.

  “Wait!” Ruman followed her and almost bumped into her back when she pulled up short.

  “Don’t back down, don’t take no for an answer. Fight for her.” Kelly turned the corner and disappeared into the darkness, but the seed had been planted.

  He needed to get Caly alone. With a house full of hunters and trackers, there was only one way to do it.

  Ruman headed back toward Caly’s bedroom to plot. It was the last place she’d look for him if she thought to kick him out. He opened the door and was assailed by memories of what they’d shared.

  He’d be damned if the first time would be the last time they spent in that bed.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  David picked up the dagger, turned it over when his fingers fumbled. The piece slipped and plunked against the desk hard enough to dent the wood.

  “What’s with the dagger?” He wiped his palm on the front of his shirt.

  Ignoring him, Caly took out a magnifier and studied the etchings. As the silence stretched, her skin prickled uncomfortably under his stare. Realizing he wasn’t going to go away just because she wished it, she unbent a little. “It’s called Carnwennan.”

  “King Arthur’s dagger?”

  She nodded, observing him without lifting her head.

  “Holy cow.” David’s gaze dropped to the blade, his voice a choked whisper of awe. He reached out then snatched his hand back like it would jump and bite him. He might not be wrong. “So King Arthur was a demon slayer. Cool.”

  “The blade’s made of a unique metal that alerts the owner to a demon’s presence. It preserves their life.”

  “How does it work?”

  Caly sighed and looked at him. “When you touched it, what did you feel?”

  “Cold. Ice cold. And it’s incredibly heavy.”

  “When the blade activates, multiply that by a thousand. A shock so cold it burns hot whenever a demon’s close. My body absorbs the energy, alters my senses to make me sharper, faster, stronger. The longer the connection, the stronger the urge to hunt. I can almost feel the demons now before the blade reacts.” The blade was binding her demon and itself together.

  Terror balled like cotton in her throat at what she would eventually become, but there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. She needed the dagger to save Ruman and the others.

  “Shit.” He peered at the weapon but some of the worship in his eyes vanished. “But why you?”

  Caly shrugged and went back to her wax rubbing. “Something in my touch activated it.”

  “How does it work around Ruman and Brie compared to other demons?”

  She didn’t want to hear either name at the moment, but she bit back the first comments that popped in her mind. David didn’t deserve to get his head bit off and spit back out. “Not to the same extent. I don’t know if it reads from me or if it doesn’t
detect a threat from them, but the reaction is more of a hum along my skin.”

  “Caly?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Be careful.”

  She lifted her head in time to see his back disappear out the door. Need and repulsion forced her hand to the pommel. She hated to have the blade out of her reach, but cursed the problems that came with it.

  Namely tempting Ruman away from her.

  It was only a matter of time before he would try again, and she’d have no choice but fight him. She thought of letting him win, too, but feared that if she lost the knife, she’d lose the edge to protect her people. How could she choose?

  Enough!

  She pushed the thought and the man out of her mind. That was in the future. She had a bigger problem that had to be dealt with first. Lifting the page, she studied the etching closer when understand struck.

  Snatching up the dagger, Caly unsheathed the weapon. The symbols along the blade and pommel were similar to the medallion.

  A key.

  Now all she had to do was break the code. And fast. Instinct told her time was running short.

  Two hours later, little devils were chipping away at her skull, and she hadn’t received any answers for her troubles. Setting the magnifier aside, she rubbed her weary eyes. She was close to breaking the code but had no hope of getting answers in time for them to be of any help.

  With daylight only hours away, Caly called it a night. Her body demanded rest from yesterday’s battle. Every inch of her skin ached. She hoped fresh eyes in the morning would bring answers.

  Slipping under the desk, she carefully peeled back a piece of paneling. Beneath was a hollowed out space big enough for a book or weapon.

  Once the wax paper was hidden, she stretched and headed upstairs to oblivion. Outside her bedroom door, she hesitated. She couldn’t go through another confrontation tonight. Ear to the wood, she listened.

  Nothing.

  Balanced on the balls of her feet, she entered the room ready to bolt at the first sign of anyone inside. Relief and disappointment fought when there was no sign of Ruman. She hadn’t realized how much she had expected him to be there with an explanation.

  Too exhausted to disrobe, Caly fell face first across the bed and closed her eyes.

  Everything would look better after a few hours rest.

  The mattress jostled and someone tossed a cover over her. She raised her arms to flip it away but too late. In seconds, she was wrapped tighter than a pig in a blanket.

  She gasped, struggling to breathe. Pinned to the mattress under someone’s bulk, Caly twisted to unwrap herself, determined to go down fighting. The blanket fell away from her face. She sucked in a greedy breath of cool air and recognized the shadowy person over her.

  “You. What—” A rough cloth filled her mouth, cutting off her words.

  * * *

  Ruman was desperate to make Caly understand but the stubborn witch wouldn’t sit still long enough to listen. She didn’t give him a choice but to kidnap her. He stared down at Caly, her green eyes shimmering with such passion that his heart skipped a beat.

  That the emotion happened to be anger didn’t deter him.

  Unable to resist, he leaned forward to kiss her, ignoring the way she jerked away. His lips landed on her forehead, and he smiled. “It’s time we had a nice chat. I know the perfect place where we won’t be interrupted.”

  Ruman gathered her in his arms, taking care to keep his hold firm. She wiggled and squirmed worse than a hellhound puppy.

  He dropped her back on the bed and placed his hands on the mattress on either side of her shoulders. “Are you trying to hurt yourself? Now behave.”

  The instant he reached to scoop her up, she kicked out at him. “You asked for it.” He easily slapped her legs down and covered her face with the rough material. He bent and tossed her over his shoulder.

  A whoosh of air escaped Caly’s lungs when he straightened. She bucked wildly, almost causing him to lose his hold. Ruman slapped the palm of his hand across her butt hard enough for her to feel the warning.

  Caly screeched from beneath the blankets, her body vibrating with rage.

  “I won’t have you hurt yourself. If you’re worried about the others, don’t. I left a note in the kitchen in case anyone gets concerned.” A half smile twisted his lips at her little growl of outrage.

  The house was silent, everyone in bed as he walked out the front door. Outside was different. Ruman pulled back in the shadows and waited, timing the guards. Less than five minutes passed when the sentry made his rounds and disappeared around the corner. He had a minute to make it to the barn before the second sentry swept the yard.

  When the sound of crunching leaves faded, Ruman sprinted. Brie wouldn’t be far from Jarred’s side, and since Henry’s return, they’d both be in the house in case of emergencies. Recently rebuilt, the hastily put together room in the loft contained the barest of essentials — a bed, a nightstand and a chair.

  And his addition. Ropes.

  “Honey, we’re home.” He placed her on the bed, shifting the blanket to free one leg. Her foot swiftly connected with his jaw. He grunted, muscles straining to contain her, and quickly looped a rope around her boot then did the same to the other.

  Now the arms.

  His jaw throbbed by the time he shifted to face her, but it was the way she wiggled below him that had his body reacting predictably.

  Hoping to avoid a struggle, he grabbed the first distraction that popped in his head. Ignoring the thrill that skimmed along his skin, Ruman kissed her jaw, shifting to nuzzle below her ear. Cloth muffled her words. She fought, scrunching her shoulder to deny him access.

  Undeterred, he continued until she relaxed infinitesimally. When she arched under him, Ruman shuddered and dragged his teeth lightly against her skin and down her throat, the reason for being there growing foggy.

  If he didn’t move now, it’d be much too late.

  Reaching past her, he caught the coil he’d tied to the bed and looped a slipknot over her hands, locking her in place. Breathing hard, he had to pull back or risk losing himself in the taste and touch of her.

  The image of her spread out beneath him beat at his resolve. He wanted to touch her, feel her skin next to his. He wanted to ravage her body and take her heart captive as she had his.

  He wanted to prove his love for her.

  Then he met her gaze.

  The condemnation in her eyes shot his stomach to his knees. As he watched, she turned her head and gazed at the wall in silent mutiny.

  “This is the only way I could get you alone where you wouldn’t run.” With a hand on her jaw, he turned her toward him. She jerked away and mumbled something he was sure wasn’t very complimentary before returning to her fascination with the wall.

  Ruman heaved a sigh. No matter how much his body clamored to take hers, he resisted. He could make her crave his touch, but he wanted a lifetime with her, not a few stolen moments. If they didn’t talk now, they might not get another chance.

  “Kelly told me some interesting stories from your childhood.” Beneath him, her body twitched, and he knew Kelly had spoken the truth. Caly had no intention of sharing her past with him.

  That stung.

  He levered himself off the bed to put distance between them. With desire riding him hard, the maneuver did not go pain free. Being unable to touch her tore him up inside, the ache lingering in his mind like a phantom. He couldn’t go through the rest of his life missing part of himself. Missing her.

  “Did you know Brie’s falling in love with Jarred? Can you sense it?” He couldn’t look at her, because if this didn’t work, if he didn’t convince her now, he had nothing. “No matter how she looks at the situation, she can’t find a solution. How can a demon hunter and one of the damned find love?”

  The situation was so like theirs, his heart hurt. He didn’t know if he deserved her, deserved a chance to make a life with her here, but he damn well was going to try. “Th
ey are complete opposites. He is human, she’s a demon. Can they live together, love and fight together? Or is the world really that cruel.”

  He clenched his fists to hide the tremor in his hands and lifted his head to see if his words were getting through her thick skull. Those vivid green eyes he loved so much were focused on his face.

  She was listening.

  Some of the tightness that had gathered in his chest eased a fraction.

  “What about us? You were ready to toss us away over a misunderstanding. Where does the trust start and end? Will I wake to find you gone, unable to make peace with yourself for loving a demon?”

  He rubbed his chest over his heart at the possibility of her loving him. Anger demanded he shake sense into her, but he knew nothing could change her stubborn hide unless she wanted it badly enough. “I would die for you and not because of the curse. But most of all, I would live with you for as long as we’re allowed. I want to spend at least one lifetime with you.”

  A rusty laugh escaped him, the sound painful to his own ears. “We’re both part demon. We might curse it but it could also be a gift. We’d have more years together than an average human, lifetimes to love one another.” He gazed down at her, each beat of his heart piercing his chest with hope.

  Footsteps pounded up the stairs and a harsh knock filled the silence. Jarred’s voice drifted through the door. “There was an attack in town. It’s all over the police scanners.”

  “We’ll be down shortly.” Ruman never took his shattered gaze away from hers. He bent and loosened the restraints, his touch light, barely a breath of air on her skin before he disappeared.

  She tried to rip off the rag to tell him to stay, but he had already gone.

  Releasing the rest of the bonds, she brushed her hair away from her face, unable to stop her hands from shaking. Each breath made her chest ache, the back of her throat hurt. The life Ruman described was something she wanted so badly she could see it perfectly in her mind.

  That he would choose to stay with her thrilled Caly. However, Oscar had taught her early that life was rarely fair. The dream Ruman had for them was beyond cruel. He waved it in front of her when he knew it would be impossible. When he saved her life three times, he would be gone. It didn’t matter what either of them wanted.