Chapter 85: Saved By Love
I was the first to hit my knees but knew some of the weaker witches weren't far behind me. I watched my mother's face pale and knew she was in trouble. There was no way to fight the draw, no defense against it.
"You have no recourse," Cesard said as Sebastian wavered, his flawless face sinking slowly into wrinkles. "I will take your power and use it to rule this world and when I have taken all it has to give me, I shall move on to the next."
Quaid fell beside me, his hand outstretched to mine and I took it, desperate. Maybe he and I could do something, anything.
But there was nothing. No spark, no connection. It was gone and we were almost used up.
Mom staggered, but held her ground as I slowly toppled on my side. Her eyes met mine, so much love there I would have cried if I had the energy. As it was I felt like I had been wrung out like a wet rag and tossed aside. When I fell, I landed across Brad's chest and my hand slid across his leg, coming to rest against something cold.
I was suddenly okay. Better than okay. Full power, access to an excited demon, all of it. I moved my hand in shock, ready to get up and fight and collapsed again, empty.
What the hell was that? I looked down and saw something glittering in Brad's hand. The necklace with the sparkling heart dangling from it. I had to touch it again, to move my fingers, but it was so hard. My muscles didn't answer me when I told them to. Desperate, I reached for my demon.
She slammed what energy she had into my arm and together we clasped the pendant.
There it was again. I was okay! I struggled not to give myself away. I needed to use this to our advantage. But how? And why? It had to be the power connecting me to Brad. But I broke up with him. I gave the thing back.
But he hadn't accepted. So his part of the power was still there. And it shielded us both.
Cesard must have known something was wrong. He spun and focused on me again, one clawed finger pointing at me.
"Demon child!" He roared. "You will not!"
I climbed to my feet and held up the necklace, clasped in my fist. "Too late, asshole."
I knew I didn't have much time and the slim slice of energy I had wouldn't last. I only had one shot and I went for the jugular.
My demon lashed out and connected with Torsh.
A pact, we offered.
FREEDOM, he demanded.
Anything, we agreed. We lied. I hoped.
We were full of energy then, the siphoning being diverted to us. I was suddenly huge with it, swelling and filling like never before. When we were attacked by the Moromonds, I had access to a large cache of power, but nothing like this. This was primal and endless and I was a GODDESS. I COULD DO ANYTHING, RULE THE WORLD-
My demon slapped me so hard I cried out.
Yeah, I sent to her. Thanks for that.
NOW, Torsh said, SET ME FREE.
Don't think so, big guy, I sent back. But, thanks for the power.
It roared at me while the vampire lashed out and Cesard barked a spell.
They were too late. Way too late. I had what they needed, what they stole. And I had a plan for it. I focused all of it through the tiny heart and used it to shatter the wards around the cavern.
I felt the family gasp and recover, heard my mother call my name. But I was past that, past all of them. There was something I had to do.
I reached out with my newly won magic and used it to open a doorway.
My dad came roaring through. Not the dad I knew, the kind and calm presence living in a human statue when called by our magic. This was the full embodiment of Haralthazar, Demon Lord of the Seventh Plane, and he was not a happy camper.
He blazed with power, his fury a physical thing, red skin glowing with inner fire. The heat of his magic glowed in his eyes, shining from every part of him. He towered over us, enormous shoulders filling the cave, blocking out the permalight. With him came the roar of his kind, their anger fueling him. The demon within Cesard screamed for mercy as my father plunged forward with one giant hand and ripped him from the man's body. The demon's body pulled free like a snapping rubber band, to dangle across Dad's knuckles. Torsh writhed in Dad's mighty grip, twisting and turning, trying to escape as my father absorbed the last of what energy he had. Torsh shrank into a weak and powerless spark Dad encased in a sphere of golden light.
"Child of the Demon," my father said, his eyes meeting mine, "this one is yours on which to pass sentence."
Really? The opening of the door to his plane took so much energy I wasn't feeling very godlike anymore. Just kind of beat up and wiped out. And not very forgiving.
"Any suggestions, Demon Lord?" I figured I'd give my dad the chance to pass judgment before I did something I'd regret later.
"Only two," his voice was still a roar but I loved it. "Destruction or imprisonment."
"We saw how well that last one went."
He didn't want to smile. I could tell he was trying to be serious. But I had cracked his veneer and a smirk escaped.
"Choose, Demon Child."
"Just make sure he doesn't get loose this time, okay?"
Dad nodded once to me before turning to Mom. "We did well," he said.
"We did," she smiled.
Dad flickered and vanished.
"Close the door behind your father, dear," Mom said.
Right. The portal. Good idea. I sealed it up and turned just in time to scream at her to watch out. Too late. Cesard was already on her.
***
