A demoness awakens XII
Disclaim: The charas are not mine, they belong to Kim Harrison and her Hollow series. This is part twelve of my fic.
WARNING: Spoilers from "Black magic santion"
Pairing: Rachel / Al
Charas: Al / Dali / Rachel / Kila / Newt
Summary: Dali takes his son on a journey into the database. Al finds Rachel but loses Dali on the way. Dali has a secret laying in the depths of the database, and he need to use it to find them both, and the price is paid in pain.
Please enjoy
A demoness awakens XII: The database
- Al -
Slowly I felt whole again, I began to sense the lines outside my mind and tried to pick one. I wanted to get my body back. This was the moment I became aware of the foreign bubble protecting my thoughts. What had happened?
The next piece of me slipped trough the bubble and joined my incomplete self. There was only one time when a demon ended up shattered between the two worlds, when he died.
So I was dead again, Dali was about to be pissed shitless, I knew it.
I accepted the next piece of me what slipped through the other demons barrier and tried to identify the one bringing me back alive.
And there it was the ashy taste of burned paper, which was my father's taste of soul, Dali. Oh thank you, this ought to get pretty good.
His grasp shifted and pulled us out of the lines, I sensed the cells of his body surrounding me, it was an excellent moment to steal another demons soul, but somehow I trusted Dali not to keep it. And there came the vortex of energy, creating a thread to my body, his bubble broke and our memories mixed.
Realigning my will I created my own sphere of protection, there are memories you don't want to share. I sensed his approval on my reaction and a painful shock shifted trough my whole being, pain enclosed me and I felt like I was weighing a thousand tons.
Slowly all the other wits came back alive, first was the sense of touch, than smell, taste, and hearing. I became aware of a multiple-frequency singing in the lines, two demons were using its full potential.
One tasted like roses and the other of broken glass. Rachel and Newt, oh that wasn't good. I tried to wake up faster, but once pulled back alive the body needed its time.
I had to wait.
A few seconds what appeared to be hours past by and I was able to control my limbs again, I sat up and opened my eyes.
"What happened?" I asked, more to test my vocal cords, than truly hunting for information.
My vision was clearing slowly.
"Your mate is going rambo with curses from the database, you should probably do something. But if you can help it, don't get yourself killed another time. I'm tired of reanimating you."
Oh and there it was the bitter irony of his accusation, I was about to utter a response, but something stopped me.
First we were enclosed by a circle which Newt was holding, wonder over wonder, and better not ask what this was going to cost, second what were these ridiculous clothes on my father.
I was getting to my feet.
"Dali? Newt? What's with these clothes?" Just too curious about it, they looked pretty formal, but the knowledge what they might mean was lost to me. A detonation threw me back on my ass. Oh thank you, like I wasn't hurting enough already.
A painful blow went through my, rasping my aura and soul, the connection with my mate sprang back alive. Pain filtered through my whole being. I gasped, oh shit!
I knew that sort of pain, had experienced it myself once, she thought I was dead.
"Rachel ...," I touched the inline of Newts circle, it burned my skin, but the pain was nothing noticeable anymore, taking in the view of my furious mate, feeling her pain and panic.
She was losing herself fast, I had to safe her, I would not suffer my worst nightmare a second time. For a second everything went black and my nose hurted like hell. Someone had bashed my into Newts circle. I growled at him.
"Do something and do it NOW." He hissed at me. Hell, I would be doing something if I knew what exactly I was supposed to do.
"Rachel!" I tapped a line, gritting my teeth at the almost unbearable pain, which was caused by a too thin aura. Fuck it all to the Turn and back, I was helpless, and I could not afford to lose her. I had to reach Rachel, no matter the cost. If I would be able to commune with the same line as she was I might be able to reach her soul. I opened myself more to it and whined at the influx, my fucking chi wasn't able to hold the energy, it spilled outside my body and pooled around my feet as golden light.
I cursed colourful in utter despair. Someone touched my shoulder and drained the line from me.
'What the hell,' it left me blinking down at Dali, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor now.
"Sit down! You will never reach her this way... "
'You don't have to tell me old man I knew it isn't working, but thanks for reminding me anyway'
"... You have to travel by mind."
"Travel by mind? How's that?" I didn't even knew that was possible, okay given the right curse it was, but without it? Without a proper auras protection, I didn't dare to use it.
He snapped his fingers and a mirror appeared in his fingers, my eyes scanning the glyphs on it. I frowned since I wasn't able to remember the curse coming with those.
"Sit and touch the glass, mirror my gestures and I mean mirror them, not just doing the same thing. While you do this tap the line. And when I take your mind with me don't resist no matter what. Done wrong this can kill a demon. Do you get that!"
I looked him over like he had sprouted a second head.
"Äh... Dali?" I was going to ask about the curse, about the mirror and about my damaged aura. Hell he was a demon as well; he ought to know that spelling without a proper aura was suicidal. He cut me short.
"Do you get that?" I gritted my teeth, he brought me back just now, it would be outright insane to kill me so soon afterwards. And for all I knew Newt, by the way, standing right behind me, was the only insane demon. So I had to simply trust Dali, which wasn't an easy task for any of us. I would have felt better if he had demanded a mark as payment.
A new wave of soul-crippling pain flowed from Rachel to me. Fuck, screw the results of that, I was running out of time
"Yes." I was nervous as hell, but whatever Dali had in mind, I would go for it, totally his at the moment.
"Hurry the fuck up!" Came it hissing from Newt, which was facing her circles flux, redirecting ever after with economical aptitude.
"I swear to kill the demon giving this child access to the database", she growled, was ignored by both of us. Dali was showing me the gestures of the unknown curse.
I must have been utterly brain-death, because as he tapped a line I mirrored his actions and formed the symbols with him. I didn't know shit about that spell, dipshit's mistake the second. A personal record, Rachel's missing ability to make decent choices seemed to be catching. Thanks a lot; I knew a bond with her would be a very bad idea.
We both touched the glass in union, the pretty uncomfortable felling of the line inside of me exploded to a white painful flash, and than there was nothing.
I felt a pull at my soul, it tasted like ash, remembering his words I resists the urge to build up resistance and let him move me forward.
My percipience expanded to more than one plane, Newt's and Rachel's aura were visible all of a sudden, the colours were messed up.
I felt Dali's tender touch all around me, but I saw his body, and mine sitting on the floor. Damn that was a strange feeling.
'Al concentrate on your mate, concentrate on the ribbon tying both of you together. Follow its directions. We need to find her quick.'
'Dali what is this?'
'Do what I tell you to, ask me questions later.'
I growled at him in disagreement, but did what he ordered nevertheless.
My minds eyes took in Rachel's fine figure, her aura bound by dark tentacles.
'What's with that extension?'
'This is the connection to the database'
'She hasn't been teached how to access it. Why can she do it anyway?'
'Maybe it's due to her good instincts, or maybe she is using your knowledge.'
'She hasn't been teached that either.' Good instincts my ass, she was frying her brains dead.
'What now?' I asked and Dali moved us to Rachel. Movement in this state of existence was something utterly strange.
'Touch her soul; let yourself be pulled by its force. It will show your were you mate has gone to.' I shrugged, which weren't existing in this plane, again that was abnormal, and then I touched Rachel.
Reaching right through her shell and the moment I sensed the energy of her soul touching mine the surroundings disappeared in a swirl of colours. Damn, I was going to be sick.
It was pulling me in and I tried to free myself of its influence, only to get kicked by Dali.
The swirling disorder of colours stabilized slowly, glowing glyphs flowed all around us. Some off them were arranged in small assembly lines, others roamed free, pictures of grey events interrupted the view, showing parts of demonic history.
A band of glyphs got touched by a golden thread polluted by blackness, a picture of two demon females fighting flashed alive and was gone before I could make sense of it. The thread wrapped itself around the band and the glyphs vanished, leaving more darkness on the golden fibre.
Without thinking I touched the thread and was disintegrated for an almost unnoticeable amount of time. Knowledge of spells I learned a long time ago filtered through my awareness. Than I sensed a touch on my memory as well, something invaded it and tried to pull knowledge from me. With a growl I slapped the impolite intruder, having it shrinking back from me. The moment I touched it I got a picture, it was one of a sun lighted kitchen and nice smelling cookies. Even without the aftertaste of roses I would have recognized the kitchen.
'Rachel?' I asked warily. 'Is that you?' Hell, I wasn't sure.
The energy of the stranger held still for a moment, swirling around me with uneasiness.
'Al it's you?' Good, at least she was able to identify me.
'Yes.'
'You're dead!' She sounded, if that was the right description for it, crestfallen.
'I was. Dali brought me back alive.' I tried to sense my father and came away with nothing. Concern sprouted through me, how was I suppose to find my way back alone?
'Back alive? You demons have a curse to bring back a dead one?' Astonishment seeped from her, making me grin in some way, enfolding her essence, unlimited relief flashed through me.
I wouldn't lose her anymore; she was here in my arms.
'Rachel dove, we are demons, of course there exists a curse to bring back our deads. We have curses for almost everything. Now be a dear and stop killing yourself, okay?'
'Killing myself? I'm not killing myself.' It sounded like I told her the sky had just flashed pink.
'Yes you are, Rachel didn't you realized that you have no body here?' She paused a moment, worry came almost directly afterwards.
'No, are you telling me I'm dead too?'
'Would I ask to stop killing yourself if you were?' Sometimes that witch was a total idiot, being my mate or not, sometimes she simply was.
'Äh... don't think so, and stop talking to me like I'm being stupid.' I refrain from answering that one.
'So where are we then?'
'This is the magical storage of the demons database.' So now I had a very good question on my own, where did I know that from? Not my own knowledge, was the database feeding me input?
'Äh ... Al how did we get here?' I shrug.
'For my part, I was taken here by Dali.'
'Dali ...' she looked shocked somehow 'what does he want as payment'
'Don't know yet, we haven't bargain till now.'
'Stupid ass of a demon.' She almost said the same thing, I was thinking before letting him take me here, funny isn't it.
'That's my line.'
- Dali -
I had no difficulties to take his mind with me. Even the perception of a seer didn't make him reach back for his body, which was a good thing. I moved us to Rachel's body, telling him to touch her soul. Of course he wanted to know why, but time was running even on this plane, so I told him not to waste it. He obviously hated it all, but did it anyway.
Al was pulled forward, and resisted for the first time; he had to do this now, so I shoved him through the last barrier. The connection took both of us, catapulted us right into the depths of the database.
I needed time to parse the swimming symbols of the curses around us. Most of them weren't unknown to me. Al on the other hand wasn't able to read the runes, yet.
It was not impossible to learn it right here and now, anything he had to do was touch one glyph to assimilate its meaning. But I would bitch-slap him a good one, I didn't needed another uncontrolled lost demon on my ass.
A thread of Rachel's soul found an amplifier curse right next too us, she chose to take it after she bared witness to its use. Her soul blackened with it, a bit more of her self lost to the database.
According to the blackness on it, she wasn't beyond saving for the time being. Before I could do anything Al stretched his awareness to her souls wire and was ripped from my embrace, leaving me alone without a clue how to find them both now.
Of course their bound was stronger than my bloods connection with him. I should have thought about that before, swearing on my own stupidity I searched through my memory how to deal with the new situation best.
An image hit me, one of my past doings, a woman dying in my arms. With it came the long lost sparkle of another's soul in me, the dormant bond flashed alive with fire.
I screamed; that was the reason why I had avoided the touch of the database for so long. Pictures of a long haired female surrounded me. Kila in the sun, her wavy puce hair flying in the wind, her full lips on mine, her hand slapping my face accusing me of betrayal.
Everything was coming back to me; yes this was my final day of reckoning.
'Kila?' I asked, pain filtering through my, I knew I could touch her again, embrace her again, all I had to do was summon my mates memories out of the database. It wouldn't be her though, I wasn't able to store all of her being into the database the moment she was fighting off Newt and died. It would hurt like hell to bear that empty touch, feeling it like it was true, and knowing the same moment that it could never happen again.
A scream of pure agony slipped me and tears formed inside my soul. I couldn't afford to lose my son and his mate. No demon could. I had been running for so long, almost my whole life, and nothing good came from it, I was so tired.
The wheel of stars had brought me here to face my past, had removed all other possibilities in my reach, and left me to deal with the aftermath.
'Dallkarackint, you knew your responsibilities the moment you joint the order. Do it, do it now!' I screamed mentally at me, closed of my sense of view in this dimension and willed myself open to the databases whole touch.
For a moment there was the welcome utter joy of a seer's full power, but it never lasted long after Kila's death.
'Kilatanijela, for your touch I long, hear my dearest of dear, I summon you to my arms, follow our bond and be one with me again.' I sensed the pull of the soul magic I evoked and knew I would regret it.
Energy was shifting; a presence formed itself out of the databases memories, parts of her soul fused together, making my longing unbearable.
'Dallkarackint, were have you been the whole time.' She was hurt, and she was also sensing my despair. Last time I touched her memory I had to explain her death in all details. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do it again.
'I'm sorry for leaving you behind, but I couldn't face the pain off losing you.'
She felt blank for a second.
'Yes, I'm dead, I remember. So if you haven't come for me, or to store yourself here, why touching the rest of my essence?' Good thing she remembered our last talk, which had almost killed me for good.
'Our son has mated and was killed a few minutes ago. I pulled him back, but his mate has lost it and fussed with the database. She is trying to down Newts circle, which is protecting mine and Al's body. I lost him as he touched a part of his mates soul. I need your help to find those two.' Yes I longed to be done with it, the more time I spent with her aura touching me; the more unwilling I would be to leave her again.
'You brought Algaliarept's soul into the database.' Kila eyed me over clearly not amused about it.
'I knew that rules weren't you stronghold Dali, but this is dangerous. He has not the same education as you. He will get lost.'
'No he hasn't. But he is the only one who could persuade Rachel that he is still alive.'
'Rachel, that's her name? Mh, never heard of her. Wait you said Newt was the only female left, how can he forge a bond with one?'
'Long story, Rachel is from the witches, the elves repaired what they destroyed, and somehow she was able to bond them like a demoness. If she turns insane as Newt did, our kin is done for real this time.' I forced myself on the facts, trying not to thing about Kila and my forthcoming leave.
'So you're basically saying you want me to save them both, and all those traitors. Newt is still alive; you didn't took revenge for me.' She accused.
'No I didn't, she was the only one left, and no matter how small the hope, our people needed that, beside killing her would have lead to my own death.'
'Coward, it would have been your responsibility as my mate to punish her for killing me.'
'I told you the moment you took me as your mate that I'm a seer and the weal of our kin comes before anything else. There was a reason why they forbidden the bonds for members of the order.'
'Always the same thing, you were forbidden to store me as well and you did it anyway.'
'I love you, and I loved you back then, I couldn't just stand by and watch her killing you. I had to do something, and it was the only thing possible for me.' My soul wailed and I felt like I wasn't able to do anything right at all.
'Kila, will you now after you broke me down, help me save our son and his mate?' I asked with almost no hope left anymore. She sensed it and embraced me, which made it somehow better and all the more worse. I cried aloud with all the pain.
She released me.
'Sorry about that Dali and yes I will.' My mate stretched her being through the database and a thread came alight.
'Follow the thread, save my son, save his mate. Go and leave me with my loneliness.'
It sounded so bitter that I almost didn't reached for the twine; I sensed her pain sliding over my soul.
'I'm sorry, Kilatanijela I will find a way to bring you back alive. I have violated so many laws one more does not make a difference anymore.' I tried not to look back at her, because I knew I would never be able to leave then. In silence I touched the thread and was gone.
'Farewell, Dallkarackint.' And her presence dissolved into the normal humming of the database, my bond lay dormant again. But the pain remained like a gift.
Here is the next part of the fanfiction.
Rachel is in deep shit, even deeper than usuall, and two demons are riding to her rescue.
It's working out, but each one will have to pay a high price for it. Do never forget, demons do nothing for free. Please speculate about it, I'm curious about your ideas ^^.
I like the part of Dali's past very much, and if I find the time there will be a side-fic about it.
