Heir of Night (The Thorne Hill)

Naomi rushes to her twin, looking at her arm. The demon inside Noah didn’t bite her but left four angry welts on her arm. Noah charges at the containment spell again, muttering something in Latin. He holds out his hands, pressing against the invisible wall. It glows red around his hands, threatening to break.

I thrust my hand out, shoving him back with a shock of white light. It burns the demon, making Noah shriek and slink back. The demon doesn’t relent and rushes at me again. Throwing out my other hand, I bring him to his knees, sending pulses of white light through him.

“Smart,” I say and move forward. “Possess someone knowing I’d be the only one to help. And then stay quiet inside the body until you’re right in front of us, making us cast a sleeping spell on you so you could get past the warding.” I twist my wrist, knocking the demon back. “Just not smart enough.”

Alyssa and her sons burst into the library, and Brock runs right at me, thinking I’m hurting his brother. Lucas stops him, knocking him back with enough force to send him flying over the coffee table.

“What is going on in here?” Tabatha demands, sweeping her hands out in front of her and putting the wolves in a magical hold.

“The demon that’s possessing him,” I start, “is a high-level demon. He’s the one who told the priest about me, and a demon attempting such an elaborate plan just to get into my house…” I trail off, not needing to finish the sentence. “You might as well just give up now,” I tell the demon. “Hell is closed for business.”

“Half-breed,” the demon hisses.

“You bottom-feeders really need to come up with a better insult.”

“It’s already begun,” the demon snarls, voice coming out as a dozen hoarse whispers all at once.

“Yeah, but then I stopped it.” I put a hand on my hip. “Sorry, try again next time.”

“Why try again when things went exactly as planned?” The demon stops fighting against me. “Well, there were a few repercussions, but they’ll work in our favor.”

Fuck, is he talking about the Horsemen? I can’t ask, in case he’s not, and even if he is…this isn’t the way I want my friends to find out.

The demon eyes my stomach and smirks. “And I see the surprises are far from over. Every king needs an heir, after all.”

“I’m the fucking queen.” I hold up my hand, conjuring a small energy ball of white light. “Ad somnum daemonium.” I throw the energy ball, hitting Noah square in the chest. The blackness in his eyes starts to fade, and the demon fights against my spell. Only seconds later, the demon succumbs to the sleeping spell and Noah falls back, eyes clear once again.

Exhaling heavily, I step back and almost trip over the coffee table. Lucas speeds to me, catching me before I misstep.

“You should sit,” he tells me, and I feebly nod. It’s been a long fucking day, and everything is wearing on me.

“You heard what he said,” I whisper, voice coming out thin.

“It’s not going to happen.” Lucas kisses my forehead and takes me to the couch. “I won’t allow it.”

“I cast the sleeping spell on the demon,” I explain to Alyssa. “Noah is still very much possessed but can fight off the demon for a little bit. The demon is in his mind, basically,” I add, not sure if she knows how possession works. “He should eat and rest to gather some strength—but he has to stay in the circle.”

Alyssa rushes to her son’s side, dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around him. It’s hard to imagine myself as a mother to an infant, let alone the mother to a nineteen-year-old. Noah is far from a child, yet his mother’s love hasn’t lessened just because he grew up.

“I guess we need a plan B,” Naomi says, leaning against the desk. “Any ideas, sister?”

Nicole nervously twists her auburn hair around her fingers, shaking her head. “How did you know that spell, Callie?”

“I don’t know. It just came to me,” I answer.

“Are you sure it’s working?” She nervously eyes Alyssa, who’s inside the circle of salt.

“No,” I tell her honestly. “Maybe I can find out.”

“Callie,” Lucas starts.

“Don’t worry,” I rush out. “I’m going to see if I can get a reading on…on something. The way Julian does.”

Lucas helps me to my feet, and I stop right outside the circle, holding out my hands and closing my eyes.

Please don’t let it come back, a voice sounds inside my head the same way it did when I heard the boy drowning in Australia. Give me the strength to fight it.

“You do have the strength,” I tell Noah, opening my eyes to find him looking at me, no doubt wondering how I knew exactly what he was thinking. “And it will come back, I don’t know when, but I can promise it won’t be long. I’m sorry.”