The First Demon (Cards of Death Book 1) Read online

  Vicky tells me exactly what to do and I feel like I’m in an episode of Supernatural.

  After filling the jar with an equal amount of each herb, except for the sage, I put on the lid. Vicky wrote me a note so I know what to say.

  I shake the jar nine times.

  “Salt and herbs, nine times nine

  Guard well this home of mine.”

  I put the jar in the middle of the square I made with the four candles. With the salt, I draw a circle around them. Then I light the sage and walk around the circle, spreading smoke. My whole body is tingling with excitement.

  “Are you sure this is going to work?” I whisper to Vicky.

  “You’re a Mage, you’ll be fine.”

  “But I don’t even have a power yet.”

  D’Maeo speaks for the first time since we left the car. “Your power is awakening, Dante. If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t be able to see us.”

  I form a surprised O with my mouth and continue the ritual. I light the first candle, the one placed on the east.

  “Powers of Air, hear my cry!

  Grant me your protection, from all in earth and sky!”

  I move on to the candle of the south.

  ”Powers of Fire, hear my cry!

  Grant me your protection, from all in earth and sky!”

  The flames burn bright every time I finish my call. My body is on high alert.

  “Powers of Water, hear my cry!

  Grant me your protection, from all in earth and sky!”

  There’s a soft rumbling in the distance, like thunder coming closer. I feel the urge to hurry, but one look at Vicky calms my nerves. She motions for me to breathe.

  I light the last candle, the one on the north side.

  “Powers of Earth, hear my cry!

  Grant me your protection, from all in earth and sky!”

  For a second I watch the four flames. Then I look up at the ceiling and shout,

  “Powers of High, listen to my plea.

  May I always be protected by thee!”

  Power surges through me and I close my eyes. I can see the flames casting their light on my face. I can even feel their warmth.

  I don’t need Vicky’s signal to know when to finish the spell. I open my eyes.

  “Air protects us!

  Fire protects us!

  Water protects us!

  Earth protects us!

  Whatever may appear,

  no evil will enter here!”

  A sudden breeze blows out all four candles at once. I sigh deeply.

  Vicky moves next to me and kisses me on the cheek. “Great job. You’re a natural.”

  My cheeks heat up.

  “Now you need to spread the salt below every entrance in the house.”

  I think of all the Supernatural episodes I’ve seen and nod. “I knew that.”

  “It’s a big house, that’s why we used so much salt for the circle. Put some of it in a bowl or something and start on this floor.”

  Since I don’t know where Dad kept the bowls and we’re in a hurry, I just scoop it up with my hands. I start with the front door, sprinkling salt along the threshold. I want to move on to the windows in the study, but Vicky stops me and gives me a hard look.

  “Oh right,” I say, and turn back. I wave my hands, following the line of salt and then moving them towards the ceiling, meanwhile chanting,

  “Pure salt protect this place,

  keep out all with evil pace.

  Make this house a place to hide,

  keep us safe from harm inside.”

  I can feel the spell working. It’s like I installed an electric field that buzzes with power. I glance at Vicky proudly, feeling happier than I have in ages. But every hint of positivity freezes in my body when I see her expression.

  She is no longer looking at me or the line of salt. Her gaze is locked on something outside. It must be really horrible, because I have never seen her so afraid.

  I turn my head slowly towards the others. All eyes are fixed on something in the garden. Something that growls so deeply that a shiver runs up my spine.

  CHAPTER 16

  “Prepare yourselves.” D’Maeo’s eyes are clouded with fear.

  Maël clings her staff to her side. “I will slow down time. Finish the spell as fast as you can, Dante, but concentrate.”

  A loud, menacing hiss makes me flinch.

  D’Maeo ushers me along. “Go now. And whatever you do, don’t look at it.”

  As soon as Maël lifts her wand, I bolt for the study. An excited roar splits the air, followed by a loud bang.

  The house shudders.

  Without thinking, I turn around. I catch a glimpse of a horned head and a big black claw. The demon’s mouth opens and it lets out a cry of pain. Bits of frost are sprayed everywhere, except through the doorway.

  A relieved smile lifts the corners of my mouth. “It works. The spell works.”

  In a split second the demon is on its feet, its icy gaze fixed on me. As fear immobilizes my limbs, the sky outside turns dark. The temperature drops so much that even the ghosts shiver.

  The monster scrapes its large hooves on the ground, ready to attack.

  From the corner of my eye, I see D’Maeo turning his head towards me. “Dante!” he yells. “Finish the spell. Finish it before it realizes only the door is protected.”

  I want to move. I know I have to. But I can’t. Fear as well as cold keeps me frozen.

  Maël is chanting something, waving her wand towards the monster. It turns, preparing to charge through the hole where the windows of the study used to be. Or maybe even through the wall.

  Icy wind tears at my skin. Still, I can’t move. As lightning rips the sky in half, the demon pounces. I gasp, but it jumps in slow motion.

  “Dante, go!” D’Maeo yells again.

  Finally my muscles obey again and I reach the windows in a single breath. My hands are almost a blur. I try to keep them steady, but still the line I form is wobbly. I don’t think it matters.

  The monster’s head appears, its gigantic jaws wide open, saliva dropping as solid ice pins to the ground.

  “P-pure salt pro-t-tect this p-place,” I stutter.

  “Concentrate!” Vicky screams.

  I take a deep breath and start over. My hands remember the movement and my voice is steady this time.

  “Pure salt protect this place,

  keep out all with evil pace.”

  With every word my body gets colder. When I move to the next window, the demon lands in front of me. It spits icicles at me, with sharp tips that can easily penetrate my heart. I prepare to duck, but Taylar appears next to me, raising a shield that looks like it has seen many medieval battles. “Continue,” he says. His young face looks worn.

  I don’t waste any time asking him if this shield will be strong enough. I spread salt under the second window, call out the magic words and move to the other wall.

  The house trembles again as the demon attacks the window I just protected. It must be really strong if it can have such impact even in a slow motion attack.

  I finish the last window in the study and move towards the annex, when an earsplitting crash stops me in my tracks. It seems to go on forever, while shards of glass hover through the air. The monster floats above the floor in front of me, its forehead crunched in anger.

  The whole Shield jumps between me and the threat.

  “Can you stop time?” D’Maeo asks Maël.

  She points her staff at the demon. She is leaning forward, her left leg stretched behind her, clearly bracing herself against an unseen force. “It’s too strong, I can only hold it back for so long.”

  Jeep looks over his shoulder. “Dante, go upstairs first, then come back here.”

  I nod and sprint out of the room and up the stairs. Taylar follows me with his shield. With one hand gesture all the doors fly open.

  Four rooms are done wh
en I hear a loud thump, followed by a human scream and then D’Maeo’s voice. “Maël!”

  I curse. “Why are there so many windows in this damned house?”

  Taylar doesn’t answer. His muscles tense. He is ready to fight to the death. Or whatever you call it when someone’s already dead. Being a ghost must give you a lot of courage, because I sure as hell am not ready to die here. Or anywhere else. So I move even faster, blocking out the noises coming closer as I chant my words.

  “Incoming!” someone yells when we reach the annex bedroom. I sprinkle the last of the salt below the six windows and open my mouth to repeat the spell.

  Excruciating cold hits my back. It freezes my vocal cords. I duck and roll aside, meanwhile wondering where Taylar went. The demon is towering over me and I have no way of defending myself. It seems to realize this, because it shows its long, sharp teeth in an unearthly version of a grin. Its frozen eyes are fixed on me, scanning every limb. Vapor escapes from its pores. The cold pins me to the floor. It lifts a hoof, preparing to squish me like an ant, but I don’t give up that easily.

  I picture warmth flooding through me and order my body to move. A millisecond before the large hoof steps down onto my head, I roll again. My mind is already a step ahead and I slip under the bed, knowing the monster won’t be able to follow me there.

  Then there’s a shout and two half transparent feet stomp towards the demon.

  “Get away, you ugly-” Taylar utters a guttural sound as his body is lifted off the ground and crashes straight through one of the windows.

  There’s no time to check if he’s okay. The demon lets out a thundering howl and jumps on the bed. It squeaks and almost collapses. I move backward to avoid getting crushed.

  “You can’t get to me!” I yell.

  It reacts as expected, by tearing down every piece of the bed it can get its claws on. Pieces of wood fly through the air, but I don’t move. It is doing exactly what I want it to do.

  As soon as the head posts give in, I dive out from under the bed. The demon is thrashing the bed so hard, it doesn’t even notice me at first. That’s what I was hoping for. I fling my arms around the nearest foot post and pull as hard as I can. The already battered wood splinters under my weight.

  Meanwhile, the demon is turning towards me again. I’m not about to wait for it to face me. I swing the post like a baseball bat and hit the monster on the cheek as hard as I can. With a satisfying crash it tumbles sideways, yowling in pain. But it’s back up on its ugly feet before I even finish my swing. Out of balance, I realize I won’t be able to dodge the icicles it spits at me. I try to shield my face with the bed post, but the icy spears are about to turn me into a voodoo doll.

  My mouth opens to let out a scream, but before any sound comes out, D’Maeo appears right in front of me. He raises his hands and braces himself. His left foot slides through me, but I hardly notice. My eyes are focused on the icicles, hanging motionless in the air for a second, and then dropping to the floor as one.

  “Don’t move,” D’Maeo grumbles from the corner of his mouth. “We’ve got this.”

  The demon hisses, spraying vapor towards us. Its eyes are now locked onto D’Maeo’s. It feels like a staring contest and I’m not sure who will win. Vicky pops up in front of the old man. I hold my breath. She’s trying to control the demon’s emotions. I can see it in its eyes. It is fighting her, the creases in its forehead getting thicker and thicker. It lets out gasps of misty breath. Then it blinks, stomps on the ground and lashes out, throwing the two ghosts onto the ground and zooming in on me again.

  I raise my weapon a little higher and look the monster straight in the eye. If this is my last moment on earth, I will be brave.

  The demon takes its time, enjoying the cat and mouse game. It slowly approaches me, driving me backward. Large fragments of splintered wood scrape my legs as I back up. I’m seriously considering jumping through the window. Maybe I can smash its head again when it follows me down.

  Suddenly, Jeep’s voice comes from behind the demon. “They’re coming!”

  The monster turns its horned head towards the sound and sends icicles in Jeep’s direction. The tattooed ghost just laughs and vanishes.

  While the ugly head turns to me again, I wonder what Jeep meant by ‘they’. Did he summon more ghosts to help us?

  The answer comes a second later. It starts with a patter, which gets louder, until it’s more like a thunderstorm moving up the stairs. I step further back. Taylar is standing at the window on my right, holding up his shield. He looks tired and nervous, but then Jeep winks at him, and he grins.

  “Say hi to our army of rats,” he says to the demon.

  My mouth falls open as hundreds of rodent skeletons flood the room, teeth chattering. A couple of them sniff at my feet, but with one hand gesture by Jeep they turn around and jump on the demon. In only a few seconds, the bulky figure is covered in little bony bodies.

  It howls and tries to squash the rats, but when they hit the ground, they just get up again, moving just as fast with their broken bones. They sink their teeth into every part of the monster they can reach. It hits the wall, crushing dozens of rats, but more are flooding the bedroom.

  They are unaffected by anything the demon tries. Even the vapor doesn’t hurt them. It only makes them bite down harder. Black blood drips from holes all over the monster’s body. It sways on its hooves. The house shakes when it hits the floor. But it’s not ready to give in. When D’Maeo bends over it with a sword in his hand, the demon spits a large frozen spear at him. The old man calmly raises his free hand. He deflects the spear and makes it turn mid-air. There’s no way the demon will be able to avoid it. But just before it plunges itself into its forehead, the cold eyes flicker and the monster evaporates, leaving only blue smoke.

  Jeep calls back his rats. They disappear down the stairs.

  We slowly approach the spot where the demon went up in smoke. Taylar is still holding up his shield.

  “Is it dead?” I ask.

  “It was already dead,” D’Maeo answers. “The correct term is ‘vanquished’. And no, it’s not.”

  I step back. “Will it return?”

  D’Maeo raises his sword and brings it down hard. It splits the floorboard under his feet in half and sways for a moment. “Probably.”

  I move my gaze towards the rest of my Shield. “That was some fight.” I’m still panting. “I can’t believe we actually defeated a demon.” Light reflects off the blade, moving across my face. “Well, sort of. And I don’t even have my power yet. We rock!” I grin manically. But the elated feeling quickly dissolves when I realize none of the ghosts look happy, or even relieved.

  “What’s wrong?”

  They just stare at me with gloomy expressions.

  I look from one to the other and realize someone’s missing. “Where’s Maël?”

  Vicky sits down on what’s left of the bed. She looks broken. Jeep joins her and puts his arm around her. I fight the urge to push him away.

  “Where’s Maël?” I repeat.

  D’Maeo flashes me a sympathetic look. “She’s gone.”

  “What do you mean, gone? Gone where?”

  “She’s in the Shadow World. The demon broke through her spell.”

  “In the what?”

  He pulls his sword loose in one fluid motion. “The Shadow World. It’s like an in-between world, where souls are trapped.”

  My mouth falls open. “That stuff exists, too?”

  Silence is the only answer I get. Not that I notice it. My heart beats so loud, I can hardly think. Still, one thought comes through loud and clear. It repeats over and over in my head. “We have to get her back.”

  CHAPTER 17

  They seem stunned.

  D’Maeo puts on his fatherly expression. “You can’t just walk into the Shadow World and get someone back, Dante. It’s a dangerous place. You can lose your soul there, wander around for eternity.”


  Vicky pulls herself from Jeeps embrace. “He’s right. Besides, time works differently there. Maël might be miles away already.”

  “I don’t care.” I pick up the bedpost I dropped. “We can’t just leave her. She’s part of the Shield.”

  D’Maeo shakes his head. “Not anymore, Dante.”

  Taylar steps forward. “I can’t believe you’re giving up on her so easily. She’s probably fighting demons as we speak, praying for back-up.”

  Jeep stabs a finger at him. His face is crunched into a combination of anger and sorrow. “We are here to protect and help Dante, not each other.”

  Taylar opens his mouth to answer, but I raise my hand. “That might have been the way it was before, but that changes now. I am your master and I say we protect each other.”

  Vicky beams at me and D’Maeo looks impressed. Jeep cocks his head, then grins. “Well okay then. I like this new attitude. Let’s go get our friend back.”

  I turn to D’Maeo. “Do you know how to get to the Shadow World?”

  He nods, still not looking very pleased. “Sure. The preparations will take some time though, so you might as well finish the protection spell.”

  “Good idea.” I run downstairs and collect the rest of the salt, go back to the windows in the annex and start filling the holes in the salt lines, created by the fight. I’m a bit surprised that I remember the spell. This already feels like a part of me. Like something that I was always meant to do.

  When I step towards the next window, I realize the ghosts are still in the room. “Don’t you have a journey to prepare for?”

  D’Maeo smiles. “Yes, we do. I was just making sure you could manage.”

  I wave my hand. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

  His smile widens. “Yes, you are.”

  “Do you have everything you need, or do I have to go back to the store?”