Shadows and Monsters (Crossroads Witch Book 3) by J.S. Malcom

Author:J.S. Malcom [Malcom, J.S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-10-11T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14 – Amaya

I move through the night, having no idea where I am, nor where I’m going. I have no way to know, since I spent most of my life here within the walls of Athazor. The number of times I left the castle to be taken into the streets of Myrkur, I could count on one hand. In other words, I’m lost in more ways than one, with no clear idea of how to move forward and no way to get back. Not that I’d want to go back to where I was before, but this situation here isn’t much preferable. Either way, I’m trapped and highly vulnerable.

Thankfully, I see no more abraxen skulking about, but there’s no shortage of other creatures prowling the streets and alleys. Raithrets, eebreks and other demon rodents that feed upon bones and scraps the abraxen must have missed. Which I suspect isn’t much, based on the shrieks and hisses I hear echoing through the night. And it’s not just the smaller beasts moving about, but also Low Demons, some spilling out of taverns and the few eateries still open. While demons such as drudes subsist purely on psychic energy—the emotions they evoke in humans, such as jealousy, hatred, lust and fear—most demons also require food. And like their human counterparts, they enjoy their fair share of alcohol.

As for where I might be, my guess is that I must be in Inferus. Not that I’ve ever been here before, but I remember the name because my caretakers used to threaten to leave me here. As in, “Don’t get all high and mighty on me, girl, or I’ll drop you off in Inferus! Then we’ll see how well you do.” Because that’s where the Low Demons live, and they don’t take kindly to High Demons, for whom they work as laborers and servants.

That was, and presumably still is, the lay of the land—where the word “demon” means not of the beasts. Among the Low Demons are the drudes and mollorks, the fire-breathing ignisus and the bull-like belphegors, to name a few. High Demons consist of many kinds as well. Incubi and succubi, gorgons, imps and lamia. Then there are the sathana—highest of the High Demons. The ruling class, considered to be nobles in this realm. The sathana possess many powers—most of them elemental, such as command over lightning, fire, wind and water. Among the sathana, Nepheras was Sathana Supreme during her reign. Although, if what Julia told me is true, that reign is over.

Now, I keep to the shadows as much as possible. I keep moving, hoping I’ll be able to open a doorway between realms. But each time I try, I get the same result. Nothing happens. Which makes no sense, given that I can still access my other magic. A quick check proved that I can still summon orbs and apply levitational force. I even tried transforming, which wasn’t a problem, given the adrenaline pumping through my veins. In that case, I stopped myself quick, fearful I might fail to transform back again.

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