Demon curse, p.7
Demon Curse, page 7
"Demon!" I shout, running toward him.
"You can't stop me!" He raises his hands and black fire shoots out at Amber. But I'm too far away. I'll never make it in time.
"Amber, get back!" I yell, charging at him, but they're both too far away. The hallway between me and them stretches out endlessly. A demon spell. "Get back, you don't have the magic to fight him."
Adrenaline explodes in my system and a cry of rage scraps from my throat. I throw an energy ball at him, but he ducks out of the way with a laugh.
"That the best you got, Matthis?" He shakes his head. "Let's kill these witches." A row of spikes protrudes from the demon's shoulders and his eyes glow a bright red. He shifts his heavy, spiked black boots and the spikes on his shoulders lengthen. "And this bitch will be first."
"No—"
His magic plows into Amber.
She screams and my heart stops. But she keeps fighting, raising her arm in a feeble attempt to stop him.
I stumble forward, my heart hammering in my chest, and it's pounding so loudly I can't hear anything else.
Amber.
A fucking monster dared to hurt her.
I gather all my power to me, the demon magic burning my skin and bringing the scent of brimstone with it.
"You fight your own kind to protect a witch?" The motherfucker grins. "I'll take your head back to Lucifer as a trophy. Traitor."
"Fuck you," I roar, throwing my spell at him.
But he opens a portal and the magic zips past him. This is my fault. I should've limited the demonic runes to only allow my allies in. This bastard is trying to hurt Amber and I've only myself to blame. Something twists in my chest and I spare a glance at Amber to assure myself she's okay.
"You've gone soft, Matthis." He laughs. "My turn."
Pain hits me in the chest and I fly backward with a grunt.
"No!" Amber screams.
Her power shoots forward like a missile. As soon as it hits the demon, it branches into him like a lightning bolt. The demon jerks like he's being electrocuted, then he crashes to the floor.
The demonic spell he had woven snaps backward like a rubber band and suddenly I'm standing next to Amber. I touch her shoulder and she jumps.
"Matthis, are you all right?"
"I'm…" I cough. More blood splatters from my lips. "I'm fine."
I'm not fine, but I won't die. I drag myself up, ignoring Amber's protests and the pain in my chest. "What was that?" I ask.
She glances down at her palms like she's never seen them before. "I-I don't know." She hesitates and meets my stare. "I just couldn't let him hurt you."
Nearby, a student with dark hair gapes at us with his mouth hanging open before dashing down the hallway. Shit. I’ll have to find whoever that is and altar his memory. Later. For now, I have to make sure Amber is okay.
"You could've gotten yourself killed," I chided and pulled her to me. “Are you okay?”
She nods. Then she sees the demon, who is still gripped in the throes of convulsions on the floor, and her smile fades. She stares at him with a look of horror on her face.
The demon chokes out a laugh, his red eyes meet mine and fill with hated at seeing me holding her. He sneers, "You think you've won? That you and your sweetheart can live happily ever after. If Apollyon doesn't kill you, the prince of demons will."
Chapter Ten
AMBER
Matthis growls at the demon writhing on the ground and I feel sick to my stomach. I hunch over, holding myself, as whatever the hell my magic hit him with, begins to burn the demon from the inside out.
The stench is horrid and I want to die. The smell reminds me of something rotting alive, but it's the smell of someone who's burning alive. It's a smell that makes me want to puke.
I sit here kneeling with my head on my knees as it takes all I have to breathe through my mouth. I choke back the bile rising in my throat as I watch the demon burn to death. It's only a matter of minutes before there's nothing left but ash.
After a while, the fire seems to disappear and the smell is gone. I look around, trying to find evidence of what happened, but there's nothing. The demon is gone, and so is the smell. It's like it never even happened.
Matthis stops and faces me. I must look a mess because he crosses the distance between us and pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me.
"I-Is it dead? Can it come back?" I'm shaking all over and I can't seem to stop.
Matthis shushes me, kissing my hair. "Are you okay?" he asks.
I nod, weakly. I try to speak, but my throat is raw. I've never killed anyone before. I squeeze my eyes shut. No, he wasn't a person, he was a demon. But here I am in another demon's arms, taking solace in him.
"I've killed a lot of demons," Matthis says, breaking the silence. "That was the fastest I've ever seen one disintegrate."
"I'm not sure what I did," I reply, wondering. "They've never taught us anything like that." Most spells we learned at the academy were containment spells or banishing ones.
"Whatever it was, it was powerful. Enough to bring down an arch-demon.”
"What?" I gasp, looking up at him. "Well, what level are you then?" Never thought of demons having a hierarchy.
He gives me a look like he doesn't want to tell me. "That's not important. What is important is figuring out what kind of magic that was and teaching you how to harness it."
"I'm not even sure what I did or how. It just happened."
"We'll figure it out." He takes my hand and leads me back to the nurse's station. "Let's check on your friend."
Mia. With all this craziness, I forgot she had been attacked. But I feel a tension between me and Matthis. Like he's not so concerned with Mia but about finding out information.
"H-How did a demon get into the academy, Matthis?" I ask him, slowing my steps so he has to turn and look at me. "We're warded against things like this."
A sinking sensation hit my middle.
Matthis stuffs his hands in his pants pockets. He looks so much like a student here that my breath catches.
"You don't want to know."
"Don't I?" The words scrape my throat. "What's going on, Matthis? Why was there a demon in here and what did he say to you?"
The muscle in Matthis' jaw ticks as he stares at me. "Nothing. The demon muttered gibberish."
My stomach knots up. "That's not true and you and I both know it." Sure the demon was spouting in some demonic tongue I'd never heard, but I'd seen Matthis jerk back and the look on his face. It wasn't nothing. "Why are you lying to me?"
"You're not ready to know." He gives me a stern look.
I cross my arms, lifting my chin to meet his stare. "I'm ready for the truth."
"It's nothing to worry about. I'll take care of it."
"I trusted you." I shake my head, fighting the tears. "You lied to me."
Matthis sighs and leans against the wall. "I didn't lie to you, luv. I just didn't tell you everything." He smirks. "I'm a demon, remember? You can't trust us."
"Matthis, what's going on?" I take a step toward him.
"That's a story for another day." He stands. His eyes burn a hole through me.
I've never seen him like this and I know, deep down, that he's not telling me the truth.
"I need to check on Mia." I brush past him, not waiting for his reply.
I make my way to the nurse's station, where Mia is still lying down, but now she's been moved to a different gurney. I walk over to her but stop in my tracks when her face turns to me and it's swollen and bruised.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mia." I rush to her side and take her hand.
"I told you demons were coming," she says in a hoarse voice.
"I know, you were right." I smile, squeezing her hand. "We'll get you healed up."
"N-N-Not m-m-me," she sputters. "M-M-Mathis. He's a demon and you're involved with him."
I can't move. I can't breathe. She knows about Matthis and she'll tell someone and he'll be banished or worse, killed. I break out in a cold sweat and I feel like the room is spinning. I sit down on the edge of her bed before I fall.
"That demon did a number on you, didn't he?" She crosses her arms. "I knew it." A vein in her forehead pops out. "I don't know what he's doing to you, but I'm going to report this."
My heart hammers in my chest. "Mia, what are you talking about?"
"Matthis. He's a demon and he's here to hurt us." Her eyes are wide and wild.
"Matthis isn't like that." I shake my head.
"He's changed."
"I know, but he had no idea one would get in and attack." At least I keep telling myself that.
"Well, it did." Her cheeks puff out as she speaks. She winces, gingerly touching her face.
"Are you okay?"
"No. I'm not." She lowers her hand, but I can still see the pain on her face. "Your friend was there. He didn't seem surprised by the demon showing up at all."
"Matthis is a friend, not a demon." I've got to get her mind off this. If she reports him, he could die.
She rolls her eyes. "That's what he wants you to think. That he wants to protect you. Demons can't be trusted."
I squeeze her hand. "Mia, please. Don't say anything. I-I'll handle it okay?" Tears burn the back of my eyes.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," she says, weakly. "I don't want you to get hurt."
I lightly squeeze her hand. "I won't. I can take care of myself. And if he tries anything, I'll fry him like I did the last demon." Though would I be able to hurt him? "Please. Give me time to fix this?"
She looks away and I can see the war raging on her face. Finally, she gives a slow nod. "Get rid of him by the full moon or I will."
I have no idea what she'll do, but I'm grateful for the chance to prove that Matthis isn't going to hurt me or anyone. I squeeze her hand once more and get up to leave. I stand and watch her for a second. I don't know what to do. Should I just leave her? Will she be okay? But I have to confront Matthis. Mia's words ring in my ears that he doesn't care about me.
I spin on my heel and head to my dorm room, hoping he's there.
I'm about to turn a corner, but there's a commotion behind me and several adults rush down the hallway. They seem to be looking for the demon, but once they don't see anything, they talk in a hushed voice.
Finally, one of them comes over to me. "Are you all right, Miss Krieg?"
"I'm fine."
"Your friend here said you were attacked. Are you sure you're all right?"
"I'm fine," I say, giving him a dismissive look. "The demon was taken care of."
The man's eyes go wide.
"T-The wards, they did their job and got rid of it,” I rush out.
The man's eyes go wide. "I see. We'll go and speak with Mia and get what happened from her viewpoint."
"Who are you?" I ask.
"I'm Mage Chevalier," he says.
"Thank you for your assistance." I smile at him, then at the others helping Mia. "Please heal her. She's a good friend."
"We'll keep her here overnight at least. And you?" He gives me the once over. "You should get some rest after such a scare. Demons are monsters. We should raid hell and kill them all."
I swallow against the lump in my throat, unable to say anything.
"Alright. Well, if you need anything, just let me know." He nods and heads to the nurse's station.
I'm not sure what to do or say. I've never had to deal with so much attention before. I turn and walk down the hall, losing myself in my thoughts.
I take a deep breath and head to my dorm room. I have to get to the bottom of this.
My legs feel like they're filled with lead, but I walk as fast as I can. I'm not sure what will happen once I get there. Will Matthis say anything? Will he try to change my mind? I don't think I can forgive him if he did. But I need to hear him out. I need to know if what Mia said was true. I can't lose him.
Tears sting my eyes and my throat feels like it's closing. I don't know what to do with myself. One moment, I'm fighting a demon and the next, Matthis is lying to me. I don't understand what's happening. There's so much I don't know about Matthis, and my heart hurts from him hiding something from me.
I make my way to my dorm room. I don't want anyone to see me. I'm sure they're all talking about the demon attack.
And Mia. How did she know about Matthis being a demon? My stomach is churning and I rush to get to my room and away from anyone who might ask what's wrong and why I'm crying.
I turn the last corner and my dorm room is there, waiting for me. I open the door and hesitate before I go inside. I suck in a breath and crack open the door and peer inside.
Matthis is sitting on the edge of the bed. He looks up at me and his eyes soften, then narrow.
"Are you okay?" He stands. His gaze takes me in. "Are you hurt?"
I shake my head and the tears I've been trying to hold back spill out of my eyes.
He hugs me. "I'm so sorry, luv."
I try to shake him off, but he wraps his arms around me. "Let's talk about it."
A lump forms in my throat and I push him back. Then I notice he's in his demon form. His uniform pants are torn and his white buttoned shirt is ripped in several places.
"What's going on, Matthis? Why was there a demon inside the school? It never should've made it past the barrier that surrounds the campus." A thought pops into my mind and I back up a step. "Wait, did you summon it here?" Like I had accidentally done to him?
He rubs a hand over his face and sits down on the bed. "Fucking asshole demons." He chuckles. "They're not nearly as fun as they portray themselves to be."
I lean against the dresser, not sure what to say.
"I need you to come with me," he says. "Away from campus, hell even away from town."
The walls feel like they're closing in on me and I can't breathe. I just want this to be over. To be how it was with me and Matthis before the demon showed up. I slide down the dresser and pull my knees to my chest. I don't want to think, I don't want to feel, but I have to.
"Matthis, tell me the truth. I need answers now." Please don't make me have to let Mia turn you in.
"It's alright, luv," he says, giving me that smile that always makes my heart race, but now it feels like a frozen rock in my chest. "I know you're upset, facing your first demon kill and all, but we can work it out."
He stands and moves closer to me. "We need to go somewhere to talk about this." He reaches for my hand and I yank it away.
"No, I can't go anywhere. Not until you tell me the truth."
He clenches his jaw. "I've already told you the truth."
"You haven't told me anything. Anything at all. Not about why you're really here. Not about what you did to me. Not about the demon that showed up. Nothing."
"No, I haven't," he says. "But I will. I promise, luv." He steps forward and his eyes almost glow. "There's so much to tell you and I don't want to upset you."
"Tell me, please." I swallow against the tightness in my throat. I've been an honest person my whole life. I've never been a manipulative person like my mother. I can't believe he's doing this.
He moves back and starts to pace, then he stops and looks at me. "Do you trust me, luv?"
"Everything I've been taught tells me I shouldn't." I shake my head because there's too much about him I don't know, but my heart, my soul says I should even if it defies logic. I've trusted him this far. But who else would let a demon in. "I don't know."
His body tenses and he closes his eyes. "I didn't make the fucking demon appear. I wanted to protect you. I wanted to stop the demon from hurting you."
He's lying again. "You already knew about it before it showed up. What else are you hiding from me?" I push myself off the floor. "I'm tired of being lied to."
He takes a step toward me and I hold up my hand.
"Don't touch me. Just tell me the truth."
"The demon was here for me."
My room spins and I sit down on the edge of the bed. "What?"
"You tried to summon a lover and got me by mistake."
"Right. So?" When he doesn't say anything, I add, "Tell me," even though my voice trembles. "I want to know."
"When you summoned me, you not only brought me here," his glowing eyes pierce into my soul, "you broke me out of prison."
"I-I don't understand." I frown, trying to follow what he's saying. "Apollyon imprisoned you?"
"No, luv. I was in one of hell's prisons." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Lucifer threw me in jail."
Chapter Eleven
MATTHIS
Amber glares at me from across her bed and if I was any other demon, I've no doubt she'd have fried my ass by now like she did Ahriman back in the hallway. I’ve got an idea of what kind of magic she wielded but I need to do some research before I share my hunch.
"I thought you hated Apollyon?" She narrows her eyes and there's a slight pout on her full lips that makes me want to hook my finger in her panties and rip them off of her, but she won't be distracted by sex. Not with staring at me like she's a gorgon ready to turn me to stone if I do anything wrong.
“I do.”
“And?” she asks in an exasperated tone. “What did the demon say to you?”
When I don’t answer her, her lip quivers. “Mia knows you’re a demon. She said you’re using me and I need to get rid of you before the next full moon or she will. Are you—” her voice breaks, “using me?”
"It's complicated." I rub my forehead, not sure how to get out of this without hurting her feelings. I knew from the beginning she was a different kind of witch, but I never expected her to want to hear about my past. And her roommate Mia is being a pest. Time I pay her a visit and wipe her memory of me being a demon and implant a new one in its place. One of me being Amber’s crush. Yes, I like that idea.
“Please.” Amber’s eyes soften. "Please, stop making excuses, just tell me."
She is right. I'm procrastinating because I don't want her to hate me. Which is ironic since she already knows I'm a demon and still wants to be with me. I've no right to keep her in the dark. "All right." I scratch my cheek, thinking how best to explain the complex world of hell to her. "Apollyon tortured me for centuries."
