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

The he-witch pursed his lips.“Interesting,” he murmured and his voice echoed deeply.

After several beats of my heartkicking my chest in fear, and adrenaline making my entire bodyquiver, it became clear there would be no aftershock of paineither.

The Vodoun shield protectedme.

Setting my jaw, I lifted my chin andblazed determination. Pacing forward I raised both my hands,increasing my step into a skip as a rough fireball flared intobeing. I threw my remaining strength – physical and emotional –into hurling the flaming sphere at him as he swept his hand in agraceful arc and conjured a maelstrom of liquid fire.

Both orbs of magic collided and itsounded like a clash of boulders. The avalanche of power explodedwith an earth shattering bellow that resonated, and expanded in amushroom of dazzling violet light streaked with swirls of blue andslashes of green.

I was kicked back, flying head firstoff the barricade through the eddy of wind and lightning as itcollapsed into nothing.

The shadow figure lostshape and form; his darkness melting into the breeze and swirlingaway. “Feicfidh mé thú go luath,deirfiúr,” his alluring voice boomed in myears then was gone.

Weightless, directionless, I sailedbackward until I slammed into the dirt. My head smacked down,bounced, then cricked oddly as I tumbled over myself before I layin a rumbled heap on my side.

I was motionless, staring up into thesky, watching as the clouds rolled away to reveal the gleamingmoon.

The he-witch was gone. His darkness had left. I felt it.

My choke reflex kicked in, and Icoughed, my whole body shaking from the force of it. My head lolledto the side, and my wings stirred restlessly on my back.

“Ow,” I muttered.

Already my nature scratched my skinfrom the inside out, demanding that I get up and find him. Thenthere was the overpowering need from the bond pushing me to seekhim out. He was close, so close. Lying in such proximity to him waslike someone pressing hot coals into my pores.

I sat up looking around, searching.Wood chips, stones, and bits of rubble fell from my hair, andclothes, but I did not care. I could not think or focus on anythingelse anymore. My nature had grown in potency since we had firstbeen separated, and now it demanded I find him, no morewaiting.

Over the clearing smoke, Disciplesdragged themselves up, looking around bewildered. Some stillcrouched on the floor looking up at the sky with horrifiedexpressions on their faces.

I ignored them.

There were no more distractions.Nothing else I had to worry about or focus on.

I had done my part.

Cleric Tu was dead and his followerswere retreating. I had defeated the he-witch and dispelled theblack magic from the Temple. The shifter twins were free and nodoubt reunited with their Alpha. My eyes drifted closed, there wereno more distractions, no other dangers to face or fight.

I let my instincts guide me, feelingmy pulse quicken as my gaze sought him out.

Close. He was close.

There.

My eyes locked with his, as he stood,victorious in his own battle. Conall struggled to pull himself ontoall fours in front of him, body swaying.

I inhaled in a hiss, hisunique scent of earth and sunlight, and bared my teeth.Mine.

I lurched up and lunged forward onlyto slam into something immovable. Seeing nothing, I tried to runaround it but there was no end. I shrieked and whacked my fistagainst it. The barrier of air gave under the force of my might,but held, not letting me past. Not that I was concerned, Breandanhad seen me and was already speeding over. A few more moments andhe would be in my arms.

My entire focus was on my love when agolden spark shot in front of him and caught his shoulder. Plantinghis feet, Conall barely missed Breandan’s swipe for his head. Myfairy-boy snarled – trying to shake his hold – but Conall heldfirm.

“Wait, Rae,” a pained voicesaid from behind me. Ana moved into my line of sight and there wasa fierce look of concentration on her face.

She muttered something under herbreath. An incantation. I hissed at her, and reached out with myown magics, knowing that if it came to brute force I could smashany spell she threw at me to pieces. Right now, she was my greatestenemy. She kept me from him.

Had I not done enough? Had I not beenput through enough? Had I not yet earned the right to feel hishands on me?

I just wanted to hold him.

I pushed magic at the shield. Ittrembled, but held. Again, I threw magic at the wall, but still itheld. Enraged, I hammed at it with my fists and mind. Cracks, Icould feel them, and I hammered harder.

“Run!” Ana screechedcollapsing. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

Conall spun to me, possibly hoping totry reason. With one look at my face, he let Breandan go, anddarted over to where the white witch shivered on the floor. Hescooped Ana into his arms and blurred away. Three cougars were hoton his heels, one with a goblin-child clinging to herback.

Breandan slammed into whatever Ana haderected to hold me.

The Clerics backed off, alarmed by theimmediate demon evacuation, and sprinted away too, grabbingDisciples as they went.

Now two of us beat as the barrier, andit thinned, rippling under the strain. More cracks, huge cracks. Ifound the last knot in the spell Ana cast and tore itdown.

Before I could order my own limbs tograb him, his hands were on me, in my hair running down myback.

The bond steeply increased in urgency,and my heart stalled, knees gave out. Tingles ran across my scalp,the back of my legs, and arms. Magical currents running across myskin sparked against the same electric charge jumping off Breandan.Colliding, the power pinged back and forth between us growing inmight until it reached breaking point. We clutched each otherriding out the numbing pressure. I shivered uncontrollably thenflung my head back and inhaled on a gasp. Breandan grunted as ourbodies revolted and an intense light blasted from his body andmine, so bright it seared my eyes. I scrunched them shut, cryingout as the ground rumbled, shunting us to the side.

Ripples of power pulsed from me,slammed into swells of force radiating