Disclaim: The charas are not mine, they belong to Kim Harrison and her Hollow series. This is part fourteenth of my fic.

WARNING: Spoilers from "Black magic santion"
Pairing: Rachel / Al
Charas: Newt / Al / Dali / Ivy
Summary: Al is back to the living, and Rachel still wents berserk. Dali and Al travel the database to save the girl. But what does our insane ruler think about all this riot, and what exactly is she doing while the mens are away and what about her payment.

There you go. Please enjoy

A demoness awakens XIV: Females, fights, curses and marks

- Newt -
Al was back to the living. It must have been a really shitty day for him, first he got killed and as he came back alive, he had to face a mate's dying again. Somehow it made me grin, as I imagined the pain he would suffer from this. It was exquisite to bear witness to his helplessness. I told him Rachel should be mine, but he insisted on being her teacher, funny how some decisions are able to fuck you up the ass later, isn't it?
"Rachel!" The demon screamed, which was annoying the hell out of me, since I was getting a headache. He reached for a line, that idiot. A demon resurrected had a period of 12 hours in which he was forbidden to mess with the lines. This rule existed for a reason.

Al twitched violent and was clearly feeling like one of his familiars in training.
'Not very comfortable to get your own chi overflowed, isn't it.' I was grinning the second time in almost a minute.
It looked like coming here had been the right decision after all, since it was funny as hell, and it was somehow a relief that no one was bitching about my holding a circle around them. No one was afraid of me and my craziness.
I trusted Al to ditch the line fast, after he got his chi burnt, but obviously I had been wrong, since he did the total opposite, he tried to commune with it.
That couldn't be true, Al was old and normally he wasn't making such stupid rookie mistakes. The ever after which his mind wasn't able to store overflowed him and pooled at his feet, taking parts of his aura with him.
If he wouldn't stop himself, he would be dying all over again. Great, this time Dali wouldn't be able to bring him back.

"Newt can you hold the circle please, I have to teach him something."
My eyes aligned themselves on Dali, glowing in their blackness. Was he kidding me? I was holding a circle against a child, even this half broken one wouldn't fall as long as I was recreating its fallen parts again before the bubble vanished. I was about to gut him right there and then, but a curse hit the surface of my circle, almost downing it in its wake.
Damn it, this was nothing to be taken lightly, I had to concentrate my mind on the circle, unless I wanted her to blast my toys to hell. I would take my revenge on Dali for his impertinence later and in form of a few marks owned.
I didn't knew what Dali had in mind to save both of them, but I clearly wasn't letting Al out of my hands. He would be owning me too. He just had to bear witness to what his own stupidity triggered. I touched his shoulder and drained the line from him; the additional energy went straight to the outline of my circle.

Dali sat cross-legged on the floor, Al in front of him, a strange mirror right between them. I tried to remember the almost blue linings on it, but came away with nothing.
This was unusually, since my memory of charms was normally flawless. Oh no, my illness wasn't spreading to this part of me too, was it?
"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!"
The old demon briefed Al in on the curse, showing him the gestics to work it.
Interesting, there exists a curse to travel by mind, without an auras protection, and without hours to spend in the kitchen? Damn, I wanted to get my hands on it.
The two males were babbling which made me lose interest, and sigh in annoyment. A ripple of energy went right to my core, almost taking me off my feet and worse almost making me drop the line and the circle. I gritted my teeth and realigned the flowed of ever after to make a stable connection again.

"Hurry the fuck up!" I hissed at them. Why were it always males who fucked up important situations like this by unnecessary talk activeness. On the other hand they said, women would be prattling too much, assholes.
"I swear to kill the demon giving this child access to the database", I growled, was ignored by both of them. Well, sure, of course, if men went all babbling on you, they tent to ignore all cogitative people around them. I snarled again as the next spell hit my protection circle, this time it was more difficult to hold the shield tight.
I sensed both demons leaving their bodies behind, but I had my hands full with the former witch, redirecting the flowed of the line so the curses never broke through.
If that child would give me the time to utter one myself I would teach her how stupid it was to mess with Newt, but the girl wasn't giving me a second off.
The moment a curse left her grasp she began to utter the next, all that was left for me to do was defending or fleeing.

And if I made the decision to run, both demons within my circle would be death. Not that I couldn't live without Al, but Dali on the other hand would be difficult to replace, since he was the courts boss. To complicate matters, if I ran from another demon, female or not, database or not, I would be branded as weak and would never see the end of it, maybe the other demons would team up against their insane ruler, and finish me off.
The next curse hit, I wobbled and reset the part which had fallen. This was going to end badly, my forehead was covered in sweat, and my breath was coming fast.
A joist of wood dropped from the ceiling and plumped against my protection bubble, almost making me stumble into my own barrier.
Good for the three of us that I wasn't all that clumsy, I avoided downing my own circle but I ended up on my ass. The next charm invaded the barrier, slashing through my aura and made me cry out. The circle was still in existence.

What in hells name was that chick using, I didn't know that one. How deep inside the database was she. Damn, if I wanted to stand a change against her, I would have to touch it as well. Images of memories flowed through my mind, green eyes watching me, furious. I was the last one of us still standing and power was seeping from my fingers, strange thoughts invading my own, teaching me what to do with it.
I shook my head, fuck me over, why was my memory choosing the worsts of timing to come back, there was no time for it now; I was in the middle of a fight.

The next curse hit. This time the circle almost fell, since I started to fell light-headed. Damn, I was a female as well, and I had more knowledge of our arts than Rachel, I ought to do something. Screw Dali and his don't-kill-Rachel-policy, I wasn't gonna end up getting killed by a little kid. I gave myself a bit more to the line, my blood singing with its answer, Rachel was spelling again, but this time I was doing the same, willing a reflection curse unto the circle. She might hit the circle with what the fuck ever, but my bubble would reflect it, since it was a sphere and not a wall it would do damage somewhere else and absolute at random, if I was lucky it would strike right back into her face. If not, well everyone already knew I was insane, and I was not a citizen on this side of the lines. If Rachel wanted to blast her neighbors all to hell, it was fine with me.

She had a ball of black ever after in her hand and threw it at my own curse, I braced myself for the impact and the whole church was shocked by an explosion. The floor jumped at least 10 inches. Rachel almost collided with her own circle, which lay behind her. She snarled at me and made me grin.
"Don't forget who I am." I said and flipped her the bird. One gesture I had observed from other demons, which went this side of the lines more often.
The situations they tend to use it in made me guess that it was an insult of some kind. She hissed again and felt silent. My eyes shifted to the two demons in my circle, while I got to my feet. My barrier was still intact, and I was pissed, so there was my moment, the one I had been waiting for, the perfect timing for a counter attack. I began to utter a spell, and Rachel wasn't reacting anymore, it seemed the little seer and his son had found the girl inside the database. Without its knowledge she would be nothing, and as long as she was busy inside of it, I could do pretty much anything to her.

My lips formed a grin which was able to make grown demons run for their mommies, and changed my curse to an aura destruction spell. If I hit her with it, she would be without the line, and almost without an aura, which meant easy prey for the next thing I had in mind.
She staggered the moment I had the spell ready, I saw the darkness giving way and she was about to fall on her face. The database wasn't fused with her anymore, relieve flowed through me, she was back to easy prey. I didn't needed the destruction spell anymore, but I would hurl it at her anyway, and if only to show that I still had fangs.
For this I just had to drop the line, letting my circle disspell itself and chuck it at her. About to do so, a shove from behind made me run right into my own barrier. The backslash of ever after seared through my mind and I cried out, taken off guard by its force.
It wouldn't have been such a bad effect hadn't my own destruction spell not hit my aura in form of the circle. Fuck. I dropped to my knees and let go of the line instantaneous, panting in pain.

Dali was on his feet right next to me, looking me over like he just had as bad a day as I.
"This was a stupid thing to do, Newt." He said disapprovingly.
"Did you just made me curse myself, Dali?" I growled at him.
"Would never think about it," the other demon was grinning at me with menace.
"You're without an aura Newt, how would you call that, ah yes 'Easy prey'." This so absolutely wasn't good. Dali had hated me for ages, but never lifted a finger to hurt me physical, would this change with me defenseless at his feet?
My whole body hurted like hell but I was getting to my feet nevertheless, if he was about to finish me off, I would not die without a struggle, and with as much pride intact as possible.
"Don't you dare, without me; you would have been death thrice over, same goes for your son. You own me for it. Big time." If he was going for my throat now, I would need a resurrection as well.
"And what are we owning you Newt, what exactly is the price you will demand?"

That wasn't exactly sounding like he wanted me dead at all. I let my eyes shift over the situation. Rachel's circle was down, two walls of the church were missing, half the ceiling was non-existing anymore. A vampire as white as fresh snow starred at a bubble of black ever after, I recognized it as Rachel's. My mind made a quick calculation and my eyes moved back to Dali.
"Al hustled me into my circle, didn't he?" The other demon shrugged and refused to reply.
Though he didn't need to, it was making perfect sense. Al seeing his mate about to smash her face in, me short of probably killing her, of course he would act like that.
But logic was never able to stop me from being pissed at anyone.
"So, for the payment, Dali you insulted me a great deal as you suggested I couldn't hold a circle against that child. And you made me protect you. This makes two marks for you."
"For the vampire, she has killed a demon. I demand her soul as a gift."
"Not done so, she is Rachel's by right of the demon courts."
"Ah, yes I almost forgot, Rachel of course. She attacked me, she made me curse myself, she tapped into the database without permission, and almost killed us all with that little stunt. Her souls will be mine." Now was finally the time I would get my hands on the last other remaining female, ensuring my status as their queen.

Dali said nothing about this, he either saw no chance to alter my demand, or he had a pretty good plan which he didn't want to spoil before I was done with my mark-allocation.
Knowing the other demon, I was betting on the later.
"Your son, got himself killed, which makes on mark for stupidities reasons. He made me protect his dead and living ass, which earned him the second mark. And last but not least he shoved me through my circle, which made me absorbing my own curse. This makes three in total. His soul is mine, too. And since that bitch is Rachel's possession, she will be mine too."
I had everyone where I want them to be, if I could make it back home alive, that is. The ever after would pull me back at sunup, and I was pretty sure my aura wouldn't survive the trip. Also dear Dali could decide to turn on me, and rip my fucking throat out.
He smiled at me like I had just offered him his favorite cake; a cringing sensation flowed through me. Dali and a smile like this was a big invitation for trouble.

"I buy all their marks." I eyed him over like he was even more insane than myself, and THAT was not an easy stunt to pull.
"You can buy only one, since you will bear already two marks of mine. And than your soul would be mine as well, do you want to be mine Dali. Oh… terrific you as my new familiar, wouldn't this be enchanting." I was rubbing my hands; this thought was even able to create a surge of lust, with a force I had never experienced up till now. I licked my lips.
Dali looked at me with an expression of slightest worry, but he banished it from his eyes pretty fast.
"No, I buy them all, don't you want to know what I have to offer as an exchange-object."
There was absolutely nothing in the two worlds what was worth 11 marks at once.
"There is nothing in the two worlds what's worth 8 or even 11 marks at once, Dali. But I accept you offer to buy one of Algaliarept's marks." I grinned at him, he would be mine, and I would make him my familiar.

Alone the thought made me hot all over, his skills in the arts were unique and it would spare me the act of killing him. I had longed to possess him, since he was pissing me off on each given opportunity, but he was so abiding to the rules, that I never had a chance.
His gaze went even more worried, but I was absolutely sure it wasn't the three marks he owned me now. There was something else in that look and I wasn't able to identify it, which made me frustrated and angry.
"So do you want to know what I'm willingly trading for 11 marks?"
"So tell me then, my new toy." I licked my lips again; a new flash of hotness run through me. Damn, was I lusting after Dali?
'Newt you must be more damaged in the head than usual.' I told myself, and tried to get rid of that now repulsive feeling. But it proved itself stubborn, fuck!
If I fell into heat, I was done for, so might be all of demon-kin, since there was no one alive anymore, which I trusted to equal my strength. Maybe Dali could.
'STOP IT, NEWT!' I reached for the line to invoke the curse lying dormant for occasions like that, and got my chi burnt. I screamed with its force and dropped it.

"Newt don't be silly, you can't make the marks in your condition. Not without doing a bargain first, anyway." Dali reminded me, if he would only have the slightest idea, what was about to go south next.
"Not the marks, you idiot, they can wait. This one can not, invoke my curse."
He bent down to me, carrying his scent with him, which hit me in the gut just hard enough to desire it, fuck. I muted something between good swearing and a moan.
Dali sniffed my purple coat and draw back from me.
"Newt… you smell like …" For the first time in my whole life, Dali sounded completely horrified. Maybe he was thinking about were this could end, or he came to a conclusion he didn't like.
"Don't say it. The day has been bad enough, without it. The invocation is 'desineri libido, accube mutate', this or you give me an aura to do it myself. You could also provide your own, but you rather not try that."
He wasn't reacting and his dilated eyes were showing the effects my hormones were having on him, which in turn made me feel hotter.
"Dali, do it. The curse I mean, do it. Before it is too late and we are going to regret it."
I felt a drop in the line and he said the words, which activated the charm to calm ones lust.

It was like a bucket of ice water, and it sent a chill down to the bones, but it left me panting with relieve.
"Fuck that was a close call." I was curious if Dali would demand a mark for his help, but he wasn't saying so. He probably saw us both even on this one, since he wanted it even less than me.
"I didn't like that; you didn't do that on purpose, did you?"
"No, of course not, back to the deal." I wasn't willing to speak about my preferences in men, and even less after this little performance, so I turned back to the business at hand.
He had no curse to dim his lust, but he got himself under control after a few seconds, which was good. I had two more off them inside of me, but if he would went all male on me, and pushes his luck, we would be done for.
Instead he smiled like the menace little judge he was and said.
"What would you pay me to get your memories back?"

I gazed at him, bewildered, wordless and a bit shocked, the little truth about me and his pull was totally forgotten.
"11 marks for as much of your past as you can stand, plus my protection on the journey."
"Where did you get my memories from?" It was an exquisite exchange, that bastard, he had known this was the only thing I would do almost everything for, including 11 marks, even including the freedom of his two demon-relatives.
"You're seeing this robe, don't you? I have been a seer for longer than you're alive, Newt. I don't have to possess your memories, they lay buried in the flux of time, as a seer I can access them and bring them back alive. You will have to travel with me by mind, as Algaliarept just did. This is the reason why you will need my protection, even though I can't protect you from the damage the past will inflict on you."
"The past can damage one?"
"Our past is not a light one Newt, and I need at least three days to get my own things straight, I can not be your guardian on a journey while trapped in my own affairs."
I looked him over, not quite sure what I should think about his offer. Did he knew he would need my past as an exchange object for his son and daughter in law? It would at least explain why he was suggesting to give it back now, damn seer.

I scratched my dome and thought about it, tried to withstand the pull that knowledge had on me, and lost the fight.
"Deal, 10 marks for the past and one to get me home save, and keeping me save until I have a functioning aura again." He grinned like he had just won the lottery, clapping his hands he turned to the vampireness. I was pretty sure this wouldn't be good for the little pair of demons in their bubble either way, now they weren't owning me anything anymore, but Dali could be as bad a person to own marks to as myself.
I wasn't sure what his catch in this was, but even as the insane woman I was, he predicted me and already made his deal with them. Maybe while they were trapped in the database.
The fiery demon walked over to the still starring vampire, which to say it the nice way, looked like she had lost her mind. With a well calculated pull he hurled her to her feet.
She wasn't standing on her own, which drove Dali to the compulsive act to hold her upright. I was licking my lips, this ought to get interesting, so I walked over to them.

The girl was ignoring him completely, of course he didn't liked that fact much, and he gave her a slap in the face. It made a loud sound and the living vamps eyes turned from the bubble to Dali, only now figuring out that she had an angry demon right in front of her to deal with and a looot of problems.
"Ivy Alisha Tamwood, for keeping you alive you will bear my mark."
"You didn't kept me alive; it was … her circle, trapping me."
"I was the one who brought back Algaliarept, and the one drawing Rachel's attention from you until he was able to reach her. If I had come two minutes later, you would have been death. And if it wouldn't be for the little ones sanity I would kill you right now, but as it is, you're her problem."

She looked at Dali with a big question mark over her head.
"You killed a demon; this makes you the possession of the murdered one, which is Al, his mate, which is Rachel or the courts." At the last word he pointed at himself, showing big white teeth with a little fang on them. I wasn't quite sure if he always had them, or just let them appear for show.
"Well, Rachel made use off her rights; your soul belongs to her. So by the laws of the demon society you're hers to take care of. If she take you to the ever after, or leave you here is also her decision. Let me give you a nice piece of advice … for free. Don't kill any demon ever again, and especially not a mated one. You almost fucked both of our worlds to oblivion with it. Look at your nice little church; I hope this demonstration was sufficient enough. In any case you should ask Al for a brief-in on demon instincts, before you cause the next mayhem. Also I would suggest you apologize for killing him, he might make it less expensive this way."
The vampire was slowly getting angry, if the black eyes were any indication for her mood.

Dali reached for her chest and draw a bloody line, jerking her finally completely awake. She lifted her hand and slapped our court leader right on the cheek, which made him laugh out loud and dark.
He got right into her face, pressing her to the rest of the wall she was standing in front of.
"Not afraid of demons, I see little vampireness. I like that. May I ask Rachel for a night with you?" His grin was old school scaring, he licked his own lips and reminded my of the way he had affected my a few minutes ago. I shook my head.
Ivy was pushing at his chest but it wouldn't get a horny male off ones back, there were only a few things able to do that, and physical strength was none of them, since it was their domain. He touched the part of her chest which was meant to be spelled into his mark with his fingers and sent a bold of line through it, invoking it.

"Get the fuck away from me; I don't want a freaking demon-mark!"
He licked his fingers clean, displaying an utter facial expression of bliss; even I wasn't sure if he truly felt that way, or if he was just doing it to tick off that Ivy. A slightest pull of jealousy went through me and was gone the moment I noticed it.
"Well, too late I would say my little Miss fangs. If you want to pay that one off ..." He pointed at the bloody circle bisected by one slash of blood.
"… give me a call. I run by the name of Dallkarackint."
The demon turned back to me, offering me his arm.
"May we leave the children to there own games now?" He was as pleased as a cat, and as far as I knew the vampire was the first mortal to receive his summoningname.
I grinned in return, and took his arm, and off we went.

Hi there, I never thought I would end up with writing a whole chapter out of Newts view. She wasn't all that crazy in it, maybe because she had something to focus her thoughts onto, something she wasn't able to forget so fast, since it was annoying.

What are Rachel and Al doing in their circle, and how is Ivy taking all that.