Chapter 16

16

I emergedonto the teleporting dais, bent over, head dangling, and huffing. That had been a close call, but I couldn’t celebrate. Not yet. Cain and Williams needed help. With that at the forefront of my mind, I stuffed the talisman into my pocket and raced for the castle. My panicked flight had obviously been observed because Nova and a few others were outside and heading for me as I climbed the slight hill, which, in my weakness, might as well have been Everest. By the time I reached Nova, I was wheezing so hard I couldn’t speak.

“What happened? Where’s Cain?” she asked.

“Demons. Attack.” I huffed out the words with difficulty.

“Devika, help her,” Nova commanded.

A woman with deep black hair pulled back from a tanned complexion stepped forward and held out her hands. Since I had no idea what she wanted, I stood still. She placed her fingertips on my temples. The spot tingled for a second. A second after that my heart rate slowed and my breathing evened out. Magical healing. Fucking cool.

“Let’s try this again. What happened?” Nova asked.

I did my best to summarize. “We got ambushed on the street in front of my apartment. Second ambush actually. A mini one occurred inside the store I worked at, but we handled all those demons.” We? Ha. I’d been the classic damsel screaming in distress. “Cain and Detective Williams escorted me to my apartment so I could grab some of my things before coming back to the castle, but once we hit my street, we realized something was wrong. There was this smell, and the guys said it was because people had been killed. We got back in the SUV to leave, but they blocked the road.”

“They who?”

“Demons,” I replied grimly. “Demons wearing people’s bodies. Cain had a name for them.”

“Corposse, the day-walking demons,” Nova murmured.

“Not just Corposse, but a demon wizard too. It did some kind of magic thing where the talisman wouldn’t work and made the area dark, which is when the demons began pouring out of the buildings.”

“How many?” barked a man I’d not met. He was the oldest person I’d seen, his hair salt and pepper, his face lined with age.

I shrugged. “Dozens. I was too panicked by then to count. Cain and Williams held them off so I could escape the dark zone and use the talisman. They said to tell you to bring back an army.”

Nova appeared stunned. It didn’t last long before she snapped out orders. “I need Cecily and Helen. Tell them to bring their focus objects. Asher?”

“I’ll muster some reapers.” The older man jogged into the castle, and Nova turned back to me. “You are unharmed?”

“Mostly.” The gouge marks Possessed Enzo left in my arm still burned, the short burst of healing not enough to fix them, but I’d manage, given I didn’t want any delays. “You have to hurry. The boys are all alone, and while they’re good, there’re a lot of those monsters.”

“And we missed it somehow.” Nova clenched her fist and jaw in anger. “Unbelievable. We’ll have to figure out how this happened later. First, we need to save Cain and Vance.” She began marching in the direction of the dais.

“Wait, you’re going there?”

She glanced at me over her shoulder. “I wouldn’t be a good Regina if I weren’t willing to go into danger myself.”

“What should I do?”

“Take refuge in the castle. We should hopefully return soon. Perhaps if you feel up to it, Mizuki can begin your magic tests.”

Ah yes, the thing I now wish I’d done instead of leaving. Blame Cain for talking me into going. Poor Cain, who might at the moment be dying as some demon slurped his intestines.

Rather than go inside, I hugged myself, silent as people rushed from the castle. First, a pair of women dressed in leather with long dusters like Cain. Ever watch Warrior Nun on Netflix? They gave off the same deadly vibe. Then there were jingles as the men bolted past, some with holstered guns, a few with swords strapped down their backs. Most wore dusters, but a few had cloaks that swirled around their feet as they strode. A reaper army going to battle.

Mizuki arrived and stood by me, murmuring, “Been a while since we’ve emptied the castle for a fight.”

“Doesn’t seem too smart to leave it defenseless.”

“Bah, I doubt there’s any demons left to even attempt to invade, not to mention, how would they get here?” she scoffed.

“I take it this kind of attack doesn’t happen often?”

“Not in centuries.” Mizuki’s lips pursed. “Since the last time a messovenata arose.” A reminder of what Nova called me.

“The demons were after me.” Stated not asked.

“Most likely.”

“Meaning I’d better learn to protect myself or I can never leave.”

“Yes.”

I liked and hated that she didn’t lie to me.

I sighed. “This is such a clusterfuck.”

“This is why the brother and sisterhood exist.”

The last of the men jogged past, and I watched them until they disappeared into the woods.

How long before we knew what happened?

How long before I found out if Cain and Williams survived?

How long before someone blamed me for the deaths?

Mizuki caught my mood. “This isn’t your fault.”

“Kind of feels like it is, seeing as how the shop had a message and ambush meant for me and they were lying in wait inside my apartment building.”

“Let me put this a different way then. Legend claims a messovenata only rises in times of great turmoil. They are champions who put themselves between the demon legions and humanity. The fact they are trying to eliminate you is because they fear you.”

“Fear a girl who can’t even kill a spider?” My lips turned down.

“Only because you haven’t trained yet. Once we get started, you’ll learn how to defend yourself, and if you have the right kind of magic—which, if you’re the messovenata, is almost guaranteed—then you’ll be able to fight.”

“Learning is all well and good, but it doesn’t suddenly make me brave.”

Mizuki patted my arm. “I think you’ll find you’re more courageous than you know. It sometimes just takes the right moment to realize it.”

Her optimism didn’t rub off, so I changed the subject. “How come some of the reapers have guns and swords? Shouldn’t the reapers all wield scythes?” I’d assumed Williams was an anomaly, and those residing in the castle would follow Cain’s model of fighting.

She laughed. “It’s more about what weapon they’re most proficient with. For some, like Cain, they prefer the reach of a scythe. Others like the aim and distance of a gun. Barron feels he gets more out of a sword.”

“When you say I’ll learn to fight, do you mean with weapons?” Because I’d been known to cut myself with a paring knife.

“Yes. You’ll be taught the basics of defense and offense. Then, if you show a knack for a particular style of combat, you’ll get more intensive training. You’ll also learn how to wield magic. Once we discover which element you’re strongest in, we’ll be able to fine-tune your learning to use it to your best advantage.” She made my learning sound like a foregone conclusion.

“I should warn you, I’m a tad clumsy and suck at sports,” I admitted. “I got benched in dodgeball because I couldn’t seem to stop getting hit in the face.”

“We can work on that.”

“Do you know how to fight?” I countered.

“Yes, but it doesn’t do me much good. Unlike you, I can’t see demons, just the fog.”

“I don’t understand how Nova and those two other witches can help. If they can’t see, then how can they fight?”

“There are ways. Even without sight, if they know an area is clear of reapers, they can throw fireballs, blow wind to knock the demons down, strike with lightning. Helen is quite good when it comes to casting a sluggish spell that slows the demons down.”

“They came after me in sunlight,” I confided. “And people saw them.”

Her eyes widened. “They must have been desperate.”

“They were something all right,” I grumbled, staring down the hill. We remained outside, our elevation giving us a view of the forest and the worn dirt path leading to the dais below.

“Want to go inside and start some of your magic testing, or are you too distracted?”

I wanted to find out if I had any special mojo, but at the same time, I worried about Cain and, to a lesser extent, Williams. They’d both risked their lives for me. I wanted them to survive. “I don’t suppose we could wait a bit?”

“Sure.” She plopped to the ground cross-legged.

Me, I remained standing and gnawing a thumb. “Gotta ask. How come Cain had me bring a message in person? Wouldn’t it have been smarter to have texted an SOS? What if I’d not made it to the castle?” I’d come close to getting killed.

“Texting isn’t always reliable. It could also be by giving you a task he hoped to spur you rather than for you to give in to fear.”

The latter seemed most likely. “Yeah, we were kind of in the thick of shit.”

“I’m glad you made it out.”

“Me too. Think the guys will be okay?”

She snorted. “It will take more than a demon ambush to take down the deadliest duo. Cain and Vance used to be unstoppable when paired together.”

“They knew each other well?”

“The best of friends.”

“Are you sure? Because they sure didn’t seem to like each other.”

“Not anymore, they don’t,” Mizuki confided.

“Why?” Probably none of my business, but I asked anyhow.

“There’s only one reason for best friends to break up. A woman.”

Movement below caught my eye. “I think they’re back!” I began trotting down the slope, eager to ensure the safety of the men I left behind, only to halt mid-step when Mizuki exclaimed, “Why is it so foggy in the forest?”

“It’s not,” I replied with a frown before clueing in why she fog and I didn’t. “The demons are here!”

“Imposs—” Mizuki didn’t finish the word because the motion I’d seen turned into a demon. It emerged from the woods, unheeding of the sun.

I assume the fog disappeared because Mizuki whispered, “I can see a demon.”

“And where there’s one, there’s more,” I answered grimly as branches rattled and parted, revealing more of the gray bastards.

Mizuki gathered herself. “We need to get inside the castle and sound the alarm. Quick!”

I didn’t need further prodding to get my ass booking it back up the hill, across the field, and over the drawbridge. Only when I stood within the castle did I turn to look around.

I kind of wish I hadn’t. I gaped as the first of the demons popped into view. Then another. And another. So many demons and us with no reapers left to protect us.

An alarm blared, startling me. I turned to see Mizuki releasing the lever she’d pulled.

“To let the other witches and the brownies know they should hide,” Mizuki yelled to be heard over the strident clanging. “We have to close the gate. Help me crank it.”

Together we pushed and heaved the handle that sucked in the chains and raised the drawbridge. Only once it was secured did I breathe. I already knew the first floor didn’t have any windows large enough to admit the demons.

“Let’s get to the gallery for a peek,” Mizuki suggested.

I followed her up a ladder bolted beside the main entrance. It led to a platform I’d not noticed previously, one with a window that overlooked the front of the castle.

Side by side, we stood and watched as the wave of gray bodies spilled over the top of the hill and barreled for the castle. It was daunting and terrifying all at once. A veritable legion and us practically alone.

“What are we supposed to do?” I kept my voice low as if they might hear me.

“Not much we can do,” was Mizuki’s grim reply. “I sent out a text for help, but who knows if anyone got it. We’ll have to sit tight and hope someone sees my message and that the defenses are enough to protect us until they arrive.”

“Did all the reapers leave?”

“Yes, as well as the only witches capable of combat magic.”

“Surely there’s something we can do?” I felt like a sitting target.

“Not unless you can conjure up some magic.”

“No.” But I kind of wished I could.

Despite not asking for it, Mizuki hugged me, and I allowed it. Even kind of felt some relief from it.

“If it makes you feel better, a fortune teller once told me I’d get married and have three kids.”

“Only if you live,” I muttered.

“I have to live because that hasn’t yet come to pass.”

I could have been the asshole who said fortune tellers were charlatans, but then again, what did I know? A week ago, magic and demons didn’t exist in my world.

“Here we go. Get ready for some fireworks.” Mizuki sounded almost gleeful.

The first of the demons reached the barren strip of ground ringing the castle. It stepped on the barren ring and plummeted as a pit opened up, swallowing the demon whole.

One demon down. A zillion more to go.

The next demon to test the ground got incinerated by a fireball. Then one got impaled by a suddenly jutting spike. The traps were working. Only, as more and more of them got triggered, the demons found ways around. A pair of larger monsters grabbed those smaller than them and tossed them over the defensive ring.

One, two, three. Soon a plethora of them scrabbled at the rock walls of the castle and pounded on the door.

“Please tell me they can’t get in,” I whispered, wringing my hands.

“We’re safe?” I wasn’t reassured by Mizuki’s questioning tone. “Assuming the wards hold them back.”

“And if they don’t? What happens if they breach the walls?”

“Usually there would be reapers to meet their assault.”

“But they’re all gone.” And me without my protectors. Jesus Christ. This was a clusterfuck. I’d been told this place was safe. What a lie. “What about the witches that are left?” It seemed odd we hadn’t seen them.

“There’s too few, and none of them are trained in combat. They probably hid the moment I sounded the alarm.”

“If those demons get inside, out of the sunlight, their fog will return and they’ll be invisible to you,” I stated.

“But not you,” Mizuki countered. “You’ll have to keep us safe.”

“Me?”

“You’re the messovenata. The reason they’re here. They’re scared of you.”

“So scared they’re attacking.” I couldn’t stop staring at the demon digging his claws into the stone for purchase so it could climb. Despite it being slow going, it would reach us shortly. “Um, Mizuki?”

“I see it.” A fireball lit up in her hand and she flung it down. I winced as the magic not only went wide but also sputtered out as it travelled. I now understood why Mizuki hadn’t volunteered to head into battle with the others.

“Uh…”

“Hold on.” She pulled out a whistle from under her shirt that hung around her neck on a chain and blew. I didn’t hear a damned thing, but the demons all did, seeing as their renewed interest focused on the window we watched from.

“Did you just ring their dinner bell?” I asked.

“Not exactly.”

“How help?” A tiny brownie suddenly stood with us, and Mizuki crouched.

“The castle is under attack. Demons are trying to climb to the second floor. We need to dump some oil down the walls they’re climbing.”

“And set it on fire,” I finished. “Good plan.”

The brownie chirped, “On it,” and fled, sliding down the ladder as if it were a firepole. Its tiny body scurried away the moment it hit the floor.

“Think the oil and fire will be enough to stop them from getting in?”

“No.”

I gave Mizuki a startled look. “That’s not reassuring.”

“Sorry. I mean it will hurt them, but there’s too many for it to work for long.”

“This is my fault,” I mumbled. “They’re after me.”

“And they can’t have you. Let’s go to the armory. I don’t know about you, but I’d feel better with something sharp in my hands.”

Leaving our spot meant being blind to the demons’ actions though.

“You go, I’ll keep watch.”

Mizuki nodded. “I’ll bring you back something you can fight with.”

She clambered down, but I didn’t watch her. I focused on the climbing demon that leered upwards at me.

Fucking Cain lied to me. I wasn’t safe here. I wasn’t safe anywhere.

Liquid suddenly poured from above, viscous and yellow. What appeared to be a burning loaf of bread followed.

Whoosh.

Flames ignited the spilled oil, and despite the worry, I peeked out to see the closest demon ablaze. It squealed and screamed. When it batted at its body to put out the flames, it fell.

Oh, hell yeah,it worked!

More liquid poured as the brownies coated the wall and the demons trying to climb it. Fiery missiles followed, and I wanted to cheer as the demons began to falter. Some even fell and didn’t rise.

“Come out. Come out. I know you’re here, messovenata.” The sibilant whisper had me shivering and then shuddering as I saw the speaker. A bulbous demon, its belly huge, its head bald but for the tattoos crisscrossing it and the horns that curled from above each ear. It held out a hand, and as I watched with a rounded mouth, a fireball came streaking toward me.

Boom.

The fiery missile slammed into the door, and I swear I felt the whole castle shudder.

“Come to me and no one has to be hurt,” the monster stated.

“Like fuck,” I muttered.

Boom.Another missile struck, and panic made it hard to breathe.

“Sadie!” I looked down to see Mizuki racing for me. “I got you a scythe.”

As if I knew how to wield one. Then again, how hard could it be to swing it?

I clambered down the ladder, no longer wanting to see the coming menace. Mizuki shoved fabric at me.

“I thought you got me a weapon.” I couldn’t hide my confusion.

“It’s in the pocket. I thought the dusters might help since they’ll make us invisible.”

“Does the spell work on demons?”

She bit her lip. “I don’t know.”

“It’s better than nothing,” I huffed, shoving my arms in the sleeves. I oddly felt a little better. While I might not be badass, at least I looked it.

Boom.

“What’s happening?” she asked.

“Really fat-bellied demon appears to be tossing magic at the castle.”

“A daemessorum? Here?” she squeaked.

“Yeah.”

“Then it won’t be long before they breach the doorway.” Mizuki pursed her lips. “We need to get out of here before they overrun the castle.”

“And go where?”

“I don’t know.” She wrung her hands. “There’s no road out of the valley, and I don’t have a teleporting amulet.”

“I do.” I pulled it from my pocket and handed it to her. “But I don’t see how it helps, seeing as how we have to get past the demons to reach the dais. Everywhere else is affected by the block on teleportation.”

“That’s easy. We’ll go around. While they’re trying to break in through the front, we’ll go out the side and circle around to the dais,” she stated, stuffing the talisman into her pocket.

“Sounds dangerous.”

“So is staying here.”

Valid point.

“What about the other witches and the brownies? Shouldn’t we take them with us?”

“They’re already hiding, and we don’t have time to search them out. We can’t allow the demons to eliminate you.”

“You’re talking about sacrificing them.”

“This is the most feasible way to save them. If the demons realize you’re not in the castle, they’ll leave to hunt you.”

Not the most reassuring statement, still… What else could I do?

I heaved in a deep breath. “Lead the way.”

Boom.Another blast rocked the castle as I followed a fleet-footed Mizuki through an archway into a hall that led to a side of the castle I’d not yet seen. The reaper wing proved more utilitarian than the witchy one, with a sitting room with worn couches and chairs and a massive television hanging on a wall. It shouldn’t have surprised me to see gaming consoles strewn by some other screens. A pool table, foosball, and even a pinball machine finished off the very stereotypical male space.

We raced past into a shorter hall that ended in a door that opened to the outside. Mizuki stepped out without hesitation, but I suddenly stopped and trembled. I’d lose my false sense of security once I stepped out from these four walls. But if I stayed, the demons would find me. At least outside I stood a running chance, and if we could make it to the dais, we might very well escape.

If I survived, I really needed to start exercising more because I already knew I’d be a mouth-breathing, huffing mess before we hit the forest.

“Ready?” she asked.

“No. But let’s do it anyhow.” I stepped outside and immediately saw the ring of barren dirt. “How are we getting past the booby traps?”

“Very carefully. There’s actually a thin zigzag we can follow that won’t trigger anything, so follow my steps exactly.”

“Just like Indiana Jones,” I muttered, invoking one of my favorite male heroes. I eyed where her feet landed and ensured mine hit the exact same spot. It took only a few paces to see the line she followed, a subtle zigzag of darker brown that led us across the deadly ring of traps.

Once we cleared it, we ran. We headed for the slope, closer on this side than the front. We saw no demons, but I could hear the explosions in the distance as the demon wizard pummeled their way into the castle.

The sky darkened just as we hit the tree line. The lack of sunlight would mean Mizuki wouldn’t see the demons coming. But I could.

As we ducked into the forest, I almost sighed in relief. At least we were less exposed. Despite the stitch in my side, we didn’t slow down. I trusted Mizuki knew where to go because this city girl was lost the moment we entered the forest.

“Almost there,” Mizuki huffed.

Indeed, I could see the clearing up ahead and the stone dais. Escape was within reach.

So was disaster. As we exited the forest into the open space, Mizuki suddenly halted. “I see fog over there.” She pointed to the forest across from us.

I couldn’t see it, but if she did, it could only mean—

The demon came racing from the other side of the clearing, hunched over to use its hands for extra propulsion. Its mouth leered, the jagged teeth black and yellow, its eyes alight with violence. Guess they could see through the invisibility spell on our jackets.

The hideous creature ululated, a warning clarion that resulted in a reply. The fucker had told the others where to find us.

“We have to get to the stone.” Mizuki withdrew a mini knife from her pocket, and with a flick of her wrist, it expanded to be a full-sized, if slender, sword. She swung it ahead of her as she walked, blind to the demon about to launch itself at her.

She couldn’t die.

I reached into the pocket of my coat, and withdrew my own weapon. A scythe. A tiny one. How to make it big? I squeezed it tight in my fist and shook it.

“Let’s go. Sadie needs a big knife,” I muttered.

To my surprise, it became the large version and yet remained light to hold. While Mizuki took it slow, continuing toward the dais despite being blinded by the fog I couldn’t see, I darted to intercept the demon. No skill. No clue. No idea how to fight, yet I still had to try.

I put myself between Mizuki and the demon and screamed, “Die, motherfucker!” I sliced, and to my shock, the blade connected, slashing through its spine, killing it.

Yay me.

A victory short-lived, as more demons stepped into view. Their eyes glowed with feral hunger. Teeth showing in drooling grins.

Mizuki had made it to the dais, where she now stood with the amulet clutched in her fist. “Sadie! Where are you?”

The fog meant she couldn’t see me or the demon on the edge of the stone. A demon I wouldn’t reach in time.

“Go!” I yelled. “Get out of here.”

“I won’t leave without you.”

“If you don’t leave, we’ll both die.”

“It’s the messovenata’s life that matters, not mine!”

The demon chose that moment to grab her by the leg. She screamed and whacked down with her sword. A blind swing, but she connected. The demon squealed and released her, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

And I was alone.

Alone with demons, who circled me.

My sweaty grip on the scythe remained firm even as I shook internally. My lips pressed into a grim line as I growled, “Let’s dance, demon fuckers.”

I’d like to say I was amazing. That I suddenly knew how to fight. That I prevailed against the seven demons that charged me.

However, my clumsy panic led to me losing my balance, falling like a tree chopped in the forest, smacking my head against the edge of the dais, and passing out.