He must have done
something in the original Calling spell. He had had control this entire time.
She fell limp with shock.
“There they are!” The shout rang down the hallway. An angry
mob of demons appeared. Mira’s stomach sank as she spotted Ferr at the head of
the pack.
Karnon dropped Mira to standing. “Don’t try anything and do
not say a word,” he whispered, his tone not to be argued with.
Wobbling, Mira crept behind him, continuing to cling to his
torso. The painful betrayal had faded to a stark realization of the situation.
Even if she hadn’t meant to kill Xander she was in trouble. Xander’s skull
grinned at her in her mind, mocking her. Even in death he was going to bring
her down. The breath in her chest tightened. Karnon didn’t know why she had
done it, and he controlled her magic. Her hands fell away from the demon. What
would he do? Was he going to give her over to the mob? What chances did she
have? Her instincts told her that if she ran they would be on top of her like a
pack of rabid wolves and even Karnon’s towering presence wouldn’t be enough to
stop them. Mira swallowed her panic and moved closer to the demon shielding her
as the mob reached them. Karnon didn’t budge.
Finding a blockade to their target caused the mob to pause,
uncertain. Ferr, the demon who had almost attacked her earlier, pushed to the
front.
“Give her up, Karnon,” Ferr said.
“For what reason?” Karnon replied, still not moving.
Mira marveled at the calm in his voice. His brother dead and
he acted as though nothing had happened. The tight band on her chest loosened
with hope.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t feel it! That witch’s power could
have taken down a small army of mortals!”
“Yeah!” another demon added. Karnon’s eyes swept over to the
source and whomever it was retreated back into the group. No one else spoke up.
Ferr drew himself up to his full height. “Something
happened! That blood bitch is dangerous to have here. Now I demand that you put
her away and allow us to investigate the situation.”
“Okay.”
Stunned silence met Karnon’s response. Whatever more Ferr
was planning to say wilted as he stared back at Karnon. Mira’s stomach lurched.
“Karnon,” she said, moving forward, her voice pleading.
“Shut up.” He didn’t look at her.
She fell back a step, hurt. Had she really expected him to
help her after what she’d done? Her stomach swirled and contracted. And he
controlled her magic. She risked a peek at Ferr, wanting to see the face of her
soon-to-be fate.
“Yes, well, as long as that is seen to.” Deprived of his
righteousness and position of mob leader, the shorter demon had deflated.
“Let’s go, Ferr. We can talk after we have the witch locked
up,” Karnon said.
Angry mob turned escort service flanked Mira on all sides as
Ferr and Karnon led the way in front. She didn’t dare try to run or to use her
power now that she knew Karnon would rein her in as soon as she did. Resigned,
she trudged through the black halls of Hell, herded by russet-skinned, horned,
naked men. A part of her wanted to break into hysterical laughter, the other
part of her wanted to cry. She did neither. At least her mother was no longer
in the grips of Xander. Mira comforted herself with the thought as she watched
Karnon’s stiff and cold silhouette marching in front of her.
* * * * *
“Why have you called this meeting, Karnon?” Cronus asked.
They sat around a circular table in the royal conference room. Their other
brother Pharic was there, as well as Ferr, which irritated Karnon—he had hoped
to speak to his brothers alone. He tried not to look at Satan’s empty chair,
wishing more than ever that his father could be there to guide them.
“He brought a blood-witch here and she used her powers,”
Ferr spoke up.
Karnon resisted snapping back at the shorter demon. Ferr had
been strutting around, bragging about the crazy witch in the cage ever since
they’d locked Mira
something in the original Calling spell. He had had control this entire time.
She fell limp with shock.
“There they are!” The shout rang down the hallway. An angry
mob of demons appeared. Mira’s stomach sank as she spotted Ferr at the head of
the pack.
Karnon dropped Mira to standing. “Don’t try anything and do
not say a word,” he whispered, his tone not to be argued with.
Wobbling, Mira crept behind him, continuing to cling to his
torso. The painful betrayal had faded to a stark realization of the situation.
Even if she hadn’t meant to kill Xander she was in trouble. Xander’s skull
grinned at her in her mind, mocking her. Even in death he was going to bring
her down. The breath in her chest tightened. Karnon didn’t know why she had
done it, and he controlled her magic. Her hands fell away from the demon. What
would he do? Was he going to give her over to the mob? What chances did she
have? Her instincts told her that if she ran they would be on top of her like a
pack of rabid wolves and even Karnon’s towering presence wouldn’t be enough to
stop them. Mira swallowed her panic and moved closer to the demon shielding her
as the mob reached them. Karnon didn’t budge.
Finding a blockade to their target caused the mob to pause,
uncertain. Ferr, the demon who had almost attacked her earlier, pushed to the
front.
“Give her up, Karnon,” Ferr said.
“For what reason?” Karnon replied, still not moving.
Mira marveled at the calm in his voice. His brother dead and
he acted as though nothing had happened. The tight band on her chest loosened
with hope.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t feel it! That witch’s power could
have taken down a small army of mortals!”
“Yeah!” another demon added. Karnon’s eyes swept over to the
source and whomever it was retreated back into the group. No one else spoke up.
Ferr drew himself up to his full height. “Something
happened! That blood bitch is dangerous to have here. Now I demand that you put
her away and allow us to investigate the situation.”
“Okay.”
Stunned silence met Karnon’s response. Whatever more Ferr
was planning to say wilted as he stared back at Karnon. Mira’s stomach lurched.
“Karnon,” she said, moving forward, her voice pleading.
“Shut up.” He didn’t look at her.
She fell back a step, hurt. Had she really expected him to
help her after what she’d done? Her stomach swirled and contracted. And he
controlled her magic. She risked a peek at Ferr, wanting to see the face of her
soon-to-be fate.
“Yes, well, as long as that is seen to.” Deprived of his
righteousness and position of mob leader, the shorter demon had deflated.
“Let’s go, Ferr. We can talk after we have the witch locked
up,” Karnon said.
Angry mob turned escort service flanked Mira on all sides as
Ferr and Karnon led the way in front. She didn’t dare try to run or to use her
power now that she knew Karnon would rein her in as soon as she did. Resigned,
she trudged through the black halls of Hell, herded by russet-skinned, horned,
naked men. A part of her wanted to break into hysterical laughter, the other
part of her wanted to cry. She did neither. At least her mother was no longer
in the grips of Xander. Mira comforted herself with the thought as she watched
Karnon’s stiff and cold silhouette marching in front of her.
* * * * *
“Why have you called this meeting, Karnon?” Cronus asked.
They sat around a circular table in the royal conference room. Their other
brother Pharic was there, as well as Ferr, which irritated Karnon—he had hoped
to speak to his brothers alone. He tried not to look at Satan’s empty chair,
wishing more than ever that his father could be there to guide them.
“He brought a blood-witch here and she used her powers,”
Ferr spoke up.
Karnon resisted snapping back at the shorter demon. Ferr had
been strutting around, bragging about the crazy witch in the cage ever since
they’d locked Mira
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