Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

Silence reigned for a long moment, and it was Meg who broke it. "The what? Did you actually say Demon Wars?"

Gran nodded, her expression tight. "I did, my dear. It's as it was in the old days when Elspeth's followers began the war on her behalf. They called all sorts of creatures from the demonic realms to wreak havoc here on earth. I think now that the leviathan was the first, though its realm isn't counted officially as one of the demonic realms. Amalie knows better than I about the different levels." Gran turned to her as if quizzing her.

"There are nine demonic realms," Amalie answered, as if she was back reciting the very special lessons her father had given her when she was a child. "The Tauror you fought off last night," she looked at Billy and Gavin, "was from the second demonic realm. The leviathans come from a related place that is not considered truly demonic, because there are also creatures that live on the small bits of land there that do not feed off others, and they eek out an existence by staying away from the vast oceans and living solely off the land."

"So, demonic realms contain only creatures that feed off others?" Lester asked, his expression sharp.

Amalie nodded. "Yes. In their own places, there are power balances, and they generally keep a status quo that keeps them all going. But when they are summoned to other realms, it's like a free-for-all, where they gorge on anyone and anything they can devour. If they eventually return to their own realm, they are much more powerful and can upset the power balance. Then, chaos reigns in their realm until everything settles down again. My father has seen this in action, and he claims that the demons of lesser power actively want to be summoned to other planes of existence so they can get a chance to feed uninhibited by the constraints of their own realm. Then, they usually return more powerful and take over from lesser demons in a bloody coup."

"I had no idea," Meg breathed. "I never thought much beyond our realm and daydreams of faerie. But it sounds like you've made a study of places I never even thought of."

"I had to," Amalie explained, nodding. "When you can open a portal to just about anywhere, you need to know what you might encounter. My father made sure I studied all the realms he knew about and any that we even had rumors of in old texts, from a very young age. When I was little, I had a lot less control of my gift, and accidents did happen. I'd port into one place, realize I wasn't where I should be, and I'd port right back home, but by then, it was hours later, and everyone was frantic. As soon as I could, I began learning about how to finesse the time part of the space-time continuum so I could get back closer to the time I left. Of course, not going anywhere at all was a big goal for a long time while I learned control. I was just lucky I never ended up someplace really dangerous in reach of something that would kill or capture me. This is at least part of the reason why there aren't more Portal Masters. Many of those born with the skill succumb before they learn control. I was lucky in that my father knew what I was and how to train me. I think, if the power manifests spontaneously in someone with no knowledge of such things, it could be a lot more dangerous to the mage. Especially when they're young and still learning."

Everyone was looking at her, and Amalie felt a bit self-conscious. Thankfully, her grandmother picked up the thread of the conversation.

"In the last great war with Elspeth, her followers would routinely summon demons to send against our side. This was back in what humans call the Dark Ages, but we know as the time of the Demon Wars. It wasn't pretty, and it lasted a long time." Gran shook her head slowly. "We need to prepare for the renewal of this tactic and be ready."

"How do we prepare for something like that?" Lester asked, leaning forward, his expression intense.

"In general, only blood path mages can summon demons. They don't really have the kind of power to open portals that my granddaughter has, but they have just enough juice to help a demon who really wants to come across, get here from Between. The spell needs a lot of power. A lot of blood. Expect an increase in the deaths of innocents," Gran said grimly. "When the mage reaches out, the demon latches on and follows the energy back to this realm. It's not like Amalie's portals. It's something smaller and less easy to see. It's painful for the demon, which is probably why they always seem to be in a rage when they get here." Gran shook her head. "That's the easiest time to defeat them because they're not thinking straight. Of course, it depends on the demon. That Tauror you two fought is one of the few that come through with their minds mostly intact and is all the more dangerous because of it. A lot of the others just go into a frenzy and don't think too clearly until their pain and hunger are satisfied in some way. Mostly, that means they go on a killing spree the moment they land, and it goes on for some time, depending on how badly they were hurt by the passage through the keyhole from Between."

All the shifters seemed to think about that for a few moments. It was Lester who finally broke the tense silence.

"Ma'am, I'm going to be calling Admiral Morrow tonight and briefing him on everything you've told us. Would you be willing to talk with him if he has further questions?" the older man asked, his tone ultra-polite.

"Don Morrow? Isn't that what he's calling himself these days?" Mrs. Talridge chuckled, and everyone at the table looked at her with varying degrees of surprise and question.

"You know the Admiral, ma'am?" Lester asked uncharacteristically hesitant.

"Young man, I've known that water elemental since the last time Elspeth raged across this realm. Actually, I knew him before that, but we were only nodding acquaintances then. You don't really get to know someone until you fight at their side. He was part of the forces of Light in the last war. I heard from my sisters that he was positioned to be instrumental in the fighting forces for this next conflict." Mrs. Talridge drew herself up and nodded. "Frankly, I was glad to hear it. I would be happy to speak with him anytime, as would a few of my sisters in the coven. In fact, I'll bring it up with the rest of the elders, and we'll set up a time for us all to be on a conference call. Can you act as the interface to find a time that's good for all of us?"

Lester looked surprised but quickly hid it. "I'd be glad to arrange everything, including secure comm lines if you don't have access to such."

"I can secure the tech on this end," Rich piped up, meeting Lester's gaze. "One of the tasks we're actively working on is upgrading all the communications in the neighborhood with particular interest in those devices belonging to coven members. I'll put a priority on secure conferencing capabilities wherever they choose to do the call."

"Excellent," Lester said, nodding. "If you need any supplies or gear, just let Liam know, and we'll get you what you need. It's pretty clear to me that the ladies of the coven could be very useful sources of information that we are going to need. Especially if this really is the next round of the Demon Wars. Goddess help us all."

*

After dinner, Amalie, Billy, Gavin and Lester all accompanied Mrs. Talridge on a leisurely stroll back to her house. Lester and the old woman led the way, chatting quietly, with Gavin behind, and Billy and Amalie bringing up the rear of the small group. It was a lovely evening with not a cloud in the sky, and the stars were just starting to twinkle down on them.

Billy was content to be walking at Amalie's side, but he had every intention of extending their evening together. He just had to get rid of the others. First drop-off was her grandmother.

"Would you like to take a walk down to the dock with me after we see your grandmother safely home?" Billy asked Amalie lightly, not letting on how much her answer mattered to him. "My brother bought a boat recently, and it's pretty nice. We could sit on the deck and watch the stars over the water." They could also go below decks and christen one of the state rooms, but he wasn't going to say that out loud where others might hear.

"I'd love that," Amalie answered, smiling up at him. "I've always enjoyed looking at the ocean. You saw where I grew up. We are very far from the water there, and I never really got a chance to spend much time at the shore. That was one of the attractions of moving here to live with Gran."

"Perfect," Billy replied, feeling satisfaction down deep in his bones. They'd whittle down this little entourage and then spend the rest of the evening together.

They dropped Amalie's grandmother back at her house a few minutes later, and Amalie told the old dear she'd be back in a couple of hours. Her grandmother gave Billy a knowing look but nodded. He felt like he'd just received the grandmother seal of approval. Well, that was helpful. If he was going to claim Amalie as his mate, it would be best to have her family on board with the idea.

When the old woman had disappeared into her home, that left Amalie, Billy, Gavin and Lester on the sidewalk. Billy wanted to get rid of the other two but wouldn't be too rude about it.

"We're going to walk down to the dock and take a look at my brother's new cabin cruiser," Billy said, hoping the other two men would understand what he wasn't saying.

"We'll walk with you. My boat is there, and I'll take Gavin back to the island for the night so he and I can talk further." Lester was issuing orders, and though Gavin seemed a bit surprised, he didn't say no.

Billy liked it. They would part at the dock, and the other two would cast off and get out of his hair. Then, it would be just him and Amalie and the great wide ocean. The stars, the night air, and the bottle of champagne Rich had mentioned to Billy when he'd asked for the keys to the boat earlier. Rich had guessed what was going on. After all, it wasn't too long ago that Rich had been going through the same sort of thing, finding his own mate so unexpectedly.

When they arrived at the dock, Amalie moved to stop Gavin. She reached out her hand, and he took it while Billy suppressed a growl. Nobody should be touching her but him! But he counseled his lion to patience and waited to see what Amalie was about.

"Gavin, I wanted to thank you for everything you've done," Amalie said, and Billy relaxed a little bit. "You are brave, faithful and true, and I owe you. If you ever have need of magical assistance of a kind I can provide, please don't hesitate to call on me."

Gavin looked a bit shocked, and Lester watched with his usual intensity. "I was just doing my job, ma'am. I'm glad I was able to help, and I can't thank you enough for that book I'm going to write someday when I retire." He winked at her as they ended the handshake.

Amalie laughed outright, and Lester just looked intrigued. Billy suspected Gavin would have to explain his remark to the older man on their way out to Lester's secret military base on Plum Island. For now, Billy shook hands with both men, thanking Gavin again for his timely save.

Billy wasn't keen to be joining the Clan anytime soon—or ever, in fact—but he respected Gavin and believed they'd taken the first steps toward a lasting friendship. He gave Gavin a back-pounding hug and then nodded at Lester before the two went down to the end of the dock where Lester's ghostly gray boat was moored. If not for the sound of the engine, even on this clear night, Billy wouldn't have really noticed it moving among the waves.

When they were gone, he turned to Amalie and walked with her down the dock to the smaller walkway where Rich's new boat was tied up. Billy helped her aboard and then familiarized himself with the amenities, unlocking the door to the lower level and going below to get the champagne out of the chiller. When he returned to the deck, Amalie was sitting, her head thrown back, gazing up at the stars as the light danced down on her lovely face. His breath caught. She was just so beautiful.

He joined her on the deck, holding up the champagne bottle in one hand, and two crystal champagne flutes in the other.

"Where'd you get that?" she asked, looking over at him.

"Courtesy of Rich and Meg. Apparently, my big brother got a case of the stuff and stocked this little floating palace with all sorts of goodies. Should I open this?" he asked, leaving it up to her.

"Sure. Why not?" she replied. "I'm usually not much of a drinker, but I do like champagne, and this seems the perfect night for it. After all, we're celebrating a victory of sorts. You faced off with a Tauror and lived to tell the tale, and I stood up to old Mrs. Entwistle and forced her to retreat." Her eyes twinkled as she smiled.

"That's a victory in anybody's book," Billy agreed, unwrapping the cork and popping it off. He poured two glasses and handed one to her. "To our victories and to us. I'm really glad I met you, Amalie."

"I'm really glad I met you too," she whispered as they clinked glasses and took a sip of the excellent vintage.