“But who would? Peter was just a second rate wanna-be. He didn’t have anything to offer?”
“What about Vespar?”
Jeff thought for a second. “Yep, he’d do it just to be ornery.”
“But does he have enough power to lock a demon into a doll?”
Jasmine had been thinking out loud, but Jeff took it as an actual question. “He wouldn’t need to. Once they were shrunk to doll size, all he’d need to do was lock the demon’s power into the spell. They wouldn’t be able to break it from the inside.”
“And who would know from the outside?”
A deep clang rang through the market as the clock tower announced the new hour.
“I guess that means my time is up.”
* * *
With a wiggle to her walk, Jasmine sauntered to the Puppet Master’s booth. Silently she slipped inside and perched on the table, wrapping her tail around her feet.
“Well, Fury cat. Are you ready now?”
Jasmine ignored the sarcasm. She blinked slowly, exuding an air of calm confidence. A smile quirked up the side of her mouth as she watched him fidget.
“Well, do you have the proof?”
“Do you have the contract?”
Absentmindedly he patted his shirt pocket. “Well?”
“The proof is over there,” she pointed her paw at the glass case in the place of honor on the top of the shelves holding the demon dolls. She jumped down to the floor and padding on silent paws, she approached the demon collection. A quick jump and an equally quick bat sent the glass case crashing to the floor. Jasmine landed lightly next to the doll. Leaning slightly over it, she tapped at the ruby on her collar.
When the cat moved across the floor to the case, Peter knew the Fury was up to something he wasn’t going to like. When she pushed the glass case off, he reached for his magic tools. I can’t let her win. I have a year of freedom coming.
Jasmine watched as the magic surrounding the doll swirled into the now pulsing gem. She’d never pushed that much magic into it before and she didn’t know how much it could take. In the blink of an eye the gem deepened through the shades of red from blood red to a shade so deep it looked black. She held her breath in an effort to keep her panting from interfering with the inflow of magic. Soon, controlling that much magic left her drenched in sweat and wishing for it to end. With a snap, the gem stopped.
In dismay, Jasmine tapped at the ruby again. She was sure there was still too much magic holding Shar-anth in the red-skinned doll. It took her a minute to realize the remaining magic was now swirling with intent. It looked like someone was controlling it now.
With a squawk of alarm, she back pedaled when she realized the doll was growing. A strangled ‘No!’ drew her attention and she turned enough to see Peter on his knees with a hand out stretched toward the nearly full sized demon. She watched him grab for something on the floor near him and fling it at her.
She hunched her shoulders and tucked her tail trying to make a smaller target. She felt something warm on her collar, but she was too busy worrying if it was going to hurt to worry about something on her collar misfiring. The black ball of fire broke against her and splintered, sending sparks raining into the concrete beneath her.
“So you think it’s okay to trap me for centuries and not expect an angry demon when I finally break free?”
Jasmine uncurled and peered over her tail at the scene now unfolding before her. A huge red-skinned Retrieval Demon had a hand wrapped around Peter’s throat and had hoisted him over its head.
“Shar-anth?” Jasmine gasped. She’d thought maybe but hadn’t really dared to hope. “Wait. You can’t strangle him yet. I have a contest to win.”
Shar-anth cocked an eyebrow at him and an unflattering thought about all retrieval demons having the same stupid look flashed through her mind. “Contest?”
“How much do you remember when you were a doll?”
His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. “Everything. Every stinking minute. Do you know how boring he really is?”
“So, if you remember everything...”
“Everything,” he roared. “Every word, every action, every little moment. He never shuts up.”
“So would you say that he treated you as a companion?”
She watched the Retrieval Demon’s eyes light up. He knew the contract inside out. He should, he was the first to try collecting. “Why, yes,” he nodded agreeably. “Very companionable.”
Jasmine turned to face Peter, a smirk on her face. “The contract has been fulfilled. You have had a companion with you for the centuries.”
“He’s not a bride and he didn’t stay willingly.” Peter’s face was turning purple but his defiance wasn’t fading.
“The contract only states that we provide you with a companion to stay with you for the length of the contract. It doesn’t state male or female, willing or not.”
Peter felt all the blood drain from his face. He was afraid to reach for the contract, afraid to take his hands off the demon’s arm, afraid the demon might start squeezing again.
“Oh, allow me.” Shar-anth purred. He reached for the man’s pocket and ripped it off the shirt. A shiny piece of papyrus fell to the floor and rolled. Jasmine snatched it up. Using her paws and her teeth, she managed to unroll it. She skimmed through it quickly before beginning to read it out loud. “Item number two: Companionship. One person of your choice to stay with you during the length of this contract.” She looked back up at him. “I don’t see anything about a bride.”
“A companion is a bride,” Peter snapped.
“Actually, a companion is someone who spends time with someone else. A bride is a girl who ties her life to a man’s health and fortune. Big difference.” Jasmine sat back and waited for his next argument.
Shar-anth had had enough. He’d been trapped for centuries and now he was very far behind in his duties. He was never going to catch up and it was entirely this little rat’s fault. He flexed his claws and grinned in satisfaction when the man screamed. He enjoyed the feel of slick blood sliding through his fingers. “Give up, little man. You’ve been outsmarted by a fuzzy cat.”
“Hey,” Jasmine bristled. “I’m a Fury.”
With a mocking half bow, Shar-anth turned to Jasmine. “I beg you pardon.” He turned his attention back to Peter. “You’ve been outsmarted by a fuzzy girl.”
Jasmine was almost sure that was an insult, but she didn’t challenge it. “You’ve lost Peter.” She tapped the citrine as she approached the struggling man. “You’ve lost and I’m collecting.”
“No,” Peter screamed. He twisted his body, ripping one of Shar-anth’s claws out of his shoulder. “You cheated.” He reached for his magic in a last ditch effort to break free. He gathered a sickly black ball in his hand and flung it at Jasmine. If he could break her, Shar-anth would be easy to recapture.
Once again the black ball streaked at Jasmine and she flinched, but it hit a barrier projected from her collar and broke into sparks as it showered to the ground around her.
“How?” Peter stared at the cat in disbelief.
Jasmine continued stalking closer to the so-called Puppet Master, but now the fight had gone out of him. She tapped the citrine again and watched as a deep purple ball – almost dark enough to be black- lifted from Peter and zoomed into her gem.
Shar-anth dropped the motionless man to the floor and turned to Jasmine. “How did you block his magic?”
Before Jasmine could do more than shrug, Jeff broke into the booth. “Fury Girl? Are you still in here? Jasmine?”
The adrenaline she was racing on abruptly dissolved. Sighing, Jasmine lay on her side and waited for the demon to find her. He would give her the pampering she deserved. After this case, she was going to need a lot.
“Jasmine! Fury Girl, are you alright? Did you get tangled in his strings?”
Jasmine blinked up at Jeff and meowed. “You think it’s easy to tangle this Fury up?” she laughed a
s she looked over the demon’s shoulder at Shar-anth. She was on a high and not willing to come down anytime soon.
Shar-anth grinned back. Pushing Jeff aside, he knelt next to the Fury and slipped a hand under her side. Gently he lifted her up. “Thank you, Fury Cat. But I noticed you didn’t answer my question.”
“Which question?”
“The one asking how you blocked his magic.”
“Oh, that one.”
“Yes, that one.”
“Easy. I have no idea.” She threw a cheeky grin at him and giggled when Shar-anth roared his laughter.
This whole time Jeff had been kneeling where Jasmine had laid, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the Demon he’d looked up to nearly his entire existence. He snapped his mouth shut and glared at Jasmine as she giggled. He knew she was laughing at him and he didn’t like it. “Fine,” he snapped, folding his arms over his chest. “I see you’re just fine. And I see you got a new gem for your effort. If you’re through here, I’ll open a portal for you and you can go home.”
“Don’t huff so, Jeff.”
“Jasmine, you infuriating Fury. Do you know how close you came to losing?”
“Not even close. I had everything under control.”
Jeff didn’t look convinced, “What if you couldn’t break the spell on him?” He pointed rudely at the other demon. “What if you had failed to collect? Why did you make this bet?”
“Like it would have mattered. If I’d failed, I would have been a doll. So, either way, I wouldn’t have to face Daddy Dearest’s disappointment.” Jasmine shrugged.
Jeff snarled at her, but gave up just the same. There wasn’t anything he could say that would make the Fury understand.
“Shar-anth, are you’re ready to go home?” She turned her attention back to the ex-dolled demon.
“What about the rest?” he gestured to the other dolls still lining the shelves at the back of the booth.
“The clean-up crew will free them now that we know how. But you should take this chance to head home. Unless you like demons with probes trying to figure out what happened to you?”
Shar-anth shuddered at that thought. He’d go home now and let a demon doctor do that honor. Maybe Jeza is still playing doctor? “What about Vespar? Shouldn’t something be done about that lame demon?”
“I think Daddy Dearest will deal with him. Once I turn in my report, that is.”
Shar-anth nodded. He liked that plan. After more years than he cared to count stuck on a shelf, he was ready to get back to work. “Well, soonest begun soonest done. Let’s head home.”
“Planning on traveling in that outfit?” Jasmine batted her eyelashes, trying for cute and innocent.
Shar-anth laughed but decided his demon look might be a bit too much for the humans outside the booth. He made his red skin fade to a dusky brown and his outfit changed to a big flowered shirt and khaki shorts. He looked like he could be Jeff’s brother. The thought made Jasmine giggle again. They might look ridiculous, but who was she to complain? At least she didn’t have to change. Sure she was a cat, but she was a cat who was riding high on her latest triumph. She’d done the impossible and she’d come out on top. It was good being top cat.
Jeff stalked outside and around the side of the booth. In no time, he was at the mouth of the alley with a cat and a big hulking man close behind. Jeff drew a design in the air and a dark portal opened between them. Shar-anth carried Jasmine into the breach when something Jeff had said earlier tickled her mind. “Wait,” she called. “What new gem?”
“I think he was referring to the onyx where your ruby used to be,” Shar-anth rumbled.
“Onyx? I wonder what that does?”
“It deflects human cast demon magic,” Jeff called as the portal snapped shut.
* * *
Jeff whistled as he headed back to his booth. It was nearly time for him to collect his assignment. He glanced down at his watch. It was three in the afternoon. The market closed at five and he had things he still wanted to do. With a grin on his mug, he darted into traffic and laughed at the horns blowing and the clash of metal against metal. Yes, it was a good day to be a demon.
Looking for more books by Shannon Tripp?
Visit your favorite online retailer for these great stories:
Fury Girl Chronicles
Hell’s Fury
Murphy’s Fury
Fury’s Rescue
Tangled Fury
Guardian Dragon
Dragon’s Prize
Games Dragons Play
Striking Time
Rapunzel’s Legacy
Seryn’s Tale
Halcyon’s Guardian*
Dark Mirror*
*Forth Coming
Read on for a sneak peek at
Halcyon’s Guardian
Coming soon to your favorite online retailer
Introduction
In this world, there are two natural inhabitants: the day-walkers, humans that live their lives in the light of the sun, and the vampyres, the fanged rulers of the night.
There is a third species that is never spoken about. This third inhabitant is so rare that in some places they are believed to be a myth. These individuals are the go betweens, the liaisons, between Vampyres and Humans. They are the only ones that can walk in the day and not fear the night. They are Halcyons, children born of a human and a vampyre.
Halcyons are given a unique responsibility in this world. Some are foreordained to be lawyers, judges, peace-keepers, depending on what the oracles and personality dictate. But there is one in every generation who has a different fate. Always paired with a vampire who is Guardian, friend, and sometimes more, that Halcyon is destined to be the Imperial Sun, the ruler of all.
Prologue
They were coming. He knew that deep in his bones. Just as he knew Luna, his beloved wife, was gone. It was up to him to make sure their child would be safe before he could join her. Ahead of him, a familiar shepherd’s hut loomed. Hurrying toward the shelter, he circled around to the door; noting the lightening of the sky, hoping sunrise was close enough his child would be safe. Carefully, he laid the sleeping boy down in the doorway, knocked, and then faded into night’s twilight.
The ground trembled as he ran, stealing the time and distance he needed to work the spell. He needed a distraction. A grove wasn’t too far ahead and the trees would slow them down. He raced under the boughs of an oak.
Shouting a word of power, he brought the trees to life; grinning broadly when he heard the vampyres chasing him curse at the reaching tree limbs. He pushed between some branches into a clearing. Looking around, he noticed the odd grouping of trees: birch, oak, sequoia, even a willow. This impossible grouping was a Druidical ritual circle. This was it, his one chance to keep his son safe. He fell to his knees in the center, the heart of the grove, and pulled his short sword from the sheath at his side.
“Lords and Ladies of the sky, spirits of this grove, hear my prayer and grant my last request. With this blood sacrifice, please protect my child. He needs a Guardian. I call upon one bound to me through a vow of honor.” After shouting a few more words of power, he flung the spell from him and buried his sword in his stomach. As blood poured from his wound and his mouth, the vampyres chasing him stumbled past the grasping branches.
“Damn, the shill did it,” one of them said. The speaker approached the man lying in the center of the clearing, reached down and pulled him up. “Where is the boy? If you want to die in peace, tell me.” He shook him, spraying blood everywhere. “Won’t talk? Fine, it’s not like it will matter. You didn’t have much time to hide him. We’ll find the brat soon anyway. In the meantime, I’m hungry. Anyone else?” Sporting an evil grin, he held the limp body out to his companions and as one, they fell on the man. Teeth extended they began to feed.
Chapter 1
Five Years Later
It was a white out. The snow covered his dark shape, nearly obscuring it. One long-fin
gered, pale hand clutched his cloak tight at his neck. He finally understood what the old world texts meant when they said a night fit for neither man nor beast. Apparently, tonight was not fit for vampyre either. He concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.
Why am I out here? In the snow? This is stupid. I can’t even see the end of my nose. Was it just because of the barkeep’s story? The old man at the bar had mentioned a haunted grove out here. There was a good chance that this grove was where his closest friend, Kelvin had died. It had been five years since the druid’s death and his heart still had a bleeding, gapping hole. He couldn’t prove it, but he was sure the Nospher family had finally caught up to the man. I should have been there.
The Nospher Family believed vampyres were the superior species and humans should be nothing more than slaves. They tended to eliminate anyone in their way.
The opposing side was headed by the high priest and priestess of each god: The Sun God, Solar and all the Moon Goddesses: Aurora, the day moon; Saluna, the greater moon; and Jas-ne, the lesser moon. He didn’t know if their choices were any better. He’d heard they wanted to limit the vampyres in everything from the size of their families to how many humans they could ‘employ’. They mean feed from, he snorted. Might as well rope the moons.
The ruler of the empire, the Imperial Sun, was not involved. Damn hard to be involved in anything when you’re dead. It’s been eight years. I wonder if the White Guard had any success finding the next Imperial Sun.
I wonder what poor bastard had the oracle that saw him as the next Imperial Sun. At least it’s not Kelvin’s kid. They would have told me. A gust of wind slithered past his cloak and he shivered as it chilled his skin. Clutching the edges closer, he kept moving.
Poor Kelvin. He had to fall in love with a vampyress, landing him smack in the middle of a war he wanted nothing to do with. I suppose the head of the family saw red when she married a human, but then they had to have a child. She did come from their family. He smiled to himself as a happy memory ran across his mind. It was bad enough when she became the High Priestess for Saluna and gave up the family name. The child must have been the last straw.