Chapter 120: Sacrifice
I couldn't watch. I turned my eyes away, held Mom as she tried in her weakened physical state to reach Dad. Held her tight and forced myself to block out the howl of pain my father released when Demetrius's crystal started to drain him of his power, glowing brighter as it drew his energy from him.
It wasn't long before Demetrius scowled. He shook the crystal as Dad screamed his agony into the night. The Chosen leader snarled and gestured again as my dad fell to his knees. The crystal's light sputtered and went out.
"What is this!" Demetrius spun on Nicholas. "I demanded you bring me the demon!"
"I did." The vampire hissed and spit, looking less like his brother by the moment. "Exactly as you ordered."
"Something is wrong." Demetrius turned to me, fury in his face and a murderous rage at the ready. More than ever I knew he planned to kill us all.
"You know," he said, cherub face now showing hints of his evil. "Tell me."
I shrugged, reaching for my sarcasm, wrapping it around me like a comforting blanket. "Maybe you should have read the demon owner's manual."
"What?" Spit flew from his lips, eyes alight with rage.
"He's not a demon when he's in mortal form, you idiot." I wanted to use stronger language but that was what came out. "That's what mortal form means."
Demetrius shook with his fury, eyes huge and bulging, face deep red. I had a hopeful moment his head might explode.
No such luck.
"No!" He spun on Dad and gestured with his stupid crystal again. Dad moaned and writhed, his cries weaker than before.
If you let him continue, our father will die. My demon had been so quiet I almost forgot she was there. It doesn't have to be like this. Before I could act, she dragged me to my feet and faced Demetrius.
"Why take him," she said through my lips, "when you could have the real thing?"
Demetrius actually paused. The crystal darkened and Dad fell to his side, panting. "Syd," he called out to me. "What are you doing?"
My demon went on. "You may not be aware of this," she said, "but your vampire buddies have screwed you over." She pointed down at Mom. "She's already been drained."
Demetrius's eyes narrowed. He went to Mom in a rush, pointed the crystal at her. It barely flickered. His face went very white, a thick vein pulsing in his temple. I could only pray he would explode. I'd pay to see that, actually.
No such luck. He spun in a fury on Nicholas.
"Where is her power?" No more the cheerful cherub, Demetrius rippled with sorcery and his own brand of insane rage.
Nicholas just snarled at him.
I was sure Demetrius was about to have a fit. "It won't work without her," he roared at the vampire. "I need all forms of magic. And while I'd be happy to drain you," he raised the crystal at Nicholas, "that still leaves me short." He was shaking in his rage. "You will pay for this, you traitorous dog."
Demetrius moved to attack Nicholas who held up one hand.
"I don't have it," he said. "But I know who does."
That stopped the Chosen leader from killing him then and there.
"Give it to me." Demetrius's smile returned. "All will be forgiven."
Before Nicholas could say anything, my demon spoke up again.
"You don't need it." What the hell was she doing? Whatever it was, she blocked me so I couldn't find out.
He turned to face her again. "What are you saying, Sydlynn?" His eyes widened. "No, not Sydlynn. So the demon has a voice."
"And a life, thank you." She was so far from me, on the other side of the chasm. The family magic, for whatever reason, had driven a deeper wedge between us, feeding whatever kept us apart, spreading the gaping hole wider and wider. And as much as I wanted to keep her, it felt like the thing in my head that kept her separate was more than willing to slice us apart. "I'm making you an offer."
I knew exactly what she was going to say and the terror it created in me almost made me sob. No, I sent to her, desperate. Please, don't.
She ignored me.
"Let's hear it." Demetrius pointed the crystal at me now.
"You let them go," she scowled at my parents like they were filthy, "and I come with you."
"Sydlynn, you can't." That was Mom.
"Syd, honey, no. No!" Dad.
I felt Quaid try to reach me, remembered he was stuck protecting the others, felt fleetingly his fear that mirrored mine before she cut ties with my family and took control again.
"That's my offer," she said. "But not Syd. Me. The demon. Why would you want a mortal version of that power when you could have the real thing?"
He looked confused. "You can do that?"
I didn't even know if she could do that. But the rift was so wide now, she did feel farther from me, as if with a push we could be two where one once was.
"Yes," she said.
Wasn't this what I always wanted? To be free of magic, to be rid of my demon side and just be ordinary? If that was true, why did the very thought tear me apart inside and break my heart into tiny little pieces?
Please don't leave me. I sobbed inside if she wouldn't let me on the outside.
You have to trust me, she sent and cut me off.
Demetrius looked like someone offered to hand him the sun on a silver platter.
Mom's hands clutched at my legs while Dad said my name over and over again.
"Agreed," Demetrius said. He looked suddenly hungry.
I felt her fighting against the chasm inside me, forcing her energy inside it. With a jerk it ripped wider.
I tried to stop her, to grab her but she was too far and too determined.
This could kill us both, I said, my last attempt to keep her even as she wrenched my heart from my chest and tossed it at me.
We'll see, she said. And severed our connection.
I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air, feeling like I'd just been drained of the very thing that gave me life. Everything felt hollow and unreal, naked and joyless. I saw a red foot beside me shift and turned my head to look.
She stood next to me, my demon, amber eyes staring down at herself in shock.
"It worked." Her voice was mine, but layered with power. She looked at me, her glowing eyes alight, horns peeking out of her silky black hair. Her red tinted skin shone in the darkness.
"Goodbye, Syd," she said. And disappeared into the crystal.
Demetrius smiled, an awed smile like a child opening a favorite toy at Christmas. His crystal turned amber, full of demon power. He raised it and pointed it at Nicholas.
"Now," he said, "the power of the witch or you die where you stand."
Nicholas crouched as if to attack. Demetrius gestured just as Nicholas leapt for him.
And fell back with a cry as the crystal flared amber light, shuddering visibly in his hand as if battling him for control, shooting flames up his arm. At the same time, the vampire pounced, fangs bared and white undead power flickering against the surging demon power, the two combined energies driving him to the ground.
"NO!" Demetrius's hand met a rock, funneled light through the very earth and into Nicholas who sprang back as if he'd gotten a shock. The Chosen leader leapt to his feet and glared at the crystal in his hand, shaking it as though doing so would cause my demon to do his bidding.
Boy, did he bite off more than he knew.
Nicholas shook his head. So did his fellow vampires. And I suddenly felt the rush of magic around me, even in my stripped and weakened condition. The family was coming and they were furious.
Demetrius ran, his men with him. I could feel flickers of power from the vampires as they tried to stop him, but every time they did it was like their magic hit a wall and dissipated.
Sorcery. Had to be. And the bastard was getting away with my demon.
There was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't even stand up.
Mom's hand met mine. "Syd," she whispered, "they're coming, just hold on."
I knew she was right. The vampires were coming closer, though. I heard a laugh and looked up. Nicholas smiled down at us.
"I owe you thanks," he said. "Your little trick freed me and my people. Demetrius's power gave him control over me through my blood. I admit I gave it to him willingly, him and that foolish crystal of his. But now that your demon half has destroyed the power of mine he hid in that thing, I am my own vampire again." He laughed, stretched even as though his body had been under control and not his magic. "It's unfortunate that I now have to kill you."
The family was close. But not close enough.
This day could only get better.
Nicholas bent over my mother, bending her back, her neck exposed. "Imagine my disappointment," he whispered to her, "when I discovered you already gave your magic to someone else."
What was he talking about?
"Clever," he said, "that veneer you maintained to disguise you were already drained. Who has it?" Nicholas's hands tightened on Mom's arms while Dad struggled against the vampires, his demon fire barely flickering.
She smiled at him, a gentle expression full of satisfaction. "You'll never know," she said.
Nicholas snarled and pulled her close while I struggled to muster anything to protect her. But the chasm was healing over, sealing me up inside it, blocking even my mortal magic. I finally felt it, the magic holding my demon and I apart. Perfectly hidden, disguised my whole life and sandwiched between us, the energy of it slithered over my mind like a protective wrapping. It slung itself around me and what was left of my magic and smothered both.
Quaid tackled the vampire from the darkness, but the fight was short. Weakened by the sustained shield over our friends and keeping them asleep, Quaid's power was divided and no match for the ancient vampire.
Quaid groaned as he collapsed, eyes rolled back in his head from a blow of undead magic.
"Fool," Nicholas snapped. "You only delay the inevitable."
His sharp fangs flashed in the dark as he sank them into Mom's neck.
***
