The Demon Girl - Penelope Fletcher (little bear else holmelund minarik .txt) 📗

up, down, left and right before understanding he was gone. I was seriously considering getting my eyes checked. I freaked out in a big way; I had no doubt in my mind that Devlin was not who he said he was, And that he was up to something, a ‘no good’ something. I didn’t know what to do. Oh gods, what was I doing? I needed a sign I was going to be okay, and that I was making the right choices. Tomas would have risen by now and would be waiting for me. And here I was looking for a Disciple, who was not really a Disciple, who knew about said vampire in wardrobe, and knew I knew a fairy.

“There you are, Rae.”

“Gah!”

I jumped and landed at such an odd angle my right foot jack-knifed out painfully, and I fell. How many times was I going to land on my ass today? It was a damn good thing I didn’t bruise easy.

A hand appeared in my line of sight. Unsure of what to do, I studied it intently before slowly lifting my head to look at the boy offering it to me.

Long ebony hair pulled into a ponytail, his ears were pointed at the tips and his gold eyes glowed. I had never seen anyone other than myself with such light hazel eyes before. His were striking and almond shaped, like mine. His face was all hard angles, smooth expanses of skin, and incredibly beautiful. Chest bare, his lower body was encased in leather plates intricately engraved with leaves. A sword, the length of my torso and latched to his back, triggered a shudder.

“You have nothing to fear from me.” The fairies voice was warm, friendly. “My name is Conall. Breandan sent me.”

Conall, I remembered the name. Breandan had said it before, I was sure of it. The fairy didn’t make any other move and he seemed friendly, so I swallowed the yell I’d had ready. With my eyes darting from the hand to his face, I clasped it. He yanked me up with more force than necessary, and stumbling over my own foot, I crashed into his chest. I flushed as he clamped a hand around my shoulders, set me away from him, and held on until my legs steadied.

“You guys think it’s okay to just pop up out of thin air. It might be normal where you come from, but I’m used to seeing people coming a good few seconds before they’re there.” Placing a hand on my hip, I clutched the other over my poor, poor heart that may give out any day. “You scared me, do you understand? I don’t like it.”

He bowed, arm coming across his torso to rest upon his chest. He moved with effortless grace and predatory bearing. A demon. He smiled at me. “It won’t happen again. Do not be alarmed, but I sense something, odd.” His hands seemed to feel something out in the air in front of me, pushing at it thoughtfully. A crease appeared above his brows in the middle of his forehead. “Its power pulls at my nature then resists contact.”

It seemed wise to keep quiet. Maybe I also should have told him I didn’t like ambiguous statements.

I filed the phrase away for later and instead took my cue from Conall. His face became grave, so my face became grave. The fairies jumped from one emotion to the other so swiftly it was hard to keep up naturally. I had decided to play monkey see, monkey do. He gazed at me silently for so long, I became uncomfortable. I don’t think I would ever master the blink-less stare these demons seemed to be so good at.

“You seem stressed,” he said.

“Conall, I’ve had a hell of a day and you seem to be gearing up to let me in on big demon secrets, but I’ve got to be honest with you, now is not a good time.”

I backed away. I was halfway back to Bayou and it was full dark. I didn’t feel any danger from Conall, but I was worried about what Tomas would do if he remained in my room much longer. What if he got hungry? I had to get him out of the Temple as soon as I could. I didn’t know what the hell had happened to Devlin, but I was guessing the silver streak was Breandan. If Devlin got away from him he might tell the Clerics I had a vampire in my wardrobe. I had stuff to do, and surely whatever this fairy had to tell could wait a few hours.

“This cannot wait. Breandan would show you himself, but he thought it was better in the long run if I am the one to show you. I must help you adjust to your true form and help you with your first conjuring, or it could end badly.”

I frowned at him. Then I frowned over my shoulder where the silver streak had disappeared. “That was Breandan then.”

He nodded. “You came close to being lost to us.” Pausing, his eyes flicked to me then swiveled around the compound as the corners of his mouth pulled down. “You must be careful who you’re alone with.”

He walked off prompting me to follow.

“Uh, where are we going?”

The fairy strolled along unconcerned but I glanced around, worried. There had been many strange occurrences connected to me, and I was becoming more noticeable. For someone used to living under the radar it was unsettling. I didn’t want to draw any more attention to myself, but I couldn’t just let him wander around the Temple.

“I really do have something important to do,” I added after a beat since he didn’t answer. “Breandan said he was going to come back, so I don’t think it’d be too big of a deal just waiting until later.”

“He’s dealing with Devlin,” Conall said. “I’m to protect and guide you to the white witch and he’ll meet us as soon as he can.”

A pickle of fear seized me all over. “Witch?” I said sharply. “Witches are bad, and we are going to go visit one?”

“She is someone who will help you to understand what is happening.”

“Huh. Why didn’t Breandan send someone else after Devlin?” In my head I appended the sentence with, like you.

He heard the unspoken and slid a sly look my way. “They both want something only you can give, and you can only give it to one of them. Devlin is as cunning as Breandan is frank. He needed to deal with it personally.”

“I’m not on the market, nor is anything I own.” I pressed a hand over my chest were my pendant lay. Now Conall had given me the heads up I would not be letting it out of my sight. Not that it had ever left my neck in the last eighteen years.

“Being difficult won’t help you in the long run. Stop trying to reason as a human would. You are not one and you’re not built like one. Your body and mind can handle much more. Soon, you will learn this. You will learn there are rules that must be observed and respected.”

I ground my teeth together. “You’re making assumptions. I have respect, and I just know, no matter what anybody says I am not giving this necklace up.”

I had decided the moment I met him I’d be safe with him, but I was anxious of what was coming next. Feeling foolish, I tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He looked a question at me and I waved him closer. He leaned down from his lofty height to peer into my face quizzically. “I’ve figured out you guys can jump really high, but I can’t. I can’t jump over the Temple wall.” Stepping away I shrugged to show nonchalance, but reddened. At a moment like this Tomas would have come in handy. He had jumped it in a single bound. “We can’t go out the gate either. I don’t even want to think how I would explain you.”

He gave me a warm smile and I immediately felt at ease, grinning back. “Don’t fret,” he said. “It’ll take time for you to learn what you can and cannot do.”

Without breaking stride he took my upper arm and jumped. We passed high over the wall then fell. Conall’s feet hit the ground and I was left dangling from the floor at an awkward angle. He carefully set me down and continued walking. To my credit I didn’t freak. I’d done the stunt before, and I was practically a veteran.

The sun had begun to set and the sky was sapphire, contrasting beautifully with the green of the treetops. We reached the Wall and Conall stopped, to stare hard at the buzzing wires, red hot with electric current.

“You’re doing what Breandan did last time? To the Wall, I mean.” Babbling beside him I straightened my clothes. “You somehow stop the current without tripping the klaxon. I think I’ve done it before, by accident.”

“Could you be quiet for a moment?”

Another blush crept up my neck. “Okay, shutting up now.”

“It’s done. In answer to your question, yes.” Conall pointed to a small man sized hole now in the Wall, moved through it and disappeared into the trees.

Biting my lip, I climbed through and stumbled after him. As we moved I entwined my hands in the coarse grass swaying about my waist. Tugging a few clumps free of the earth, I ran my fingertips over the petals of a wild flower that tickled my palm. The thrumming of crickets and rustle of life in the undergrowth made me smile. The air, heavy with the scent of soil, felt alive as we basked.

Conall breathed in deeply. A satisfied smile danced on the edge of his mouth.

“Do you know how drop your glamour?”

“No.” I slid up my hood.

Standing legs apart, his hands came to rest on his narrow hips. “You understand the physical of your nature?”

I let the clumps of grass fall and wiped my hands on my jeans. “I’m fast. I heal.”

“Have you measured your strength?”

Disconcerted, I rubbed my nose. I hadn’t thought of what being a fairy really entailed. I knew that they were fierce and hard. They healed fast and were the most powerful of the demons. They had strong characters and were beautiful. They had buckets of pride and protected what they thought was theirs. They had magic. I was one of them. But what did it mean to be a fairy? Was there a pecking order like there was within the Sect and who protected, and guided them? Did they really live as nomads and in small families by choice? Or was it a result of the Rupture, like the Wall was.

“I haven’t thought about it. I haven’t thought about much to be honest. Stuff keeps happening a tad fast.”

“If I was human,” he snorted, “and discovered I was much stronger, faster I would not be able to stop myself.” He shrugged. “My nature is proud.”

I thought on it for a while. “It’s hard to believe all of this. You all seem so real.” Conall gave me an odd look. “Understand, in my world demons are odd not humans.”

“A complicated way of saying you’re adjusting.”

I stuck my tongue out at him and placing my legs a foot apart, bent my knees like I was to do some damage. Balling my hands into fists, I pushed thought to the back of my head to clear up some thinking space.

“I’m ready. Let’s do this.” The sooner I got this done, the sooner I could get back to Tomas.

“You know you’re fast?” I bobbed my head. He grinned, a slash of white against