Starfire (9 page)

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Authors: Kate Douglas

Tags: #Romance, #Man-Woman Relationships, #Fiction, #General, #Paranormal, #Demonology, #Revenge, #Paranormal Romance Stories

BOOK: Starfire
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“What are you doing, besides searching through the chancellor’s private papers?” Ginny stepped closer until DarkFire practically touched the man’s chest.
He stammered and shook his head. “I … I … I was told to retrieve records.”
“Told by whom? What records?”
He focused on the point of the sword. His eyes went wide as the blade flashed with dark purple light.
“Maxl and Drago. They requested proof of succession.” He swallowed loudly. “They want to make certain your man”—his eyes flashed from Ginny to Dawson and back to the sword—“that Alton has a right to succession after being disowned by his father.”
“He was approved by the citizens. His mother, Artigos’s lifetime mate, championed his position so that her husband might be healed without fearing for the safety of Lemuria. You have no need of any papers from Artigos’s desk. This office is for the use of the chancellor, and it shall remain private.”
Shaking from head to foot, obviously terrified, the man bowed his head. “Should I relay that information to Maxl and Drago?”
Ginny smiled, but it wasn’t a particularly friendly expression. Dawson doubted it would give the thief much confidence. “You do that,” she said. “Chancellor Alton is resting for the moment. He’ll meet with members of the council later this evening.”
“Yes. Of course. I will relay that information to the others.” He gave one last, fearful glance at the shimmering crystal blade and then turned away and slipped out through the portal on the far side of the room.
“DarkFire? Can you secure the portal to keep others out?”
The sword glowed, and a beam of dark light shot across the room, flowed over the portal, and then dissipated. “Only those of you in the fight against demonkind will be able to pass through the portal.”
“Thank you.” Ginny sheathed the sword. “Okay, Daws. Let’s hope he was more terrified of DarkFire than curious about you. Lock up the pepper spray, and let’s go get Gaia. You’re going to like Alton’s mom. She’s pretty nice, considering she’s had to put up with Artigos for all these years.” She paused for a moment as if considering what she should and couldn’t say.
Finally, she sighed and fiddled with the buckle on her scabbard. “Daws, there’s one thing you should know, though. Gaia’s been aware of the Forgotten Ones all along. She knew when Artigos arranged for the women warriors to be enslaved, and yet she did nothing about it.”
Dawson’s chest actually ached thinking of anyone living with that kind of knowledge. “Probably not a good idea to tell Selyn that.”
Ginny nodded. “I imagine you’re right, but I wanted you to know. You need to know what you’re involved in.”
“A whole shitload of trouble?”
Ginny laughed. “Exactly,” she said. Then she slipped through the portal.
Dawson followed right behind her, stepping through the swirling light as if he’d done it a hundred times before. They moved quickly along a tunnel that appeared to be lighted from within the rock. Before too long, they passed by a large arch that opened onto a huge underground plaza. The walls were lined with what looked like solid gold, decorated with gems and precious stones of all kinds.
Dawson stopped, mesmerized by the vast size of the cavern, the glitter of gold and gems, until Ginny had to grab him by the arm and tug him along behind her. He could have stared at the amazing room forever.
“That’s the great hall,” she said. “Some call it the central or great plaza. It’s where all the citizens of Lemuria gather for important events. It’s empty now because it’s still early in the day, but it’s where I got my sword, where Daria the Crone gave me immortality.”
“Wow.” What else could he say? Every new thing they passed by was more mind-blowing than the last. Head spinning as he tried to see everything, Dawson followed Ginny through a series of narrow passages until she paused in front of another portal.
“Gaia says to come in.”
He frowned. “How does she know we’re here?”
Grinning, Ginny stepped through the portal. “Telepathy. C’mon.”
The woman in the room they entered waited with her hands clasped and an expression of hope on her face. “Ginny? What word of Artigos?” Then she blinked in surprise. “Who is this man?” She focused on Dawson.
“Gaia, Dawson Buck is the human who’s helping us. He’s given Alton and me a place to stay, and he’s keeping Artigos safe at his house. We’re hoping you can come with us, maybe help keep Artigos calm while we try to remove this blasted demon. It’s been part of him for a long time, and it doesn’t want to leave. Alton and I are convinced you can help us, but it means coming to Earth.”
“Anywhere. I’ll do whatever you need.” She turned to Dawson. “Thank you, Dawson Buck. I imagine my husband is not the easiest guest to have.”
Daws wasn’t sure what prompted him, but he took Gaia’s hand and lightly squeezed her fingers. “We’ll do whatever we can to help your husband. Thank you for sending the sandals and robe for Selyn. They’re a perfect fit. She was really excited to have such a nice gift from you.”
Gaia’s smile lit up the room. “I’m pleased,” she said, but then she sobered. “I owe the Forgotten Ones more than sandals. More than a simple robe. When this is over, I’ll do whatever I can to help them join our society as full and free citizens.”
“We need to hurry,” Ginny glanced around the spacious room. “What do you need to take for a few days away from Lemuria?”
Gaia stared at her. “I have no idea.” She laughed. “I’ve not left for ten thousand years. I have an extra robe, my personal items, but …”
“Good. I’ll help you pack.” Taking control, Ginny led Gaia out of the room. “Roland just contacted me,” she said to Dawson. “He should show up any minute now.”
Dawson stared around him at what could have been any home on Earth, except for the lack of windows. The thought kept flitting through his mind, that he’d been left standing alone in a Lemurian living room, awaiting a member of the Lemurian Guard after fending off a thief in the chancellor’s office. It all left him feeling as if he’d just dropped down the rabbit’s hole.
Then Roland of Kronus popped through the portal. “Hey, Dawson! How is Selyn doing?” He clapped Daws on the shoulder as if they were old friends.
And damned if it didn’t feel as if they were. “She’s doing well. BumperWillow completed her healing. The bruises are gone; the bones entirely healed. You Lemurians are tough.”
Roland chuckled. “That we are. We have to be, to survive so many millennia of absolute boredom.” Drily, he added, “Of course, that’s all drastically changed. Is Ginny here?”
“She’s helping Gaia pack. We’re taking her back to Sedona to see if her presence helps Artigos.”
“Having trouble removing the demon?”
Dawson nodded. “Even BumperWillow couldn’t shake it loose.”
Ginny walked back into the room. “Roland. Good to see you. How’s Taron coming with the swords?”
“He should be finished this afternoon. Any luck with the ruby sword?”
“Selyn believes she knows where the owner is.”
Dawson noticed Ginny didn’t mention the name of the missing leader.
“The one we thought lost?” Roland’s smile disappeared beneath the focused stare of a warrior.
“The very one. That’s why I’ve asked you to meet us here.” Ginny glanced over her shoulder, as if to make certain Gaia was still busy packing. “We’re changing plans by the minute. Can you get Dawson and Selyn into the slaves’ level without detection? The person we’re looking for is held prisoner below.”
Roland nodded and turned to Dawson. “When do you want to meet, and where?”
“Ginny? Will the portal allow Roland entrance into the chancellor’s office? That’s the only place I know how to find.”
“DarkFire?” Ginny withdrew the sword.
The blade shimmered. “Roland is a DemonSlayer. He will be granted access.”
Dawson shook his head. The sense of the rabbit hole was growing stronger. “Roland?” he asked. “Can Selyn communicate with you telepathically?” When Roland nodded in the affirmative, he added, “Then why don’t we wait and contact you when we get to the chancellor’s office? Would that work?”
“It would. I’m going to be off duty in another hour. Contact me, and we’ll use the security route to get below.”
Just then, Gaia walked back into the room, carrying a small satchel. “Roland of Kronus.” She nodded formally. “It’s good to see you. I thank you for standing beside my son during these difficult times.”
Roland bowed from the waist. “Gaia of Artigos. I wish you well, and health to your husband.”
Tears sparkled in Gaia’s eyes. “Thank you, Roland. I just wish I could be certain we can remove the demon from his soul. It’s a very frightening time for both of us.”
“Yes, Gaia. It is. For all of us.” Roland frowned. Then he folded his arms across his chest. “Much has happened since I brought Selyn to Earth’s dimension. The gateway to Abyss from the vortex here in Mount Shasta continues to reopen. I’ve shut it now more than a dozen times, but whenever I must be away, it opens again. Even now, I imagine it’s being repaired. I’m beginning to think it’s someone here, inside Lemuria, who is responsible.”
“Crap.” Ginny glanced at Dawson. “I’m thinking Maxl and Drago. What do you think?”
Dawson nodded, thinking of the two who’d ordered the search of Artigos’s office. “Do you think they’re demon-possessed as well, sort of like Artigos?”
“It stands to reason.” Roland sighed. “Our problems appear to be growing faster than we can control them, but I have a bit of good news. I’ve heard of a woman who might be able to help remove the demon from Artigos. Three of my men were involved in a fierce battle with demons at a shop called Crystal Dreams in the Earth town of Evergreen. A young woman there, Mari …”
Ginny interrupted. “Mari Schwartz? I know Mari, and I know the shop. Her mom owns it. What’s going on?”
“It appears Mari has been running her mother’s shop while her father is ill. One of my soldiers—Darius, who was one of the young men who received his crystal sword from DarkFire—followed demons into town. For some reason they were targeting the shop. Darius ended up staying on to protect Mari. There was a terrible battle, one that only ended when Mari invoked powerful magic and cast a spell that stopped the demons. Darius said that Mari was killed in the battle, but his sword not only helped restore her life, but also granted her immortality.”
“Mari Schwartz? Wow! She’s okay now, though, right?” Ginny laughed. “I love it! Mari’s an investment banker—she’s been working in San Francisco since college. She hated the fact her mom claimed to be a witch. The whole time we were growing up, she was in total denial. I can’t wait to see her. Mari as an immortal witch will take some getting used to.”
Roland chuckled. “According to Darius, she appears to be a powerful witch with abilities she is only now beginning to understand. And yes, her mother is also a witch. I’m wondering if their magic might help Artigos.”
Gaia reached for Roland and wrapped her fingers around his arm. “I’m willing to try anything,” she said, “whatever we have to do to save my husband’s life and his soul.” She turned to Ginny. “Take me to Artigos now, please. I don’t care if it takes a witch or a talking dog, or the spirit within your amazing sword. I want my husband back.”
Chapter Eight
 
Selyn sat outside by the front door in a chair that was made entirely out of little branches all tied together. It fit perfectly with the style of Dawson’s house, and was surprisingly comfortable, considering it was nothing more than bundles of twigs. Willow said it was made of willow branches, which might have made more sense if Selyn had the vaguest idea what a willow branch was.
They obviously had nothing to do with a fairy stuck inside a dog. So many unfamiliar things to understand! Selyn knew willow branches had to come from some kind of plant, but she couldn’t see anything like these bundled sticks growing around Dawson’s house. This land was dry and rocky, with strange, spiky plants and huge, weathered rock formations all about.
It was beautiful and desolate all at the same time, and so big. Big and open and bright, and filled with unusual sounds. She smiled, listening to the cactus wren chattering and chirping nearby. So far, it was the only bird she knew how to identify, which made her feel as if the silly creature sang for her alone. She occasionally heard other birds, but she’d have to ask Daws what they were.
The sky was a brilliant blue—so bright it reminded her of Dawson’s eyes—and the sunlight made her squint. Already Selyn loved the feel of the warmth on her skin. She’d never again be happy without it, not now, and it was almost impossible to believe she’d lived her entire life without sunlight. Knowing her people had consciously accepted artificial light over sunlight when they’d chosen exile inside the mountain to save themselves made her unaccountably angry.
How could intelligent Lemurians, people known for their ability to think things through, have allowed themselves to be trapped within a separate dimension inside that dark and foreboding mountain? What were they thinking when they made the move to Mount Shasta, rather than to another part of the planet Earth where they could still live outside in the light of day?
Unless what she’d been told was actually true—that the move was somehow forced on her people by leaders who were controlled by demonkind. Demons needed darkness. They thrived away from sunlight, which would explain the Lemurians’ exodus to a world beneath ground. It made terrifying sense, if demons truly ruled them.
Even so, she’d still think it was all a foolish lie, if she hadn’t witnessed Artigos when he’d been trapped in the beams of the two crystal swords.
Not that she hadn’t already accepted the fact that demons were real. She knew they were, but she honestly hadn’t accepted the power they had, not really. Not the fact they could get inside a person and actually control their actions.
Well, she was a believer now. Something about the strange light from the crystal blades—a thing she’d never before witnessed—had revealed more than the eye actually saw. She’d sensed another entity, somehow intertwined with the man she’d learned to hate. She hadn’t actually seen a demon—not with her eyes—but she’d recognized its existence with some other sense she’d never used before. She’d known the demon was there.
No one could deny the sense of evil about Artigos. That had been obvious from the first moment she saw him. Nor could anyone deny the fact he was somehow possessed. But what she’d witnessed this morning went beyond any prior concept of possession she’d ever had.
It was an unusual evil, a presence separate from the man himself and yet very much a part of him. It felt horribly wrong, and yet exactly the way she now imagined a demon’s possession of a person would manifest itself.
The implications were terrifying and sad. If Artigos were really an innocent victim, then that made all of them victims. It meant that the DemonWars had never ended, that Lemurians had not won that war. Either it meant they were still fighting the same war today, so many thousands of years after everyone believed the terrible scourge had ended, or it meant they’d already lost.
Had they lost? Was it too late even to try anymore? She wasn’t ready to accept that. Wasn’t prepared to admit her mother and the other women warriors had fought in vain, that they’d died in vain. Selyn wasn’t prepared to admit defeat. Not while there was still breath in her body. Not while she had it within her to fight demonkind.
Not that she’d ever experienced demons. At least not that she knew of.
But what of Birk? What of the other guards?
Were they possessed as well? Was demonkind that thoroughly entrenched within Lemurian society that even those who were supposed to guard and protect the people had somehow become compromised?
Not Roland.
No, Roland of Kronus was one of the good guys. Knowing men like him existed—men of free will— gave her hope. He’d risked much to find her, to discover the truth behind the rumors of the existence of the Forgotten Ones. He’d risked his standing as a member of the Lemurian Guard to meet with Selyn, and he’d risked his life to come into the mines and save her.
She could only hope there were more like him.
Now Alton wanted Selyn to return. He wanted her to go back to the mines with a human man and a sword she couldn’t wield, to risk her life once again to help a society that had enslaved her for millennia.
A society responsible for the death of her mother.
Except, if they were controlled by demonkind, they were victims as much as she was, as much as her mother had been.
Nine hells,
but thinking this through was making her head hurt! She wished Dawson would come home. She missed him. But how could that be? She hardly knew the man, yet she wanted to talk to him about everything that had happened over the past couple of days. She wanted a better feel for the mission they were being asked to accomplish.
She wanted Dawson.
Now where the nine hells did that thought come from? What could she possibly want with him? He was human. He wasn’t a warrior; he was a healer. He couldn’t protect her, and there was no way he could go up against a brute like Birk. Dawson wasn’t much taller than she was, and he certainly wasn’t as big and muscular or as strong as Dax, or even Alton. He was just an average human male with eyes the color of a desert sky and gentle hands that made her want.
Want what?
BumperWillow whined and rested her chin on Selyn’s knee. Once again the little spirit must be eavesdropping.
Selyn idly scratched the dog’s curly head. She stretched her legs out, arched her back, and sighed. Though she was completely healed, her muscles felt tight. Probably from not working her regular shift in the mines. She’d never in her life spent so many hours without hard labor.
She’d changed back into the comfortable cotton clothing Dawson had given to her. The baggy pants and loose top were cooler and more comfortable than Ginny’s jeans. It was going to take a while to get used to such tight, restrictive clothing after a lifetime in formless robes. The jeans might attract Dawson’s eye, but the fabric wasn’t as forgiving as this outfit he called “scrubs.”
What a silly name for clothing. She smoothed the soft fabric over her thighs and then once again ran her fingers through the dog’s curly hair. She half expected Willow to pop into her mind and tell her she was thinking unfair thoughts about the citizens of Lemuria.
Why would I do that? Everything you’ve wondered about is true.
Selyn laughed and scratched under the dog’s chin. “I wondered if you were eavesdropping on me again. Is it all really as confusing as I keep thinking it is?”
It’s worse.
The dog sighed and laid her ears back against her broad skull, but it was Willow’s mental voice that Selyn heard.
I don’t know what to do about Artigos,
she said.
He has a very persistent demon that’s almost entirely melded to his soul, but he is Alton’s father. I don’t want to harm him, but we must remove the demon, even though it’s a terrible risk we take. I don’t know what we can do, or who can help.
“Maybe the one we’re taking the ruby sword to will be able to help him.”
If he doesn’t want to kill him. If that is truly Artigos the Just who has been held prisoner all these years, he’s only there because his son ordered it. He might not be feeling too kindly toward Artigos number two.
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
I have.
BumperWillow sighed.
It’s all I can think of.
Dawson sat back in the wooden chair at his big kitchen table. Gaia was in the back, sitting with Artigos, and Alton still slept. Selyn had been terribly quiet since he and Ginny had returned with Alton’s mom, but he couldn’t worry about her right now.
He couldn’t let himself think about her at all, or thoughts of her would consume him. Instead, he focused on Ginny. “So you and Alton will take his mom and dad to the portal in Mount Shasta, and Eddy and Dax will take over from there?” Dawson shook his head, wondering over the confused logistics. “How will they get him to Evergreen?”
Ginny folded her hands in front of her on the kitchen table. “We’ll have to take him through the portal that opens to the flank of Mount Shasta and hike down the mountain to the end of the road. If Eddy and Dax can meet us there with Eddy’s dad’s Jeep, and if we put a strong enough trance on Artigos, they should be able to get him to town without too much trouble.”
“He has promised to behave as long as I’m with him.” Gaia stepped into the room. She managed to look absolutely regal in spite of the trauma of the past hours—her life had been totally upended in such a short span of time. “We’re ready to go whenever you are.”
Ginny pulled out the chair next to her. “As soon as Alton awakens …”
“Alton’s awake.” The big Lemurian stepped into the kitchen. His eyes looked sleepy, and he yawned, but he threw his arm around his mother’s shoulders, leaned close, and kissed her cheek. “It’s good to have you here, Mother. I just checked on Father. He seems somewhat calmer, now that you’re with him.”
Gaia leaned into her son’s embrace. Her smile was for Alton, not the situation. “That’s because he expects me to help him escape your evil clutches, my son. He doesn’t realize I’m on your side.”
Alton shook his head. “No, Mother. There are no sides here. There is only the right thing to do, and in this case, that’s removing the demon that has corrupted a good man.”
“Thank you.” Gaia’s soft reply was followed by an even softer sigh. “Then we need to go, and go quickly. You, my son, must return to Lemuria as soon as possible and take up your position as chancellor before anyone has time to mount a serious challenge to your claim.”
Alton nodded. “I fear that’s already begun. I’m still concerned about the unfamiliar guardsmen we saw. Where they come from, who they are.” He kneaded the back of his neck. Ginny grabbed his hand, stuck him in a chair, and began to rub at the stiff muscles.
Alton sighed, but he tilted his head and focused on Daws. “Dawson, you and Selyn should be ready to leave immediately for Lemuria as soon as Ginny and I return from delivering my parents to Eddy and Dax. We’ll go straight to my father’s office through the small portal, then you can connect with Roland for your journey into the mines.” He paused for a moment, and focused his gaze on Selyn. “Are you sure you’re up to this, Selyn? We’re asking a lot of you.”
She glanced toward Dawson. He winked at her, and she smiled. “No more than the Forgotten Ones will soon be asking of you,” she said. “I’m ready.”
Dawson stood in the doorway long after the SUV carrying Ginny, Alton, Gaia, Artigos, and even the dog and Artigos’s carefully wrapped crystal sword had gone, and thought of all the changes in his life since the day he’d treated a whole clinic filled with demon-possessed pets.
He wouldn’t trade these past few days for anything, unless he could have kept Selyn from being hurt. He sensed her behind him. Slowly, almost with a sense of disbelief, he turned away from the bright afternoon sun.
His eyes took a moment to adjust to the shadows inside the house. She stood just a few feet away, with her hands clasped in front of her and that long black braid hanging over her shoulder. Her beautiful blue eyes were as dark and deep as an ocean, and every bit as filled with mystery.

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