Author's Preface
Felix’s head was still spinning. By the time he found the words to answer Archer’s question, Arisa was already speaking.
“Uh, Sebastian got a message and had to check something out nearby,” Arisa told Archer. “He didn’t tell us to come here. We just wanted to see the building.”
“And you thought coming inside was a good idea?” Archer asked. His stone-cold expression was far more terrifying than outright anger would have been.
“Well, no, not at first,” Arisa stammered. “But then we met Mason.”
Archer was quiet for a long moment. Then, he pointed to a spot in the middle of the room. “Stand right there, demon.”
Mason folded his arms. “Why?”
“Because if you don’t, I’ll have no choice but to kill you.”
“Fine,” Mason hissed as he walked to where Archer was pointing. His tail swung behind him.
Archer dropped to one knee a few feet from Mason and began painting sigils on the floor with the green—blood? Poison? Both?—staining his palm and fingers. “This is to keep you from running while I fetch my colleague.”
“Wait, Archer, how did you know we were in here?” Felix asked. He was certainly grateful Archer had arrived to save them, but it was a miracle the man had shown up at all.
“I was here looking for signs of the demons outside. I felt Guardian energy appear on the other side of the building, but you had already gone inside by the time I circled around to the front,” Archer explained. “Figured I should come in and investigate.”
He drew one last sigil and rose to his full height. Then, walked to where his glove lay on the floor, picked it up, and slid it back on over his bleeding hand. Seeing Felix’s concerned expression, he said, “The gloves have healing sigils. Now, are you two capable of staying put while I call Sebastian and make sure this building’s completely clear of demons?”
“Is that a rhetorical question?” Arisa asked. Archer stared at her blankly until she sighed. “Yeah, we’ll stay here.”
Once Archer’s footsteps had faded into the distance, Felix sank to the floor and leaned back against the wall. “I can’t tell how pissed he is,” he said. “He always looks like he wants to murder someone.”
“Oh, so this is normal?” Mason asked.
Arisa cleared her throat. “Felix, we have a slight problem.”
Felix looked at her. “What?”
“If your sister was able to take your body from you that easily, then that means Gideon probably can too.” Arisa’s expression hardened. “And he’s a lot stronger than anyone in your family.”
Felix’s blood ran cold. He hadn’t even considered that. Sure, he hadn’t heard anything from Gideon since taking him in, but if Felix accidentally awakened him…
“Do you think we should keep it a secret?” Felix asked.
“I mean, the council will freak out if you tell them,” Arisa said. “And it’s not like that’s going to help you any.”
Felix rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know. If there’s a chance Gideon could possess me, maybe I should be locked up.”
Mason folded his arms. “If that’s grounds enough for your leaders to lock you up, then I’m definitely screwed.”
“All we have to do is prove you’re not a threat, and the council will have to let you go,” Arisa said to Mason. She looked at Felix. “Right?”
“Have you ever actually been in a council meeting?” Felix asked her.
Arisa shook her head. “They didn’t even invite me to the meeting where they decided to put me on probation.”
“Ah. Well, they’re not exactly the nicest group of people.”
“Great,” Mason muttered. “I don’t have time for this. I’m supposed to be tracking down the guy who killed my parents.”
Sebastian appeared in the doorway. “What do we have here?”
Mason jumped in surprise. His tail smacked into the barrier formed by Archer’s sigils, and he hissed in pain. Felix winced.
“That was fast,” Arisa said.
“I was already on my way in when Archer called,” Sebastian said. “I felt a spike in demonic energy.” He whistled as he took in the dead demons lying around the room. “Not bad.”
Archer entered the room behind him, his mask still down around his neck. “Most of these were my kills, not the kids’.”
“I’m well aware. It’s a compliment.” Sebastian rested a hand on his hip. “But the kids should be congratulated, too.”
“For what, their disobedience?”
“They killed those demons out in the hallway, didn’t they? That’s impressive.”
“It was reckless.”
“I agree. They shouldn’t have come in here. But what’s done is done.” Sebastian walked up to Mason. “So, you’re the human demon?”
“I guess,” Mason replied. “Demon witch is probably a better description, though.”
Sebastian rubbed his boot against the floor, smearing the sigils Archer had drawn. Mason breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of the circle.
“Sebastian,” Archer warned.
“Oh, please. We can handle him if he tries anything.” Sebastian leaned forward and squinted at Mason. “And you don’t feel any urges to, say, murder me?”
“That should hardly be considered a qualification for demon sickness,” Archer said. “Most people want to murder you.”
“No, I haven’t felt like killing anyone,” Mason said, eyes narrowing. “I haven’t hurt any humans. I’m killing the demons because they were attacking innocent people.”
“Huh.” Sebastian looked at Archer. “I mean, demon sickness doesn’t usually give people horns.”
“Exactly,” Archer said. “He really seems to be a demon now. And a high-level one at that, given his mostly human appearance.” To Mason, he asked, “Is this your most natural form, or are you actively altering it?”
“I’m not trying to alter it,” Mason said. “But I usually don’t have claws. They come out when I’m fighting. Same with the tail, sometimes.”
“Your eyes turned purple, too,” Felix chimed in.
Archer folded his arms. “I wonder if you could learn to control it.”
Sebastian took a few steps backward, putting himself next to Archer. “You want to take him back to the castle?”
“The council will want to see this,” Archer replied with a nod.
“You saw how they treated Felix. What do you think they’ll do with someone like him?”
“I think any concerns they have are reasonable.”
“He killed demons that would have gone after innocent people. Don’t tell me you’re going to let the council throw him in the dungeon.”
Archer was quiet for a long moment, his expression calculating. “And what would you have us do with him instead?”
“He could help us.”
Archer lifted his mask back up. “I’ll vouch for his survival, but I can’t make any promises about what the king will decide.”
“His survival’s not enough. I don’t want him rotting in a cell.” Sebastian waved a hand. “He seems to be a good fighter, for his age. If you have to argue that he should be allowed to work with us purely because he’s useful, do that.”
“Sebastian’s right. He’s really strong.” Arisa moved to Mason’s side.
Felix stood up and joined them, doing his best to ignore his body’s aches. “He did take down most of the demons, before Archer showed up.”
“So?” Arisa clasped her hands together. “Can we keep him?”
“He’s a demon, not a pet,” Archer said.
“First and foremost, I’m a witch,” Mason snapped. “And I have my own problems to deal with. I’m not going with you people.”
“We can’t let a demon go free. Especially a case like this,” Archer said sternly. “We’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“No, he has a point,” Sebastian countered. “We don’t have jurisdiction over every magical being.”
“I have a mission of my own.” Mason’s head turned toward the window. His eyes locked on the world outside. “Something was stolen from my family, and I’m going to find it and get it back. I made a promise.”
“If you spend your whole life thinking you can do anything just because you promised, you’ll be sorely disappointed,” Archer said.
“Maybe we can help you,” Sebastian suggested, lifting a hand. “We have a whole army of Guardians on our side. You work with us, we help you steal back your…” He waved his hand expectantly.
“Ironwood Wand,” Mason said. He turned his gaze toward Sebastian and Archer again.
Archer shook his head. “You’re not in a position to make those kinds of promises, Sebastian.”
“And I don’t need help from a bunch of wizards.” Mason’s eyes narrowed.
“Magicians,” Arisa corrected.
“Really?” Sebastian asked. He folded his arms and lifted an eyebrow. “How much progress have you made on your own?”
“I know the name of the guy responsible. I’ve narrowed down his location to somewhere this side of Washington,” Mason said.
“What’s his name?”
“Ernest Abernathy.”
Archer’s eyes widened slightly. For him, it was a surprising amount of expression.
“Uh oh,” Arisa said.
Sebastian blew out a breath of air. “Abernathy, eh?”
Mason frowned. “What, you guys know him?”
“Yeah, we know him,” Sebastian replied. “He’s a Bright Guardian. You don’t have a prayer of getting that wand back, kid.”
“I have to!” Mason exclaimed, gesturing angrily. “There has to be a way. That wand is dangerous. He killed my parents to keep his hands on it.”
Sebastian and Archer exchanged a look.
Arisa folded her arms. “Couldn’t you get it back yourself Sebastian? Just break into his house, blast him with some light magic, and take the wand!”
“It’s not a matter of power,” Sebastian said. “It’s…politics.”
Archer nodded. “Sebastian is right.”
“I am?”
“We can’t attack one of our own unless the king commands it,” Archer continued. “But the fact that Abernathy has such a powerful weapon in his hands—a stolen one, at that matter—is cause for concern. And if he killed people for it…”
“Well, what do you think we should do, Archie?” Sebastian asked.
Archer was staring at Felix now. “I have a plan.”
“You going to let us in on it?”
“No, because you won’t like it. But it’s the demon’s only chance.” Archer turned and walked toward the door. “I need to talk to Felix for a moment.”
Felix looked to Sebastian, who shrugged. “Go ahead, I guess,” Sebastian said.
Felix ran out into the hall after Archer. They walked to the end, out of earshot of the others. Archer came to a sudden stop and turned around. “Could you use your father’s ability on Mason’s dagger in front of the council?” he asked.
Felix barely stopped in time to avoid crashing into him. “Yeah, but—”
“Your father was able to manifest memories from an object and project them so that others could see,” Archer said. “It was difficult, and he rarely did it, but it is possible. Can you show them that Mason was killing demons, and that he was a human who was transformed?”
“You want me to use an ability I barely understand in a way that even my dad with years of experience could barely do?” Felix asked.
“Yes.”
Felix gulped, unable to break Archer’s piercing gaze. “I’ll, uh, do my best?”
“You’d better hope that your best is good enough, then.” Archer passed him and walked back toward where the others waited. Felix hurried into the room behind him and moved to stand next to Arisa and Mason.
Archer faced Sebastian. “Believe it or not, I don’t want to see him thrown in a cell, either.”
“But you’ll side with the king no matter what,” Sebastian said plainly.
“So you’d better come up with a damn good argument for letting him live.”
Arisa looked concerned, but Mason wasn’t paying attention to the people discussing his fate. His head was tipped back so that he could examine the ceiling.
“Uh, Mason?” Felix waved a hand in front of his face. “You good?”
Mason’s attention snapped back to the group. “I need to check something out on the floor above us,” he announced.
“Care to elaborate?” Archer asked.
“It’s just a hunch. It won’t take long.” Mason took a deep breath. “Look, trust me on this for five minutes, and I’ll come with you to your stupid castle without any trouble. Promise.”
“Fine,” Archer said. “Don’t try anything.”
Mason led the group up a flight of stairs, down a hall, and into an office. The sight inside sent a chill down Felix’s spine. A desk had been pushed to the middle of the room, and dozens of sigils—loopy, rounder ones like the kind on Mason’s dagger—were carved into the wood. Candles burned in a circle around the desk, while various dried plants and gemstones were piled on top.
“This is what was luring in the demons,” Mason said. “It’s a weaker version of a summoning ritual. It won’t bring any demons to this plane of existence, but it will draw them in if they were already nearby.”
Kind of like what Arisa was planning, Felix realized. “But why would demons be drawn to these?”
“It’s a magical pull. The stronger ones could resist it, but why turn down potential prey?” Mason lifted his dagger and carved a new line in the desk, cutting through the sigils. “This will disrupt it. I’ll extinguish the candles, too.”
“How far away would demons feel it?” Archer asked.
“Judging by this setup, I’d guess a fifty-mile radius?”
Sebastian whistled.
“That’s insane,” Arisa muttered.
Mason started blowing out candles, and the others joined him. Once the flames were out, Mason walked to the corner of the room, where the wallpaper was peeling. He ripped it back and placed a hand on the cracks running up and down the wall. “These offices are new. This damage doesn’t make any sense. Unless…”
Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. “Unless?”
Mason turned around. “It’s damage from a spell being cast in this room. I can’t be sure what the spell was, but it could have been used to mask the demon’s magical energy and make them harder to detect.”
“Can you figure out anything else?” Archer asked. “Or should we leave?”
Mason glared at him. “That’s all I have. You’re welcome.”
“You have to admit that was impressive,” Sebastian said, shooting Archer a glance.
“Like I said.” Mason lifted his chin. “I’m a witch first.”
The five made their way out of the office building. By the time they stepped outside, Mason’s tail and claws were gone. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head to hide his horns.
The group returned to the abandoned store where Sebastian was still parked. Archer reluctantly left Mason in their hands, but not before confiscating his dagger and rattling off a string of threats directed at Sebastian.
“If you lose him, free him, or pull any ridiculous stunts, you’ll never hear the end of it from the council.” As Archer turned to walk away, he added, “You’ll be lucky to keep your Guardian status. And I’ll personally suggest you serve time in a cell.”
Sebastian chuckled as he opened his door. “He’s hilarious.”
“We must have different definitions of that word,” Mason muttered.
Arisa called shotgun, leaving Felix in the back with Mason. As Sebastian started the car, she asked, “Is Archer really just going to throw Mason in front of the council?”
Felix frowned. “I think he has something else planned. He was asking me about my dad’s ability.”
“Sorry, kid, but Archer’s as cold as they come,” Sebastian said. “He trusts the council to put the good of the Guardians above all else. And if they think Mason has any chance of putting the Brightlands in danger, they’ll lock him up. Or worse.”
“Let me guess, execute me?” Mason asked.
“Possibly.”
“Great.” Mason folded his arms and leaned back in his seat. “I’m headed to death or a prison sentence.”
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Sebastian said. “Promise.”
Instead of responding, Mason turned his head to glare out the window.
“Where did you go earlier?” Felix asked Sebastian. “After we left the grocery store?”
“I got a message from another Guardian in the area asking for backup,” Sebastian replied. “Another demon. Must have been one of the ones lured to the area by that spell.”
Before Felix could question him further, Arisa sat up in her seat. “Wait, Sebastian, you said you’re going to a party at Ernest Abernathy’s tonight!”
“Yeah.”
Mason’s head turned forward, some of his aggravation melting away. “You are?”
Sebastian nodded. “I was going to steal food and eavesdrop, but given today’s events, I suppose I should keep an eye out for that wand.”
“Can you steal it back from him for me?” Mason asked.
“I’d have to find it first. I doubt keeps it out in the open,” Sebastian said. “I’ll learn what I can, but I can’t risk getting caught. If he accuses me of stealing and we wind up in front of the council, they’ll take his word over mine.”
“But Archer knows Ernest stole the wand from Mason’s parents,” Felix pointed out.
“Maybe he’d take our side, but I don’t know if he even believes Mason’s story fully.” Sebastian’s hands tightened around the wheel. “If there’s one thing I know about Archer, it’s to never count on him taking your side.”