Page 109 of Bad Demon

“You must worship her to receive all of her gifts”—she grinned, and it was wicked as hell—“and then you can kill your monster and make him scream for mercy. You are more than one of Lucifer’s demons; you are a witch—you are a daughter of Terra—and to become all that you can be, you must embrace both.”

I wanted that. I wanted to embrace both sides of myself. “How do I begin?”

There was a dark mahogany dresser on the other side of the room, and she shuffled over, opened one of the drawers, and took something out.

“Some witches use blood when they need an offering or for binding and warding or to cement their spells. The witches in our line are no different. When a witch like us turns fourteen, our mothers gift us with a special blade, especially for those times, and we carry it always for the rest of our lives.” She closed the space between us.

“If your mother hadn’t been stolen from you, child, she would have given you one.” Her fingers curled around my hand, and she placed a small jeweled knife in my palm. It was silver and studded with emeralds and sapphires of varying shades, and it had a thin blade with a sheath made of the same worn silver.

Her features actually softened. “This was my mother’s. I never got to give it to my own daughter, but I am proud to give it to you.”

The softness vanished as fast as it had come. “As you know, my girl, there are witches who will condemn you, who will try and harm you, but we are Terra’s children, just like them. We belong, great-granddaughter.Youbelong. You deserve to be here.” Her face hardened further. “Are you ready to take back what’s yours, Fern?”

I curled my fingers around the jeweled hilt, and they trembled as my eyes changed, now glowing red, the same way hers were. “I’m ready.”

“Then, remove your jacket and kneel before the hearth,” she said.

I quickly did as she’d instructed.

She slid the blade from my fingers and unsheathed it. “Give me your right arm.”

I lifted it to her, and she held it in one hand.

“Do not scream. Cutting is what we do, who we are. The mother is the earth, abundant with power, and the blood we shed for her are the roots, reaching out to her, reaching out for her gifts. This is her blessing to us, so we do not cry out in pain. We relish it. We thank her for it.”

I nodded, clenching my teeth when she ran the razor-sharp blade down my forearm. Relic roared again, as if he could feel it, as if he knew what was happening in here. A thud and crash came next, over and over. He was trying to break through again.

I turned to the door, about to get up to rush to it to show him I was okay, but Agatheena gripped my chin and made me look at her.

“He is immortal. Whatever damage he does will heal. You need to focus.”

My heart hurt. I was desperate to go to him, but the future we both wanted couldn’t happen if I didn’t do this.

I nodded. “I’m focused.”

She held out the blade like she was handing over a mantle. “Now, you,” she said.

I took it, gripping the knife in my hand.

“Repeat after me.Mother, I am your humble servant, your child, and I offer you my blood.”

I said the words as I made an identical slice along my left arm.

“I have forsaken you. Please grant me your forgiveness and gift me with your blessings,” Agatheena said.

As I repeated the words, a surge of power rolled through me almost instantly. Then, a crash came from deep in the forest. I spun to the door again.

“She comes,” Agatheena said.

As I stood on shaky legs, the power inside me grew wilder, and a voice echoed through my mind.

“Come to me, child of coven Burnside. Come to me now.”

“She’s in my head,” I choked out.

Agatheena smiled, flashing her pointed teeth. “Go to her. Now.”

ChapterThirty

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