Hello Everyone!
I know most of you know that I have other stories, but this one sort of popped in my head and I have terrible writers block with my other one. Therefore, I submit a first chapter that I hope rocks your rocks. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Danielle
Summon Me
Chapter One
Ring Around The Demon
Serena gasped out loud as she felt the slight burn of magic across her skin. A pins and needles feeling that crossed the boarder of pleasure and pain. It had awoken her from a dead sleep. She knew the feeling well, having expierenced to many times across the centuries. She felt her stomach drop, a lead pit that churned harder and harder as the magic picked up power around her. Despite the panic that rattled her she knew it was to late.
There was no running and hiding from his magic. She could not bend it to her will and deny the call around her. She was a demon and this was a matter of what her blood recongized not what she willfully denied.
She was being summonded.
The colors around her moved so fast she closed her eyes. The air thickened around her, laying heavy on her bare skin. She had recently given in the to urge to sleep naked. Loving the feeling of the soft linens on her body in the night. The only soothing lover she had ever know. Now it seemed like a bad call.
Not that it mattered. The dark magic often ripped material possesions from your body when you blinked out of time and space. Almost like an insurance policy for whoever had summonded you. It made the demon less prepared to seperate your head from your body if you were foolish enough to grant them power outside the summoning ring.
Suddenly, the air thinned around Serena, she landed hard on the new wooden floor of those who had called her. Shakily she made the move to find her feet, easing in the black room. She might be naked as the day is long but at least she could find some form of dignity while she faced those who called her.
Or not...she thought snottily as the summoning ring pulled her down on to her knees and pinned her arms forward to touch the edge of the markings that surrounded her. She looked like a damn sex slave offering pulled forward this way.
A terrible tremble rippled down her spine at the thought. This would not be the first time in her life she had been called and bound for such services. Her kind was not thought highly of by others in the Above and Below.
A demon yes.
But a half breed more so.
Many thought them little above slaves in the underworld. A pretty trinket from mommy or daddy's many love affairs...or...rapes depending on the demon. While she had power in her own right, trapped as she was by the bindings of the summoning ring there was little she could do but submit to the desires of the magic.
Lifting her head, her gaze locked with a man who stood just beyond the ring of symbols that held her captive. The darkness that consumed them meant nothing for her kind, she saw his features prefectly.
She was looking at an angel.
Her mouth suddenly felt dry, her tounge sticking to the roof of her mouth. If she didn't know better she would say he was just as surprised to see her.
...Twenty minutes before...
Darien raced through the forrest that lined the back edge of the property of his pack. Led by only by the smell of magic and kin, his bare feet beat a tempo across the summer grass. He breathed in deeply, the scent of prey filled his lungs and he veered left along the lost river path. Now he knew where the disobedient whelps were hiding to conduct their atrocity.
The old hunting cabin. He should have know. His sister, Rae, was anything but dumb. Young, reckless all those held true to her character...but dumb...no. If she was going to attempt this stupid stunt it would be just inside pack lines. Close enough to call for help, far enough away to keep unwanted guess out and give others a fighting chance is she and her cohort royally fucked this up.
Not that he could see another outcome. Powerful as the Lykans were and their pack as strong was it was...
is...he had to remember is...
this was the height of insanity to summond a being from the Dark Realm.
A being powerful enough to drag a fully grown Alpha Lykan male to the bowels of hell was not a thing to trifle with. And yet here he was racing to stop two crazy females from preforming an even crazier act. All because they wouldn't excercise some measure of patients. His anger grew with each step. He could feel his wolf prowling inside, eager to be free, eager to let the anger loose that had been simmering for two weeks. His family was hurt and his wolf wanted to hunt down those who had dared to call them prey.
HIs sister and sister in law where going to get themselves killed. The idea of telling his mother that he had lost yet another family member was a chilling and unbearable thought.
Darien slammed his way into the cabin, the old wooden door bounced off the wall, splintering in the middle.
"Tell me you are not stupid enough to summon a dark being," he snarled, feeling the canines in his mouth lengthen. He was happy to see the sudden enterance had gained him the attention of his two foolish relations. Both took a step back.
Wary of a grown males anger.
Unfortuantly it didn't last long. His sister willfully straightened her back but was smart enough to keep her eyes down cast to the side. With his temper near the boiling point it was probably not the move to make.
"We are finding a solution to our problem," Rae annouced with great authority. Darien wondered how much their mother would blame him if he was the one that actually choaked the life out of her in this dank space.
"Really?" he snarled in disbelief, his temper rising, the wolf inside howled to put the pup back in her place. He desperatly tried to hold on to control "Do you think I'm doing nothing Rae? Do you think I have spent the last month twidling my thumbs and finding joy in my rise to First Alpha with our brother gone." He stepped closer with each step, pinning her nose to nose as he glared at her. He could see the insist shame. "Maybe I'm not producing results fast enough for you, but summoning a Dark Being will get you killed or dragged into the Dark Relam like our dear brother." Just to drive the point home he added, "Tell me sister...do you wish to be raped, do you wish to be tortured. Do you want mother to cry at night more than she does and wonder what is happening to her son AND daughter."
Behind him he heard the sharp intake of breath. Part of him wanted to close his eyes in shame at making his brother's wife, Mina, more worried and panicked than she already was. But if this saved them both then he would send her realing towards insanity with a mightly push and deal with the outcome later.
Insanity was a deal-able family trait. A Dark Being's puppet was not.
He had failed to help his brother. He would not fail the rest of his family. Hell or highwater, Darien would keep them safe and hunt those who sought to harm his family.
Rae's shoulders slumped as tears brimmed in her dark eyes, "No...No I know you are doing what you can." She swallowed past the thick lump in her throat, "I just cannot sit idle and do nothing. I want him home. Safe. And like you I am trying to do everything in my power to do just that." She added stubbornly.
"But it is not your power Rae. It is Mina's. She will bear the mark for summoning the Dark Being. She will be marked for life as a target of weak will who can be manipulated by the Demons. Do you think that is what Malachite would want for his mate?" Darien demanded.
"You are right, he would hate every part of this," Mina said so softly behind him dread pooled in his stomach, "But he is mine too," she said fiearcely, "And I'll lie, cheat, and kill to get him back to me. He is my mate as much as I am his. In this matter Darien you have no say. If you cannot find him by your means, I will damn well do it the only way I know how."
With that he watched the last ingredient being added to her spell just as the air pulled tight on his skin. He could feel the power she called forth. His brother had taken no slouch as a mate. She packed quite a punch as the power whirled around the summonding circle.
Bracing himself he faced forward he urged his sisters behind him and readied for a fight.
Below him knelt the prettiest silver haired Demon he had ever seen.
For a few moments in time they simply stared at eachother.
88888888888888
"It worked," The black hair woman whispered in hushed astonishment to Serena's right.
"You DOUBTED me?" snapped the blond by the small alter. Serena managed to tear her eyes from the dark angel in front of her to focus on the blond witch. She was the current threat. It took alot of power to summon a Dark Being even if she was only a halfing. This witch was dangerous, even with her senses contained with in the summonding circle she would feel the waves of power that poured off the slim figure.
Craning her neck, Serena tried to take in her surrounding. Besides the alter it seemed like a normal...hunting...get away...cabin. A large bed covered in furs that sat in the corner seemed to dominate the one room wooden structure, leaving little room and walking space for a table, two chairs, and minimal kitchen equipment.
It was sort of a miracle that they managed to get a decent summoning circle in the cabin given the size.
After cataloging the possible weapons to use against her summoners she looked up. Chin raised as far as it could go in defiance she stared up at the dark hair angel in front of her and waited.
The blond witch stepped forward, edging her way around the large male who had placed himself firmly in front. To protect them from her? She didn't get far before she was firmly moved backward.
"I'm seeking information on a Lykan who was dragged against his will to The Below," she stated, her blue eyes drilled into her. Begging for answers. Nothing but innocents in their blue light.
For some reason Serena was immediatly annoyed. Her position in fate had never seemed more evident until that moment. Innocents stood outside the circle and here she was bound and tied to the floor by magic because the fates had decided she was evil and controllable by others. It was grossily unfair and made her tone snarky and short, "Well, I don't know any Lykans. Guess I'm not much use," she said, "So how you send me back to wench I came."
The blond frowned at her, "I summonded you here to give you an errand. To find information about the Lykan in question," her eyes took in Serena's small attempts to test the bonds of the circle, "I assure you that will hold you until I say otherwise. So save me the time enforcing the control I have over you and let us cut to the chase. I will provide with a name and need to know information. You will have three days to find me the information I desire."
Well she certainly sounded like a woman in control, Serena thought.
And to give credit where credit was due the witch had made a nice summoning ring that would hold her, but it lacked the symbols to cause pain.
Prehaps a White Witch who was bluffing?
Time to test the theory.
Serena pulled hard on the magic that bound her. From past experience she knew that while a tug might not loosen her, it could cause the circle to rippled and the summonder to panic. Sometimes they made the mistake of being to close and disrupting the ring. She wouldn't get that lucky this time. But she would see what the witch was made of.
Like always the ring rippled around her, the witch before her cried out, "Enough Demon!Test me and I will drill you in to submission to get what I want."
The angel next to her gaped at the witch as if he couldn't believe the person standing next to him.
"Do it!" Serena snarled angrily, pulling harder and harder on the magic. Under her wrists she felt the bonds that held her down lose their grip. The witch might be powerful enough to summon her but under stress she lacked the focus to control her completely within the circle. "Do you worst Witch," she taunted, "Make me wither in pain, force your will on me. Tell me when you already have me bound on my knees-who will be the monster? Me? Bound and never having laid eyes on you before? Or you? The witch who summonded and threatened me?"
The bonds on her wrist snapped Serena flew back and thudded the invisible barrier that kept her contained.
The three openly stared at her as she got to her feet. Chin held high she faced them all and glared over her nose in the most regal manner she could impose naked as she was.
The witch stomped forth, hands raised with malicious intent. Her blue eyes glittered in the candles while power seemed to push the air out of the room. "I warned you Demon," she placed her hands on the barrier that held her. Fear slitered up Serena's spine. The Witch was out for blood and currently held all card. She had called Serena's bluff.
Now to pay the price.
"Enough Mina," the Angel declared, his massive hand grasping the witch's wrist gently, "There is nothing fair in burning a bird in a cage. You have nothing more than that here."
"She is far more dangerous than any bird," spoke the black haired woman. Her gaze was direct as she sized Serena up. The Witch might play in summonings but the two others would be less dramatic in ripping her head from her shoulders.
"True," the Angel agreed. His head cocked slightly to the side as he examined her. Giving the impression of an over grown puppy looking to play. Serena was sure it other form was much more vicious than the puppy she pictured in her head though.
Not that she had much knowledge or dealings with Lykans. While very social within their packs they were solitary from many other beings from the Above or Below. They tended to feel others where untrust worthy and were often highly suspicious of magics.. Not a bad call to make. Serena had encounted plently suspect characters and magics.
Which made it all the more interesting that one had taken a witch for his own. If she remembered correctly, Lykans took a mate for life. Shacking up with a woman who could turn you to fish oil long before you shifted forms said alot about the missing males constituion.
The Witch snatched her hand from the Angel.
A resolute quite took over the din of the cabin. Since out right violence and pain had been taken off the menu they seemed to be at a lull on how to deal with her.
Serena spoke first, addressing the Angel, "I have no knowledge of any Lykans. I do not reside in the Below, so I am of no use to you or yours. Return me to my home and everyone walks away with no damage to the other." Hopefully he would be more resonable.
She wanted to go home. Back to the simple life she had carved for herself since they last being who had chained her. She was free now and she wasn't going back to being anyone's slave. Her life was nothing outstanding that was true. The only thing to go home to was a half dead plant she barely kept alive on the best of days and Netflixs.
Which she loved.
Now if she could find someone to try that Netflixs and Chill slogan out with maybe it would be better.
But past expierences had made her six shades of gun shy. The half dead potted plant was a safer bet.
The Angel remained silent as he slid closer to her cage. His eyes were calculating when he said, "You do not reside in the Below or you cannot get to the Below?"
Serena remained quite.
He seemed to consider it answer enough when he spoke nexts. His voice was soothing, "Tell me Demon what would you trade for gathering the information we want?" After all the damage was done. In for a penny in for a pound. Better he take the blight than his family.
Her eyes narrowed.
"YOU have nothing I desire," she spoke coldly, her body held stiff and poised.
Darien was entraced by her. This was not the slathering beast he was expecting or the slicked tougned devil he had been warned about. The silver haired woman held captive by them looked innocent and sweet. There was a remote sadness that reflected in her eyes and she held herself with stiff hard earned pride. Her skin was so pale it shimmered inthe candle light, etched on it were battle scars and a pair of twin short swords that crossed along her back, running the length of her spin and thin waist.
This was the prefect demon. A goddess who's body brought attention and breathless voice begged men to lose reason. She was his every danger...
But the wolf inside him paced back in forth urging to move in closer and scent her without the barrier between him. He had been locked on to the pale beauty since she appeared in the circle. A desperate need rode him hard to gather her close and sink his nose to her neck to breath her in.
His wolf was clearly a moron.
She was a Dark Being and they were souless in the pursuit of death and destruction.
He made a gamble in that moment, far more desperate for the return on his brother than he had ever let on, "I don't believe that for a moment. Everyone wants something. So for the sake of arguing lets move past the denials. What is it you want in order to get me want I need?" He growled the last part.
He waited.
Waited.
And waited.
Just when Darien thought she would refuse to answer again and the ill informed summonding had been for nothing, she wet her plump lips, her voice sounded hoarse when she anwered, "Freedom. I want my freedom."