Demon's Grace Ch. 24-27

Posed with the sandwich halfway to my mouth Taurin startled me by appearing from the back of the house. He grinned like a little boy. "Good to know that I can still startle you."

That gave me pause as I concentrated on the air briefly. "I guess I wasn't paying attention." I took a bite.

"You should always be on guard."

I sighed around my chewing.

"Come outside with me," he motioned with his hand.

I shrugged and followed Taurin outside. We walked the deck until we came to the patio swing, where we sat. I felt the wood where the bullet went through the swing against my back. Steadily I swung with the tip of my toe while I ate the rest of my sandwich and waited for him to speak.

"What made you faint?"

I kept chewing the last of my sandwich. When I was finished I asked, "Are you actually admitting to not knowing something?"

Taurin raised an eyebrow at me.

"Alright. So, now I know you didn't see what I saw, but why should I tell you?" I gave him an amused smile.

"You should if it was something that scared you enough to make you faint."

"It did do that. You know it was Ezra though don't you?"

"Yes. I warned you that he was more than he seemed. He is one of the oldest and strongest of us."

"Is he one of the ones that you would not want to go against?"

Taurin refused to answer.

I let him have his silence. "Yet, you went up against and threatened his demon hunter?"

Taurin eased back into the swing. "Of course, it was you, not him, that I went against. Although, now that he has claimed you, too," his voice drifted away on his thoughts. He looked hard at me and continued, "I am unsure of many things, Dove. Tell me what you saw."

"What about your mutual understanding?"

"You mean our bargain. It's an understanding that we don't go against one another directly."

"Do demons always keep their promises?"

He let me turn the conversation, "Usually. Now tell me."

"I didn't believe they existed. And the sound was everywhere." I shivered in the night reliving that roar of challenge.

"It spoke to you," he asked calmly.

"Oh yeah. Loud and clear. I'm surprised you didn't hear it."

"Dove, tell me." He looked into my eyes, cajoling me to give him what he wanted.

I took his right hand and guided it under my clothes to the scales, studying his questioning face as he smoothed his fingers over them. I felt amusement when he pulled his fingers back and the pads were bloodied. He licked his blood off and looked towards the forest. We both leaned back on the swing. I took up rocking us with my foot again.

Finally he spoke, "You are not going to confirm?"

"Nah. Just because you want me to so bad. I don't know what the big deal is, you already know what he is. Everyone knows that demons are of only two DNAs, two different species. Although how it's actually achieved we can only assume is magic. You are either a demon or not, there is no quarter blood."

Taurin snorted. "Yes, but some of those species have never mated with a us before. And if his mother is a dragon, then he is the first and only."

"I'll ask him about it."

Taurin turned his head to look at me. "You would."

I shrugged, "Why not?"

"Because he scared you enough to make you faint."

"Yeah, and you siphoned off enough power from me to make me wish I could vomit you out. Which, come to think of it, I'm not sure why you did. I felt it, Taurin, I don't think you were in any danger. As for this other tactic, you're trying to use it as a way for me to distance myself from Ezra."

He smiled wickedly. "I did do that. I did it to see if you would let me and to know what it felt like going against a demon's power with a hunter's power. And you're right, I will use any opportunity to get a fight brewing."

"You used my power as an experiment! Gods above Taurin, when I figure some of this bonding shit out you are going to be in trouble!" I shook my head at him in exasperation.

Taurin's expression turned serious. "Did he pick you or did the fates pick you for us?"

His face seemed lit from inside with some sort of conviction. I felt awkward interpreting that expression on a demon. "You don't believe in the fates, or the divine?" I said, turning it into a question.

"We believe in what we believe."

"What do you believe?"

He gave me a cocky grin. "What we believe."

I rolled my eyes at him, "That reminds me, what does 'isha' mean?"

Taurin studied me before answering. "It's part of a word of the Ice Dwellers and it is what I call you."

"That's all you are going to tell me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It announces my adoration and protection for you."

I rubbed my forehead as I stood up and mumbled, "Some protection. Definitely not from you," I continued, "Fine. I'm going to talk to Ezra."

I watched him as he stood up too, "I'll come in with you."

I slanted him a suspicious look, "Going to protect me?"

"No, just want to see the fight." He gave me a pleased countenance.

I knew he was telling the truth. As we walked through the door I felt his hand caress my hair. I closed my eyes briefly, enjoying the gentleness of it. I looked over my shoulder and watched him gracefully fold his body on the couch while I kept going into the summoning room.

Ezra was kneeling in front of the rock fountain with its smoking incense. His hands were relaxed on his thighs and his head bowed. Black hair cascaded over his face and shoulders. I watched the movements of his back and wings due to his deep breathing. The air smelled like cedar, underneath I smelled his cloves. A few candles lit the space and bathed his red body in a warm golden glow. I knew he was aware of me as soon as I walked in. The air abruptly pushed around me, filling a vacuum, as if there was more to him that moved itself back into the body I saw. I knew there was, now.

The demon turned his head slowly and looked at me through the galaxy in his eyes. We stared at one another as I waited in calm silence.

"You saw more than I thought you would."

I licked my lips and stared at the floor momentarily. "What did I see?"

"You tell me."

I looked down again, then back up. "Was it you?"

"It was," his dark voice made me twitch in nervousness.

I nodded as I looked around the room, not wanting to meet his stare. "That's some roar you got."

His breath came out in a hard laugh. "I got a little carried away."

"I'll say."

"Dove."

I looked up at him, "Ezra."

"I got more than carried away earlier." My hand shot up to rub the scales on my chest, "I know. We might as well been trying to kill one another."

"Never. It is not my intention to scare you either."

I shook my head minutely, "I know." In the small pause the summoning mirror chimed. We both ignored it. "In the vision after you mauled me, that was your mother?"

He gave me a look from the top of his eyes. "It was."

The chimes became more insistent. "I'm answering that."

When I made contact I was staring into the face of an older male. He had half moon glasses on and trimmed gray hair framing his slightly lined face. Faded blue eyes looked at me steadily and I instantly knew I did not like him.