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

Breandan’s jaw worked. “That is irrelevant. It would not work.”

“You are so certain,” he said with a small smile. “Hearts can change, and hers is already split in two. How do you know she will choose you?”

I raised my hands and let them fall to my sides. He just couldn’t help himself. What I had done with Tomas was none of their damned business. I refused to lower myself and defend something that should not need defending. Yes, it was weird and strange, but I was getting sick and tired of being discussed and talked about as if I wasn’t even there.

I glared daggers at him.

“I belong to her,” Breandan said simply.

“And she you?”

“Now you all listen to me.” I took in a breath and set my feet apart. “I won’t lie, I do care for Tomas deeply. I don’t know why or how such a thing is possible and I do not know how long it will last.” I walked up to Breandan and pressed my fingers to his face. “I can’t promise I’ll love you forever, because I honestly don’t know how I feel. You need to give me time. I don’t know what will happen next, but I’ll never betray you. If you trust me, I’ll trust you. Deal?”

His fingers curled around mine and held them to him. Pulling me closer, he wrapped his arms around me and crushed me to him.

“Do it,” he fired above my head.

“Breandan, I release you from you oath.”

There was a crack and Breandan staggered. I held onto him, and fell with him as his knees gave out. Limbs tangled we hit the floor hard. Air became a physical thing and wrapped around my throat. It settled then faded. Breandan trembled in my arms, head burrowed into my shoulder.

“Everybody get out,” I said. The fairies had not moved they were still, shocked.

“Lochlann,” Conall said quietly. “Please.”

The fairy-lord scowled at my brother then turned on his heel and left. “Devlin, I wish to speak to you about the human.”

Laying my head down I didn’t see them all leave, but heard and felt it when we were finally alone.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I said.

“He was wrong.”

We were quiet for a long time, and I thought hard on the reality of what was going to happen next. Breandan was in a precarious position. He had broken away from his brother and the Tribe, making him an outcast fairy. I had denied both Lochlann and Devlin that made me an outcast too. Devlin knew I had the amulets of power and wisdom, but Breandan and Lochlann had no idea.

Gods, it was complicated.

There was something worrying me. The other guardian must have been Conall, he had the amulet of protection, but that was not the one Devlin had. Had the Tribe really managed to steal it? Or did Breandan jump to conclusions again as it seemed he was prone to do.

“Breandan, the amulet of protection, when did it go missing?”

He snorted. “For all that has just happened, that is your main concern?”

“Can’t you just answer the question?”

He sighed, rubbed his head against my arm. “This morning. When I knew you needed me, I hid it so I wouldn’t risk losing it. It was a place I’d hidden my secret things since childhood.”

“How would a tribal fairy have found it then?”

He shrugged. “Maybe they cast a spell or followed me.”

It didn’t add up. I spoke my next words carefully, mindful of his pride that could swell into something nasty. “Don’t you think that’s not enough to base your whole theory on?”

Breandan shifted to look into my face. His eyes were sparkly and his cheeks had regained some colour. “You know something,” he said. I nodded, and pulled the two amulet pieces out from under my tee shirt. Breandan stared at them. “I should probably be surprised, but I think the impossible will be possible with you around. His forehead furrowed. “Wisdom and power.” He touched the last empty place in the centre of the amulet. “But where is the amulet of protection you took from Devlin?”

“I took the amulet of power from Devlin.” I shuddered at the memory of the power boiling my blood, and stroking a darkness lurking beneath the core of who I was.

“Then where is the amulet of protection?”

“That’s why I think you were too hasty to blame the Tribe. I don’t think Devlin has it.”

“Perhaps you are right, though I can think of no one else who would have the inclination to take it. Its power can only work for one fairy.”

We had waded into dangerous territory again. It seemed all fairies believed they had a purpose, and I was slowly coming to terms with what mine was, but I was not ready to openly talk about it.

I traced the outline of one of his tattoos. “Tell me what they mean.”

“We all have a purpose. Mine is to keep order.”

I giggled. “Really? You’ve done nothing but break the rules since you met me.”

He winced. “The tattoos signify my skills and accomplishments. Some are for protection. Others guide me and help me see the truth.” He paused thoughtfully, slid a considering look my way that held an undercurrent of something else. “You have asked me a question, now may I ask you one you will answer?”

Shifting on the floor that was quickly growing cold, I curled into a ball at his side and thought about it. For a while there was only the sound of our breathing and the warmth of him. My eyes felt all droopy, and my mind slid into a lazy sleep pattern.

“Well, that depends on the question,” I said sleepily.

“Tomas.”

My lids slammed wide open. Breandan didn’t sound angry, but mildly disgusted.

“A name is not a question, and I’ve already explained this to you as best I can. Leave it alone.”

He snorted. “He will come back and I want you to stay away from him.”

I hissed my disapproval. He ran a finger down the bridge of my nose, over my lips. I kept my face set, refusing to be distracted.

“He is vampire. It is not natural the way they are. They bring death wherever they go,” he said with as much heat as an ice cube.

I thought back to the strange urge I got when I was around Tomas. It made me shudder. I could not deny he felt unnatural to me, but it didn’t mean it was right. Breandan was quiet for a long time, and eventually I knew he was not going to speak again. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep right then and there.

I dreamed I was dying. I watched my last sunset and Breandan held me close. We raced were-cats through the forest and the sun shined from within us. The moon rose and Breandan handed me to Tomas, who cried tears of blood and showed me dark things. He fed from me and called me his love.

It was the cold hand clamped over my mouth and pulsing dark that woke me.

“Wake,” a voice whispered in my ear.

I peeked an eye open, remaining still. I kept my breathing even and glanced at Breandan’s face. Eyes closed and brow relaxed his breath came steady and even. I blinked up at Tomas. Had my dream called him to me? He took his hand away from my mouth and pressed a finger to his lips, then looked at Breandan. I got the message loud and clear. Stay quiet. I carefully shifted away from Breandan, rolling to my hands and knees I crawled backwards.

I stood up and smiled at my vampire-boy. I was happy to see him. Tomas led me out of the tent, and I shivered in the cold. It was quiet and everyone was sleeping, as you generally do in the middle of the night. Tomas took my hand and led me away into the trees. I tugged on his hand to get him to stop when I realized he was not going to.

“What are you doing here,” I said in a low voice. “I thought you’d gone back to your nest.”

“I followed you.”

My heart rolled over in my chest. “Why? I mean, do you have something else to say?”

“Trouble comes.”

“What kind?” I asked sharply. “The kind where I get beat up or the kind where I die?”

“In the last few hours the fairies have been negotiating the release of a human-girl. The ones that follow the white haired fairy have taken a human from the Temple. They are trying to trade her for him. The one they call Lochlann, has refused and it is only a matter of time before they attack.”

“When did this happen?”

“As you, and the fairy who was supposed to be protecting you, slept. The night is fading, but we can be far away before sunrise.”

I didn’t respond. It took me moments to make up my mind, but considerably longer to work up the courage to say it out loud. I couldn’t go. I felt a responsibility to stay and help the human if I could.

Tomas read the look on my face. “Now is not the time to be selfless. This will vicious.”

“We can tell Breandan. He can help.”

“He won’t go against his brother and you know it.” He took my hand again. “Now we leave.”

“But I-How- It doesn’t make any sense. Why would the tribal fairies think stealing a human would influence Lochlann in anyway?”

Conall stepped out of the shadows, his mane of hair wild and bristling. His breathing was hard and he hummed with tension.

I thought I could smell his fear.

“Because they hoped your connection with his brother would sway his mind.” His chest had a shallow gash from his breastbone to the opposite end of his ribcage.

“You’re hurt,” I pointed at the slash in case he missed it. “Why are you not healing?”

He rubbed at it dismissively. “My energy is diverted elsewhere. Our bodies focus on the greatest threat to our being. I am tired so my energy is saved to keep me quick and strong.”

“Who did they take?” I asked, curious.

There was a wail in the far distance and an answer came a moment later.

A silky hiss that followed from Tomas slithered up my spine. “How long do we have?” he demanded. His hand slipped from mine, and I took it as a signal to stay put.

“I killed a scout moments ago. I was the messenger sent to the Tribe to decline the offer. They are to sacrifice the human under a full moon, a perfect tithe and war cry. The peace Lochlann is fighting for will be impossible. Devlin is trying to create confusion and fear and it will work.” Conall looked at me. “Rae, we’re going to lose,” he said. “You need to leave. Do you have your amulet?”

I placed a protective hand over it. “Whatever is coming we can face it together. I’m not going to hide. We have to go wake Breandan up.”

Conall stared at me.

“What?”

“You have to escape. Your friend is lost.”

The words rocked my world and not in a good way. I blinked slowly, breaking the stalemate, yet my body held its rigid pose. My clenched fists relaxed. I forgot all about amulets and crazy fairies fighting each other.

“Who have they taken from the Temple?”

“If you die here there is no hope. Devlin would want you alive but his consort, she knows about your bond to Breandan. To her you are a threat to her life mate, and she will not be merciful if she catches you. Running into