Demons Forever (Peachville High Demons #6) (15 page)

I wanted to give him time to mourn, but we didn't have that luxury. "What do we do now?"

He looked up and searched my face. His shoulders slumped. "You want to go after her." He said it as a fact and not a question.

"Don't you?" I asked. "She's your daughter."

"It's not that simple," he said.

"Why not?" I took another step forward. "Why can't it be that simple?"

He sighed and gripped the throne. "I thought I made it clear to you what kind of enemy we're facing here," he said. "Once someone has been taken by the Order, they're as good as dead, Harper. There's nothing we can do for her now."

Heat flared in my chest. "So we leave her there to be tortured and killed while we sit here in our safe little cocoon waiting for the Order to find another way inside?" I shook my head. "I can't do that."

The king stood. "You have to let her go," he said, his voice booming. "I command it."

I raised my eyebrows. "I am not under your command," I said. "I've been on my own my entire life, making my own decisions. I may not have always made the best choices, but I'm still alive so I can't be doing too bad."

My father clenched his jaw and turned away.

"The Order almost killed me," I said. The truth hit me, nearly taking my breath away. "You may not have known their exact plans, but you knew they had captured me. You made the same choice then that you're making now, didn't you? You could have come for me."

"I wanted to," he said.

"Then why didn't you?" My lower lip trembled, and I pressed it tight to make it stop.

He turned back to me. "I've known many demons who tried to save their loved ones from the Order," he said. "Every single one of them is dead now."

"That's not a good enough reason to stop trying," I said. "Look at Jackson. He went after his brother and is still alive."

"And where
is
his brother?" The king formed a tight fist. "Is he free? No, he's still held captive by the same town that took him a hundred years ago."

"Yes, but as long as he's alive, there's hope," I said. "And what about me? I would have died that day if Jackson and Mary Anne and Lea hadn't come for me. They took a chance against the Order and they saved my life."

His shoulders tensed. "They got lucky," he said. "Besides, they only had to hold off the Order for a few seconds while they pulled you through the portal. They didn't have to fight an entire coven."

"The point is they risked everything and we all lived," I said. "They had a plan and they were smart. They didn't underestimate the Order. They went in with their eyes wide open, knowing they didn't have the power to stand and fight. If we go in with a solid plan, we could save her. I know we could."

"Don't be foolish," he said. He stepped toward me and grabbed my shoulders. "If you go there, you'll die and I'll have lost both my daughters. Priestess Winter, she's different. She's powerful beyond reason. All of the priestesses of the High Council are like this. They shouldn't be capable of such enormous power, but somehow they are stronger than an entire army of demons."

"Come with me," I said. "Together, we can beat Priestess Winter. Everyone has a weakness. She has to have something we can use against her. Once she's out of the way, we can reverse the portal binding spell and free the demons who are still alive. And if we can free Peachville, we can free everyone. We could change everything."

Tears formed in my father's silver eyes. He shook his head and pushed me away. "Going after the Order is a death wish," he said. "The best we can do is try to defend our homeland. I have a duty here to my people."

"You have a duty to your family," I said, my voice cracking slightly.

"If you go, I won't come after you." His jaw formed a hard line. "If you leave the safety of this dome, you're on your own."

I shook my head. "No. You're wrong. I'll have Jackson and my friends."

"Harper, you're going to get them all killed. Can't you see that?" he shouted.

"What I see is a king who has lived so long, he's forgotten that some things are worth dying for."

I turned on my heel and walked out, refusing to allow a single tear to touch my cheek.

The Path Chosen

Anger fueled my footsteps. I didn't even know where I was headed until I found myself standing in front of the door leading to the soldiers' quarters. My heart pounded. I knew women weren't typically allowed down here, but what good was being a princess if I couldn't break a few rules?

I threw the door open and stepped across the threshold.

A few guards stopped in their tracks. A short guy tugged nervously on his t-shirt, then ran his hands over his jeans as if to smooth them out.

"Can I help you, Princess?" His voice cracked a bit.

I lifted my chin. "I need to talk to Jackson," I said. "Can you show me to his room?"

The guy tossed a glance toward the back hallway, then bit his lower lip. "If you'd like, I can ask him to join you in your quarters when he's available?"

"I'd like to see him now," I said, my jaw tight.

The guard winced and lowered his head. Guilt slipped through a crack in my resolve. It wasn't this poor guy's fault I was angry. He hadn't done anything wrong, but I'd practically yelled at him for no reason.

I took a deep breath and relaxed my shoulders. I'd make a terrible ruler. I wasn't cut out for this shit. "I'm sorry," I said, doing my best to soften my expression. "I just really need to talk to him. I know I'm not really supposed to be down here, but it's important. Would you mind showing me where his room is?"

The short guy swallowed and nodded. "Sure," he said. He jerked his head toward the back hall. "I'll show you."

I forced a smile. "Thank you." My voice hitched on a tear. I held it back and walked slowly through the hallway.

Many of the doors down here stood wide open. Men of all ages sat together playing cards or listening to music. I felt like I'd invaded a college dorm.

They straightened as I walked past.

"He's here," the guard said. He motioned to a closed door near the end of the long hall.

"Thanks again," I said.

The guard turned to leave, then flipped back around to me. "Princess?"

"Yes?" I asked.

He stared down at the floor, shuffling his feet. "I'm sorry you lost your sister," he said.

I swallowed. "I didn't lose her," I said. "I'm going to get her back."

He looked up, eyes wide. "Oh," he said. He cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I just meant that I lost two brothers to the Order, so I know how you're feeling."

I stared into his eyes, so full of sadness and compassion. "I'm sorry," I said, my earlier anger fading. Everywhere I turned, there was someone else who had endured great loss. The Order had taken so much from so many, it broke my heart.

"Thank you," he said. His eyes filled with tears and he shifted and flew back down the hall.

I straightened my shoulders and turned back to the closed door. I lifted my hand and knocked, some of my confidence shaken.

"Not today, guys, I have some work to do," Jackson's voice called from behind the door.

"It's me," I said, leaning in to make sure he could hear me.

The door jerked open and Jackson pulled me into his arms. "Harper, are you okay?"

"My sister's been kidnapped," I said. "What do you think?"

He stepped out into the hallway and looked back toward the entrance. A large group of guys had come out into the hall to watch me, probably wondering what in the world had brought me into their space.

"Come in," he said. He pulled me into the room and shut the door. "You aren't supposed to be down here."

The room was small. Just big enough for a twin bed and a tiny desk that was built into the wall. There wasn't even a closet or a bathroom or anything in here. The bed was unmade, but Jackson quickly threw the comforter over the sheets and smoothed out a place for us to sit.

"I know," I said. "I didn't even really mean to come down here, but I didn't know where else to go."

"What's going on?" he asked.

"My father," I said. "He's so impossible."

"What happened?"

Jackson sat down on the bed, but I paced the small space in front of him.

"He won't even consider going after her," I said. "He said I needed to let her go. What the hell? He's this almighty king, but he's too afraid to fight for his own daughter's life? I don't understand it."

Jackson leaned forward, resting his elbows against his legs. "I can't say I'm surprised," he said.

I clenched my hands into fists. "Why is everyone so quick to give up around here? I thought shadow demons were supposed to be powerful and strong?" I said. "What happened to being brave? Or is everyone in this world completely chicken-shit?"

Jackson stood and ran a nervous hand through his hair. "You might not want to say that so loud," he pointed toward the door. "Remember where you are and who you're talking about."

"Let them hear me," I said, reaching for the door handle. "I want to know the truth. Why does everyone here refuse to fight?"

Jackson shifted and reappeared between me and the door. He took my hands and walked me back toward the bed. "That's not entirely fair," he said. "Everyone out there has lost someone important."

"I know. That's exactly what I'm talking about." I shrugged out of his embrace. "I don't understand why they don't all band together and go rescue the ones who have been taken. Everyone in this city has a terrible story about someone they love being taken. Why don't they fight back like you did? Why don't they force their way through and take them back?"

"I wasn't so successful, if you remember," Jackson said. "Before you came along, I'd been powerless for nearly fifty years. The Order is too strong, Harper. You know that. A lot of shadow demons have gone after their loved ones. They never come home. If it wasn't for the fact that my presence made Aerden stronger, I wouldn't have survived either."

I clenched my teeth and made a choked sound. "I'm not going to just let them take her," I said. "I can't do that."

"I know," he said.

I looked up at him. I hadn't expected him to agree with me. "So you'll come with me when I go?"

He took my hands again and this time I didn't pull away. "It's you and me, Harper." He leaned down and kissed my forehead, his lips warm and soft against my skin. "Till the day I die."

I put my arms around his waist and pressed my body against his, finding strength in his words.

"My father said I'll just get myself killed," I said. "Do you think he's right?"

Jackson hugged me tighter. "I've seen you fight your way through the most impossible situations," he said. "I think if anyone can save her, it's you."

I smiled and buried my face in his shirt. "Thank you," I whispered.

We stood together in silence, our hearts beating in unison. Our future uncertain, but the path chosen.

After a while, I pulled away and sat down on his bed. "Coach King died." I stared down at my hands.

Jackson's shoulders slumped and he leaned back against the stone wall. "I heard."

"I was there when he passed away," I said. "I've never seen anything like that before. It was beautiful in a way."

"You saw the lights?" he asked.

I nodded.

"When a demon passes into the Afterworld, you see their true soul's colors," he said. "The more beautiful the spirit, the more beautiful the lights."

"I always thought he was a jerk," I said. I slipped my shoes off and brought my feet up on to the bed and hugged my knees close to my chest. "I completely misjudged him. All he was ever doing was trying to protect my sister and keep tabs on the Order."

"What was it he wanted to talk to you about?" Jackson asked.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small square of paper Coach King had given me. I handed it to Jackson.

His mouth dropped open. "I've seen this hair pin," he said. "Where did he get this?"

"Zara gave it to him. She was supposed to finish him off and he thought she was coming over to strike the final blow. Instead, she handed him this drawing and told him to get it to me as soon as possible. She said it was the key to saving my sister," I said. "Where have you seen it?"

"I'll show you," Jackson said, standing. He crossed to his desk, opened the top drawer and pulled out his drawing pad. He flipped through a few pages, then handed it to me.

My eyes widened. "When did you draw this?"

"Two days ago," he said.

The drawing was a close-up of me in profile. The main detail of the picture was a beautifully ornate butterfly pin in my hair.

"I thought it was just another vision of you," he said. His lips turned up slightly in one corner. "I get them a lot. Visions of your face or your eyes. Nothing too specific as far as what's happening or what you're doing. Just pictures of you. I saw this butterfly so clearly, but wasn't sure how it was important."

I started to flip to the next page, but Jackson pulled the pad away from me.

"Don't," he said. "There are things in here I don't want you to see until you're really ready to see them."

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I hated when he kept his drawings a secret from me, but I had too much on my mind to sit there and argue with him about it.

"The butterfly pin was a gift from Zara," I said. "After my Heritage ceremony at Winterhaven."

"Did she tell you anything about it? Does it have some kind of special magic attached to it?"

I shook my head and leaned back against the wall. "I have no idea," I said. "She never said a word about it except that it was a gift."

"Where is it now?" Jackson leaned against the edge of his desk.

"I put it in the drawer of that mirrored dressing table in my room at Shadowford," I said. "I never even wore it or anything, but who knows if my stuff is still there or not? For all we know, the Order cleared everything out."

He brought a finger to his mouth, thinking. "I wish we had some clue as to why she wanted you to have it," he said. "Do you think we can really trust her?"