Read A Demon's Wrath: Part I (Peachville High Demons) for Free Online Page B

determined not to
let go of him. I had to let him know that I was here. That I was with
him.
    I heard Lea shouting, but I couldn’t answer
her.
    My awareness had left the veil and I was
transported to another place. A place I didn’t recognize.
    A field of black roses, arranged in a large circle
around a dark blue orb of light.
    In my vision, Aerden’s head snapped up,
almost as if he could see me.
    He whispered my name as the sky above him grew
dark as night. Someone stepped in front of the strange blue light. I
struggled to see his face, but a badge across his arm flashed clear
in my mind. A red dragon.
    My strength began to fade, but I held on with
everything I was.
    And then, in a horrible instant, Aerden was ripped
from me. It felt as if a blade had cut us apart, the pain of it so
deep and so brutal, it slammed me against the ground. I screamed in
terror as the vision disappeared.
    Only, I suddenly knew with certainty that this
wasn’t a vision of the future.
    I felt his absence from this world like a black
hole in my heart, its darkness filling me with a loss so great I knew
I would never recover.
    I opened my eyes as Lea cradled my head against
her lap, her hands stroking my face as she begged me to tell her what
was happening.
    "Aerden," I said, my voice hoarse from
screaming. "Aerden’s dead."

More Than Enough
    The Human World – Present Day

    The memories of that horrible day tore through my
mind like shards of glass.
    I forced myself back to the present, releasing my
grip on the memory stone. I didn’t want to lose sight of all
the good that had happened in my life since that day, but I also
understood that none of this joy would have found me if it hadn’t
been for the pain of my past.
    I focused on the sounds of the party beneath my
room until my breathing calmed and the memories began to fade back
into the past where they belonged.
    There was so much more of the story to tell, but I
needed to see my brother with my own eyes. I needed to know that he
was here and he was safe. I stood and grabbed my jacket from the back
of the chair, then opened the door and headed down the stairs to join
the party.
    I stood in the doorway of the living room for a
long moment, silently watching my friends.
    These were the people I held most dear to me in
this world and the next.
    Harper stood in the corner with a glass of red
punch in her hand, whispering something to Mary Anne and Essex.
    Mordecai, Joost, and Erick sorted through a
collection of Cd’s by the stereo.
    Courtney sat in a chair that had been pushed
against the wall, a book of spells open in her lap.
    Lea was dressed in a white outfit with her hair
pulled into two large buns. I brought my hand to my mouth, hiding my
laughter as I realized she was dressed as Princess Leia from Star
Wars. She danced in the center of the room with our friend Cristo.
    And Aerden, the brother I thought had been stolen
from me forever, stood against the far wall. In his human form, he
looked almost identical to me except for his slightly darker hair.
    He must have sensed my presence, because the
second my eyes landed on him, he looked up and smiled.
    He shifted into a wisp of black smoke and in an
instant, reappeared by my side. "What took you so long?" he
asked. "I was beginning to wonder if you’d abandoned us."
    "Never," I said, my tone more serious
than I intended.
    He studied me, then leaned against the door frame.
"You’re up to something."
    I tried to keep from smiling but couldn’t.
"Maybe," I said.
    "Definitely," he said. "And by the
looks of it, whatever it is has put you in a less than partying
mood."
    I sunk my hand deep into my left pocket and
twirled the golden case and the memory stone between my fingertips.
"Can I ask you something?"
    "Sure," he said.
    "Have you given any thought to telling Lea
the truth about the heart stone?"
    He lowered his head, his hands falling to his
sides. "I think it’s too late for that, don’t you?"
    I shook my head. "I think it’s