Devdan Manor (2 page)

“You’re still feeding yourself that lie.” Uryl raised his hand to his temple and shook his head.

Ryse allowed air into Cyl’s lungs.

“What are you talking about?” Cyl rasped out.

“You’re not coming back. Ryse and I knew it. We let you promise you’d return because we believe you’d realize the truth one day. You are being kicked out. You know this. Why would you think we would let you leave alone?”

He had known he was being thrown out. He never allowed himself to think about what happened later. He told himself he could come back so often he had believed it.

“Still, Ryse is only eight you can’t…”

Ryse jumped off his back.

Pain shattered his jaw. Wind whistled threw his ears. The scene sped by. Tiny needles lodged themselves into his back. A muscle deep ache surrounded them. A solid object hammered the needles into his flesh. Cyl hit the ground.

The world still moved.

A shadow covered him.

Uryl had punched him through four trees. Cyl’s face and back screamed in agony.

“Look at me, little boy.”

Cyl didn’t want to move. Uryl didn’t care about Cyl’s pain. His older brother would grab his sore jaw and jerk his face up.

Cyl made his aching neck move.

Anger collected Uryl’s feature into the middle of his face. It turned his normally large eyes into fire spitting slits. His power, which was usually under control, seeped out and rotted away the grass and trees.

“I am ten years older than you. I saw the way everyone looked at you growing up. They knew you were different. They didn’t know whether it was good or bad. They’re looking at Ryse the same way.”

Ryse peeked at him from behind Uryl. He should have seen this. Ryse had ancient eyes. She saw the real world instead of the world everyone pretended to live in. She knew how to slip under demons’ senses to gain access to carefully hidden areas.

He should’ve known.

Leaves in the trees rustled. Bushes shook. Dirt clouds erupted around them. They had been too distracted with each other. They hadn’t noticed animals in the forest were getting closer. But, they didn’t smell like animals. Cyl didn’t smell or sense anything. No wind blew. Only something solid could make the trees and bushes move. Only a body could make the dirt billow. Darkness settled over the forest. Even in the demon world, this darkness was unnatural. He felt his soul freeze.

Ryse walked away from Uryl. She grabbed a stick and started drawing in the dirt.

Uryl stepped back. “Something ugly is in this forest. Ryse and I have been packed for weeks. I’ll grab our things and get back here quickly.” Uryl rubbed his arms. “I don’t know this demon.”

Uryl collapsed his body into a shadow and left.

Nuall walked to Cyl. “If it’s so dangerous, why did he leave to get your bags?”

For some reason, Nuall never liked Uryl. His brother didn’t care one way or the other about Nuall.

“You have a bad habit of ignoring those you think are weaker than you,” Cyl responded.

Nuall folded her arms. “I don’t think you’re in a position to insult me.”

Ryse sat beside him drawing the last symbol in the dirt.

Nuall’s eyes widened. “How does she know about those symbols? That’s old magic.”

Cyl raked his finger through Ryse’s hair. Her protective circle stopped the malicious feeling the invisible demon was throwing at them. They’d be safe until Uryl returned.

“Cyl, how does she know how to use those symbols? The texts are in languages no one understands.”

“She sneaks into the library’s forbidden chambers and listens to the book. She says the words talk to her. They teach her what she wants to know.”

“And you believed her.”

Ryse flinched.

“My baby sister doesn’t speak often. When she does, she never lies. I have no reason not to believe her. So, Nuall, what are going to do when Uryl returns?”

She sighed. “I don’t want to leave my family. I also don’t want you to disappear. I’ll travel with you until you settle down, then I’ll return home.”

She vanished.

Cyl’s wounds had healed. Ryse curled into his lap.

“Sorry for not noticing,” he said.

She shook her head.

“Big brother has too many things on his mind.”

He wrapped his arms around her.

“That’s no excuse.”

“Cyyl”

“Rysssse”

“Annntuunn”

Cyl drew his sister closer. The stalking demon a had voice—more than one. They knew his sister’s name. Ryse shivered as though her bones had been wrapped in ice. He couldn’t warm her. His body became infected by the cold.

“Cyl”

The voice was so close he felt the demons’ breath against his ear.

Ryse knew how to draw protective circles. These things were playing with them. They couldn’t touch his sister.

School taught them about the different types of demons. He never read about ones that haunted other demons.

“Th…they…arrre…lllike…”

He covered Ryse’s mouth. She frowned. She wanted to get the words out despite the cold. Cyl couldn’t handle listening to her struggle out her words.

“I’m sorry. I’m not as strong as you.”

“They hate you. They treat you like abominations. You can become a part of our family.”

Soul deep warmth and comfort replaced the cold. The last time he felt this warm Ryse had given him a smile to brighten the entire world. The voices weren’t evil. They wanted them the way no one else did. They would take care of Ryse. She could grow up like Nuall— in a house surrounded by demons that cared about her.

He was on his feet, at the edge of Ryse’s barrier. When had he stood? Ryse was no longer trembling. He felt her encouraging him. He needed to step forward. One step and Ryse could have a happy life.

“
Come”

Just one step.

“What are you doing?”

The sharp voice tore the warmth from him.

His senses snapped open. The forest’s scent, his brother, the feel of the ground and his trembling sister in his arms rushed to his heard. His energy hit his feet.

Cyl stumbled back. He dropped to his knees. He didn’t like releasing Ryse. His weak arms couldn’t hold her. He gently lowered her to the ground.

“Cyl talk. Now,” Uryl demanded.
“Voices.”

Why couldn’t he get more out? He saw everything in his head. Why couldn’t he tell Uryl what happened?

Uryl sighed. “I don’t like doing this.”

A burning hand touched Cyl’s head. The connection filled his legs with strength. It calmed the chaos in his mind.

The soothing sensation left.

“Cyl, release me.”

Cyl held his brother’s hand as though it was the only thing keeping him from death. When had he moved?

He couldn’t get his fingers to release his brother.

“Relax, little brother. I’m not going anywhere.”

Cyl relaxed his fingers.

“Demons haunting other demons the way they terrorize humans. Didn’t think that was possible,” Uryl said.

How did he know? His burning hand. Uryl had the ability to see the world through another’s eyes. He didn’t like doing this because the effects lasted long after Uryl broke the connection.

Uryl had many abilities. For some reason, he hid all of them. If others knew he was more capable than most mature demons, they would accept him. They would forget his abomination of a little brother. Why did Uryl hide his power? No one in their family knew Uryl’s full power.

That warm welcoming voice.

If Cyl had followed it, Uryl could live the life he deserved. Was it his fault Uryl had to hide himself?

Uryl smacked his head.

“You’re thinking of useless things again. Nuall doesn’t take long to pack. She should be here soon. We shouldn’t stay in this forest any longer.”

“How did you know about Nuall?”

“Nuall wouldn’t want to say goodbye forever. She’ll travel with us until we find a home. Then, she’ll return here.”

“You said home, not a new home.”

Uryl smacked his head again. This time not as hard.

“You can be such a dense child sometimes.” Uryl dropped a traveling bag in front of Cyl.

He didn’t sense the presence of the other demons any more.

What did they want with them? Why did they have to frighten his strong little sister?

Nuall appeared. She glared at Uryl.

“What did you do to them? Why does Cyl look like you made him live through one of his worst nightmare?”

Another one of Uryl abilities. Nuall only knew about it because she had angered him. She still believed this was his main ability.

Uryl stood. “Cyl can tell you on the way.” He handed Ryse her bag. He grabbed her hand and walked away.

They didn’t clear the forest until sunset. Nuall complained the entire time about how the trip would be more enjoyable if she had driven. Cyl got annoyed and stopped reminding her that most technology didn’t work outside of Mortaus. They eventually reached a village filled with mud and stone houses. The residents were built like boulders. Despite their boorish appearance, the demons were welcoming. Tula was a farming village known for their meat. They often traded with Mortausian cities. They were pleased to meet demons who didn’t treat them like monsters. Tulaians wouldn’t let them pay full price for anything. The residents offered them a discount on rooms for the night. Uryl didn’t like the idea of sleeping so close to Mortaus.

Cyl didn’t see the problem. They weren’t being chased. Uryl was being too cautious. The sun was sinking fast. Traveling the demon world at night was dangerous. Uryl was still reluctant to accept the residents’ offer. After some observation, Cyl didn’t like the idea either. The males stared at Ryse and Nuall like they were a tasty snack.

By the time they left, their bags were loaded down with dried meats, fruits, assorted sweets and an array of breads.

Nuall started talking again. This time she questioned him repeatedly about the voices that had ensnared him and Ryse. No matter how many times Cyl went over the story, Nuall needed him to tell it one more time.

The next village was remarkably less welcoming. Thick fog laced with powerful magic ruled that place. It obstructed the senses. These residents were like snakes. They wrapped their cold bodies around them. Only, the bodies didn’t feel solid. Just cold and wet. Another race of demons he was not familiar with. Ryse called them Fari. They were old. Uryl had to tighten his grip on Ryse’s hand. She was so excited she kept trying to run through the fog after those invisible demons. Apparently, being tormented by them was an honor.

They kept their village hidden. It was supposed to be impossible to stumble across them. They preyed on humans and demons.

Ryse kept bending down every couple of paces to pick up rocks. They were unusual shapes and colors. Ryse said you could buy a house in Mortaus with just one of them. If they were so valuable, why hadn’t he heard of them? Ryse seemed to enjoy herself. Cyl decided to keep his mouth closed and let her collect her rocks.

The sun had gone down by the time they found their way out of that hole.

He should’ve been happy there. Nuall had been quiet.

He knew as much about the whispering demons as she did. Why did Nuall believe he knew more than he was telling?

Her voice was giving him a headache. Telling Nuall to shut her mouth would only cause her to talk more and louder. Why did she have to be so spoiled?

Nuall opened her mouth. No sound came out.

“Finally,” Uryl said.

Another one of his brother’s abilities.

Nuall stared wide eyed at Uryl with her mouth open. Her shock turned to anger. Her mouth moved. If she had a voice, she would’ve been yelling. That wasn’t helpful.

“They’re still following us,” Uryl said over his shoulder.

The whispering demons’ presence appeared well behind them. They matched their pace, but kept their distance.

The other demons they passed ignored them.