A Demon Made Me Do It (4 page)

Now Tatiana is telling me
the Amazèa have just up and
left?

“
I don’t believe you.” My
voice shakes with thinly restrained fury. “You just don’t want me
hunting them. You’re just afraid that—”

“
I never lie, Lucky. You,
of all beings, know that. I admit I disapprove of your perilous
quest, but I will not try to stop you. Justice is the essence of
your existence, and I cannot deny that. This path is yours and
yours alone, and you are well aware of the consequences. But for
now, I can assure you the Amazèa are no longer within your range,”
Tatiana says quietly.

I clench my teeth and glare
at her.
What’s that expression about not
killing the messenger?

But I know she’s not lying. If she
says they’re gone—they’re gone. And there’s nothing I can do about
it. For now.

This is all Liora’s fault. If she
didn’t turn into a stupid Sapie, rendering me impotent from dawn to
dusk, I’d have caught the Amazèa by now. In bitter silence I fume
while Tatiana gives me the details for the night’s assignment, only
half-hearing what she’s saying. When she’s done, I storm out of our
cabin and into the brisk night air. Pulling my hood over my head, I
let out a sharp whistle.

The clomping of hooves sound as the
Arabian stallion emerges from his place in the shadows. He nuzzles
his nose into my chest and gives a low grunt. I stroke his long
ebony neck and press my cheek to his. Then, I grab a chunk of his
silky mane and swiftly mount the smooth sway of his
back.

“
Fly, Diablo,” I whisper
and lean forward. He takes off like a shot and we streak toward the
forest. Diablo knows the surrounding woods even better than I do,
and as he races along the narrow paths I keep my head down to avoid
the low-hanging tree branches, my rage growing steadily with each
beat of his hooves.

Another night of being
trapped.

I hadn’t always been like
this. Up until five years ago, when I was twelve, I was a regular
demion, a demi-demon with a perfectly beautiful blend of the
Ancient Powers of Darkness inherited from my demon sire, combined
with the gentle capabilities and goodness of my human mother. I had
the best of both worlds— a viable connection to the Powers along
with all of the benefits of being a human, a
Sapie,
we call them. Sapies don’t
know we exist, but we’re everywhere. We look like them, talk like
them, and act like them. But we’re better than them in almost every
way. At least, I think so.

I served a purpose in this world. I
knew my place. That is, until the Amazèa cast a spell in an attempt
to separate me from my Powers. They succeeded, sort of. I still
have my Powers, but they split my soul in half—shattered me right
down the middle. Now, I’m only alive at night. My human half,
Liora, lives during the day, complete with her own personality,
memories, free will.

When the Amazèa separated
my demon half from my human half, it was far worse than if I had
died. For so long afterwards I wished it
had
been me who died. Instead, it had
been my best friends, Kayla and Michael Roberts, who paid the
ultimate price while I was forced to watch them suffer.

I’ve never forgiven myself for being
unable to help them.

I’ve never forgotten the vows I made
beside their crumpled, lifeless bodies as I swore to avenge their
murders to my last dying breath.

I’ll never stop trying to lift the
curse and restore my broken soul, whatever the cost.

Killing the Amazèa is my only option.
There is no plan B.

Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as
slaying a run-of-the-mill parasite demon or even a lower
Light-angel. It’s strictly forbidden by Demonic Law for any demon
or demion to attack another ranked higher in the hierarchy. As far
as the chain of command goes, the Amazèa rank near the top while I
rest somewhere in the middle.

I don’t care. I only care about
revenge for Kayla and Michael.

I only care about getting my life
back.

Whatever the cost.

Diablo gallops us closer to
our destination, and I force away the anguish that threatens to
swallow my heart whole. Soon we’ll reach a Portal to Thiberoux. In
order to pass through its protective seal, I need to focus.
As the cold fog suddenly appears, enveloping us in
complete darkness, I wrap my hand around my Boumeaux. Diablo,
unfazed by the blinding barrier all around us, continues racing
forward.

I close my eyes. I feel my palm
smolder; the stone vibrates in my grasp. Silently, I recite the
secret command:

Hasish Auria, permissum
mihi obduco.

Hasish Auria, permissum
mihi obduco.

Hasish Auria, permissum
mihi obduco.

The dense fog quickly
lifts, and I welcome my new surroundings. My
real
world – not the one Liora lives
in. There, I am an outsider. Unwanted. Here is where I
belong.

The three full moons of the goddess
Illyria glow brightly in the eternally sunless sky, illuminating
the landscape. Acres of lush foliage paint the hillsides vibrant
green and gold, untouched by Man’s seasons which turn their trees
into skeletons. There is no death here. Only life. And limbo. But
never death.

The Land of Thiberoux. Home
of the royal descendants of the first Dark-angels, the enchanted
realm of
demonia.
Safely hidden from the naïve eyes of the human
world.

Once, after one of my first visits to
Thiberoux as a young demion, I looked for its location on a Sapie
map. I was surprised to see that instead of the lakes of fire and
oceans of ice, volcanoes exploding with thunder and lightning,
magical forests full of sprites and elves, and the pits of swirling
vortexes connecting various dimensions, there were cities,
freeways, two airports, and four major universities. Two separate
and opposite worlds existing in the exact same space. I used to
wonder how that could be possible.

Now I totally understand.

Diablo grunts, his powerful muscles
push and strain as we head up the mountainside. I bury my face in
his mane and squeeze my legs tight. He’s never thrown me, but the
curves here are wicked, the cliffs treacherous, and he barrels
around them with terrifying agility.

He eases to a trot as we approach the
River of Kings. The stream of churning fire flows for miles in
either direction and creates a perfect circle around the inner
sanctum of Dryndara, my tribe’s territory of Thiberoux. A massive
beast, nearly invisible in the night save for his piercing yellow
eyes, growls menacingly at us from the base of the
footbridge.

I eye the creature with caution and
dismount. A light tap on his hindquarters sends Diablo cantering
into the shadows to await further commands. After dusting off my
cloak and lowering my hood, I approach the sentry. The hellhound
growls again and bares his razor-sharp teeth.

“
What’s your problem?” I
ask good-naturedly and give him an affectionate pat on the
head.

I take several steps back as the
canine begins to tremble violently. He rises on his haunches,
twisting and convulsing until his new shape is formed. It is that
of a young man, skin stretched tight over rippling muscles—his
formerly beastly body now a vision of smooth and sculpted
perfection. He runs his hands through his bronze hair and looks at
me through the lushest of lashes. Fire mixed with desire smolders
in his coffee-colored eyes. His sensuous mouth, one designed to
render human females utterly helpless, turns slightly down in a
heartbreaking pout.

Once again, I count my
lucky stars I’m not a Sapie. It is so
not
fair
that he is so much more beautiful than
me. As a demion, I have a hard enough time resisting him. As a
Sapie, I’d be toast.

“
I’m mad at you.” He runs
his gaze up and down my body and lets out a soft, lustful
moan.

I roll my eyes. Bones is my
best friend, and I know he can’t help himself, BUT STILL…
Just
once
it’d be
nice for him to not greet me with his
über
sexy, ‘come-hither-and-do-me’
persona. A demion can only take so much, you know? Oh well, what
did I really I expect from something that’s also half
incubus?

“
Yeah? What’d I do this
time?” Despite my bad mood, I smile. Seeing Bones always makes me
feel better.

“
You were supposed to meet
me by Cyler’s Point last night so we could go into the city
together, remember? You were going to torment some of your regulars
while I found a few virgins to mate with. But you totally blew me
off. Any of this ringing a bell?”

Guilty. I
had
totally
forgotten.

“
I’m sorry…I overheard
something last night and had to check it out. C’mon, let’s go get
some drinks. I’m losing my mind and need someone to talk
to.”

Bones gives me his very best sexy
smile and shifts closer. “You know I can’t leave my post while I’m
on duty. But I can help you relax and take your mind off things for
a while if you like.” He places his hands lightly on my hips and
pulls me to him.

Although Bones is perfectly well aware
that I’m immune to his hypnotizing powers of seduction, he never
stops trying. Usually I love it. Not tonight.

I push his hands away.

“
What’s up?” he asks, still
staring at my body longingly. I feel the lightest tickle of warm
rays where his gaze falls and groan with genuine
annoyance.

“
Bones,
stop it
. You know it creeps me out
when you try your powers on me. Face it, they don’t work. Never
have, never will. It’s nothing personal,” I add when he gives a
hurt-puppy pout. “You know how much the Sapie girls looove
you.”

“
Yeah, but it’s not the
same. They’re all so powerless and weak, it gets a little boring.
Now
you
on the
other hand…” He steps closer again, reaches inside the opening of
my cloak, and lightly traces his fingers over my bare
abdomen.

I push him away, stronger
this time. “Ugh, stop! Don’t
make
me have to hurt you. What is
with
you tonight?”

“
Sorry…” he says, as if he
isn’t remorseful in the slightest. “Just in the mood for some fun.
I’m a little charged up. Didn’t make as many conquests as I needed
last night, and tonight they put me on patrol when I
need
to be out mating.
It’s been so slow out here, and then along comes the sexiest
fireball for a thousand miles and you expect me to
behave
?” He laughs as if
it’s the funniest idea he’s ever heard. And they say Sapie men have
one-track minds; they have
nothing
on incubi. Their sole reason for existing is
seduction, mating, procreating—that’s it.

I give him the dirtiest look I can and
stomp toward the bridge, but he reaches out for my hand and gently
pulls me back.

“
Hey, Lucky, I’m sorry,
hon…I’m only playing. No more. I’ll behave, I promise. What’s
wrong, are you okay? Talk to me.” This time his voice is noticeably
softer and his seductive aura muted.

Finally.
This
is the Bones I want
to talk to. My friend. I slink over to a tree stump and plop down,
covering my face with my hands.

“
They’re gone,” I say,
fighting back the tears threatening to form. “They got away while
stupid Liora played school girl.” At these words a surge of rage
floods through me. I have to sit on my hands so as not to uproot
the massive stump and heave it into the pile of rocks behind
me…only because I don’t want to have to sit on the
ground.

Bones sits beside me on the grass. He
places a comforting hand on my back, and I feel its
fire.

“
I know how much you wanted
to get them. But I can’t say that I’m sorry you didn’t. I’m glad
they’re gone,” he says quietly.

“
Bones, do
not
start—” I jump to my
feet and glare down at him.

“
I’m sorry, Lucky, but you
know how I feel. No good will come of this vendetta. Even if
somehow you
do
manage to kill them you’ll likely be banished. That is, if the
Legionare doesn’t kill you first. Or worse…”

“
Bones, you
know
why I have
to—”

He puts up his hand, cutting me off.
“No, I don’t know. I’ve heard your reasons for years, but I’ve
never once agreed with you, have I? Killing the Amazèa will not
bring your friends back; they are long gone. You don’t even know
with all certainty that your curse would be broken upon their
deaths. All you will accomplish by hunting them is getting yourself
killed. And maybe others you care about, if you start a war and
we’re forced to take sides.”

Fiery rage boils up inside me as I
stare him down. If Bones had been even the slightest bit human,
he’d be dead by now under my vicious glare. But as much as I hate
what he’s saying, I know he’s right.