Disclaimer: KH owns the most of the characters and the Hollows. I just want to let you know how I would like the story to end.
Notes: I'm setting this after WWBC. I will add some characters of my own. Well, now we go to see who the summoner is. We still have a long journey ahead. If I suck, well, tell me kindly, please.
This is RaVy all over the place, so you've been warned.
Thanks for the reviews, and for the delay on this one I apologize, my muse seemed to want some vacation and deserted me for a while. I will try to update sooner, but I can't make any promises, my ideas are flowing too slowly lately.
Gracias, exkalita, por tus comentarios. Voy a tratar de actualizar pronto, pero no puedo hacer promesas, esto está saliendo mucho más lentamente que en un principio. Pero te aseguro que voy a terminar esta historia.
Once more, my gratitude to Natasha, she took the time to check my spelling and my confusing way to say the things. Any mistakes still remaining are entirely my fault.
CHAPTER 25
Traveling the lines was never pleasant, but traveling forced by magic was even worst. I managed to calm down in the few seconds I had. I knew Ivy would do anything to convince my mother to summon me back. I didn't know who was summoning me. And I had a surprise or two in my sleeve. So I decided to go misty as soon as I arrived into a dark room. Not allowing my summoner to know I was already there.
This time, I could feel the spell working. It was so natural and fast to cast it. It was almost an unconscious reflex I had inherited from Barcharolloael and I turned into that gaseous state with my sole wish to do it; that was the reason I almost forgot it was a spell demons used to be safe. I was inside a circle, in a big room. There was a table littered with things to do use in spell casting. Looking around the room slowly I saw two figures standing off to each side. They were Natalie's twin witches, I felt angry. I had told Natalie I would do my best to help Skimmer. Why in the Turn she made her witches do a summoning of the demon who cursed her favorite child?
I recognized the gauze I had given to Skimmer to stop the bleeding when she took the blood sample. Of course, the tainted gauze had the same contaminated blood. Now I was sure. Barcharolloael was the one making the curse for Borgia, and he had a claim on Skimmer's soul. Or have I the claim? The front of my mind wondered annoyingly- No time to divagate now, Morgan, focus! The back of my mind chastised me right away.
Ok, this is the situation: they are calling the demon making the curse on Skimmer. And I knew the demon itself, and I have his remains inside me. I can take his form. It was the best thing to do in this situation. I found the way to turn into Barcharolloael. It must be very close to sunrise. I wouldn't disappear with the sun. I wasn't a demon, and that would blow my cover. I had to think and think quickly. Maybe if I refuse any offer? I decided to go solid, and when I formed my copy of the demon's form; another demon appeared just besides me.
"Rollo! Where have you been?" he exclaimed with a frown. I scowled at him and turned to see the twin witches. The new demon did the same. "Ah, the Conner sisters, Isabella Marie Conner, Melissa Katharine Conner, you are playing with fire!" he transformed into an elegant but mean old lady. Both witches trembled. "I still have the soul of your grandmother." he cackled.
I could learn by the haunting mockery of the demon towards them that their grandmother used the demon to marry a witch heir, and then to kill him when he left as the curse wore out. After that, she used him again to arrange the twin's mother marriage to another witchy heir. "And for what did I forfeit my soul? For you two to become shadows of a vamp!" the demon reproached the witches, still in the form of their grandmother.
"Enough, Zarthimeatreal!" at last Melissa, the stronger one, gathered herself to command. "You two have put a curse upon Dorothy Claymor." She said coldly
"Ah! Business." the demon changed from the grandmother to a modern playboy, in an Armani suit, sunglasses, short blond hair, and attractive features. "Do you know where Dorothy Eloise Claymor is? I have a claim on her body and soul. She is already mine. Ah!" He lifted the gauze with the dried blood on it. "So, her old mistress has her. No problem, I can claim her with this. Thanks to you both, witches. You know you are unable to protect her, she will be mine." He put the gauze inside his pocket.
"What do you want in exchange for letting her free?" the stronger one, the one in the offensive always talked again, impatiently.
"Wait, Melissa. What about the other demon? They both have a claim on her." the protective one said (It had to be Isabella), touching her shoulder shyly. Zarthimeatreal laughed.
"Barcharolloael and I have an arrangement. He already has ceded his rights on Dorothy Eloise Claymor to me."
"Well, they have given us valuable information only by doing this summoning. I was under the impression Rachel Mariana Morgan had Dorothy Eloise Claymor" I said indifferently.
"You traitor!" the other demon scowled me. "You are in deals with that witch. Therefore, it was part of a plan to keep them both. You choose to have the first shot at that witch." He accused me. A feeling of suspicion and betrayal hit me clearly on his behalf. I crossed my arms, and clenched my jaws, offended. I haven't the slightest clue of the behavior Rollo would take, and that demon could notice if something wasn't right. Then, he blinked behind the sunglasses and smiled snidely.
"We thought you have had failed. Now, I see you were only were trying to earn the trust of the witch. Now I see you kept my slave alive. I shouldn't have doubted on you, Rollo!" he smiled more frankly. "I can recover the slave for the house. And now we know Natalie is talking to Cormel, or else she wouldn't have the living vamp." he nodded. "You have always been brilliant, Rollo." he complimented me. I was feeling that strange empathy with the demon as well, I was receiving a lot from his feelings, and he loved Rollo in a way. Besides, by the way he said 'the house'. Damn! They shared that house! These two are lovers. That's why they work together. If he touches me, then he' would know I'm not Rollo. I controlled my fear, I had to, Demons lived out of the fears of everybody, and they always pick them out in the air.
"We own the living vamp. She is already yours, as we agreed. But Rachel Mariana Morgan is still mine!" I said in a harsh tone. He pouted and it was a very cutely pout for a man.
"Come on, Rollo! I can help you. Just tell me, and then we can make a better deal."
"Maeve is not going to decide how to do this, I will." I warned him.
"Minias..." he shut up, when a feeling and an image from the supposed dead demon- as far as I knew, Newt had killed Minias - came to my mind from the demon. He seemed afraid and I felt his fear long after his facial expression became cool again. I didn't have time to think why not only could I feel his feelings, but now I had images as well, as if I was reading pieces of his mind. A creepy thought that only lasted a fraction of a second; the news were too disturbing on its own to dwell on more possible reaper abilities I didn't know I had now. Minias is not dead! Damn. If he's not dead, then he has nothing to lose, and…Maybe that's why Al hasn't coming come to bother me. Demons are fighting with each other.
"I feared for a moment you got..." a murdering image came to my mind this time while the demon said to me, yes, this demon was lover of the one I killed yesterday. Moreover, demons were in war just as vamps were. So the disappearing of several demons hadn't been as closely investigated, as they should have been. Am I not the luckiest witch on the world, or what?
"Sorry!" he made a placating gesture before my angry face of Rollo. "Well, I will be willing to left Dorothy Eloise Claymor slip through my fingers, only if you two are capable of delivering to me Rachel Mariana Morgan and it will only will cost you two marks each." He looked at the twin witches. I couldn't even protest. I felt the new summoning then. "Rollo?" he saw at me.
"Someone else is summoning me. Don't leave me out of this." I ordered. To my deepest concern, something in his eyes told me he would do the deal. The witches seemed terrified as they had the mental order from her mistress, two marks each wasn't that big deal for Natalie, even when the both of them were terrified with such an outrageous prize. It would be Natalie doing the deal, not them.
"Sorry, Rollo, the sooner we finish this, the better!" he chuckled. "You had your shot, now it's my turn!" he stated amused when I was unable to fight the magic luring me out of there in the worst possible moment.
I appeared in my kitchen, with a very pale Cynthia in front of me. Mom was the one making the circle. My sister in law had an anguished and frightened expression.
"Rache?" Jenks asked, from Ivy's shoulder. She was more comfortable now having him on her, he used to do that only with me, but lately, I wasn't me much of the time.
"Yes." I turned back into myself. "The Conner sisters were the ones making the summoning, and there is another demon in the deal." I sighed. "They are double crossing me!" I frowned. Mom cut the circle. "Thanks." I forced a smile. "I don't know for sure. It seems like Natalie had decided Skimmer's safety is more important to her. So, whatever they are planning to do, it will be a trap for me. The other demon asked them to deliver me in exchange for Skimmer." Ivy hugged me tightly, and I did the same. I grabbed firmly the shoulder of Mom when she came close to touch me, relieved. I knew she was shaken, she had never summoned a demon before, and surely she never thought of herself doing it.
Some of my books were in the counter, and it was Cynthia the one guiding her, she had fresh in the memory the College classes on magic.
"How is that you have that weird summoning name? I thought only demons could be summoned!" Cynthia said. "Jariathjackjunisjumoke?"
"Jenks can tell you that story, Cynthia. The truth, and this is very confidential and cannot go into your family chronicles, when they were treating my disease as child, they tampered illegally with my DNA. I don't know what they did to me, but they turned me into a protodemon, which means, they unleashed certain characteristics into my blood, making me resistant to Rosewood syndrome, but at the same time, they give me the capability of procreating demons. Not many know about this. If I would have a child, that child would be a demon. That's why I cannot have children on my own, mom." I said frankly, barely looking at her as I was nuzzling onto Ivy's shoulder. That haunted me for a while; I was resigned to never have an heir, now I had Tammy, thanks to Ivy. Now I was a reaper and no demon could touch me without consequences. Things had arranged themselves in a very twisted way but I was fine with it.
"Some demons know it, and some of them want me for the obvious reason. However, we should rest a bit." I shook my head. Cynthia's curiosity was greedy and she must be very close to my mother to have heard the name, or Jenks had shouted it to my mother, I didn't know. But my gut told me I could rely on her with such a big secret as this was. She was as terrified as my mother knowing this awful truth about me, and then I could feel her sorrow, and her concern, and the pain inside Mom.
"Ah, Ivy, I think Tammy is hungry again." Cali said with my baby in one arm. David, Serena and Cali were in the archway.
"I'm coming, baby." Ivy nodded. "Thanks, Alice. I'm sorry I have frightened you and Cynthia so much." a pink shade came to her cheeks
"It wasn't you, sweetie. I never thought of myself doing a summoning. It's easier than I thought!" Mom said still a bit shaky and my sister in law nodded almost enthusiastically.
"But more dangerous than you can imagine!" I hugged her quickly. "Please, don't tell Robbie about this, things are difficult as they are. He will be already really mad at me for the dying stunt." I asked concerned, I didn't want more of my brother's cute way of demonstrating he was worried about me. He wasn't as liberal as Mom and his wife about a lot of things.
"Don't worry. It's too hard as it is, and it is not your fault." she nodded, Cynthia mirrored the gesture.
"Guys, I'm sorry." I saw at my pack.
"You have so much on your hands. Now, I can understand how you were so oblivious to the pack." Serena hugged me. "But you have babies with Ivy and they are not demons." She comforted me.
"Thank God!" I nodded, hugging her back, weres were touchy by nature. They needed physical contact to be calm and sated. And I was her alpha bitch; I had to fulfill that need of closeness and physical support. It was one of my duties as alpha bitch of a pack, and I wasn't neglecting them when I was aware of their needs. David and I had a chat about it.
"You say Natalie is going to double cross you?" David said worried.
"The demon asked the sisters to deliver me to him, in exchange for Skimmer." I nodded to my alpha male. "Then I was summoned back here. I think we have to sleep a bit. I'm sorry for keeping you awake this much."
"Cyn is right; one cannot be bored with you around, Rachel!" Cali hugged me too, as soon she left Tammy in Ivy's arms.
"We have to do something." Ivy sighed. "Maybe we could call Rynn and let him know." She mused aloud.
"And how do we explain to him where and how I got the info?" I looked at her between the fierce hugs of my girl female pack members. "I'm thinking already on a way of getting out, honey, don't worry."
"Go to bed. Seriously, you need to sleep. It's almost sunrise. We will think of something after a proper rest." Ivy said with a sigh.
"I will, honey, just as soon as Tammy goes to sleep again." I agreed. Mom was worried, and so was my pack, and Cynthia. We put Tammy in her cradle and then we went to bed. I fell asleep again as soon as Ivy stopped moving against me, holding her arms tight around me.
Ivy moved me softly by the shoulder. I just moved face down to the pillow groaning until I heard the mental claim, and felt the clumsy tugging in my hair.
"Tammy?" I asked moving a bit away from the soft comfort of my pillow, I heard the demanding little baby noises. Ivy had her securely cradled on her arm.
"She wants you to give her the bottle, I have tried, dear heart." Ivy said quietly. "I know you need the sleep."
"It's Ok, babe." I moved sleepily. "Hi, little one!" I greeted my baby witch; she waved her arm at me. "I'm coming, sweetheart." I chuckled quietly my voice still hoarse from the sleep, whilst I got into a sitting position, with my back against the bed board. "Ready. Come here, baby." Ivy put her in my arms, and I kissed my sweet vamp in the cheek. "What time is it, honey?" I asked.
"It's barely passed noon." She kissed my ear, then, I nuzzled Tammy's middle, letting her to tangle her small hands in my hair, while she was giggling and making baby talk pleased by the attention.
"Who's my baby?" I asked her playfully and the tiny witch giggled. Ivy gave me the bottle. "Here it comes." I warned her, and she took the rubber nipple to pull the tea. Ivy hugged me by the shoulders, setting herself seating against the bed board besides me. I leaned my head on hers. "Did you sleep a bit?"
"Yes, dear heart. Tammy didn't wake up until 20 minutes ago. I feel a lot better, and Morgan hasn't been too active, maybe she is exhausted as well from her outburst." Ivy kissed my neck and caressed the already rebellious curls of our daughter.
"Mmmh, hey, Tammy, how's little sis doing?" I asked my witch baby, focusing on our bond. She focused as well. Morgan seemed to be calmed, and sleeping. I let Ivy join us in the bond and we shared our feelings for few minutes, in a content silence. I loved being this close to Ivy and our babies; I couldn't believe that the thought of being so tightly bound to Ivy had scared me in a time. Moments like this gave me strength, I had my beautiful family now and this was what I was fighting for.
Mom entered our bedroom after two little knocks, with the things for changing diapers.
"Hi, sweetie!" she greeted although she seemed sad.
"Hi, mom. I'm sorry for the fright of last night." I said quietly. Tammy turned a bit to see Mom, she still was in her night robe, and slippers, but she already had combed her hair.
"Sincerely, sweetheart, I hadn't a clue of the damage they were doing to you, and…" She sat at my free side.
"Mom, you wanted me to live. I understand, and it wasn't your fault. They were lying to you, and Dad. You didn't know and I'm sure even they didn't know what they were doing, they were just experimenting. I would do anything for my babies too! Now, I have babies, and they are not demons. Things turned out fine." I cajoled her. She hugged me and kissed my cheek.
"She is so beautiful, honey. Yes, you are!" she left a hand between the hands of Tammy and my baby grabbed it fiercely, as if she proposed to comfort her too. "I can hardly wait to hold Morgan as well." Mom sighed.
"Just four more months and she will be here." I kissed Ivy's cheek again. "How are you feeling?"
"Worried. Rynn hasn't called yet, but you said the witches were dealing with the demon, that means, they are not going to tell him they are betraying us." She whispered with a frown.
"Well, honey, I'm going to cook something just coming into my head while I was asleep, I need the kitchen a while, so, you better order some food from Tony's or Mario's" I sighed. "I just have a hunch." I smiled a tiny smile, something inside me already preparing to act.
"May I come in?" Jenks asked from the crack Mom left open in the door.
"Sure, Jenks!" Ivy nodded the pixie came flew inside flying and landed on my Mom's shoulder.
"How are you two today?" he asked us
"Better, Jenks, Sorry for the late night." I said again.
"This would be boring without your little problems, Rache!" he laughed. "I heard you have to cook."
"Yes, I have to cook. And you, Ivy are going to phone Rynn to tell him I have a way to save Skimmer, tonight, early, maybe at 8, no, better 7:30, I can't let them have much time to summon the demon and risk having him spying on me. Make sure the appointment with Natalie takes place in here, where I'm already familiarized with everything, if the demon comes, and then he will find an unpleasant surprise waiting for him. Maybe I cannot kill him in front of the undead vamps, but I can be mean if I have to be." I said with a devilish smile. Ivy kissed my ear after a quick nod. She began to be comfortable with my mean side; maybe she loved my mean side more than she would admit out loud.
"What are you planning, dear heart?" I heard the mental voice of Ivy. My lover was an expert at making plans.
"I let you know, privately, for now, let me take a shower and we will share everything." I promised her and she kissed my temple.
"Oh my! More action?" Cynthia blinked in the door. "Really, Rache, you have to calm down!" she complained, she had shadows in the eyes, because the late night and the adrenaline rush she suffered.
"I know, Cyn. I know! But now, I'm only reacting to the circumstances. And…" I said turning my attention fully to the squirming bundle in my arms "… you have to be a good baby and not crying, because you're going to remain on holy ground the entire time, my little rushing witchy tornado." I said to my baby. Tammy stared at me with her big blue eyes, without leaving the bottle, yet. "Yes, you have to be a good baby and not change into a wolf, if you change, Auntie Cali is going to give you a full lesson on good Were behavior." I warned her.
Ivy made the call to Rynn. She told him I was very busy cooking the necessary spells for my plan to get Skimmer safe from the curse. Therefore, the meeting had to be in here, because I had prepared the place. Rynn had a hard time convincing Natalie, and preparing a whole little army of bodyguards to protect the church again. This time he wouldn't be unprotected. He would have the same amount of bodyguards as Natalie inside with him.
Ivy and I had extensively talked in our minds about the plans. Nobody could know about my little reaper secret, so, I had to go theatrical on all of the witnesses, the plan was risky, but if it worked, then Skimmer would be safe, and the alliance with Natalie could survive, even if neither of us could trust in her never again. But Borgia was a bigger evil, and regrettably we needed Natalie and her camarilla to take her down.
I passed hours making potions and spells for the big show, I was expecting attacks from the witches, and even from the vampires, so, I made some extra circles, invisible to the naked eye, but very visible to my reaper enhanced second sight. I had to make sure my Ivy and my babies, as well my family and friends would be safe.
Erica was on holy ground before the undead Masters arrived, she had gone shopping and came earlier into the church with some clothing bags full of things for our daughter, and she brought as well a lot of sweets for snacking, weres ate almost as much as vamps, because of their fast metabolism.
Ivy came to the kitchen in a kind of suit, trousers and jacket in black, but on her, it looked sexy, with high heels, she didn't look pregnant at all, the same as when I had just awakened from the coma, I could eat her head to toes. She smiled slyly at me when she picked up my thoughts of me ripping off her the clothes from her. Her hair was in a pixie made braid that Jenks' kids had done and I was looking forward to let running my hands through her silken ebony hair while I undid the braid later.
I was still cooking when Natalie arrived, Rynn had decided to meet her outside and then come in. Skimmer was in the arms of undead Blanche. Kimberly also had come with Robert. They were outside with Rynn, expecting the guests.
"Is it show time already, babe?" I asked my lover in the privacy of our bound minds.
"Yes, good luck, and don't push it so much, Ok?"
I just nodded from the stove, where I was still making a final potion.
Ivy opened the kitchen door for them. If Ivy was properly dressed, I however was in jeans, and in a long sleeved blouse with the sleeves folded up to the elbows, I was definitely underdressed. My kitchen smelt strongly of redwood due to the spells, I barely had time to clean the place before starting the final potion, but I was still stirring it.
Natalie entered first, her bodyguards spreading out over the room, just like the day before. Heather, the blond living vamp that was affected for Borgia's curse and hired the assassins to kill Skimmer and Ivy, wasn't with them, neither was one of the brunette living vamps that came yesterday. However, Undead Jennifer and undead Blanche –said assassins; were with her. So she still had two blondes and two brunette bodyguards, and now two were as undead as Rynn, so they were far more dangerous and stronger than living vampires, maybe the other living brunette one was guarding Heather in their city accommodations. Surely Natalie liked some balance around her, and all beautiful women as well. All of them in leather looking dangerous and ravishing. For the uninformed people, the bodyguards would draw all the attention, leaving the most dangerous of all with a non- threatening label on. Big mistake. Natalie was the one in whom the attention must be focused.
As the day before, Natalie was showing her impeccable taste and the fashion sense of a very high class woman. She was wearing designer clothes in black head to toe, with astonishing but at the same time discrete jewelry. All of which was unable to rob all the attention from the dark eyes and the red mouth, and the beautifully braided hair.
Rynn was looking good with his three piece expensive suit from a European designer as well, shoes so shiny and clean that you could see your reflection on the black leather surface. The most tasteful tie rested against his chest in perfect combination with the shirt and suit. His hair was a perfect mix of black and few strands of white over the temples, he looked as impeccable as Natalie's, in a very clean and manly way. He was a player for sure. His bodyguards were all male, and dressed with leather jackets and formal trousers all in black, all serious and focused. Every one took a place just beside their female counterparts, and all of them seemed so big and muscular. All of them with very short dark hair, like if it was a dress code for being with this close to Rynn.
Skimmer was wearing a new dress and one expensive leather coat in white, even if she was still asleep and in the arms of undead blonde Blanche.
"You should take Skimmer on to holy ground, as she is, the demon will take her and disappear before we have a chance to save her." I said still concentrating in my spell pot.
"I am quite curious about your plan, Rachel." Natalie said.
"As we all are." Rynn pointed. "Rachel?"
"Why enter in to boring details when you are about to see it happen, Rynn?" I asked him, without letting my eyes off of my potion.
"What is that?" Natalie asked.
"This is the final touch of the preparations, Natalie." I smirked. "I'm sorry I haven't had time to shower, I have been busy here since noon." I excused myself.
"This smells like a trap." She said as unconcerned as if she was saying that was snowing outside. Almost amused of the thought that I could try to make a trap for them, clearly, she still was underestimating me, and that was fine by me.
"Oh no. I'm far too straight arrow to do such a thing, Natalie." I smiled at her confident, my eyes only diverted from my potion to her for a split second. She seemed to assess the situation, and she felt no threat. I took my spell pot with gloves. It was still hot and steaming. "Well, I will need this out there." I put the spell pot in the central counter island. I had some things over the counter: a silver knife, the spell pot, and a pair of amulets, with long leather cords attached to them. I went to serve myself a cup of coffee in one of the Vampiric charms mug, my favorite one. They were taking places by the table, I took a comforting sip and a deep breath facing the two master vamps. Kimberly was using one of her formal business suits, much like Natalie herself, but in dark red, she looked as good as she could. Robert was wearing a suit, formal one, in black as much as Rynn, but I liked him more in his more casual outfits. Even so, he looked elegant and even handsome.
"I have to ask all of you to be silent, dealing with demons is a tricky business, I need all my concentration, and if you talk to the demon, you will be opening doors to distractions, not to count that a deal not well bargained is fatal most of the times." I felt numbed, I was about to do a stupid thing. I smelt the demon, and my reaper senses alerted me with some more time than anyone would need. "Please, take a seat; Ivy has been warming some wine for you." I offered.
In seconds, the entire area of my drawn circle was free. I sipped my coffee. I could see the marks on the witches even if they were covering them with the sleeves of their expensive designer dresses. They seemed weary, and for sure they were not just a bit afraid, they were still terrified by the deal the Californian mistress made with the demon. The makeup surely covered the restless day they had spent, knowing for sure now that they were no more than pawns to Natalie, and being involved with vampires didn't pay as much as they thought in the beginning. The luxurious and expensive lifestyle and the amazing sex with a master vampire weren't even close enough to worth the price they had paid to the demon. Now they had practically forfeited their souls against their will, for the sake of a vampire that didn't give a fairy fart about them. I couldn't avoid pitying them for a second, while I was moving near my drawn circle, and I ordered Rhombus in my head. The demon cursed on a weird name I didn't grasp, making himself solid inside. All of us were safe from him; he was the only one inside the big circle drawn on my kitchen floor.
"Treason!" he shouted, accusing the witches, they both shuddered at that. Natalie widened her eyes in surprise, and all the bodyguards took a more feral position with the exception of Blanche, whom was still carrying Skimmer, already sat down in one of the table chairs.
"Treason?" I asked him "What are you talking about, dude?" Oh yes, I had to use a word that surely put the demon in the edge, I needed him in rage, out of focus. I saw I made a good choice of word when he took some air insulted.
"I have never been captured by a witch! Never! You were warned of my presence!" he said very angry, he was using the same image that he used the night before a designer casual suit, in clear yellow, and sunglasses covering his red eyes. I saw the witches twitching in fear with the raging demonic outburst.
"Of course, you stink of burnt amber. I have a very sensitive nose to burnt amber. If you don't want people knowing you're coming, try taking a shower. You are the fifth demon trying to get me only this week, dude." I shook my head with a bit of frowning, like as if I wasn't aware of what was going on. "And you surely came in a very bad moment. Don't worry, I will send you back to the ever after, I have no time for you right now." I said unconcerned, as if this was an everyday stunt, which disturbingly it was, at least lately.
"If this witch sends me back, I'm coming back for both of you next time, Melissa Katharine Conner and Isabella Marie Conner, nobody double crosses me!" he shouted again. Both twins flinched, and exchanged a look.
"Do you know this demon?" I turned to see them. "Damn! You were the ones sending him." I accused at them, the aggressive one was already attacking at me, I ducked and passed quickly behind my circle, the ley line power attack was absorbed by my ever after bubble. I stifled a smirk of satisfaction when both witches began to circle the bubble at opposite sides, exactly as I thought they would do, they wanted me trapped between them. The vampires began to move as well, but all stopped, measuring each other. Kimberly and Robert got Ivy between them, to protect her and our baby. I felt very grateful to them.
"Treason indeed." I said coldly, I had tapped the line and now I was radiating ley line energy, my most daunting image, I stood up to my full height. Before ducking again, I called again "Rhombus" as the twins reached the points where I had drawn the circles. The twins gasped suddenly knowing it had been a mistake to come at me like that, when they got locked inside little circles, unable to attack at me. One of them cursed and the other fell on her knees, still unable to believe I had outsmarted them. "Oh, don't feel bad, blondies." I chuckled."I'm used to fighting with more than one at the same time, I was a IS agent, I survived a death sentence, I have taken down even 4 witches at the same time, you aren't bad, but you're no match for me." I said with confidence, and then I turned to see Natalie.
The Californian master vamp was surprised, as much as the witches. Of course they didn't even consider me as threatening as I was. Maybe that was the only pay off from not having a ravishing look, nobody ever thought of me as a real danger, except for Ivy.
"Why are you listening to a demon, Rachel Morgan?" she asked me, controlling the bafflement and the annoyance she was feeling. I walked around the circle, passing by aside a very ashamed and very pissed off fake blonde witch, still I was radiating ley line power; my hair was freezing with it. Ivy looked at me, with a warning on her eyes, with a very thin rim of brown already. The rest of Natalie's bodyguards were looking at me in a threateningly and Jennifer moved closer from the right corner.
"Demons never lie, Natalie, they say half-truths often, they twist the truth till it is unrecognizable but they never lie when they are in a circle." I said to her confidently, and calmly, making evident I wasn't planning on attacking at her.
"If he is saying your witches sent him against me, then that is at least partially true. We all know they are shadows, and it's your will the one that counts, the entire truth, is you have sent him. I have dealt with demons for a while. I know you haven't. I know about demons. Much more than you have ever wanted to know. So why have you sent a demon against me?" I asked seriously, letting the power diminishing slowly, no longer sparking from my fingers. The witches blinked surprised before my quick management of ley line energy, a quantity like that must hurt, but my face didn't show any distress, I was more experienced with the ley line that they wanted to believe I was.
"I made Melissa and Isabella summon the demon responsible for the state of my Skimmer. Two demons were drawn to their circle. This one said he has all the rights on my Skimmer and the other agreed to it. Then, the other demon was summoned by someone else, was it you?" the beautiful master vamp asked me coldly "Was it him who told you about this one's dealing with me?" She asked icily, she was still sat at one head of the table giving off a regal air.
"Whoa! Wait a second; two demons were drawn to their circle. Two?" I lifted my hands in a peace gesture. I stopped radiating Ley line power, showing confusion. "I'm not attacking at you, Natalie. I was defending myself against your witches, and they started the attack. Even before, by sending him." I said seriously. "It is pretty atypical that two demons come in one summoning. What happened exactly, word by word if you please?" I asked polite enough, Ivy came to hug me fiercely. Her head buried in the crook of my neck breathing my scent deeply to reassure herself to I was fine. I loved feeling her holding me close to her body, but God, her soft breath flowing over my neck and the gentle nip to my ear were distracting to say the least of it.
"That doesn't matter, Rachel." The undead woman said coldly.
"Of course it matters, Natalie. I already had a plan to save Skimmer, body and soul. And maybe it's not too late, you have information I don't. I need to know everything in order to plan the right way to do this. I didn´t summon a demon last night, I was too tired. And for your information I just have summoned one demon since before my coma, Natalie. And it was only because Borgia sent 6 undead vampire assassins to kill Ivy and Skimmer. I had to save Ivy and our unborn baby, in addition, Tammy was in the same room, with my mother and my sisters in law. That has been the only time I have used a demon since a long time ago. I didn't want to deal with them anymore. I have to maintain myself out of such dangers, because now, I have many reasons to live a long life. Dealing with demons tends to shorten the life of witches in extreme ways. But you have another suspect, one more suitable than me, the one who is trying to get me and kill me since a while ago. Borgia must be the one." I shrugged my shoulders.
However the unreadable alabaster mask she turned her face into didn't show a thing, but I was feeling her hesitation. I had just trapped her witches, and she didn't count now with a magical shield.
"I have been attacked by demons, and my nose reacts at the slightest hint of burnt amber, it's a reflex I had developed since long before my coma. I'm not to blame if your witches have not such talent. It's quite handy as you can see. So, you sent the demon after me. Why? I had already agreed to help you save Skimmer from the curse." I said in a reasonable way, I needed her to be calm and not order the assassination of everyone in the room.
All the vampire bodyguards where relaxing now, seeing the masters where so cool and non violent. Seeing I was reasoning with her, and I didn't hurt a bit to the witches, I merely put them in a bubble each, neutralizing her powers.
"The demon said he already was about to claim Skimmer as she was in body and soul. He proposed to turn her into a slave of his house. And regrettably, by using the blood of Skimmer, Melissa and Isabella gave him the very tool he needed to get her, no matter the protections. I cannot lose my child, Rachel Morgan. He offered to let Skimmer go only if I deliver you to him. Since you are the one to blame for all the unfortunate things my child had to suffer in the last years, it seemed fair to me." She informed us frankly. "In addition, he put two marks on Isabella and two marks on Melissa. As you can see, I have done a big sacrifice too. They are risking their souls." She said acting like a concerned mother would say, deciding her course of action for a reasonable one, instead a violent path.
"So, you are paying 3 souls and one life in exchange for Skimmer?" I asked her. "Your witches' souls are as good as lost, Natalie. It's not easy getting rid of the marks, because that means new dealings with demons, one wrong step and they are dead or as good as dead. And if the marks remain to their deaths, then the demon could claim their souls as well. I don't think they are much experienced doing deals, two marks each is too much for one single slave." I said as coldly as she did. And I could feel the roaring of her anger creeping inside her, even when her cold mask didn't show it.
"You already have lost their souls by catching the demon, Rachel." Natalie's brow slightly creased. "And if I want Skimmer safe, and Melissa and Isabella safe, then, I have to deliver you to that demon." Natalie stated clearly, but with an even voice. "Rynn, you have heard all this, now it's your call." She saw at the Cinci Master Vamp with an expression that shouted sufficiency. If he didn't agree, then she would attack all of us.
"How interesting. Now you are lost, little witch!" the demon laughed, he had heard with much interest our little exchange. I ignored him. Rynn managed to maintain a straight face. Even I could feel his anger boiling inside him. He looked at me. Ivy still was by my side and she passed an arm possessively by my waist, examining me, and a little snarl came out of her. She stared at Rynn expectantly and demandingly at the same time.
"Do you realize, Natalie, that doing such a thing would only make the two of us lose Ivy?" he asked slowly.
"Ivy is already lost to me, and to you, she was lost the moment you let her feed from an elder. Yesterday she didn't even have to struggle against me, I couldn't reach her. That only means one really elder vampire has her. I am capable of making flinch even Borgia's shadows, Ivy is a Scion, and not your Scion, and she is the Scion of one of the eldest vampires walking this Earth. That is the only explanation for her rejection to me yesterday. You just have not realized yet you lost her. But I still have the chance to save my child." She pointed convinced. "My Skimmer is a vampire with a bloodline a thousand of years old, Rynn." Natalie stated before he could say another thing.
"Who is more valuable, Rynn? A witch or the last living vampire of a line that old?" Natalie asked. "It is the witch, or it is Ivy the one you will forfeit, I'm forfeiting two witches more capable and skilled than her, if you don't give the witch to the demon, then you give me Ivy's baby to replace my child." She smiled venomously. She had planned a win – win situation to her advantage.
Rynn made an incredible effort to seem as cool and detached as Natalie was being, even when the anger was boiling inside him. The Californian Master vamp smiled, crossing the leg femininely. And her hands crossed over her knee, in a casual position, careless, she felt sure of her victory, no master vamp could turn their back on a vampire over a witch, not in a case like Skimmer's bloodline.
"I don't believe this!" Ivy hissed. I hugged her.
"No, Ivy, don't." I asked quietly.
"But, Rachel!" she hugged me fiercely. I chuckled. I couldn't help it. She looked at me baffled.
"What's funny?"
"It seems like someone made an impression!" I said pointing with my eyes inside the main circle. The demon had taken my demon form, with the bony protuberances far from appealing in the skinny and muscular body. "Is that your fear, Jennifer? Or maybe is yours, Blanche? Or is the newest fear of both of you? ...I must say, that is not attractive at all, too bony for my taste, you could use some more meat here and there in the disguise, dude..." I warned the demon with a giggle.
"Stop calling me that, witch!" he shouted. "For a witch a step from being my slave, you are too merry. You will show you some respect! I am a demon."
"A demon using a distorted image of me, you can scare others, dude, but you can't scare me." I smiled mocking him. He puffed and changed his form again, this time he was a big peacock with flaming eyes. I recalled one of my High school lessons on mythology; the peacock was the animal representation for a Greek goddess. "Ouch! Hera?" I turned to see Natalie's clenched jaws "That's your biggest fear? Well, Anubis was the one for Piscary, he wasn't born a vampire either, so, you two have much in common, and you were very religious as humans." I shrugged my shoulders.
The master vampire said nothing. The demon puffed again and he changed into a very teenager version of Ivy in jeans and a sleeveless shirt in black, however, she had stormy black eyes.
"Wow! You were a nightmare for someone, love. But you look pretty, dude." I mocked the demon, still I had an arm behind Ivy's back in a loose hug. He snorted and stared at me very annoyed.
"What's your biggest fear, Rachel Mariana Morgan?" Ivy's voice asked me and her lovely teenage face stared at me with clear hatred in the depth of her eyes, not as well accomplished as he would have wished, they were red in some parts, like most demons, this one seemed to have problems disguising the eyes.
"You would never believe me if I told you, try harder, you're the big bad demon here, aren't you?" I challenged him. "Come on, you can read my mind as you have read all the others, can you not?"
The demon took a sharp breath, showing the anger he was already feeling. I smiled at him. He frowned and he turned into me, with my jeans and purple long sleeved blouse. He continued scowling at me.
"Much better, dude. Although, the eyes aren't quite right, and the teeth are too big." I criticized him with a shrug on my shoulders.
"Are you kidding? This cannot be right! This is simply outrageous." He almost spat at me.
"Oh it is no joke I'm afraid. It's just I know very well by now. I'm always in fear of the things I'm capable of doing when I'm cornered just as I am now, and you will regret the moment you made that deal for getting me, because you are going to learn to fear me, demon. By the end of this night, I will be your own nightmare as well." I said sternly.
The demon laughed rather insolently. He was amused. I sighed shaking my head, while I was mentally bracing myself; this was the last seconds of calm in the upcoming busy night.
"I know, I know. However, at least half the demons summoned in this city appear with my image, I'm the most dreadful witch in town, and I'm not even 30. I personally think it's unfair to me. I don't even cast much black magic; certainly I do less black magic than any other witch using demons around." I ranted with some frowning, pensive frowning, I was not afraid, or aggressive I was numbed, one of the best features from being a reaper.
"Black magic? Do you even know the meaning of that, Rachel Mariana Morgan? This house smells like a regular witch house. Redwood, no sacrifices at all." He said as if it was an insult. "This is very disappointing. This can't be right." He glanced at himself with my form.
"Enough bickering, what is going to be, Rynn?" Natalie asked impatiently, I could feel more than seeing that she was too surprised for the way I interacted with the demon, she surely could feel the fear her witches suffered when they were dealing with it. But I was treating him like an equal; I was bothering him with all intention of doing it.
"Rachel?" Rynn looked for my eyes. "What can you do? Can you save Skimmer and get rid of this demon?"
"Well, I already had a plan, Rynn." I said a little tense. "But she said there was another demon involved, who was he?" I asked, directly to Natalie. Ivy still was by my side and she still was hugging me by the waist, possessively.
"Barcharolloael, Barcharialel, something like that." She said frowning a bit. I puffed shaking my head.
"Rollo? Damn! The worlds are a napkin. He is the demon that almost killed me, I sent him to save Ivy." I faked astonishment very well. "Well, if he gave his claiming rights to this one, then I have a very good chance to fix this mess." I took a deep breath, looking thoughtful, I was ignoring the demon again, I moved and Ivy moved with me, unwilling to leave my side. "Although I have to recognize it is dangerous, and if anything goes wrong, then the demon is going to have his way. There's no other way I can think of… saving people from demons is a risky business." I said seriously.
"What do you mean?" Rynn asked me while I was recovering my coffee mug.
"No one is 100% sure while dealing in any way with demons, Rynn. Even Master vampires as old as Piscary and Borgia know very well that fact, and they secure their places against them. Natalie does good not dealing with them. It is too dangerous and too expensive in many ways. I had a plan, and it is still doable. But I need no one interfering in any way." I warned in general, using a detached, professional voice, I was getting better using that demeanor; I wasn't as cool as Claire when she used my image, but I was improving.
"You have heard her, Natalie. I think it's only fair giving her the chance to do it. If she cannot do it, then the demon will take her."Rynn faced the undead woman. Blanche was carrying Skimmer still asleep, sitting on a chair. Natalie deemed the matter for few seconds, with a pensive expression on the face. It was a big risk.
"If I go with that, and then she fails, what happens with Skimmer?" she asked no one in particular.
"Then the deal you made with him is forfeited, because you didn't fulfil your part of it, and you would lose Skimmer, and your witches' souls for nothing." I answered her honestly. "Demons are very strict on the conditions of the deals, you fail on any condition and they take the payment for nothing. It's a risky business, as I said before. One mistake, one condition poorly stipulated and then you are losing the payment for nothing. I will be risking my life, my soul and if I fail, I will wish I die for the rest of my life in ever after. I would be a familiar, or a slave, or both, ever after is not a pleasant place even for demons, Natalie. If I fail, then you lose Skimmer and Ivy and Rynn lose me. But I don't intend to fail." I shrugged my shoulders. "Certainly, I cannot give you any warranty on anything, but my word that I will do my best to save Skimmer and myself." I sighed pensive.
Natalie stared at me, again I could see that hint of respect in the dark eyes, as she ogled me head to toes once more.
"No guarantees at all, and I have already a deal with him. Skimmer's life is in the line. But at least you aren't lying to me, Rachel. Why I should risk a sure deal if you cannot provide any guarantees on my child's future?"
"You should because it were you the one putting Skimmer in the hands of your enemies, Natalie." Ivy said slowly, her eyes still were more black than brown, she still was by my side. I knew she was there because she was determined that anyone who tried to take me would have to get past her first. One of the features of territoriality on vampires, they fiercely defend their territory. "You should because Rachel deserves the chance of at least fighting for her life and for our babies' sake. You should because otherwise if you make that deal good, then so help me God, because I will get my revenge, and you will cease to exist by my hand even if it takes the rest of my life to do it, and even if I lose my life and my undead existence in the process." Her silky voice became velvety at the end of her promise. Her eyes held only the thinnest rim of brown and she could barely keep a check on her aura.
"You were the one rushing on this one, Natalie. I have seen Rachel do astonishing things no one else dares to do, and even if I don't agreed with her in many things regarding her plans to save Skimmer I know her too well to stand on her way. No one more than me wants Rachel safe and sound, no one more than me wants her out of any danger, but I know she wouldn't be the person she is if she played safe all the time. She wouldn't be the woman I love beyond myself if she wouldn't care for everyone as she does. She is not lying to you; she doesn't care about you and your decision of helping Rynn or kill us all. She is doing it for Skimmer's future, because she cannot help herself fighting her good doer nature." Ivy added with a little strain on her voice. She was doing her best to control her vampire instincts, the ones telling her to defend her territory in a more aggressive way.
I hugged her waist.
"Please, love... Don't lose your temper. Not right now." I asked of her quietly. She drew me tighter against her body. I let her nuzzle my neck again; she calmed down a bit and just nodded. I knew this was hard on her.
Natalie gazed at us intently, looking for any sign of foul play on us. I felt some hardening inside her, as she made the decision.
"I will give you the chance you are asking for, Rachel. Only because I respect the honesty and the way you have behaved through this. If I lose Skimmer in the process, then you will be worse than dead as you well put it. I have never trusted in demons, I know very well they are not trustable in the least. I trusted once, and they screwed me over, as you said, one stipulation got me nothing but loses, big ones. And I know this one has been in deals with Borgia for his own words. I know he wants my Skimmer and he was too pleased for a reason I do not understand. Maybe he was already planning in a way to keep Skimmer despite my actions. There was another demon in the circle, and he said he already gave his rights on Skimmer to this one, but something was suspiciously odd about him, about the both of them." She said thoughtful.
"Not many people know about the demon society, Natalie. And they have a judicial system. Of course if there was no binding magical contract between the two of them, if there were only words, then the other demon still has a chance to claim Skimmer, even if this one had dealt with her to free her. While the curse is upon her, did he promise to lift the curse, or to let her free from the slavery?" I asked her sternly.
"I see now. He wasn't freeing her from the curse." Natalie frowned. "I assumed he was lifting the curse. I simply cannot get my way to understand demons; I like the forwardness and the straight words. So they have a judicial system?"
"Yes, they certainly do. And it is quite harsh. Then you will let me try to save Skimmer with my original plan?" I asked.
"Yes." She nodded once to emphasize the word.
"You will regret this, Sophia Helena Myra Nix Julia Natalie." The demon said still in my form. I stared at Ivy. My vamp returned the staring intensely.
"So, we are on." I said in a soft murmur.
"I didn't expect less from Natalie, she respects the bravery, and the honesty, she always had." Ivy answered into my ear. "Don't get killed!" she ordered me, quietly and passionately.
"I'll do my best." I smiled to her. She kissed me full on the mouth, regardless the witnesses. I let myself going lost in her for a moment, her lips tasted like Heaven and I did nothing to hold back a little moan of pleasure. I loved this woman, and I hadn't any problem showing it to the world. Ivy's hands crossed on the small of my back, I pressed my hands against her back. I didn't care what the witnesses could think of us. I loved that vampire and she loved me back, that was about everything I cared for some moments.
The demon's laughter drew her apart from me. He didn't change into himself; he was still wearing my image. And it was quite unpleasant to see. He managed to make me look like an evil witch would look. I caressed Ivy's cheek with the pads of my fingers, still staring at her.
"Please, be clam, Ivy. This is necessary." I asked very quietly. I knew how hard was for her letting me do the things I had to do, I had been always emotionally straining for her taking a step back and leave me to do my witchy things. I smiled reassuringly at her and brushed lightly her lips again. My vampire lover nodded reluctantly. Then I stepped back from her, and focused my attention on my circles.
"I'm going to enjoy this, Rachel Mariana Morgan. I should thank you, because I won't lose my slave, and I will have you as well. I can hardly wait to see what Maeve is planning for you. You certainly have pissed her off."
"I have that effect on many people." I chuckled to myself.
"Why aren't you afraid? He is a demon!" Isabella, the weaker twin said to me, too baffled by the decision of her master. I chuckled loudly this time. I spared a final glance to Ivy and moved towards the circle.
"Demons have hierarchy as well, Isabella Marie Conner. This one, he is barely above a common trader." I shrugged my shoulders. "Rollo, on the other hand, I wouldn't risk to face him so lightly, Rollo is warrior class. There are not many warrior class demons dealing with any witches. They are too powerful and consider us too low and too beneath them. For good reasons." I sighed. "I know it had to be Rollo the one making the curse. It needs a lot of power to construct such kind of curse. A common trader would never achieve it. Common traders like this one, they go with more powerful demons to get the things they cannot do by themselves. Of course the higher demons are very expensive to convince. Maybe Borgia can afford to pay not 2 witches, but at least 2 dozens of them to pay for a curse like that. Borgia has killed and delivered not hundreds, but thousands of our kind to the demons to pay for the favors they do to her along the thousands of years she has been undead." I said to her, getting closer to her circle.
"In fact, she paid us with 6 dozens witches for this curse, it's a very powerful and complicated thing to do; we had to sacrifice 2 dozens just for the preparations. They died with the smut only." The demon chuckled. "I see you are very well informed, Rachel Mariana Morgan."
I ignored him once more. I stared at the blond witch, she stood up and faced me as well, with some kind of fear, and some respect as well.
"If I let you both free, would you stay out of this?" I asked her. "I need to be focused on my own dealing with this demon. I cannot afford an attack from the rear." I stated honestly.
"I will not attack at you. Good luck. Zarthimeatreal is a very dangerous demon, Rachel. You should be very afraid, and you aren't. I cannot understand that."
"Well, all demons are dangerous, I give you that. But making deals from a position of fear is not good either. They aren't as different from us as they presume they are." I shrugged my shoulders. "I will do my best for getting you two out of the hook as well. It was an unfair price, and being me the one responsible for ruining the deal, the least I can do, is trying to free you two as well."
The demon cackled once more. And the witch in front of me flinched. I didn't bother to look at him yet. I needed him to get distracted, and angry, I needed him out of focus.
"If our master says we cannot touch you, we cannot touch you. It would be worthless to push you inside with him if he already has the excuse our mistress cut off the deal. He will not respect us even if we deliver you, Morgan." The scorn was very clear in the voice of Melissa. The other twin talked to me from her bubble. "You just have lost our souls for good, and the only comfort I will have, is that you are going to suffer more and longer than any of us. Zarthimeatreal is not going to make any deal with you. At least not one in which you can save the vampire, or us, or yourself." She said between clenched teeth.
"You listen to her, Rachel Mariana Morgan. She actually knows what she is saying. I will never forgive you for trapping me. This is the worst humiliation I ever had received. And you will pay dearly for it!" He warned me with my voice, with a snide smile across the copy of my face he made. "I don't care if I have to come back other day, I will not make you any deal!" he warned me.
"Shut up, dude... you are giving me a migraine and it's not even 8 in the evening!" I said coldly.
"Stop calling me that, witch! I'm a demon and I have a name. Isabella and Melissa just gave it to you, use it when you are addressing at me." He demanded the anger renewed.
"It's a long and ridiculous name, dude. Nobody deserves such an awful and complicated name, I'm sure they gave you a hard time when you were a demon boy more than 5 thousand years ago." I mocked him. "Children are children everywhere." I smiled at him mockingly; of course he didn't like it.
"Look who's talking, witch! Your fashion sense is dreadful! You don't even look like a witch!" the demon mocked me. "Surely all the other witches gave you a hard time for it."
I laughed at him, getting closer to my main circle.
"Ah, but that's my style, dude. I am the most dreadful witch in Cinci." I shrugged my shoulders. "And I would be most grateful if you don't touch my things, those took me the entire afternoon to prepare." I said in a warning tone to him.
"Ha! Do you think I care about your little tricks?" he took the spell pot and he wet himself when he tossed it to the floor, it was still too hot, he let out a big fat word. Then he took the cords from the amulets, with the intention of maybe rip them apart or tossing them to the floor as well, but he couldn't because the cords moved and tied on his wrists, he shrieked, still with my voice and image. I moved fast, passing through my circle to grab the big dented spell pot I had under the counter. I didn't stop for a second and I reach him when he was still baffled with my little surprise. I hit him in the head hard, and he fell to the floor, as I was raising my circle again with a mental order.
I grabbed the knife form the counter and I cut him, near the restraints on one wrist, he shrieked as I was making the invocation, putting the potion to work as I casted the spell, while I was still hitting him in the head with the spell pot. I didn't allow myself to be distracted by the fact he was still wearing my form. Although, it was weird to be literally kicking my ass as he didn't change.
The pot crashing repeatedly on his skull had the effect I expected, stunning him enough. Then I took the ties I had hidden under the counter and I tied him up quickly, Arms behind the back, and by the ankles. I was trying to join both ties with a pair of handcuffs when the demon moved violently and hit me in the face with the back of his head. I half fell to sitting on the floor, and I kicked him hard in the shoulder. I felt the blood coming out my right nostril in a thin line. The handcuffs had gone under the counter and I had no time to look for another thing. The ropes had to do.
"You stupid ass. You made me bleed in a room full of vampires on the edge." My heel hit him hard with every word; The demon with my form tried to cover, but most of my kicks landed on his head and shoulders, the restraints both physical and magical made it impossible to defend from me, he just could squirm in the place he had fallen on the floor.
I knew the witnesses were watching with the eyes wide open and the witches had the jaws hanging to the floor. They certainly would never touch a demon. I spared a look around the room. Ivy had lost some color watching me, knowing I was doing one of the most stupid things I had ever done. I smiled to her reassuringly.
"I will kill you, Rachel Mariana Morgan!" he shouted outraged. "What? What have you done to me?" he struggled to get free, but he couldn't go misty. He couldn't perform any magic. The amulets were powerful elemental restraints for demons and elves.
"Ah, you know, Z? Now you're my little familiar." I chuckled. "I warned you about my things, didn't I?" I asked him in a mockingly fashion. "You just bathed yourself with the potion to make familiars, and I made the bonding spell while you were only hearing the hits on your head." I explained to him getting on my feet. "But you felt your aura passing to me, didn't you?" I stared down at him since my full height. I cleaned with my fingers the little bleeding of my nose.
"Impossible!" he tried to attack me with magic. Of course, he knew immediately that he was more than trapped. For a second he seemed more afraid than angry but he paused for a second and assessed the situation quickly.
Then I saw the snide smile in the face so similar to mine and I felt his hope growing in a new plan. I felt the strong current of ley line coming through him towards me, using the bond as my familiar. I was expecting that, so I let it flow through me and I let it out using my arm and hand to hit him with the bolt of ley line power. He shrieked again, twisting as much the ties let him. It was a hard attack. I rubbed my arm, it had been nothing I couldn't handle, but I had to fake it for the benefit of the plan. However, I growled low, it was hard to control my marks from showing in the presence of a demon.
"That was a cheap blow, dude! So, you're the one with the claim over Dorothy Eloise Claymor?" I asked him.
"I will never give her to you! She is mine and stop calling me that! My name is Zarthimeatreal. I will kill you, maybe you could manage that one, but you won't be able to win this and you know it. Rachel Mariana Morgan. No witch is capable of managing as much ley line energy as a demon can manage. I will fry you!" he said with a confident smile.
"Do your worst, Z!" I nodded and I barely had time to guide the ley line he sent upon me to hit him again. But I did, and he was the one receiving the attack. It was then that I saw his plan, he made a circuit with me, and I heard the gasping of both witches trapped. After only a few seconds I was tense and the demon was kind of levitating in a vertical position due to the energy, certainly he could handle more than I expected, but not as nearly as much as Al and I managed the very night I turned into reaper.
"What is happening, Melissa?" Natalie asked.
"She, she bound him to her, he is using the ley line to fry her nervous system, they are now wired by ley line energy, it's a circuit, it is like if both are being electrocuted. The stronger one is the one winning the match." The blond witch answered, still too shocked by the things she was witnessing.
"Die!" the demon let out between clenched teeth.
"No one has to know, Zarthimeatreal. You would be the very joke of all demon kind if someone knows a witch made you a familiar. I will free you, as long you let Skimmer go free, it's a good deal." I said in the same forced fashion.
"Never, I will kill you!" he empowered the connection. I heard the sobbing from Isabella. The weaker twin was suffering only by seeing. She wasn't like the sister.
I tensed a bit more, but I started to get closer to him, even when he was at his maximum, I made it look like it was a big effort to take every little step. Ivy was watching me very tense; she had come closer to the circle to see the action
"Think, Z. This is your last chance, make a deal with me, and I let you go, you just let Skimmer go, and we forget we ever met." I murmured between clenched jaws.
"Never!" he repeated in a hiss. I shivered.
"Is that your last word?" I demanded, very strained.
"You are about to fall!" he smiled with my face.
"You are!" I growled making it appear as if it took a supreme effort to punch him with all my strength in the face, and we both fall to the floor heavily, in a tangle of limbs, my marks itching to come out, I grabbed him by the neck and my fist landed on the demon's face once and again, while my hidden marks reaped his magic off of him. As always when I touched a demon since I was reaper, he was catatonic, lying on one side of his body (my body since he had copied my form), because the restraints and the ropes didn't let him lay on his back. But the witnesses thought I had knocked him out. Instead, I absorbed all the magic while I was punching him in the face, I was panting badly. It seemed like Barcharolloael had provided his lover with a lot of heavy curses, way beyond the level Zarthimeatreal was capable of.
Luckily, nobody could expect me to feel well right now; I fell to the linoleum floor after a last blow. I moved slowly, giving my back to the demon to make a curl of myself, while the sickening sensation of absorbing the magic, and the debts he had to collect passed to me, I felt a connection towards the witches, and they groaned touching their marks in their arms.
"What's happening, Rache?" Ivy asked me concerned, as close as she could be outside my circle; she dropped a knee to the ground to see me the closer she could.
"I didn't count on the debts, oh, it feels awful, it's like if I have his soul crawling all over mine, is disgusting." I gagged between pants, hugging my knees against my chest in a fetal position over the floor.
"Are you in pain?" Ivy asked me worried.
"Yes, I need a pain amulet." I mumbled in a groaned voice.
"Rachel, you have knocked him out, let the circle drop, and we finish the job for you." Rynn offered impressed.
"No, Rynn. We cannot kill him." I said with another groan. This was going to be a long, long night.