In time for Halloween, Stacia Kelly says, "Bring on the Demons"

Bring On the Demons

Moments before the sun slipped below the western horizon, thirteen dark cloaked figures stepped softly into the sacred glen on a small, unmapped island in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Large stone monoliths encircled the quiet space, keeping the wilderness of the island at bay while a large clear crystal graced the center of the clearing, one end lodged deep into the earth, the other pointing up towards the darkening sky. One by one, they stepped forward, forming a tighter circle around the crystal.  Slender hands unclasped the cloaks letting them fall with a whisper to the grass beneath their bare feet.

Barely clothed in dark halter-tops and short skirts, the majority of their skin, naked to the elements, glistened in the dark. The women reached out and clasped hands with one another, their silver bracelets flickering like fireflies as they each connected. Thirteen matched pairs of eyes glowed red in the night, focused on the crystal, watching as a faint glow from within began to radiate outward. One by one a voice rose up, blending and empowering the others in an ancient tongue.

“Pŵer tywyll, Arglwydd Chaos, gwrando ein ple. Dewch i’n brodyr cythraul yn ôl gyda thi. Rydym yn galw ar yr Arglwydd Tywyll o Anhrefn. Rydym yn eich gwahodd yma, efallai y byddwch yn mynd i mewn. Bywyd y cythreuliaid mawr ddod atom ni.”

The wind began to stir, rising in strength as the voices grew louder. Electricity sparked from the crystal splintering high into the sky where clouds started to form and circle. The night sky lit up, pulling in a storm.

“Dark Power, Lord of Chaos, hear our plea. Bring our demon brothers back with thee. We call upon the Dark Lord of Chaos. We invite you here, you may enter. Life of the great demons come to us.”

As if they were one body, the women began to dance, feet pounding against the ground, their bodies and arms twirling widely as they whipped themselves into a frenzy around the crystal. A vortex grew in size above them, dark, angry clouds swirled with viscous speed. The women never stopped their fevered pace, moving faster and faster, repeating the summons.

Four loud cracks of thunder reverberated through the night.

Gaian cast a look towards the sky above and frowned.

“Not so smart of them, you think?” Phyxe said stepping up to stand next to her. Glacial perched atop the crystal, the light and energy swirling around her body rather than streaming towards the sky while Wystin played on the air currents.

“It’s looking like it was a good thing to bring you all with me. The Dark Fae are never up to any good, and this one is wicked.” She pulled a dagger free from her calf and winged it across the glen with deadly accuracy.  Her target dropped to the ground the blade embedded deep in her chest. The dancing stopped.

“Now that I have your attention.” Gaian strode across the glen, the ground under her shook. A tingling rippled down her neck, she could feel Glacial playing with the crystal’s energy keeping the remaining dark fae in place. “Who would like to explain why you’re opening a portal without approval?”

“We were bringing our dark lords to us.”

“Oh, sister dear?” Wystin called down, levitating above them.

“What?” Gaian glanced up at her. Krite. Five torpedo bombers passed overhead and flew directly into the portal. “Well,….hell.”

“Do you want me…?” Wystin looked warily at the portal.

“No!” She said. “We’ll go after them in time. First, I must fix this.”

She turned back to the Dark Fae who been brave enough to speak up. “You wanted your dark lords?”

The vortex shimmered with dark light. Glacial’s hampering of the crystal energy was shattering its tenuous hold on Earth.

“Then you shall have them. Wystin?” Send them through, sister.

“Of course.” The winds whipped around them. Glacial released her hold on the crystal’s energy allowing it to flare high one final time. The Dark Fae cried out in horror as Wystin flipped her hand and sent them following the trail the bombers blazed before them.

“Squashed all my fun. I thought for sure you were going to let me roast them.” Phyxe rolled a small ball of fire between her fingers, the flames licked her skin.

“I thought about it. For about half a second.” She covered the length of the glen in seconds. “It’s a small island with only them as inhabitants.”

“Good thing.” Wystin floated down to stand next to them as they gathered around the crystal. “We’ll have to sink it to close the portal and cut off the energy.”

“Bury it actually.” Gaian laid a hand on the stone. Glacial jumped down. They circled the stone. “You know what to do ladies.”

Four nods.

She ignored the winds howling and sensed the rising waters as her sisters of air and water pulled the energies to them. Deep beneath her feet, she felt the warm pools of lava beginning to swell pulsating to Phyxe who waited for her to rip the land below open. With her hands on the crystal, she reached out and rearranged the molecules below them. The earth trembled and buckled, water surged over her feet.

She barely noticed as Wystin reached out and lifted them all, carrying their weight in the currents as the rest of them continued to pull and manipulate energies.

I am sorry, Mother Earth.

The planet shuddered. In a matter of seconds, the island, crystal and all lay buried deep beneath the ocean floor. Gaian opened her eyes, staring down at the now calm waters. The sky above them clear.

“Well, that was fun.” Phyxe grinned, her fiery hair lit up like a beacon in the night. “But, I’m outta here. Gonna go find someone to fight with since you flipped the dark fae out before I could get rid of any energy.” She winked out with a bright flare.

“You do know that crystal is still going to cause havoc here, right?” Glacial asked. Gaian looked at her. Her sister’s deep blue eyes glinted with worry, and she nibbled on the side of her lip.

“It already is, sister.” Gaian flicked her fingers to the night sky. “I have to go after those bombers and make sure they find safe haven. Their disappearance is going to cause a stir, but their reappearance would be worse.”

Glacial bowed her head before disappearing into mist. Wystin faded out next to her.

Safe travels, sister. Their farewell echoed through her head.

She stared out over the ocean water. The crystal’s energy hummed softly in her ears. She’d have to check back in a few decades to see what havoc it created. Too bad she couldn’t stay. She’d love to prowl the high mountains in her tiger form. Something else reached out and called to her, requesting her presence.

She double-checked everything with a critical eye, mentally marking locations and timelines. No hints of mischief or foul play.

Krite. The dark fae owed her a dagger. Hers, still lodged in their dark sister who rested well beneath the ocean’s floor now. She shifted out of the realm with her claws extended. Someone was going to be hand crafting her a new one. And, they might be using some fae magic and metals to do it.

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WbtR member Stacia D. Kelly is the urban fantasy author of Phyxe: Goddess of Fire as well as the author of Muse, focus, and the upcoming book, Reduce You. You can find her work at www.sybir.com and www.studio13bymbsworks.com. She lives in Prince William County, VA with her husband, son, some crazy cats and a hyper but loveable Mini Aussie Shepherd.