Demons Forever (Peachville High Demons #6) (16 page)

I thought about Zara's bruised face the last time I saw her. The day Priestess Winter almost killed me in the ritual room. I nodded. "Yes, I think we can."

Jackson stared down at the drawing. "Then we have to find that butterfly."

The Beginning Of The End

"What we need is a plan," I said, nerves knotting in my stomach. If we were really going to do this, I knew it would be the most difficult thing I'd ever faced in my life. Hunters were nothing compared to Priestess Winter herself.

"And reinforcements," Jackson said.

I turned to him. "It's too dangerous. No one thinks we even have a chance," I said. "Who would possibly come?"

"Mary Anne for one," he said. "If we're going back to Peachville, she's going to want to come with us."

I rubbed my forehead. I hadn't even thought about Mary Anne coming along. We could certainly use her help, but was it fair to ask her to risk her life again? It wasn't like she was best friends with Mrs. King or anything.

Angela.

I was going to have to get used to thinking of her by her first name now. Angela King. I wasn't even sure I'd ever heard her first name before last night. But now she was more than just a teacher or a cheerleading instructor. She was my sister. I figured that put us on an automatic first-name basis.

"If Mary Anne comes, Essex will probably want to come too," he said. Then he cleared his throat. "Maybe Lea will come."

The mention of his ex-fiancee made heat flare across my cheeks. She was a princess like me. Well, not exactly like me because she was fully demon, but we had a lot more in common than I'd ever dreamed. She loved Jackson, I was sure of it. I wasn't so sure she'd want to help us. Or ever see me again, for that matter.

All three of them had stayed behind in the Underground. Would they really come with us back to Peachville to fight? "There's only one way to find out," I said. "The communication stones are up in my room. I'll have to go up and call."

"Tell Mary Anne they'll need to leave right away," Jackson said. "We don't know what the Order's plans are for your sister. We don't know how much time we have."

I shuddered at the thought of her trapped in some torture room at Winterhaven. I had no doubt the Order had taken her to get to me, but what were they planning to do with her?

Jackson was right. We had to hurry.

"If they hurt her..." Tears welled up in my eyes and I pressed my lips tight. They'd taken her because of me. I'd never forgive myself if she died.

"We'll get her back," Jackson said, taking my hand in his.

I looked into his green eyes and saw faith there. The fact that he believed in me made me love him even more.

"We'll save my sister," I said, squeezing his hand. "And then we'll save your brother."

The gravity of the statement nearly took my breath away. We'd spent months here in the shadow world avoiding the Order. Doing everything we could to stay hidden and stay alive. Still, through it all, I knew they would eventually catch up with us. I knew eventually we would have to fight.

It suddenly hit me that this was the moment. This was the beginning of the end for us. One way or another, we were about to start the journey that would lead us to freedom or to death.

The World To Me

"Harper?"

The red stones glowed bright in my palm.

I smiled and pressed my free hand to my chest. It was so good to hear Mary Anne's voice.

"Hey," I said. "Can you talk? Something's happened."

"Of course," Mary Anne said. "Are you and Jackson alright?"

"We're fine," I said. I paused. Where did I even start? "Do you remember that I told you about my mother's journal and how she said my father was married to a woman in Peachville?"

"Yes."

"And they had a daughter?"

Mary Anne gasped. "Harper, are you saying you found your sister?"

I took a deep breath. Every time I thought about her, hot tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I needed to pull myself together and be strong for all our sakes.

"It's Mrs. King," I said. "The Order's kidnapped her."

"Oh my god, are you serious?" she said. "I'm so sorry, Harper. We've got to go after her."

The anger and determination in her tone brought the tears even closer.

"I know it's not totally fair to ask you to come with us, but-"

"Bullshit," Mary Anne said. "I'm coming. Just tell me what to do."

I stared down at the small red stones that allowed me to talk to Mary Anne. Even though she was hundreds of miles away, I felt so close to her and so incredibly grateful to have a friend like her.

"You'll need to leave as soon as possible," I said. "Do you think Essex will come with you? I don't want you traveling alone."

"I will not leave her side," Essex said.

I hadn't realize he was there with her, but I was so relieved to hear him say he'd come with her. "Thank you. We can use all the help we can get." I swallowed my pride. "Will you ask Lea if she will come too?"

Mary Anne paused. "We can ask," she said. "I have to be honest with you, though. Lea's been kind of distant lately. She barely even talks to us anymore. I don't know if she'll even listen."

Mixed emotions rushed through me. Lea wasn't my favorite person in the world. Still, I knew she was important to Jackson. And she was powerful. We needed her help, especially if we survived long enough to attempt the ritual to free Aerden.

"At least try," I said. "Tell her we're going to try to free Jackson's brother. Maybe that will convince her to come."

I'd already explained the ritual reversal to Mary Anne last time we'd talked. We hadn't had a lot of time, but I'd managed to tell her we'd settled here in the Southern Kingdom and I'd found my father. What she didn't know was that he was a demon. Or that he was the king.

"How long do you think it will take us to get to you?"

"Essex, can you shift into demon form and carry Mary Anne with you?" I asked. "If you can travel that way, you could be here in a day. Maybe two at most."

"Yes. This is something I can do," he said. "We will move as fast as we can."

"Do we need to bring anything with us?" Mary Anne asked.

"Bags," I said, thinking of Essex's trade as a tailor. "We'll need to be able to move easily and travel light. Besides that, just bring anything you think you might need in the human world."

"We can do that," Mary Anne said. "We'll leave first thing in the morning."

"Thank you. This means the world to me," I said. "I'll have two guards waiting for you at the border. They'll escort you to the city. Please be careful. There are hunters everywhere these days. Keep your eyes open."

"Guards?" she asked. "How did you manage to get their help?"

I cleared my throat. "Piotrek and Liroth are their names and they'll show you where to go once you get into the city. There are a few things I haven't had a chance to explain just yet, but you'll see when you get here."

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Mary Anne said.

The light inside the stones faded as she disconnected, and I said a silent prayer that fate would make their journey swift and safe.

On Our Side

Jackson and I sat alone at the dinner table.

My father hadn't joined us once since our argument in the throne room. In fact, he seemed to be avoiding me all together. We hadn't spoken at all in two days.

I understood why he didn't want me to go after her alone. What I didn't understand was why he wasn't coming with me. The idea of a father who wouldn't risk everything for the life of his own daughters was beyond me. What was he so afraid of?

I knew I needed to let go of my anger and focus on the plan to save Angela. Still, I couldn't help but be disappointed in my father. Did he even care about me at all?

"You need to eat," Jackson said. "You're going to need your strength."

I realized I'd been pushing my food around instead of actually putting any of it in my mouth. I stabbed a piece of broccoli and forced it into my mouth. I didn't have much of an appetite these days, but I knew he was right. I couldn't live on fury alone.

"Let's go over the plan one more time," he said.

I started to list the things we'd talk about so far when a familiar voice in the hall caught my attention.

"I'm sure she won't mind if we interrupt her dinner. Trust me, she'd be more upset if you didn't tell her we were here."

Excitement flooded through me.

They're here!

I stood and ran toward the door, shoving it open and throwing my arms around my dear friend. "Oh my god, I've missed you so much," I said, holding Mary Anne tight.

She tensed at my embrace for just a moment, then relaxed and hugged back. I knew she wasn't always the most affectionate person in the world, but I couldn't help it. I'd missed her with all my heart, and after that scare with the fake Mary Anne in the woods, I was so happy to see her here safe and sound.

Essex stood to the side and as soon as I let go of Mary Anne, I pulled him into a hug. He stiffened, then blushed. I laughed, thinking how perfect they were for each other.

"Come on," I said, laughing and taking Mary Anne's hand. I nodded to the guards who'd been stationed at the door. My father had them watching me like a hawk the past few days.

The guards bowed in recognition and turned back to their posts as I led Mary Anne and Essex into the dining room.

"So what's up with the castle and the guards and everything?" Mary Anne asked. "Is this where you're living?"

I scrunched my nose. She was going to be pissed that I hadn't told her yet. "Yes," I said, not sure how to explain this. "I told you I'd found my father?"

"Yeah, so what is he? Some kind of advisor or guard or something?"

"Not exactly," I said, biting my lip.

"He's the king," Jackson said. "He's a demon and he's the king. Harper wasn't sure how to tell you, but there it is. No big deal."

Mary Anne's eyes grew wide, her mouth dropped open. "You can't be serious."

I nodded and walked over to my place at the head of the table. "I know it's hard to believe," I said. "I still hardly believe it myself."

"Wait a minute," Mary Anne said. "That makes you a demon?"

"Half demon," I said.

"A half demon daughter of a king," she said, shaking her head and falling into a chair one of the servants pulled out for her. "Holy crap, you're a princess."

She giggled, then covered her mouth, as if the sound had surprised her.

"I'm sorry, this is just a lot to take in," she said.

"Trust me, I completely understand," I said.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

I shrugged. "I wasn't really sure it was something that should be public knowledge just yet," I said. "Plus, I figured it was the kind of thing you had to see to believe."

Mary Anne looked at me in astonishment, then smiled. "I always knew there was something special about you," she said. "I guess I'm not surprised."

I smiled back, relieved the truth was out there.

I sat back down at the table, but pushed my plate away. I was too excited to eat. "Can I get you guys anything for dinner? You have to be hungry."

"Sure," Mary Anne said. "I'm starving. We didn't bring much with us on the road. We wanted to pack as light as possible so nothing could hold us back."

I motioned to a servant waiting nearby and they disappeared into the kitchen to get more food.

"How was your trip?" Jackson asked.

"It was quite easy," Essex said. "We did not see a single hunter the entire way here. To be honest, it was strange to see the roads so clear."

I frowned. "Maybe the Order is concentrating all their efforts on attacking the villages here. We've had some trouble with hunters nearby."

"I'm glad you guys made it here safely," Jackson said.

"Did you make those?" I asked Essex, pointing to the two large backpacks they carried with them.

He beamed with pride, setting his down on the floor beside Mary Anne's. "Yes, I made them special for the trip," he said. "They have some secret compartments inside, and I imbued them with a type of magic that makes them feel much lighter than they actually are."

Mary Anne touched his leg. "It made the journey a lot easier."

I raised my eyebrow at her and she moved her hand, rolling her eyes. Still, I noticed a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"I'm so glad you're here safely," I said. "Did Piotrek and Liroth meet you at the border?"

"Yes," Mary Anne said. A servant placed a full plate in front of both her and Essex. "They were great. They brought us here to the castle, but said they had some others duties they had to attend to."

I made a mental note to find the two guards later and thank them.

Jackson cleared his throat. "Lea wouldn't come with you?"

Mary Anne and Essex exchanged a look so brief, I almost missed it.

"She's really busy with the Underground," Mary Anne said. She took a large bite of rice and took her time chewing it up. "She said she wants to help with Aerden, but she's not sure when she'll be able to get away."

There was more to it than that. I could feel it. "What's going on?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Mary Anne scooped another bite of rice into her mouth.

"I mean, you're hiding something," I said. "I'm sure you're just trying to spare my feelings or whatever, but we don't have time for secrets or sympathy. What's the real reason she isn't coming? She hates me, doesn't she?"

Mary Anne and Essex looked at each other again and this time Essex bowed his head and stared down at his lap. Wow, was it really so bad?

"I honestly don't know what's going on with her lately," Mary Anne said. "After the two of you left, she became more and more distant. She spends all of her time with the Underground's leaders and she never makes time to see us anymore. I practically had to beg to get even five minutes alone with her to tell her we were leaving."

"They must be planning something big," Jackson said, shifting in his seat. "Any idea what it might be?"