“How will it know if I can get in?”
“Any magi can get in unless they’ve been in trouble with the Magicourt. Since you don’t even know about magic, I doubt you’re banned.”
Kellan walked forward again and disappeared. When I didn’t move toward the portal, Ian came back and grabbed my hand, tugging me forward.
“You’ll be fine,” Ian whispered. I squeezed his hand one more time, closed my eyes, and stepped through.
A strange buzzing began in the back of my head and increased until my whole body vibrated. I clenched my teeth and tried to move, but something held me firmly in place. As I opened my eyes, I saw bright, swirling lights everywhere.
It made me dizzy, so I closed them again, waiting for it to be over. Instead of it ending, a sharp jolt slammed into my body, and I opened my mouth to scream. Suddenly, the vibration stopped, and so did the pain. I was thrust out of the portal and half stumbled, half fell onto the ground in front of me.
“Serena!” Kellan yelled. He was beside me in a second, looking over my body for any signs of damage. “What happened?”
“I don’t know.” I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. We were on a path with fields as far as I could see. There wasn’t a tree in sight. Everything looked the same but different at the same time.
There was something wrong with the colors in this realm. They were too bright or dull, depending on what you were looking at. I shook my head, trying to adjust to what I was seeing. I started to stand up, my body feeling better already.
“What happened?” Ian’s panicked voice broke through the fog still surrounding my brain. “Are you ok?”
“I think so,” I told him. “I thought I was only supposed to feel a small tingle,” I accused Kellan.
“You should have. What exactly did you feel?”
I explained what happened while I was in the portal. Kellan’s widening eyes were the only sign that something weird happened. “You’re stronger than I thought. That’s why it affected you so much.”
“I still don’t understand. Why doesn’t it affect you like that?”
“The portal shifted after Serena walked through it,” Ian told Kellan. “It turned red for a moment. That’s how I knew something happened.”
“A red color,” Kellan said to himself. “I must think about this for a while, but I have an idea. It’s a good thing Ian found you when he did. You’re very strong, and you would make a good guardian.”
“A guardian? I don’t even know what a guardian is. Why would I want to be one? I just want to find out what I am and go home.”
Kellan’s eyebrows drew together in thought before he replied. “Ian will teach you about being a guardian as he trains you. When you finish, you can take the test if you want to. I think you’ll enjoy being one, but if I’m wrong, you’re welcome to leave whenever you want. I hope you choose to stay though.”
I didn’t respond. I really didn’t want to be a part of the guardian thing. I wasn’t meant to help people. Beth could do it if she had magic. She wasn’t scared of anything.
There was no way I could go out and fight monsters like these guys did. I would rather hide in a corner or run away. That was always my best option. Run away, and they can’t find you for a while. It had been working my whole life. I looked at Ian. Until now.
Kellan turned onto a small path. Fifteen minutes later, we stood in front of a large house surrounded by trees. I looked back the way we came and saw only fields.
“It’s magic,” Kellan said, seeing my face. “My house is hidden from prying eyes. No one can get in without my permission. Let’s go discuss everything that has happened recently.”
“Why did we need to come here to talk?” I asked.
“The council isn’t what it once was. There are a couple of members who have become greedy and selfish. They no longer care about protecting everyone. They only care about themselves,” Kellan explained. I thought back to the man who argued with Kellan and the lady who seemed angry about me being there.
“John is one of them, right?” I asked.
“Yes, and Annette. They’re usually bullheaded, but this was the first time they’ve been so rude in front of me. I fear they have enough followers that they think they can speak badly about The Guardianship without fear of any consequences. Otherwise, they would keep their thoughts to themselves.”
“There’s no way that many magi have become corrupt in The Guardianship,” Ian answered.
“You’re wrong, Ian. You’ve been so busy these past few months that you haven’t spent a lot of time around here. Things are changing.”
Ian started to say something, but I interrupted him. He would have time to talk about that later. I needed to know what I was and why it worried Kellan. “Why am I here?”
“You’re Ian’s mate.”
“How did you know?” Ian asked.
“You’ve never acted the way you do around her. You even yelled at the council members, something most magi wouldn’t do if they valued their place in The Guardianship. Plus, she was very protective of you when you first got here. And you spent the night together.” Kellan laughed at Ian’s look. “If you didn’t want anyone to know, you should have been more careful.”
“We aren’t mates. There’s no such thing as fate,” I finally told Kellan.
“So you normally don’t allow doctors to check out people who have been hurt?” Kellan asked, reminding me of my behavior with their doctor.
“That was only because I didn’t trust her, and Ian helped save my life. I owe him.”
“If that’s what you want to believe, Serena, but maybe you should get to know a little about Ian’s culture before you make that decision. And Ian needs to explain more about how our world works to you.”
“Ok,” I said, “but why do we need to talk about this here?”
“What I’m about to say cannot be discussed outside of this house. Do you understand?” Kellan asked. I nodded. “What attacked the club was a very high-level demon. One of the highest levels that we’ve ever seen in the human realm.” I looked at Ian, expecting him to be grinning, but he looked deadly serious. I looked back at Kellan.
“Demons are real?”
Kellan and Ian exchanged glances. “Yes, Serena, they’re very real.” I couldn’t believe demons were real. If a demon attacked the club, then that’s what was after me. A real demon was trying to kill me. I didn’t quite believe it.
“It was looking for you,” Kellan continued. “That’s why it left the club so quickly after you left and disappeared.”
I looked between Kellan and Ian. He must have told Kellan the full story.
“Why did it go after Ian if it was looking for me?” I asked.
“I think it went after Ian because you spent a lot of time near him. The tracking spell being used to find you, may have confused him for you momentarily. Obviously, it eventually found you again.”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” I said. “I didn’t even know demons were real.”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense. Ian told me that you’re always on the run from something. They’re looking for you.”
“I can’t figure out why a high-level demon would be looking for her though,” Ian said.
“I wasn’t sure why,” Kellen said, “but after watching you walk through the portal, I think I know. She must be part demon.”
“What?” I exclaimed. “Do I look like I’m part demon?” I asked, putting my hands up. “No horns, no scaly skin, no disgusting face, you have to be wrong.”
“I’m sorry, Serena. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but it really is the only thing that makes sense. Tell me, what are you always running from? Have you seen demons before?”
“I’ve never seen a demon, and I don’t know what I’m running from. That’s why I call it the monster.”
“Are you sure you’ve never seen a demon? What about in your dreams? Have you seen anything unusual?”
I thought back to my dre
ams. They were definitely unusual, but I wasn’t sure if I should tell him.
“She had a bad dream last night,” Ian said before I could stop him. “Whatever was after her in her dream must have been terrifying based on her actions.”
“Hey, those are my dreams you’re talking about, and they’re private.”
“If a demon is after you, I need to know, and we need to know what kind.”
“There are different kinds of demons?”
“Yes,” Ian said. “If one of them is after you and we know what type, we have a better chance of stopping it. Please tell Kellen about your dreams.” I still wasn’t sure if I could trust Kellan.
“It’s ok, Serena. I’m not going to tell anyone. I want to help protect you. If it’s a demon and it comes for you, Ian could get hurt protecting you. The more information we have, the better your chances.”
I didn’t want Ian to get hurt, and I knew he would do anything to protect me, so I decided to tell Kellan about my dreams. When I was finished explaining, he leaned back in his chair.
“This is troubling,” he finally said.
“What?”
“It sounds like the demon after you is one of the wrath demons. They’re probably using dreamwalkers to find you. You must have some form of protection, or they would’ve found you by now.”
“How can one of my parents be a demon? Aren’t they in hell?”
“No. Demons live in Vammoriel. It’s a different realm than yours and different from this one, but it’s still only a magical realm. Very few demons come to the human realm because their realm is very violent, and so are they. Not to mention it’s pretty hard for them to leave Vammoriel. Technically it’s a violation of a magical treaty we have, but there are a few demons who live peacefully in your realm.”
“Why are so few on the human realm?”
“To create a portal can take a lot of energy. Too much for most of them. Usually, they’re summoned here by other magi or humans that don’t know what they’re doing. They’re sent back when the summoner is through with them. Those that live here have managed to cross to this realm permanently, or they’ve killed their summoner and taken their body. They can’t stay in the summoner’s body for too long though and will usually return to Vammoriel after a few years.”
“So why are they after me? Do you think it’s one of my parents looking for me?”
“I don’t know, but it can’t be for anything good. If one of your parents wanted to meet you, they could easily say that in your dreams. Since they haven’t, I would assume it’s someone who wants to use you for something.”
“So, how do we find out?” Ian asked.
“For now, no one needs to know about this. We must train Serena so she can protect herself. We’ve never had a part-demon at The Guardianship. I’m sure there will be plenty of people opposed to the idea, so don’t talk about it.”
“Do you know what else I am?” I asked Kellan, scared of the answer but thinking nothing could be worse than being part demon.
“No. We’ll have to wait and see what powers you have before we can figure that out.”
“Are you ok, Serena?” Ian asked me. I was feeling a little shellshocked.
“I think I need a few minutes to think about all of this.”
“Follow me,” Kellan said and walked me out into a little courtyard. I sat on one of the benches. “Come in when you’re ready,” he told me and walked back inside.
I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to know what was wrong with me, but I wasn’t expecting anything like this. How could I be part demon? Demons were supposed to be evil, and I didn’t feel like I was. Knowing one of them was after me was terrifying.
I had no idea what to do or how I was going to deal with this. And what about Beth? I couldn’t tell her. If what Kellan said was true, I couldn’t tell anyone. What if my other half was just as bad or something worse? I wished I had stayed home and not gone to the club. None of this would’ve happened. I sat for a little longer before getting up. I walked back into the house and heard Kellan and Ian talking.
“She’ll need to be stronger for this,” Kellan was saying. “All she’s ever known is hiding. If she doesn’t learn to use her skills and accept who she is, they’ll find her, and she’ll be killed or taken. Anyone near her could be hurt too. You need to think about this before you become mates. You’ll have to find protection for her human friend too. They’ll come after her first. I’m sure they got Beth’s scent from her apartment. She’ll have to stay here for at least a few weeks to keep her safe.”
I had accidentally put Beth in danger. I couldn’t let anyone hurt her. She was my best friend. I would have to learn to use magic so I could protect her if I needed to. I wouldn’t let my friend down. I didn’t want Ian getting hurt for me again either. I squared my shoulders. I wouldn’t run away from this anymore. I had to face what was coming head-on.
I walked into the room to tell Ian and Kellan that I would stay and learn everything they could teach me.
magic isn’t fun
We stayed at Kellan’s a little longer, until he said it was time to go. I wasn’t looking forward to walking back through the portal. When we got near it, Kellan stopped me.
“It shouldn’t hurt as bad this time. Now that it has taken a measure of your magic, it should know you and let you pass.”
I didn’t want to go through, but I knew I had to. I needed to get back to the human realm. I looked at him one last time and stepped through the portal. This time I felt the familiar tingling. It increased, but it didn’t hurt. Instead, I felt a surge of magic caress my cheek before I stumbled out of the portal. Ian came out right after me.
“Are you ok? Did it hurt this time?”
“No,” I told him. “It still tingled, but this time instead of feeling pain, I felt a sense of peace or love. It was like getting a hug. Any idea what that means?”
“I have no idea.” I looked over at Kellan, but he shook his head.
We walked back to the main building. When we got there, Kellan told Ian to take me to his place and start training. He was going to send Beth to Ian’s when Micah finished showing her around. Ian had us get in one of the cars at the front of the building and drove us to the cabins. We followed a dirt road to one of the more secluded ones.
“You’re going to stay with me for a while,” he said after we walked inside.
“What about Micah? Doesn’t he live here too? And what about Beth?”
“Micah’s leaving soon. He’s going to try to track down the demon that attacked the club, while you start training.”
“I’m sorry you’re stuck training me. I know you would rather be out there.”
“I don’t want to be anywhere else but here,” Ian told me, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Beth can stay here if she wants, but I’m sure Kellan will have another place for her too. She can decide when she gets here. Now let’s start training right away. I want to make sure you can protect yourself in case something happens to me.”
He led the way out of the cabin and into the backyard. There was a small training area set up.
“What do you want to start with?” he asked. “Magic or combat?”
“I don’t know anything about either one. You choose. Whichever one you think will be better for me to learn.”
“You’ll need to learn both. We’ll practice most of the day, only taking breaks to eat. Since you’re so new to this, you’ll also need to learn about the different realms and all the different beings that inhabit them.”
“That seems like an awful lot.”
“We’ll start with the human realm since it will be the easiest. I’m sure you’ll learn the information quickly. Now let’s start with combat.”
Ian walked over to a small shed. He pulled out multiple weapons, all intended to hurt someone.
“Come here,” he said to me. “Try them.”
I walked over and looked at the different weapons. I slowly picked each one up. None of them felt comfortable in
my hand until I picked up a pair of daggers. I moved them around, actually liking the feel of them in my hands. Ian smiled as I continued to test the weight of the daggers.
“I think you’ve decided what weapon you want to learn first. Head over there, and I’ll show you the proper way to use them,” he said, pointing toward a dummy.
Ian took another set of daggers out and showed me how to hold them. I repeated his movements, making sure my wrists lined up exactly as his did. Once he was sure I had the correct grip, he had me make certain motions that he called forms.
Watching the way Ian moved was mesmerizing. The movements were fluid, yet beneath the graceful moves was steel. I had no doubt he could easily slice one of the blades across someone’s neck if he felt they deserved it.
My stance wavered as I thought about hurting another living thing. Ian noticed and stopped, waiting for me to continue.
“I need to rest,” I told him, wanting to take a break.
“No, you don’t. You need to train.”
“I can’t do anymore, Ian.”
“You were doing fine. What happened? You thought about something, and it upset you.”
“I don’t think I can kill anyone,” I told him softly.
“What if Beth’s life is in danger? Wouldn’t you do anything to save her?”
“I honestly don’t know.” I hung my head. “I want to say yes, but I’ve never hurt another person before. What if I can’t do it?”
“They won’t be ordinary humans, Serena. They’ll be demons and other magical beings that are coming after you. Some will look like monsters, but others will look like us. You need to be prepared to kill anyone who tries to hurt you. You’ll be killed if you don’t believe you can do this. Think of how vulnerable Beth will be if you aren’t there to help her.”
I was thinking about it, and it was only making me more miserable. I wished I could say I would have no trouble ending someone else’s life, but I had never been in that situation. I had to be able to protect Beth though, so I stood up to keep training. I got her into this mess, I needed to be able to get her out of it.
Demon Hunted Page 6
