Page 7 of Demon Found

“Hurry up, hurry up. Don’t have all day, Miss”—the fae glances briefly at my papers—“Miss Lorelei Smith.” He sighs. “Another Smith? I wish the government would get creative about naming abandoned kids. I don’t know. Never mind, never mind. Come along now. Clothes on the bench, then we can begin.”

I wasn’t abandoned at birth. That’s just our surname. How dare he make assumptions? And clothes off? No way. I’m not getting naked in front of this frumpy, rude old fae. Tugging the edge of my grubby T-shirt down further, I grimace, shaking my head.

The fae turns to me, nostrils flaring. “Clothes. Now. Believe me, I’ve seen it all, young lady. You’ll have a robe to change into, and, if it helps . . . I bat for the other team.” He waggles his big, bushy eyebrows and turns away, giving me at least a semblance of dignity.

Dammit, I don’t have a choice. I’ve only got the clothes I’m wearing. I can’t afford to shred them as I shift. If I shift. I guess the old geezer is more kindly than threatening anyway. I stare at his back while I strip, shivering. I’ve never met a fae. They stick to their own province. I can see why they’d avoid Venez, but the rest of Eltanin? There are so many amazing places to explore. Seems pretty insular.

“Ready. How does this work? Will it hurt?”

Barely glancing in my direction, the fae thrusts a ceremonial robe into my hands, and I scrabble to pull the rich velvety material on. Hellfire. I’ve never owned something this luxurious. Marching forward through the door on the opposite side of the booth, he jerks his chin for me to follow.

“Nerves are normal. I won’t lie, it will hurt, but it will be worth it.”

Something about his frankness settles the churning in my stomach. I’m no stranger to pain, and he’s right. This is worth it.

He gestures for me to lie in a person-sized pentagram sketched out on the ground. Balloon-like bubbles hover in the air over the pentagram points, each containing an element. A buzzing energy fills the air. Earth, air, water... fire. My gaze lingers on the last element.

It all sounded simple on paper. I didn’t expect to be so nervous. Lying down, I stretch out my left hand until I touch the silky surface of the first bubble. I press my fingers into it and water kisses my skin on the other side. Pushing my other hand out, it enters the air bubble with a gentle pop.Not so difficult, so far.Wriggling my toes downward, I push past the magical resistance until damp soil cools my skin. Just fire to go. Gritting my teeth, I shove my toes into the fire bubble. Flames rush over my skin, and I brace for pain. But instead of burning there’s only a gently pleasant tingle.

The fae slowly explains the spell, running over it several times, forcing me to repeat my words.

“You will make a cut to each hand and foot, and one to your forehead to complete the cast.”

“And that’s it? Poof. I’m in my genus?”

He clears his throat. “Well, no. If you’re going to shift, you’ll emerge within anything from five minutes to a few hours—it depends on the supernatural.”

Palms sweating, I nod once. There would be nothing worse than finally getting to this point and discovering I don’t have a genus. That I’m devoid of magic.

The fae starts chanting, and I strain to hear my cue.I can’t mess this up. This is my very first cast. The first of many.Please, let it be the first of many.Goose bumps erupt on my skin.

The chanting reaches a crescendo and he falls silent. With shaky hands, I grasp his bone-handled dagger and make a small slit in each big toe and each thumb, wincing at the sting. I hesitate. There’s something unnatural about taking a blade to your own damn face. With a deep breath, I flick the knife, nicking my forehead, flinching back.

“By earth, air, fire, water and aether, I call on my genus,

By the heavens and the hells, I call on my genus,

By the living and dead, I call on my genus.

I rise today.”

Nothing happens.

Nothing happens for a very long time. Slowly, gradually, my ears fill with a whooshing that grows louder and shriller until my skull is rattling. My vision blurs, darkness creeping in from the edges, and shadows dance in the air all around me. A bright flash sears my eyeballs. I whimper, clenching my teeth. I willnotmove my hands. I mustnotmove. Searing pain lights up every nerve in my body. I’m being torn apart. This can’t be right. It has to stop. I need it to stop. Panic bubbles in my chest, suffocating me.

Slowly, gradually, the agony subsides. My vision and hearing swim back.

“Well, I thought after that light show, you were going to be something rather more interesting than a harpy with pretty wings, but there we go. Documents filled in and stamped, Miss Smith. You may return to collect your clothes, then head to the courtyard with the other newly emerged. Once you’ve transformed back, and only then, you may leave.”

Mumbling a thank you I stumble back to the little room where my clothes are stashed. My harpy form feels too big, I’m all feet. And my wings are tipping me over backward with every step. I run a finger over the feathers, flinching at the cool, alien sensation.Hellfire, this is going to take some getting used to.

The mirror in the courtyard entrance brings me to a grinding halt.So, this is the new me.The wings sprouting from my back are freaking magnificent—the feathers have a stunning black metallic sheen. Nothing like the flimsy paper-thin brown wings most harpies have. My face is pretty much the same except . . . my skin is glowing like a shitting angel’s.

Grimacing, I take a long look at my feathery torso and claws. Not such a fan of those. But it could be a hell of a lot worse. Maybe this form is not quite capable of taking vengeance on Frank today though. Not yet. Twirling around, I have one last peek in the mirror. Perhaps I’mjusta harpy, but I’m definitely not your common garden variety.

“Oh.” The quiet voice behind me makes me start. “How disappointing. I was hoping your emerged form was more on par with mine. Never mind. You still owe me the rest of that kiss. See you at the academy, new girl.”

“You were the one that freaked out, not me. I don’t owe you anything!”

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