Demon Day by Penelope Fletcher (best novels in english .TXT) 📕

“All of that does notchange the fact the two of you could wipe the floor with me.” Igave them both pointed looks, daring them to deny it. They knew itwas true. Sure, I could fight, but I had seen the way they moved,and there was no way my Disciple training could matchit.

Breandan snorted, his head lifting.“You have not been taught to use your body as it was designed. Weshall teach you how to harness your power, and no one shall be ableto challenge you.” He grinned, dazzling me. “Oh, no one, butme.”

“Not even the High Lord,”Conall murmured. “For the first time we have a Priestess not boundto him.”

“All will be well,”Breandan snapped and shot the older fairy a look of malevolence.“Rae can control herself and she does not need you to smotherher.”

I stared at him, wide eyed at theharshness of his tone. Conall did not look too perturbed oroffended, simply disinterested.

I narrowed my eyes. I was not the mostperceptive of people, but I was not blind either. The undercurrentsthese two failed so miserably to hide, flowed deep, and would haveswept up even the strongest of the disinterested. I knew they hadto be feeling the strain of the day before too, after all so muchhad changed. Breandan had broken away from his brother and wasconsidered an outcast. Conall had butchered several of his kind togive me retribution for Lex’s life. We all had much to shoulder anddeal with. I guess I could understand if they were both feelingwound up and were taking it out on each other, but gods did theyhave to be so rude?

Grumping to myself about bad manners,I moved away and heard them follow me. When I could no longer smellthe shifter, I plopped down on the ground figuring the spot was asgood as any.

“Let’s get on with it,” Igrumped. “Clearly you’re warming up to a lecture and the sooner wedo it the sooner we can get moving again.”

We did not have all the time in theworld. Devlin would have to stop too, but the fairy High Lord waspowerful and tricky. He probably knew I would be slowing hisadversaries down, and would use the time to take as far a lead aspossible.

Breandan sank down behind me and Istudied his face since the corner of his mouth looked suspiciouslycurved, like he was fighting a smile. I watched out for them sincehis smiles were so rare and stunning. His laughter was rarer, butwhen he did express amusement it was more than worth thewait.

Conall stepped lightly to seat himselfcross-legged in front of me.

Over the silence was the sound ofcrickets, and a strong wind that blew through the tall grass,bringing me the earthy scents and smallest sounds of life on thePride.

I waited patiently for Conall tobegin, idly wondering why Breandan was not touching me and why heseemed painfully aware of how much distance there was betweenus.

“Our birth mother wasSorcha,” my brother began. “Priestess and mate of Nyall the HighLord of all fairykind.”

Already I had to interrupt him. “Don’twe have a family name? I mean, I was given the name Wilder becausethe Priest who found me thought I was a wild thing.”

My heart squeezed when I thought ofthe Priests, for then I thought of Temple, and everything I hadleft behind. I felt like a leaf that was once part of a great oak,captured by the wind and carried away into the unknown. I knew Iwas destined to go far, but I missed being unseen amongst otherslike me. I frowned. Was that the problem? That there was no otherlike me yet I kept seeing myself as ordinary. Unable to understandthat I could not think or act as others did because I was supposedto be the one others followed?

“We are fairy,” Conall saidas if that would explain everything. “We recognize no othernames.”

“But why? I understandthere are few of us, but only having a first name seems …incomplete.” I shrugged.

Conall tilted his head thoughtfully.“That is a good way to describe it. Incomplete.” He sighed,something I was beginning to notice he did a lot, like he had theweight of the world on his shoulders. “Family names have power sowe stopped using them many years ago. We are powerful yetvulnerable in many trivial ways. Nick us with an iron blade and webleed for days. Feed us the Rowan berry and we become violentlyill. Too much and we die unless healed under the full moon. Forcean oath of suicide and we’ll cut our own throats or drop dead if wedo not comply.” He frowned. “We must be fierce to protect ourselvesfrom those who would hurt us for our trusting nature.”

“It still seems extreme.Why should we feel incomplete in fear of power?”

“There was a time when ourfamily names were secret, and known only to the kin. It was a wayto bind us together and keep us strong. In that strength was ourgreatest weakness.”

Fascinated, learning about the fairyculture – my culture – I urged him on and leaned forward. “Please,go on.”

“You know there has been abonding before?”

I bobbed my head. “Ana told me, yeah.She said that it didn’t end well.”

At the time I had sensed ‘well’ was amassive understatement, but had not pressed the issue as it hadmade the white witch agitated. Then again everything made Anaagitated. The term ‘highly strung’ came to mind when I thought ofthe petite blonde Seer. How she handled her Sight without goingcompletely nuts was beyond me.

Conall looked away, face tightening.“They were consumed by each other and out of control. They wereborn into two of the larger and more powerful families. They brokewith tradition, with sanity, and they….” He was unable to goon.

Breandan stiffened beside me andtension radiated across the space between us. I glanced at himunder my lashes and saw his face, plainly upset.

My brother cleared his throat andsquared his shoulders. “They gave each other their familyname.”

My lips twitched but I managed toremain quiet. That was the monstrous thing these two lovers did?For the love of gods, these fairies had melodrama down to a fineart. I tried to keep the laughter from my voice. “And?”

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