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

Discreet. Right.

“You’ll have to do betterthan that,” Lochlann said in a tight voice and held out his hand tome. “Walk with me around the tree bases before you leave. I willannounce we agreed you will seek out the grimoire once you haveleft.”

Maeve, who I had all but forgotten shewas so quiet, snorted then coughed daintily behind her hand. Shebatted her reddish-purple eyelashes at her brother’s scowl. “Can Igo with them?” she asked in her high trill.

“No,” Lochlannreplied.

Her face crumpled. “ButI–”

“No!” Breandan and Lochlannbarked.

Maeve and I shared a long-sufferinglook.

Plainly irritated, Lochlann held outhis hand again, and didn’t bother to disguise his dislike of me.Not that I cared. I thought he was repressed and boorish, butwhatever. I gingerly placed my palm on his, cringing when his bighand engulfed mine, and locked my fingers in an overly tight grip.A shudder wracked its way up his frame and mine.

Conall frowned at us. “You both lookuncomfortable.”

Lochlann forced his shoulders downfrom his ears, but I couldn’t help leaning away from him until hepractically held me upright.

Sighing, Breandan brushed his fingersacross my cheek. The comfort was instant and my body unlockedallowing Lochlann to pull me upright. Breandan let his hand traildown my neck and across my shoulder blade before giving me a gentleshove forward.

Lochlann started at a brisk walk and Istumbled to keep up with him. He was pretty huge, and two of hisstrides equaled three of my steps. Soon the three gigantic treetrunks came into view, and the auras began to press on meagain.

Lochlann slowed and pulled me closerto his side. “Smile,” he ordered through his teeth.

Coming to a stop he raised our joinedfists high, nearly yanking my arm out of my socket, forcing me tostand on my tip-toes he was so tall. The move was met with a cry ofjubilation from the crowds above. Happy voices singing praise andlower baritones bellowing greetings. I pulled the corners of mymouth up even as I clenched my throat muscles, moments away fromemptying my stomach onto the ground in panic.

I did not like this habit of mine, theneed to vomit when I got stressed, anxious, or scared. Emotions Iexperienced with worrying frequency since these demons cametrampling into my life … or did I stumble back intotheirs?

Breandan was close by my side, silent,his eyes locked on his brother’s hand engulfing mine. A wilddesperation simmered beneath the surface of his calm that even Icould see, and Conall kept half his attention on him, and the otherhalf on me. He looked pleased, and joined the salute with muchenthusiasm, pride oozing from every pore of his being.

Lochlann let our hands drop. Before Icould scurry away from all the eyes he yanked me closer to hisside, and leaned to murmur intensely in my ear. “You lead mybrother into danger and I do not like it.”

Instinctively, my head hung before Ijerked it straight. I narrowed my eyes at him, annoyed he continuedto use the power of his voice to try and intimidate me. “You needthe grimoire and you need me. Don’t forget it,” I whispered inreply. “I’m doing the best I can. I’m thinking all thingsconsidered I’m doing well. I’m pretending I enjoy your touch aren’tI?”

“You have no idea what wemust face in the days to come as a people. I beg the gods you donot only shatter my brothers spirit with whatever perversion youhave with that vampire, but the spirit of my people as you shirkyour responsibilities.” He scoffed in derision. “To think when Ilearned you had been found I was excited to meet my future mate.But now I see you are exactly like your mother,selfish.”

I swallowed hard and forced down tearsI refused to let him see. I was not weak. He would not see me cry.Was I selfish? Well, yes. I had been raised to look for my ownsafety first. To take care of myself so that I could then in turntake care of those who depended on me. I couldn’t change who I wasin the space of a few days and become an altruistic leader, nomatter how many times I was told it was my true nature. I knew whoI was to these people, and what they expected of me. I was tooaware of it. “You think you know me,” I said in a voice just ascold as his. “You don’t.”

“I can only judge on what Isee. And what I see in you, Rae is fear. Mistrust. Confusion. Do Isee evil? No, but I do not see the purity I expect of thePriestess.”

“It’s not like I asked forthis. You all came looking for me, remember?”

My tongue thickened with the words.That was not exactly true. It had been me who had ventured beyondthe Wall. I was the one who had been drawn to the forest anddisobeyed the Sect Doctrine, the rules set down by the Priests thatkept us safe.

The fairies had looked for me, butdeep down inside I had been looking for them too.

Lochlann’s gaze darted over myshoulder. “And look what happened when the most vulnerable of usfound you.” His gaze turned hard as steel, condemning me with thepower at his command. “You will be the end of him, and it breaks myheart.”

His will crushed upon my own, and Igrunted. Pushing my own influence up as a barrier was the onlything that stopped my knees giving out from beneath me, so suddenand intense was the attack. I pulled my hand from his grasp andspun on my heel, letting my tail flick behind me and punch him inthe gut. Cursing, Lochlann stumbled at my unexpected jab, and Isniffed at him over my shoulder before stomping off, ignoringConall’s plea to stay and Breandan’s curious stare, to say my finalgoodbyes.

When I knew I was no longer in view bythe people, I breathed out. Shaking, I rubbed my sweaty palms on myhips. This friction between Lochlann and I wasn’t good. Nor was thedeception by omission to the people. Did they truly believe I wouldmate with Lochlann now that Devlin was gone? How would they reactwhen they learnt I had