Anya Bast - Witch Fury

Those randy daaeman .

“I don’t enjoy answering when you call,” Bai said, first thing. His voice was thick with the sharp, blunt syllables of the accent common to the demons. “Like a common mongrel.” Bai was one of the few who spoke English well. That was why Stefan put up with him and all his demands.

Stefan’s hand tightened on his glass and he forced himself to release his grip. “ Et merde. J’en ai assez ,” he murmured to himself. “I’m sorry, my lord demon , but we need to have a conversation about your rash interaction with the woman, Sarafina Connell.” Bai’s face relaxed a degree, his jaw unlocking and his thick lips parting a little. “Sarafina? What of her?” “The agreement was that you could have her after you finished your task. You have not yet finished your task, therefore you cannot have her yet. Do you not recall the agreement, or is there some reason you cannot comprehend it?” Bai shifted and his eyes flashed red. Most demon’s eyes only went red when they were about to go on a killing rampage. Bai’s eyes went red whenever his emotions got the better of him and that seemed most of the time. Bai was an especially dangerous demon. “That was the agreement before you lost her.” “I didn’t lose her .” “You miscalculated the factors related to her induction.” “No, I was perfectly correct to assume her history would make her a good candidate for us. Without the meddling of the Coven and with a little more time, I feel sure I could’ve won her to our cause.” His jaw locked as he thought of the raid on the farmhouse. “But I know exactly where she is and when this is all over, she will be yours. Until then, no contact.” “Do not give me orders.” Bai’s eyes flashed red again and Stefan’s breath choked in his throat for a moment.

For a moment he almost took a step back, away from the demon who had been denied his candy, but retreating would make him appear weak. And that would be suicide.

Bai bared his teeth, now pointy and sharp, a mouth full of fangs. “You are making an error. I care not for anything but Sarafina. She is mine whenever I decide to take her.” He jumped from the room — in that eerie way they had of bending space to travel between two points — and Stefan was alone.

“SO THAT’S TWICE NOW THE DEMON HAS VISITED you.” Theo watched Sarafina shift uncomfortably under Thomas’s gaze. She was flanked by Claire and Isabelle. Mira stood nearby. The three had immediately taken her under their wings.

“Yes,” she answered. “The first time was like he was simply watching me. Watching me sleep. The second time he was knocking around in my apartment like he owned the place.” She shuddered and her voice hardened. “Then I hit him with the baseball bat.” Thomas averted his gaze and looked out the library window for a moment before speaking. “Since Stefan just brushed off the incident at the farmhouse, we’re going to assume that he’s found a way to ally with one or more Atrika .” “Bai is obviously pretty cozy with Stefan,” Sarafina answered. “Had the run of the house, apparently.” “My point exactly.”

Micah sat in one of the leather chairs near Thomas’s desk. He shook his head and frowned. “But that seems totally impossible. The Atrika are unable to open any portals between Eudae and Earth.” “It’s my understanding that Rue, the head of the Ytrayi , is the only one with enough power to do that,” Claire broke in. Her lips twisted in an odd smile. “I remember it well.” Yes, so did Theo.

About a year and a half ago, Claire had been trapped on Earth, after having lived her whole life on Eudae. After the Cae of the Ytrayi , Rue, had imbued her with a weapon called the elium, he’d pushed her through a portal and snapped it shut after her when the Atrika —the enemy of the Ytrayi —had stormed their palace. Two Atrika had managed to dive in after her and there had been a life-and-death chase all over the Midwest to avoid them.

That was how Ingrid and many other witches had been killed. That’s how Theo had ended up with a broken leg. He’d walked with a limp for months.

“Right,” answered Micah, “and we all know how difficult it is to open a portal from this side because we tried it.” “Without using blood magick, you mean,” Theo interrupted. “You don’t think Stefan would sacrifice witches to open a portal?” Micah turned and looked at him. “Of course he would, but that spell is complicated. It took Erasmus Boyle years to execute it from this side of the veil.” Micah shook his head. “I just don’t see how it’s possible that Stefan could have forged an alliance with the Atrika .” “Maybe,” Mira put in, “we should explain what a portal is. Sarafina looks confused.” Sarafina nodded. “That would be nice. It was explained in the book Theo gave me, but I didn’t really understand it.” “Who does?” answered Micah. “But here’s what we think. Eudae and Earth are layered on top of each other. The matter of each location vibrates at a different rate, creating a barrier. I call the difference in the vibrational rates the veil . There are ways to alter the vibrational rate in small patches of these tiny strings of energy, equalizing them and making a place in the veil where it’s possible to step through.” “So close, yet so far away,” murmured Sarafina.

“Yes!” Micah’s eyes lit with enthusiasm. “Once you step through the area of matter that has been equalized, your body changes in structure, mimicking your surroundings and thus allowing you to stay on that side of the veil. For whatever reason, stepping through seems to affect us more coming from Eudae to Earth. It makes you nauseous. And when—” “Be careful,” Theo drawled. “He’ll talk about this all day if you let him.” “I think it’s fascinating.” Sarafina leaned forward a little. “How do you equalize the patches of matter, Micah?” “That’s the big mystery. We know how it can be done, we’re just not sure why it happens. Blood magick will do it.” Micah jerked his head toward Claire. “Once upon a time, we were working nonstop on a way to get Claire back from Eudae. Without murdering a bunch of people, it’s nearly impossible.” Sarafina looked at Claire, questions clear on her face.

“It’s a long story,” Claire answered.

She turned her attention back to Micah. “Performing blood magick means killing people or animals?” “Witches. Specifically, witches of certain elements and levels of power. They must be killed in certain places and at certain times in order to open a portal.” “Yuck.”

“Vast understatement.”

“Okay, I have a question,” Isabelle broke in. “When Boyle broke Stefan out of Gribben, we all thought Boyle had killed him, right? Then Stefan called me later to taunt me about his continued well-being. When I asked him why Boyle hadn’t killed him, he told me other arrangements had been made . I know we’ve speculated at length that Stefan somehow made a deal with Boyle—” “But any deal would have been rendered non-executable with Boyle’s death on Eudae,” answered Thomas.

Isabelle stabbed her finger in the air. “ On Eudae . Those are the key words. Yes, perhaps Boyle’s death was unexpected and threw a kink in the original deal Stefan made with Boyle. But let’s say, hypothetically, that Boyle had a backup plan and planted something on Eudae that would help. . I don’t know. . open a doorway or leave some way for the Duskoff to make some kind of a deal with the Atrika .” Micah shot out of his chair and began to pace.

“Micah?” Thomas asked. “Could she be on to something?” Micah stopped in the middle of the room and rubbed his chin. “It’s a possibility, but there are lots of questions.” Theo shifted his weight and uncrossed his arms. “The primary question must be why Boyle would help Stefan and what possible reason the Atrika would have to agree to ally with the Duskoff. Their goals are not the same. The Atrika want Eudae and the Duskoff want more control on Earth.” “I would go so far as to say,” Thomas broke in, “that Stefan wants all control of Earth. He’s got a hell of a superiority complex. I saw it while he was in Gribben. He thinks that because witches have the power of magick we should rule over the non-magickals.” “Yes, but the Atrika don’t seem to care about Earth,” Micah answered. “So Theo is correct. There’s no motive for them to form an alliance when their objectives are literally worlds away.” “Stefan Faucheux is not a stupid man,” Thomas said, leaning forward in his chair. “I would never underestimate his ability to manipulate a situation to his advantage. I’m sure he could find something to entice the Atrika .” “Like us ? As in female witches?” Isabelle answered, eyebrows high into her hairline. “I hate to point this out. I mean, I really, really hate to point it out, but Boyle took an unhealthy interest in me and this Bai demon is taking an interest in Sarafina. Maybe female witches hold a fascination for them.” “But none of the demons on Eudae took an interest in Claire,” Thomas answered. “None but one, right, Claire?” “That’s right.” Claire cast her gaze downward. “It was forbidden for any of the daaeman , any of the breeds, to show such interest in an aeamon female.” Isabelle gestured impatiently. “Yes, but those weren’t Atrika demons. Claire lived among the other three breeds. Not the Atrika .” “Point taken,” answered Thomas.