Chapter 18

18

After Fay's bombshell admission that she'd died locking up Moloch, she thrust me onto the ledge outside the cave with my boys.

Cain asked, "What's got you looking worried?"

"Nothing." How could I tell him that saving the world meant martyring myself? Did I even have it in me to be that altruistic? There had to be another way.

The boys noticed something amiss, but I played it off by claiming a headache. They insisted I relax in a hot bath, had Isadora make me a savory chicken soup, and put me to bed early.

But I couldn't sleep. And no, it wasn't because I was sandwiched between two naked bodies or because of the dog snoring at the foot of my bed.

Restlessness filled me. I wandered to the library and eyed the many books. So many and surely one had answers.

I closed my eyes, held out my hand and hummed, "Eeny meeny, miny moe, catch a demon by the toe, if he hollers kill him good, eeny meeny, miny moe, out you go."

A peek showed my finger pointing not at the bookshelf, but at the stone pedestal with the bookrest.

Well, that didn't work. I'd hoped to be shown a book that might explain something. As I went to turn back to the bookcases, something about the pedestal kept my attention. The surface of it was smooth, but the front face had the same symbol as that on the door. The door only I could open.

On a whim, I placed my hand on the sigil, and it glowed.

Click. A secret compartment opened, and I gaped at the slim, leatherbound book inside. Upon grabbing it, a bit of a zing went through me, magic filling me for a second.

Hopefully I'd not triggered some deadly trap. Given I wasn't hurt or struggling to breathe, I flipped open the book.

While the words and letters looked strange, I could understand them. There was no title, no author, just tight writing.

I have to start yet another diary as I lost the last one when I had to flee in the night. Always running. I am so tired of constantly being on the move and yet what can I do? My father won't suffer me to live. Not when he knows my existence could spell his downfall. At times I wish he'd murdered me at birth. He certainly threatened it often enough. No better than a prisoner, how could he not see his own actions drove me to hate him? If I'd had the chance, I would have killed him. And he would have deserved it. He and everyone else who abetted his abuse of me.

I paused with a frown and wondered why someone had hidden this journal. Written by a woman with daddy issues. Big whoop. I almost put it aside.

Almost. There had to be a reason someone hid it.

I continued to read.

I wonder how loudly he bellowed when he discovered me gone. How many heads rolled even as no guard helped me to escape. Nay, his own son was the one to defy him. I hope he wasn't punished for it. I dare not contact him and can only hope he didn't suffer.

To think I could have fled much earlier. My own fault for not exploring my gift. I blame my father for convincing me I was utterly useless. I should have known he lied when he claimed I was weak. Weak, and yet Father kept using me to expand his reach.

Thank you, Brother, for encouraging me to explore my power. For braving my enforced solitude and teaching me how I could be free and finally live.

This new place I've discovered is nice. Almost as nice as the one I just fled. No dust and so many colors. I especially love the green grass and blue skies. Its biggest drawback is the people aren't exactly kind. My attempts to approach them have resulted in me being chased off with them accusing me of being a witch.

True. But I mean them no harm.

I skimmed through pages and pages of this mysterious woman trying to survive in a time when females had few to no rights and those who were different got pilloried.

Midway through the tome, the writing got shaky.

An illness has beset me, a plague that has taken its toll on my health and left me shaking and weak. How ironic that I might succumb to a simple virus after surviving torture.

The diary resumed with her signature looping scrawl to say, I have encountered my first act of kindness. I'd begun to think it didn't exist in this world. A sect of men who call themselves monks found me at my most vulnerable, but unlike so many, they did not take advantage. These men of God are kind. They have taken me in, housed me, fed me. I am stronger than I've ever been. I wish I could repay them, but I have no riches, nothing but my gift. I am afraid to show them, though. Afraid they'll turn on me like so many others before.

A change in ink color showed time had passed before the next entry.

I did it. I fixed the monks' church with magic and instead of chasing me off, they are calling me a miracle of God. I haven't told them their god died long ago. I won't shatter their faith since it does no harm. It is nice to be accepted.

A darker shade of writing indicated a new passage.

I am in love. The most unexpected and wondrous feeling in the world. It is most likely unwise and yet I cannot resist taking Grigori as my lover despite the danger. A danger I warned him of but his love for me and me for him is stronger than fear. We cling to the happiness we can achieve while both knowing it won't last and will end poorly. I know my father has not stopped looking for me. He never will.

Time passed before her next entry.

It's been a while since I've written. So long that my child has been born, and she is perfect. Beautiful and strong in magic. The exact thing he always feared. Even I feel trepidation. My child, my greatest accomplishment, is already in great peril. He mustn't find her. I can't have her suffer like I did.

I have placed a charm of protection on her in the hopes of keeping her safe. But the best thing I can do for my precious daughter is to leave. Leave her with her doting father and his brothers. Leave her so that I will not lead my father to her. He must never know.

I really wondered who this dreaded "he" was. Who was this woman's father?

The last passage in the diary had me reading intently.

I sense my freedom is coming to an end. The omens aren't good. The hunter nears and I should run but I'm tired of fleeing. Yet neither can he capture me. The torture will be ten times worse than before. Not to mention my secret. He must never know about the child. She is a shining hope for the future. Through her, perhaps humanity will have a chance. As for me, I have my scythe in hand, ready to face the threat that comes for me. My days of bolting are done. Let his hunter find me. I am ready to end this farce of an existence.

With that, the diary ended, and I wondered what happened next. She must have died. Why else would the writing stop?

The story reminded me of the one Mizuki told me she'd found in one of the books, written by a monk about a woman with magic from another world. Had I just read the origin story of witches?

If yes, the bigger question was who had she been scared of?

Would Fay know? Only one way to find out. I exited the library and checked the bedroom to see my boys sleeping soundly with the dog. Given I didn't want them to panic if they woke while I was in the Continuum, rather than leave them a note, I layered them with a sleep spell. Once I heard them snoring, I exited the cave, talisman in hand but stopped in surprise at seeing someone on the ledge waiting for me.

"Nova? What are you doing here?"

The Regina arrived, swaddled in a thick cloak with her face barely peeking as she murmured, "I have something important to discuss with you."

I arched a brow. "You do realize it's the middle of the night."

"It couldn't wait."

"Come inside, then."

We entered the cave and found Clover waiting. Guess my sleep spell didn't work on him. He growled at the sight of Nova.

"It's okay, little buddies," I said in a soothing tone. "You know Nova. She's just here to chat with me."

My pups remained unappeased.

Nova pursed her lips. "Savage, just as I warned."

"He's just being a guard dog." I didn't mention the fact he only acted like this around her. Made me wonder if the adage about animals and the people they didn't like applied.

"Where are Cain and Vance?"

"Sleeping. Hold on, I'll take Clover for a snack in the kitchen and then we'll chat."

It took me a moment to find the bones Isadora stashed in the cellar. I gave one to Clover and then led my dog to the bedroom where my men snored, oblivious to everything. I'd have to tease them in the morning about missing out on my middle of the night visitor. Then get a lecture about how I shouldn't have spelled them, possibly followed by a spanking. Fun.

Clover didn't want to stay with them, so I closed the bedroom door and joined Nova who stood by the inert dais in the middle of the room.

"So, what's so important you came rushing to find me in the dead of night?" I asked. "Does this have anything to about the books you confiscated from Mizuki?"

Nova waved a hand. "They are interesting, mostly because they enabled me to finally decipher an ancient text that came into my possession. One with instructions on how to stop the demon incursions."

"Seriously? That's awesome." Could we finally put an end to the threat?

Nova paced the circumference of the dais as she spoke. "This book was written by someone close to the events that happened a long time ago. It begins by talking about a miraculous birth."

"How is a baby being born a miracle? Wait, was it an immaculate conception?"

"No, Morrghan, as the child was called, came about the normal way, but their very existence was thought to be impossible as they were the result of human and demon coupling."

"Um, demons and humans procreate. Not pleasantly, but it happens. Just look at any reaper's ancestry."

Nova shook her head. "We're not talking about just any demon." Nova paused. "Moloch had a daughter."

I blinked at the news. "Hold on, he had a daughter? As in a girl child? I thought demons, with the exception of the drones, were all male."

"They are. Hence why her birth proved to be such a surprise."

"Who was her mother?"

The query led to Nova lifting and dropping her shoulders. "That isn't clear, but one could only assume someone with special genetics, seeing as how the daughter emerged powerful in magic. So strong that Moloch almost killed her at birth, but instead kept her a prisoner in his fortress."

My mind flashed to the diary I'd read. Coincidence? "So he had a girl. Not sure why this is important or what it has to do with closing the doorways to Inferis."

"I'm getting to it. According to the author of the narrative, Morrghan grew up a prisoner, mistreated by her father, but abiding by it because she knew no better. To her, being held captive was her life. She might have remained cloistered forever until the night Moloch came to her and told her his plans to get her with child."

I grimaced. "These demons really have a thing for forced breeding. Who was he marrying her off to?"

"No marriage. Demons don't believe in such unions. Moloch planned to get her pregnant with his child. He wanted a son, one with his and her power combined."

"Hold on, the megalomaniac wanted to create someone stronger than him?" That didn't sound like Moloch.

"One that he would control and use as a weapon. Only Morrghan was horrified by the idea and so she escaped. You see her gift, that Moloch coveted, turned out to be the power to open doorways to other worlds. Intentional ones, not the wild versions that couldn't be relied on. Morrghan even found a way to harness her ability." Nova tapped the dais embedded in the cave floor. "These permanent portals were the result."

"Moloch's daughter made them? All of them?" I clarified.

Nova nodded. "The author of the text I translated claims she had a part in the creation of all the permanent doorways as well as the talismans that we still use today. Using her gift, Morrghan managed to escape to another world. For a time, she lived peacefully until Moloch's minions tracked her down and attempted to bring her back. She moved often, bouncing from world to world until she ended up on Earth."

"And birthed a girl who was the start of the witch lines," I stated. Holy shit. Witches were descended from demons. Plot twist.

"You know this story?" Nova asked with a frown.

"I only recently learned of it but didn't know the first witch was Moloch's kid."

"It was a well-kept secret. Even I had no idea until I read her story. She was the first to have sangual blood. It was why she had special power. Why her father wouldn't let her be. The author claims Morrghan knew her father would one day find her, so before she could be made a prisoner again, she committed the ultimate sacrifice."

"She died so Moloch couldn't use her or find out about the kid."

My reply pursed Nova's lips. "She didn't simply die. She sealed the permanent doorways between our world and Inferis. She's the reason why we weren't invaded or overrun."

"Still not getting the point of this history lesson. How does this help us stop the demons?"

"Because the author explained how we could stop the demon incursions permanently."

"Really?" My tone and expression brightened. "How?"

"I think you already know, seeing as how you were present when Moloch was freed."

My stomach sank as she got to the crux of it. "My blood."

"The ancestral magic of Morrghan runs through your veins. What runs through your veins is the lock that will protect our world."

"Which is all well and good, but I don't want to die."

"You don't have to. The same way Moloch was freed from his prison by your blood so can we use it to block the portals."

"If only blood is needed then why did Morrghan die?"

"The book claims she fell in battle, and she blocked access to Inferis with her dying breath. We can achieve the same result so long as your wounds are not grievous."

"You're still talking about slicing and dicing me." I grimaced. "You know, I've done that before and it's not fun. At all."

"It will hurt, yes, but Devika will heal you after. Isn't a little pain worth it to save the world?"

I turned from Nova as I tried to control my racing and scared heart. "How can we know it will work?"

"It did before. Morrghan was a messoventa, just like you."

"Not like me. I'm not Moloch's daughter."

"But her power runs in your veins. You can stop the doorways from opening."

"I'm not so sure of that. The wild ones kept happening."

"Because her curse only closed the permanent links. We will complete her work by blocking the rest.

"You're assuming the story you read is true. You said it yourself, the whole thing was written down secondhand."

"I'm sure if we translated some of the texts in here, we'd get confirmation."

"Have at it." I waved to the library. "Let's get them all done so we can have a true picture of what happened and not just the one tale."

"We don't have time.

"An easy thing for you to say. You're talking about slicing me up in the hopes of closing the wild doorways to Inferis, but what if you're wrong?"

"I'm not," Nova insisted.

"Sorry, but that's not good enough for me. I think we need to dig deeper. I'll have the boys help me box up the library and bring the books to the castle in the morning." I turned from Nova, done with this conversation, but I also didn't trust her, hence why I put up a shield against magic. I wouldn't be caught off guard again.

"I knew you'd be difficult," she muttered. "Good thing I came prepared."

Before I could ask what that meant, I felt a prick. A glance down showed a needle sticking out of my arm.

I gaped at Nova. "What the fuck?" And how ironic. Here I'd been ready for her to try hexing me again. I never expected her to resort to drugs. And my shield did nothing to stop it.

A drug that hit hard and fast, sending me flopping to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Sadie. I really am, but your stubborn attitude can't be allowed to put this world in more jeopardy than it already is. I promise, the moment the ritual is done, I'll have you transported to the castle where Devika will heal you up."

I wanted to scream at her. Wanted to singe her smug face, but my magic ignored me, slipping from my grasp, oily and slick. The cocktail she'd given me made me feel as if I floated out of my body.

Wait, I was. I glanced at myself as if from above, my body sprawled awkwardly, arms and legs splayed. My mouth slack and drooling.

In that moment, I really wished I'd not put the boys into a deep sleep. They wouldn't have allowed Nova to do this. I think. Or would they have listened to her bullshit excuse of saving the world and how I wasn't important in that grand scheme?

Nova grunted as she heaved and pulled me so that I lay upon the dais in the room. As if she knew I wondered at her actions, she spoke. "The spell isn't as complicated as you'd think," she murmured. "The blood does most of the work. The hardest part was accessing one of the portals to Inferis. The other known two are inaccessible with one being under Lake Texoma." A manmade body of water between Texas and Oklahoma created by the Denison Dam. "And the other in the Vatican catacombs. What luck you found this one."

Yeah, lucky me. Nova arranged me to her satisfaction, which included stripping me to my underwear, and then pulled a knife. Not a fancy one but a regular kitchen knife with a gleaming blade.

My floating ghost swiped for it, tried to grab it from her hand to no avail.

Nova knelt and for a second, I could see she wavered. She bit her lower lip and whispered, "I wish there was another way."

Then she sliced. She cut me across the belly. The arms. The legs. I felt no pain unless that of my heart and soul counted. I couldn't believe Nova was doing this to me. My ally, a person I looked up to.

The eyes in my body stared sightlessly and I said not a word as bled me, crisscrossing my skin with so many slices I had to wonder if she lied about me living through this. She cut me more than that time I'd been a pawn used to free Moloch. My blood soaked into the grooves of the dais and then filled them.

The entire thing began to glow as she recited a chant while waving her hands, awash in magic which covered my body.

It hurt.

It hurt so much that despite the drug, I screamed and arched from the stone. The agony filled me to the brim and then some. It hadn't been this bad when I'd opened the door for Moloch. It felt as if every cell in my body was being zapped by electrical currents.

When my body collapsed, I could only whimper. Too weak to protest. Too weak to move.

The hum underneath me began lightly at first, vibrating my bleeding flesh.

Nova stood with her hands clasped, frowning. "This wasn't in the book," she muttered.

The dais under me began to move, spinning, and yet I remained in place.

Nova took a step back as the hum hit a crescendo and there was a boom loud enough the cave shook and dust fell.

The drug wore off enough I managed to roll and cough, each movement jolting with pain. But I knew I had to get away. I crawled even as Nova kept retreating, her face wide-eyed and round mouthed as she stared at something behind me.

Heat radiated at my backside, along with a smell of something spicy. Familiar.

I almost sobbed Moloch's name. He was supposed to be dead, but I knew that smell.

Only it wasn't his voice that said, "Thank you for unlocking the door between our worlds."

"No," Nova whispered. "I sealed it with her blood."

"Wrong, witch. You did exactly as planned," mocked the deep voice.

"Die, demon!" Nova raised her hands and threw electricity at him. Kind of cool looking. Remember the emperor in Star Wars ? The problem being it made the demon who'd come through the open doorway laugh.

"Oh, you foolish, foolish, witch. Your powers are no match for mine."

With that, I didn't even see what shoved Nova, only that it lifted and flung her across the room. She hit a wall hard and slid down, unconscious, possibly dead.

Not that I cared. I kept crawling even as I realized the futility. The drug in my system might have slowly released my muscles, but it still kept me from grabbing magic.

"Where do you think you're going? I've got plans for you."

I sobbed as he grabbed my ankle. I scrabbled at the floor, but I was no match for his strength.

"Say goodbye to this life," the demon stated, followed by a great heat enveloping my body.

Then nothing.