The Demon Girl by Penelope Fletcher (each kindness read aloud TXT) 📕

behind me. The pain in my shoulders was gone, but the awareness of more was overwhelming. Craning my head to look round my body followed until I was doing a crazy spin.

“Wings,” I choked as the golden tips extended to flutter into my line of sight. I blinked at my own voice, a resonating sound of chinking crystals. That was me talking?

Conall was beside me, holding me up. “Pull yourself together,” he said.

I held onto the sound of his voice, held on to his stern command. If he had molly-cuddled me, I’d have curled into a ball and cried. His matter of fact outlook kept me grounded. I tried to block out everything but that close to me. My body responded immediately and every sensation collapsed on itself.

“Oh,” I gasped and took another steadying breath.

Conall took out a knife, grabbed my shoulder and with a swift jerk cut a hole in my jeans. Slipping his fingertip through the hole, he pulled something through and springing free it thumped against the back of my thigh. I spun, and tried to catch the thick length of skin protruding from the base of my spine. Each extra vertebra was under my control right to the tip. I focused on the extra limb and it curled to hover by my waist. I clasped it and gasped. It was warm, soft and I stared dumbfounded at the hard, leaf like tip. It felt strong. The skin was the same colour as my flesh, but as it tapered the colour got lighter. Looking down at my tail, I noticed my nails had lengthened and thickened into talons. I bit my lip and sharp points of pain had me tasting my own blood. I ran my tongue over my teeth, less like teeth now and more like fangs. My bottom lip throbbed as it healed. Then I focused on the heavy weight behind me. The two limbs curved away from my body and looked like the wings of a dragonfly. Blood pumped through the veins and goose bumps appeared in the absence of sun. My wings twitched. How the wind feels through your hair, such it felt as a gust passed over and under my wings. The instinct came to me and they twitched again. They spread, out and out, until I saw the great length of them either side of me. They beat once, slowly, then again and again. Tremendous power trilled through me and I leant my strength into the limbs attached to my back. They beat once more and my heels lifted off the ground. Shocked, I stopped and dropped back down to the floor panting from the exertion.

I couldn’t smile or cry or whimper.

And so I screamed.

Something stung my cheek and my scream cut off. Conall drew back his palm. but this time I caught his hand and held it. “I didn’t think it would be such a shock. Perhaps we should have done this differently. Breandan will be furious.” Conall frowned. “I want my hand back?”

I let him go, and instead held my hand out in front of me, fisted. I felt my tail doing some odd twisting thing and found to hard to keep my balance. Once I’d figured out how to hold it straight, I felt invincible. My wings curled behind me to rest snugly against my back and I rolled my shoulders. Flexing my toes in my boots, I wiggled my fingers as my tail curled round my legs. The tip occasionally brushed the floor.

“You should know wings are not gifted to all our kind and are great honor. You cannot fly, but you can glide. The tail will help with your speed and balance.” His head snapped to peer into the forest. “Breandan is to the-”

“Northeast,” I offered with certainty. It was weird because like a lens focusing, I could sense Breandan. I knew the direction he was in and how long it would take me to reach him. Taking a step away from where he was, my body resisted and fought to go the other way.

The fairy clapped his hands together beaming. “We’ve got time. What shall we do?”

I felt amazing, like nothing could end me. Untouchable. I knew I was fast, I knew my senses kicked ass. How strong was I now? I glanced at the trees.

“You asked if I had tested my strength”

Conall’s hands flew to his hips as his head rolled back. Ponytail swinging wildly his laughter boomed. “You are delightful. You may throw me.” His hand swept over the forest.

My jaw hit the floor. “I can’t throw you.” I deliberately narrowed my eyes. “Are you yanking my chain?”

“Such a pretty chain, but I’m not yanking it. Yes, you can throw me. I’ll not be harmed.”

“Really not worrying about you.”

Squaring my shoulders I strutted over to him. I did ask for it. Placing my hands on his arms I tested my internal body function calculator. Well hey, I felt pretty damn strong. I peeked at Conall’s face for courage and to check he wasn’t making fun. He grinned down at me with all the confidence in the world.

Bending my knees, I gripped his arms tight and braced myself. Lift, twist and hurl. The action was so quick I barely saw my arms move. Conall shot over the trees like a black comet, and was lost to sight in seconds. Hands covering my mouth, I bounced on the spot in horror. My ears stretched back then I took off. I ghosted through the trees at speed with no fear of harm, franticly burning across the rugged terrain. Through the awning of leaves my eyes spotted him falling. As I drew closer he gracefully straightened out, soaring back to the earth pencil straight before curling his body into a summersault. In a move of power and grace his feet touched down on the forest floor with an ear splitting boom.

The ground shook; air rippled out and tossed fallen leaves. Conall was crouched, one fist and knee on the ground, in a dirt hole. The earth looked freshly tilled where it had been forced to make way for him. He sprung up laughing, and dusted himself off.

I slammed to a stop beside him, and for a moment my body screamed at me to keep going. I was closer to Breandan. If I kept running and I would be at his side. Focusing on the fairy in front of me, I rushed to apologize.

“I didn’t realize.” Breathy with panic my tail thumped my shoulder repeatedly. “Forgive me. Are you right?”

My hands flittered around him and he caught one to kiss it.

“I am proud,” he said bowed over my hand. “You will be glorious. I’m not heavy, but it was a good demonstration nonetheless. There has not been a female fairy with a talent in strength for such a long time.” Conall sounded delighted. “But then you will be talented in most things.” He released my hand and tapped me on the nose.

I blinked at the playful gesture. “It was easy, like throwing a ball. Gods, I’m wicked strong.”

“I wait bated to see your castings.”

My face crumpled. Magic was not something I suspected would come easily to me. “It’ll be a while before I can control calling on the Source, and getting it to do what I want rather than whatever stray thought is passing through my mind.”

“Aptitude will come quickly or not at all, such is the way of it.”

“You said I’m strong for a female. Is there anything else I could try?”

“You’re eager.” Conall shook a little dust off, an efficient brush of his shoulder with an eloquent hand. “Every fairy is unique, and it will take time for you to learn your skills.”

“I’m curious, what skills do you have?”

He walked off into the trees. “You ask many questions,” he said matter of fact and jumped over a huge boulder roughly my height.

I eyed it, my healthy competitive nature goading me on. Sense caught up me and I walked around it. Conall waited patiently on the other side, and once he was visible continued walking.

I realized we had been travelling for an awful long time and that the forest had changed. It was sparser, and the trees swept down into a bowl shape with the land. The leaves had broadened and become darker, just as the trunks had become thinner and lighter. As the day drew to a close my eyes adjusted, and the world tinted to purple and blue again. My sensitive nose and ears picked up lingering trails, the snuffling of smaller mammals.

My senses stretched and I honed onto something, different. The ‘being’ sensed me touch her mind and nudged me away. She was of the two natured, a canine shifter of some kind. Startled, I scrambled back into myself. It was a shock. I knew of course there would be other demons Outside, this was their territory. But still, I was shocked. I sought the comfort of the familiar.

“Breandan,” I murmured. I knew he was near but not in my line of sight or range of hearing.

“Yes, he is close.” Conall was beside me. He’d stopped walking as I skipped on. “He’ll meet us here.” He motioned with his hand for me to continue walking.

I pushed a hand through my crazy hair and stepped forward. Entering the glade I saw a colossal building. Grey stone with marble statues adorned each corner and flanking the entrance. The slated roof was thatched, golden and half caved in. Trees and flowers sprouted on the ground inside, this I saw through the large glassless windows.

“Witch.” Conall called and pumped his hand cheerfully.

“Hai, Rae?” a sunny voice called across the clearing.

I gawped at the blonde, blue-eyed cherub standing in the building entrance. Her hair was plaited into a messy braid, and she wore a plain blue tunic, and soft brown boots. She looked like an upper dwell. She grinned at me like we were the best of friends, and waved me forward.

Skipping ahead, she yapped over her shoulder. “I’m Ana or the white witch if you want to be formal about it.” She shot a sour look at Conall.

I followed after her, totally bewildered by her and my surroundings. The building was solemn, and as I walked through the bold entrance pillars - fairy mouths open in silent scream - I wondered of its significance.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“A church. An old and secret place,” Conall replied from behind me.

The plant life from outside spilled in through the windows, and ivy snaked its way up the walls, clinging to the grey stone in wild patches. Rows and rows of large stone steps circled the room. Seats? The building foundation was naturally steeped into the dirt, growing from the earth itself. My feet stepped springy, damp moss and crunchy thick grass mixed with flowered weeds.

“I like your eyes,” she declared. “Your family always did have the most beautiful gold eyes.” The witch-girl had an innocent, pixie like face and curly blonde hair. She waved her hands up and down my body critically. “You’re meeting me in your true form. That is a good omen. Sometimes you come to me still disguised as human and what I have to say never goes down well.”

“As long as you don’t tell me what to do,” I said and gazed at the buckled roof, “we’ll get along just fine.”

Ana smacked her forehead then clicked her fingers into points and nodded. “Sorry, I get confused somewhat when I meet new people. It takes a while to fit them into the bigger picture. The Sight gives me glimpses of possible futures, and you’re radiating images like a beacon whacked up to max. It’ll be easier