A Demon's Wrath (16 page)

She waited for the acid to eat her flesh,
for the unbearable pain to come. It didn’t. Surprised, she opened
her eyes and looked. Her hand was fine. She dropped it into the
water again, this time deeper, and the material of her clothing
with it. Instantly, the water started eating at it. She gasped and
quickly pulled back.

She sat up straight, and a beautiful smile
formed on her face as her eyes sparkled with realization. She
quickly took off all of her clothing. Naked and her long hair
flowing down her back, she dipped her foot into the water. Nothing
happened. It was like a normal pool of water where one goes to
bathe or swim.

Slowly, she dipped her whole body into the
water, still praying very hard that the enchanted liquid wasn’t
going to kill her now.

She dived deeper, her eyes wide open,
marveling at the beautiful coral reef about her. It was when she
couldn’t hold her breath any longer that she popped her head out
again and then swam across and came to the mounted island. There,
she crawled to the giant clam that was like none other she’d ever
seen. This one was indeed colossus, almost the size of a child’s
bed, and the interior of the thick crystal shell was perfectly
white with swirls of sapphire blue. Apart from the single Pearl of
Life residing in the middle of this massive bivalve mollusk, there
was nothing else. This clam was dead yet still alive by some
powerful magic.

Cecelia made herself comfortable inside its
opened mouth. She stared long and hard at the pearl that was the
size of a goose egg, fully round and pinky white, shining and
translucent, swirling and radiating with powerful magic as if it
were alive.
So much trouble for such a small thing
, she
thought and caressed it. Instantly, the clam shut itself, trapping
her inside.

Panic seized her and her heart raced. She
frantically tried to open the shell with her hands, but it was to
no avail. Suddenly, the pearl glowed, emitting a crushing fierce
energy, and Cecelia felt a powerful magic saturating into her body.
She felt light and tingling and, oddly enough, not so different
from when the demon king had made love to her. Once the feeling
disappeared, she took the opportunity and tried to open the thick
crystal shell again. Immediately, it opened by itself. Cecelia sat
up, surprised. Then she thought perhaps she’d gotten caught. She
scanned about her surroundings, wondering if the demons had
realized she was there to steal the pearl. There wasn’t a soul in
sight, however, and she was relieved.

With the pearl tight against her chest, she
jumped back into the water and swam as quickly as she could back to
the landing. Once she was out of the water, she got dressed and
then raced back out, remembering to not step on any trap.

Wildfire was still there once she was
outside. Glad it hadn’t deserted her, she climbed on its back and
kicked the beast to start galloping. It wasn’t long before they
came to a cliff at the end of the island. Below was a deep drop to
the sea, and before her to the horizon was the sapphire-blue sea.
Behind her was the Demon Kingdom and Drake McNamara the demon king
himself.

It is either now or never,
she
thought. She didn’t know how to make this beast fly, but surely,
running off a cliff would be a good start. But what if she were to
fall into the ocean from this great distance? Killing herself and
the beast? Then her mother would die in vain. Her brother Brian
would be alone with no one to care for his fragile condition.

Nay, she just had to take the chance.

Thus, she closed her eyes and said a prayer.
Then she whispered into the animal’s ear, “I’m sorry I brought you
into this, my love. But please just one more time, aid me. Take me
home to Dardania.”

Then she made it run. As it did so, she held
her breath and her heart raced.
Here we go,
she thought and
closed her eyes as they got closer to the cliff’s edge. Then once
they were off, they were falling and falling and falling, and
Cecelia knew this was it. This was the end. Her endeavor was in
vain. She had failed and killed herself in the process.

Suddenly, she felt them ascending—up and up
and up. Cecelia opened her eyes and shockingly looked down. They
were flying. She couldn’t believe it and laughed loudly, tears in
her eyes. She leaned down to kiss the beast and closed her eyes
once again, pleased, happy tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Thank you,” she whispered into Wildfire’s
ear.

IT WAS MIDNIGHT THEE DAYS later when Cecelia
reached home. Since she’d left the Demon Kingdom, she only stopped
to rest three times in small towns along her journey. On her first
evening, she stayed on St. Bart Island, the small state belonged to
the Meridianus Kingdom. There in a small village, she bought some
supplies for herself and Wildfire with what little gold she had
left. The villagers were very friendly to her, commenting she was
such a cute demon and a lucky lad indeed to have acquired such a
powerful warhorse of a demonic breed.

“Shouldn’t you be joining the demon army, my
boy?” a baker asked her as she picked up a loaf of bread.

She gave him a quizzical stare.

“Aye, with a beautiful warhorse like yours,”
he said, “bound to be helpful with the upcoming war.”

“War?”

The baker looked at her, astonished that she
didn’t seem to be aware of the goings-on with her own country.

“Don’t you know? You’re from the Demon
Kingdom, aren’t’ you?”

With Cecelia’s nod, he continued. “Marcus
Arthur, the demon prince, has declared war with the demon king to
claim the throne. If he succeeds, the kingdoms will return to the
Dark Age.”

At this revelation, Cecelia paled and felt
dizzy. “Marcus Arthur?”

“Aye, lad. Marcus Arthur is an exiled
prince. He holds the blue pearl, inherited from the Arthur
bloodline. The current king, His Highness Drake McNamara, holds the
white pearl. It is his power.” He smiled then. “Aye, it is said his
scowl is like a dark, angry storm, but he is a kind and just king.
The kingdom prospers because of him and his power.”

At the mentioning of this, Cecelia tightened
her hold on her satchel where she kept the pearl, her mind
racing.

“Are you buying that, lad?” the baker
asked.

Cecelia snapped back to reality and nodded
furiously. She paid for her bread and headed out the door after
thanking the man for his supply.

As she walked down the streets, Cecelia
realized she was so green in the goings-on around the nine
kingdoms. The Demon Kingdom was in chaos and was about to go into
war. At their most vulnerable and when they most needed the power
of the pearl, she had stolen it. Suddenly, tears flooded her eyes.
Aye, she was the most selfish person on these nine kingdoms, and at
that moment, she’d never felt so revolted with herself.

That night she stayed in an isolated cave
deep in the woods with Wildfire by her side. Though Cecelia didn’t
know it, the pearl had enchanted her and Wildfire, protecting them
during their journey from dark magic and strange spells, and of
course, thieves and murders.

As she lay there by the fire, she hugged the
precious pearl within her embrace, protecting it from the harsh
environment and thieves. She vowed after she’d saved her mother,
she’d travel back to the Demon Kingdom to return the treasure, even
if it killed her.

“I will return you to your owner. I
promise,” she whispered, tears flooding her cheeks. She kissed the
pearl before closing her eyes and snuggling her whole body into a
cocoon within her coat.

As she drifted off into her slumber, she
dreamed of the demon king searching for her. She woke early the
next morning, and she and Wildfire ventured northward to St. Louis,
a small town in the northern territory of Meridianus. By the end of
that second day, she crossed the border to Dardania and stayed the
night in a small village where the culture and people were more
familiar to her. Wildfire, however, with its sinfully black skin
and eyes and twisted horn, brought shocked looks and fear from
everyone they happened to pass. Cecelia ignored them and, from then
on, preferred to keep to isolation.

It was during this night that her dream of
Drake became more prominent, his stormy gray eyes fervently
searching for her. His essence and his demonic aura enticed her
body with a hidden seductive power, making her restless and hot.
Her aroused core screamed and ached for his touches, his kisses,
and his sex to enter her, claiming her his. She was writhing and
heaving with the need as the pearl glowed warmly against her chest.
She woke the next morning feeling cold, alone, tired, and
frustrated. She dismissed the thought of the demon king and
prepared Wildfire for another long day of riding.

Finally, by midnight that day, she landed in
the quietness of the night in the northern courtyard of the Van
Zandt Palace. The guards, she knew, were busy with their rounds in
the southern wing, so she and Wildfire were safe from their bark of
attack.

Brian came running for her the moment he’d
seen the shadow of her figure out at the courtyard with her newly
acquired beastly steed. They hugged tightly, brother and sister,
with tears in their eyes.

“You’re safe. You’re back,” Brian said. “I
cannot believe it.”

“Brian, I have missed you so. But how is
Mother?”

Brian’s handsome face fell immediately, and
Cecelia knew if she didn’t hurry, she’d be too late.

“I will see to your beast,” Brian said.
“Many will wonder where such an animal would have come from if I do
not hide it.” He nudged his sister toward the door. “Hurry, Celia,
before ’tis too late.”

Cecelia nodded and ran to the castle, her
aching body and tiredness forgotten. Inside, she raced up the three
flights of stairs, taking two steps at a time. Once she had reached
her mother’s bedchamber, she stopped, took a deep breath, and then
opened the door.

The figure of her mother so frail and small
on the bed made Cecelia’s stomach knot with dread.

“Oh God, please let me not be too late,” she
chanted to herself. “Please.” She rushed over to Countess
Rosevalley and took the woman’s cold hand within hers. She watched
her mother’s sleeping form, noting the deep lines and dry, pale
skin. When the woman opened her eyes, they were clouded and
dull.

“Mother,” Cecelia whispered, her voice weak.
“I have returned. I’m back with the Pearl of Life.”

Lady Rosevalley blinked for a moment, not
registering what her daughter was saying, for she could not see nor
hear clearly now that the poison had damaged most of her being. She
stared at Cecelia long and hard. Then slowly, as if she finally
recognized who the girl was, she smiled. Her pale hand, shaking and
trembling, reached out to touch Cecelia’s cheek.

“Why, Celia, my darling. You’re safe,” she
whispered weakly, tears rolling down her cheeks as her heart soared
with relief.

Cecelia nodded. “I am safe, Mother. You will
be healed. I have retrieved the Pearl of Life.”

It was then that Brian came into the room,
followed by Martha, Milan, and Agnes. Cecelia looked up and said to
Milan the healer, “Quick, we must prepare the potion.”

“Aye, my lady,” Milan said.

“Boil some water,” Cecelia said to Martha.
Turning to Agnes, she instructed, “Bring some lavender, rosemary,
sage, and honey.” Then back to Milan, “I will show you how to make
it.”

The two maids and healer rushed to do as
they were instructed. It wasn’t long when the water within the
small clay pot started boiling in the burning hearth. Then Cecelia
started making the potion according to the recipe she’d memorized.
First went the single gem. The instant this particular jewel hit
the water, it glowed as if by magic of different shades of colors.
Cecelia herself had never seen such enchantment before and stared
in wonder, as were Martha, Agnes, and Milan. Next, Cecelia dropped
in the lavender, rosemary, sage, and honey. Then she stirred, as
according to the recipe. It wasn’t long when the solution boiled
once again within the little pot, turning the liquid a golden syrup
color and giving off a sweet scent that none had ever smelled
before. Once the potion was made, Cecelia herself fed it to her
mother, slow and gentle, a few sips at a time, whilst Brian sat
beside her and watched.

“Rest now,” she said finally, once the last
drop in the small bowl was spooned cleaned. “You will have to take
this potion thrice daily for eight days for it to be
effective.”

Once her mother was again asleep, she turned
to Milan and Martha and told them to bottle the remaining medicine
for her mother to drink for the next coming days. The two did her
bidding, and once everything was in order, Agnes begged her to
retire to her own room for some rest.

“Agnes is right,” Brian said. “You look
exhausted, Celia. Please rest. Mother is well taken care of.”

Martha nodded. “Milan and I will be by her
side, my lady. Have no worry.”

At Milan’s nod, Cecelia gave in, for she
knew she couldn’t very well hold out much longer. She was barely
holding on by a thin tread before she’d collapse.

Agnes, after preparing a hot bath for her,
helped her undress.

“My word, my dear lady, but dressing as a
lad?” the woman said. “I have never seen such a thing. I suppose
the situation calls for it. But you must never again, my lady,
dress yourself as men. And God, I prayed every night for your
safety, my lady. I feared you might have been hurt whilst on your
journey, pirates and thieves and all. I feared you would be killed
by those demons if you chanced upon one, which I prayed you did
not. Monstrous creatures they are, my lady. Did you happen to
chance them, my lady?”

Cecelia turned to look at her maid now,
wondering if the old woman would still think demons were monstrous
creatures if she were to see the demon king himself, or Gerick,
Adam, Julius, and Leon for that matter. Then, of course, there were
Vera and Lucifer. They would surely shock the old maid with their
undeniably gorgeous guises.