Between the Bleeding Willows (The Demon Hunters Series Book 1) (5 page)

Chapter Seven

My body felt foreign to me. A new energy hummed through my insides. Hazy and cluttered memories filled my mind.

“Did you hear that?” Killian’s voice was quiet, far away.

I struggled to lift my eyelids, but they would not open. Footsteps approached, sounding like boots, and stopped on each side of me. I felt two different hands touch my skin, one warm and calloused, the other soft and cold.

“I heard it too. Cassidy, are you awake? If so, can you squeeze my hand?” I recognized the voice, Killian’s sister. Her soft hand slid into my right palm, and I attempted to squeeze. I had no strength, and my fingers only lightly closed around hers. “She’s still in a semi-comatose state, but a bit more responsive. This is good.” I could feel the calloused hand on my left arm, gently rubbing a finger along my skin. The touch was slow and careful, soothing. It had been many weeks since I was touched in a loving way, and the simple gesture unearthed more buried emotions than I wanted.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Killian’s voice sounded concerned but hopeful. “I mean we’ve never put our symbol on anyone besides the Clan. Will it work?”

“I don’t know. But if you find my crystal ball, please let me know because I’d love to see the future.” The spunky Medic gave Killian attitude, which he surprisingly took in silence. She sighed. “Sorry. I’m worried about her too. Honestly, I had no other choice. We were losing her.”

“I know. You did everything you could. Thanks, Lena.” He paused a moment. “What I don’t understand is how she crossed over without any problems the first time, yet this time we nearly lost her? What changed? Was it because she was injured this time?” His thumb ran along where the blade had split my arm open.

My arm ached at his touch, at the memory of the pain and Mitch, the guy who’d licked my blood from his blade. I needed to tell Killian that those guys in the clearing were the ones who attacked Jace and they were invoking Rya. It was all connected. I tried to will my mouth to speak, but nothing happened. I clenched the muscles in my legs, hoping it would help wake me up further, then released them.

“What’s going on with her?” Killian sounded worried.

They uncovered my legs and I felt hands wrap around my bare thighs. “Cassidy, if you’re making your legs do that, do it again please,” Lena asked.

I squeezed my leg muscles again slightly.

“I think she is trying to wake up. Cassidy, you’re beginning to come to. Don’t rush it; let it happen naturally.” Her voice turned away from me and addressed Killian. “We should let her rest. She’s beginning to emerge, and we are stressing her. Come on, we don’t want her upset; it can cause problems for people who are waking up from something like this. Besides, don’t you have some training to do?” Lena let go of my leg and covered me again. “Killian…go! You need to be strong to face what we are up against. I got this.” I felt Killian stand, though his hand still touched my arm.

“Just give me a minute alone with her.”

Lena’s footsteps retreated. I wanted my eyes to open so badly, to see Killian’s expression—to match it to his voice. But my eyelids were so damn heavy.

“What were you doin’ out there, kid? That girl said you tried to save her. Pretty brave, but you could have been killed.” He sighed. “Listen, Cass, I’m so sorry that I crossed you over. I didn’t know what else to do. I just wanted to get us out of that situation. To somewhere safer. I thought since you crossed over the first time without any lasting effects that you would be fine.” Killian let out a long breath. “God, I thought it killed you. I’m so sorry.”

Although I could not see him, I felt his absence when he left. His regret and remorse came through in his voice. I wanted to yell after him that I was fine. But was I? I couldn’t open my eyes, talk, or move my body more than a twitch or a hand squeeze. Maybe I wasn’t going to be okay. Was I doomed to a life of being paralyzed and semi-comatose? I felt one tear drip down my face, but I could not move my arms to wipe it away.

Chapter Eight

Killian

The meeting room was filled with my finest warriors and Clan members. They were loyal and trusted, but most importantly, they were my family. “I called this meeting to assess where we are at and let you know what is ahead. Jackson, give the report on patrols and training.”

Jackson stood and reported in his deep voice, “We have twelve trainees about a month away from being combat ready. They still would need to be mixed with senior officers, of course. Since we lost Lorcan, we have stepped up patrols to a twenty-four hour duty split between five gates and the binding chamber with six teams of three soldiers. Once a squad has covered a shift at the binding room and all the gates, they will be relieved for a ten hour rest period. When they end that rest period, they will resume rotation, relieving the next team.”

“What’s your protocol for an attack?”

Jackson looked me in the eye and I could see that he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He didn’t feel ready for an attack. “There are around one hundred and twenty Clan members, about forty of those are Harvesters, untrained for combat. About twenty are too young to fight. The remaining sixty are well trained, including the women. Eighteen of those sixty soldiers will be patrolling the gates. We have good numbers. Those on patrol are to alert Angeline of trouble so she can crossover reinforcements. The patrol at the binding chamber have been instructed to stay and guard the chamber during an attack at all times. If all those demons got lose, it would be Hell on Earth.”

“Agreed. Thank you, Jackson. Angeline, how are your spells holding and do you have any suggestions for what lies ahead?”

Angeline was powerful and dedicated to her position—the perfect asset to my team.

"I am reinforcing the gates and binding chamber daily, but the binding is not as strong as Lorcan's. Furthermore, regular reinforcement at that level keeps me from focusing on spells and potions for combat and healing. Our current supply will last us forty to fifty days or less if we have any major battles. I'm doing the best I can, but we need a new necromancer. And soon."

"I know you're doing the best you can," I reassured her. But we didn't have a backup necromancer.

Angeline spoke again, “I also brought one of our Harvesters for an update.”

Harvesters crossed over to the surface of the Demon Realm twice a week. There they would hunt small and medium animals and creatures and gather Vinka fruit, Mackleberries, various nuts, and Elderleets within the four acre grove we protected with spells. The food they returned with provided nourishment for the Clan and ingredients for potions. Usually Ben was the Harvester that reported at our meetings, but today a younger Harvester sat near me.

“Hello, Killian, my name is Will. I am one of the Chief Harvesters. I regret to inform you that our grove is depleted and we won’t have enough Vinka fruit to last the month.”

In my years of command, I had never heard the words “our grove is depleted.” We could survive without one of the other crops for a short time, but the Vinka fruit was not just for eating; it had a hard seed inside that Angeline used in many of her potions. She claimed it was the sole ingredient that intensified the potions, making them work as long and as hard as they did. “A month of battle or just a normal month?”

“A normal month.” Will’s voice wavered, and he cleared his throat.

Crap. Not what I wanted to hear. “How did this happen?”

Angeline spoke up. “I’ve needed more Vinka seed since Lorcan passed. My spells and potions aren’t strong enough on their own to keep the binding chamber functioning.”

Turning toward the short, thin Harvester, I asked, “Will, where is the nearest crop we can gather more from?”

“There is another grove about a half a day’s walk through the mountain pass,” Will informed me. “But it’s outside our boundaries, and we’ve never collected from there before.” He was nervous. Outside our boundaries meant it was in unprotected areas, areas where the wild creatures ruled and dominated. Where the demons that were lose lurked. “And because we need the carts for transport, we’ll have to use the tunnels.”

The room erupted in quiet commotion. My brave team leaders looked at me with fear in their eyes. The tunnels were shut down years ago after
the Incident
and all Clan members travelled via crossover since then.

***

My friends and I liked to play a game called Brave or Not. The premise to the game was someone had to run fast and deep into the dark tunnels. The person who went the farthest won. The rules were no lights allowed and no touching the other person. Since honesty was important to the Clan, the two competitors announced the winner when they returned, and no one second-guessed it. I was undefeated, and they marveled at my lack of fear. But I was good at hiding my fear and putting on a brave face. My hands, wet with perspiration, were shoved in my pockets till the game began. My breathing quickened, but my father had taught me to breathe through my clenched teeth to slow it down and appear brave.

Sky had a crush on me and attempted to impress me daily. Tall and lean, she raced fast like a rabbit and took great pleasure in beating my pants off on a daily basis. I liked Sky, but I hadn’t realized her interest until the day my then-best buddy, Jax, dared Sky to beat me in a game of Brave or Not. Sky had never played this game, as most girls were smart enough to steer clear of it. But she hated to lose and was eager to impress me and win my affection.

“Are you ready to eat my dust?” she teased.

“Remember, to win, it’s not the fastest that matters, but the farthest.”

She smiled at my warning and said, “Winner picks the prize.”

Jax stepped in. “And what are we playing for?”

“Sky will do my laundry for one Harvest cycle.” Her mouth dropped open, which made me snicker. A full Harvest cycle was about ninety days, but there were no restrictions regarding prizes.

“Okay. And if I win, I get a kiss from Killian.”

A kiss. No one ever died kissing someone, but I hadn’t kissed anyone besides my mom and wasn’t sure how to feel about it. But I agreed and headed to the tunnel entrance. Her footsteps ran quickly ahead of me, fading into the darkness. I pushed my legs to pick up speed, but I froze, halted by the sound of a brief struggle—then silence. Too frightened to run and see what had happened, I waited for Sky to return. I don’t know how long I waited there, whispering her name, but an uneasy feeling came over me when she didn’t answer. I turned and ran quickly back toward the entrance where Jax, Anchor, and Sean awaited.

“Where is Sky? She beat you, didn’t she? Looks like someone is gonna have some chapped—”

“No! I don’t know where she is. She ran ahead and there was a noise…and then nothing. I waited, but she never returned.” I remember my hands shook so hard I wondered if I was having a seizure.

We ran to the senior Clan members and told them what happened. They organized a search party and ventured into the tunnels, not returning for several hours. They finally returned, bringing sorrowful news that they lost half the search party to the creatures who had built a large hive in the tunnels.

They called them Krevarians, cave mutants—white skin (whiter than Clan members), hairless, razor sharp teeth, and the blackest eyes. They had a human-like form but had mutated to adapt to the pitch black, narrow paths of the tunnels. Their all-black eyes could see in the pitch dark, and their skin had small spikes, allowing them to scale walls. I had never seen one, but the senior Clansmen painted a vivid picture. I hoped to never come across one.

The surviving Clan elders had reported that all attacking Krevarians were destroyed. They then shut down the tunnels, barred the doors, and forbade anyone from venturing through them. We needed to focus our efforts on the war with the demons, not start a fight with a new danger. From that day forward, we traveled to the surface using magic.

***

This would be unnerving to a Harvester, but if we had enough guards to protect them, we might manage the danger.

“How many Harvesters are needed for this?” I asked.

Will cleared his throat again. “Twenty, Sir. We wouldn’t want to repeat the dangerous venture anytime soon, so clearing the grove of what grew would keep us fed for a long while.”

“Jackson, I need six full squads accompanying them on the trek. Pull one team out of your gate rotation and build the rest from your trainees and seasoned warriors not patrolling. Ready them for the trip in three days.” Twenty Harvesters and twenty-four warriors. I didn’t like having that many of the Clan out of bounds and at risk, but without the Vinka seed, healing, binding, and crossovers could not happen. It was a necessity.

It was my turn to report to my Clan, now. “So here’s what we face…Rya has a young demon she is associating with named Jace. I encountered him briefly in the Human Realm and will say he is not very trained in combat, but he did release several demons from the binding chamber. I haven’t figured out how he managed that, but I’m working on it. The demons in the past who attempted an unbinding only succeeded to release one, and it drained them of their powers. But Jace managed to unbind several with no observable ill effects. Also, he is smart, fast, and has Rya guiding him.” The room began to hum with mumbles and comments from the high-ranking Clan members. “Together they have successfully unbound three demons, and I would presume they intend to unleash more.” I stood and walked about the room. “I want each of the patrolling squads equipped with full gear and weapons and each is to have a flask of binding potion. It should be enough to hold until they are brought to the Binding Chamber where Angeline will bind them with the others. We must capture those loose demons and keep them from crossing into the Human Realm. Rya alone is a challenge, but we also have to combat the others aiding her.”

The individuals seated around me—the few remaining elders who’d elected me to lead and who still advised me, my most trusted warriors and friends—they all were strong leaders. But I wondered how many of us would not be sitting at this table next time. How many would be wounded or dead after the battle to come?

“I’m sure many of you have sensed it—a war between good and evil is on the horizon. Many years have passed since our Clan last faced a war, and many lives were lost. For years, we’ve just maintained the order restored by our ancestors, but without Lorcan, the tides are changing. We need to prepare. I want daily training stepped up, potion stores increased—Angeline, have Lena help you. Everyone needs to be ready for action. Any questions?” No one spoke. The faces around me were serious and worried. But what could be expected when delivering somber news? “Dismissed.”

Everyone stood and filed out of the room, all but Angeline. The Caster hung back and approached me. “Killian, how is Cassidy?”

“She is still out, but seems to hear us, so a bit better.”

“Good. You need to get her out of here as soon as possible. You’ve taken the Clan oath to not risk mortal lives, and with this war coming, she doesn’t stand a chance.”

I nodded. I knew she was right, but would Cassidy be well enough in time to crossover?

Angeline squeezed my shoulder before leaving. And then I was alone in the meeting room. Exhausted from the wild ride that started since Lorcan had died, I pondered if there was any way to get the upper hand in this situation? Did options exist that I wasn’t seeing? I knew binding Rya would be the key, but we weren’t strong enough to take her on. She was the demon orchestrating all this chaos, and we were barely able to manage what she dealt us.

I looked down at my tattoo and ran my fingers along the snake—our Clan’s symbol for balance. Every member got tattooed on their eighteenth birthday, the day they were full contributing members in the Clan. Cassidy now was marked for life and connected to me through that tattoo. Lena had tried every potion and herbal remedy, but Cassidy had been dying. And now I was bound to this mortal girl, and she to me.

Stories passed down through the ages said our Clan descended from an angel—that he came down and mated with four women in the four corners of the Earth. These women gave birth to children who were half angel. When these children grew into adults, they were summoned by an angel to a crossover gate where they were tasked with keeping demons from crossing over. They easily crossed back and forth between the Human Realm and Demon Realm. As adults, they sought mates in the Human Realm and had children of their own. Wives and children not yet called to the gate could not survive a crossover. Then one day, one of our ancestors accidentally cut his hand in the mortal realm. His wife sucked on the wound to stop the bleeding. She had a small cut in her mouth, and it allowed his blood to mix with hers. With his half-angel blood now in her body, she felt energized and healthy; her mouth wound healed.

She went to the gate to bid him farewell. But as her spouse crossed, she felt so connected to him, bonded, she ran after him and crossed, unharmed. There were many failed attempts until one day, a Clansman had the idea to try and tattoo his spouse with his blood mixed in the ink. It worked, and since that day, they have tattooed Clan members to aid in crossovers and to enhance their healing and strength. The one side effect was that the recipient is bound to the donor.