Page 120 of The Book Reader
“And you are not about to be. Go in the house, Ari.” Gaelan commands in an unmoving tone—a tone telling me not to argue with him. He steps forward, trying to block their view of me.
My eyes narrow at his back before stepping around him. Determination in my voice, “Gaelan, I know you are trying to look after me, but you don’t need to. Please, let me help.” I have no idea how to fight, I’m just hoping that my powers will help me. I can freeze stuff, and I have been practicing my elemental powers, so I hope that will be enough.
Gaelan opens his mouth, and I can see from the stern look on his face that he wants to fight me on this, but he says nothing before growling. The sound of weapons smashing together echoes around us. I spin around and watch as the daemons in the street try to open the gate and climb over the fence. They don’t get anywhere close; the wards are pushing them back for now.
Worry coils in my stomach when more daemons start to shimmer into the vicinity. There must be about a hundred of them now scattered in the streets.
“Ari, go inside.Now,” Gaelan growls, I shake my head.
“No, I can fight, let me help you,” I plead. He stares into my eyes for a moment, his jaw ticking.
“Fine,” he barks, pointing to the tree to the left of the house. “You can fight from over there. If it gets too much, go inside,” he says, reaching for my chin and gripping it firmly, making me look up at him. He leans down and kisses my lips hard. “I don’t want you to get hurt, my Rose.” I open my mouth to speak, but close it fast when one of the daemons yells out. “Hand her over, dream daemon, and we will go in peace.”
A dangerous growl rumbles in Gaelan’s chest. His eyes glowing a darker blue, he lifts his head and snarls at the daemon. “She ismine!” He hisses, his fangs long in his mouth, ready toattack. “My Rose, allow Leah and my guard through your wards. This fight is going to take more than me.”
Pulling in a steady breath to try and find a link to the wards, the house knows who a threat to me is; I just need to make sure.
The power of the ward’s sizzle over my skin, tugging on my heart, the magnetic forces swell as I open my eyes. Gaelan moves past me toward the daemons. As he gets closer, I see Leah and a couple of the others who came with us to Westery shimmer in and flank his sides. The wards will now always allow them access to the house and the surrounding areas.
Weapons meet claws; cries and growls meet my ears as fighting breaks out in the street. My hands twitch with the need to help. I want to call my book to me, but I know it will be dangerous. I look down at my arms and see a vanishing spell as well as a darkness spell, one to blind anyone. Moving toward the tree, I lift my hand and whisper, “Obcaecatus tenebris, obumbratus umbra.”
Blinded by darkness, shaded by shadow.
A daemon going after Gaelan is blinded by my words. I do the same to a few other daemons, making it easier for Gaelan and his guards to fight them. Gaelan throws his dagger, embedding it in a daemon with yellow hair.
“Well, isn’t this a nice little surprise?” a voice sneers at me. I turn and see four daemons standing so close to the fence, the one with red eyes and green hair grins at me. “We could smell you a block away, you smell so fucking sweet, Book Reader.” He sniffs the air before licking his lips, and the other around him snap their fangs at me.
I smile sweetly at them.
“You should leave.” The markings on my body flash and begin to glow a golden hue. In my mind’s eye, I see the pages of my book open, flutter. The power from it radiates over my body, sparking a level of bravery I didn’t know I had.
The daemons all chuckle. “Look at her trying to be all strong. Hiding by the tree while her daemon fights for her,” he spits.
I know he’s trying to bait me; I smirk at him and whisper, “Super ignes inferni, flammas numquam ardentis, te voco.”
I call upon the fire of Hell, the flames of the never-burning, I summon thee.
They all stagger backward; smoke flows over their skin before little bright orange burn marks appear, like welts. In seconds, the wounds grow bigger, setting on fire, the flames growing until the daemons are completely engulfed. Their screams are lost in the noise of the fight.
“I don’t need my mate to fight for me; I do fine just on my own,” I smirk at him with a raised eyebrow.
He laughs, his tone daring, “Yeah?” His hand flies out from his side quickly, holding a large, burning fireball in his palm that he sends shooting through the air toward me. I dive to the left at the last moment, falling to the wet ground with a thud; it misses me by an inch. He throws his head back laughing like it’s the funniest thing he has ever seen. He winks at me, then turns and runs down the street. Not thinking, I scramble up off the ground and take off running after him.
“Rose, no!” Gaelan shouts, but it’s too late. I’m outside the safety of the wards and chasing after the daemon down the dark and windy street. He turns left onto Wicked Avenue and continues toward the center of Darkville, arriving at the townsquare. He skids to a stop, then turns to face me. I slow my steps, my chest heaving with my labored breaths.
“Tell all of your friends that if they come to my house again, I will kill you all!” Hatred is thick in my voice as I try my hardest to add power behind my words.
“Is that so,witch?” his vile use of the word makes me want to rip his head off.
Taking a step forward, ready to make my wish of having his head in my hands come true. My vision is clouded by something shiny; my body is covered with something that stings and wraps around me tightly.
Looking down, I see a gold net has been thrown over me, pushing me down to the floor hard. I fight its hold, but each time I move, it tightens, cutting into my skin.
I look up and narrow my eyes at all of them. Feeling a slight shift in my mind, something pushes against me; a darkness surrounds me, one that feels like home.
A low, light growl echoes in my head just as Gaelan runs into the square. He freezes in place, a startled look coats his features.
“You do not hurt me.” My voice is mine, but not my own. I feel a sharp sting in my mouth as fangs break the skin, and lower, I look down as my arms fade in color and turn white. More gold markings start appearing on my skin as I am pushed back to a dark corner of my mind.
