Blood Magic's Bond

Ch 9: The Demon's Pact

Astasha had left the King's quarters with her mind reeling. All she knew about blood magic was what she had read in that book, and now she had barely any time to find a way to use it to free Calder.

It had very much been insinuated, that should she get caught, there was nothing the King could do, and rightfully so. Josnen was indeed the ruler of the land, but when it came to magic and the laws that bound it, the High Council of Sorcery was in charge. Should a mage break any of the rules put in place by them, their punishment could not be overruled by the court. It was a delicate dance between who stood where with the laws of royalty and magic, but a necessary one.

Therefore, the King had done all he could to help Astasha by informing Errant that a replacement Fire Witch was to be brought in before he would allow the ritual to move forward, so that Astasha could be left to recover from her ordeal. While she was sure the Grand Sorcerer had his suspicions, he could not go against Josnen’s orders on this one.

Astasha immediately made her way to the Magic Study, a library in which every piece of writing pertaining to sorcery was held. Tearing through each possible book and scroll that could be of help, she found only a few things that might aid her in her predicament.

Once back in her room, she poured over the pages. There was a binding ritual that was usually used to keep herds from wandering too far or loved ones from running away, but it could be altered into a cage of sorts. Then there was a silencing spell, which, if done correctly, could subdue whatever power the demon held, at least for a time.

But as the hours passed and the sun rose, she found nothing that could help her lure the demon from its hold, even with the use of blood magic, which was another thing in and of itself… She remembered reading that it required a monumental amount of energy to achieve, and while the full moon would be the best source to pull from, that wasn't for another ten days and she didn't have that kind of time.

The demon's words suddenly came to her. "I can show you how to pull power from parts of yourself you've never dreamed of, how to release your dear Cal, and when you’ve set me free, you can have whatever the f**k your heart desires."

She knew it couldn't be trusted, knew that whatever it spoke of was more than likely unsavory and repulsive, but she was running out of time and if she was going to save Calder, she needed information, and fast.

A plan formed in her head and she found herself slipping through the palace, heading toward the Prince's quarters. It was a crazy plan, but then again, everything about this was crazy.

Glancing around the corner into the hallway of Calder's room, her fears were confirmed. A slew of guards now stood watch, and Errant had reinforced Astasha's enchantment on the door.

Luckily, the spell she had used was one of her own making, and she could sense that the Grand Sorcerer’s enforcements were simply amplifying the magic she had used. With a quick mutter of words and a wave of her hand, the guards fell one by one into a deep slumber where they stood, and approaching the barrier, she coaxed the flames apart just enough for her to step through. Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the doors and slipped inside.

She sensed him before she saw him.

Laying on the bed in naught but a pair of pants, was the Prince, the demon's smirk on his face. "She returns." It said.

Astasha pulled her eyes away from his bare chest and forced herself to look into the cold dead ones staring back at her. "I have."

The demon rose swiftly from its place. "You've been thinking about my proposal then? Or perhaps just thinking about me..." It approached her, a predatory look on its face. She wished she'd gotten further from the door so her back wasn't to it, but it was too late now.

Holding her head high, she stood her ground. "If I were to release you, what guarantee can you make that Calder will be safe and you will leave us in peace?"

It was in front of her now, making her heart speed with nervousness as it looked at her with its head c****d to one side. "Are you asking for the word of a demon?" Leaning down, its lips brushed against her ear. "Have you not heard? We aren’t to be trusted."

She shuddered but remained strong. "Then I won’t release you."

The demon stood up straight, pondering for a moment, its eyes blazing down at her. "There is one thing I can think of that might give you the assurance you so desire. Though, if you’re trying to trick me, it won’t bode well for you.”

She didn’t like the sound of that, but what choice did she have? “What is it?”

“A demon's pact. An agreement sealed in the Magic's of old that cannot be broken. You give me something and I give something in return. Should either fail to uphold their end of the deal, the magic shall take from them that which they bargained for."

"So I would lose Cal, and you, your freedom?"

The demon nodded.

She knew it was risky but she had to try. "Very well."

The demon smiled wickedly. "Wonderful. Name the terms, my sweet."

She thought for a moment. The wording had to be precise or all was lost. “I shall release you from the Prince, and in exchange, you shall leave us, unharmed and in peace.”

It raised an eyebrow at her. “Is that all? You could ask for so much in return–”

“I want nothing more than to be rid of you and to have Calder back.”

It stepped even closer to her, brushing its fingers down her cheek. “Pity, I’d love to see what talents I could unlock in you if I stayed.” Its hand continued along her neck, her shoulder, running down her arm as Astasha gritted her teeth. Finally, it grasped her hands, crossing her arms on her chest, and leaned in, its nose almost touching her own. "But if you’re sure… You’ll simply repeat the incantation after me, and then whisper in my ear your end of the agreement as I do the same with mine.”

"And then it’s done?"

It smirked that awful twisted smirk and licked its lips. "Then we seal it with a kiss."

She shuddered again but held her resolve. This was all for him, for the man she loved. "Fine."

Taking a deep breath, she prepared to begin, but the Prince's face contorted, his eyes closing, breath ragged. Suddenly, they shot open and Astasha gasped. They were crystal blue and pleading. "Tasha, don't! Don't do this! Please!"

"Cal?" She could have wept.

He had clawed his way to the surface to try to stop her.

His hands took her face in them. "I can't let you do this. Let it have me, please. You have no idea what it’s capable of… I can’t risk losing you if you bind yourself to it like this!”

Her heart was breaking. Reaching her hand up, she brushed his hair away from his face and touched his cheek. "Please Cal, trust me. I won't let anything happen—"

She wanted to tell him she loved him, to tell him what her plan was, to comfort him, to kiss him, but his face contorted again and within a second, the cold dead eyes were back and she pulled her hand away as if it had been burned.

The demon simply chuckled. "Well, well, he truly does love you, doesn't he?"

It took a moment for Astasha to register the sudden change, but fury flamed within her and she steeled her heart. "Enough. Do we have a f*****g deal?" Hearing Calder as himself for the first time since his return had given her the strength she needed to go through with her plan. She wanted him back, needed him back, and there wasn't anything she wouldn't do to accomplish that.

"And I see you truly love him. How precious. Well, if you're still willing to make a deal with a demon despite your lover's pleas, you are feistier than I thought." The demon took her hands. "I agree to your terms... Tasha." It said as it pulled her arms across her chest, entangling them with its own.

The way it said her name like that made her stomach turn, but she looked it in the eyes nonetheless. “What are you waiting for then?”

It watched her for a moment and then drew a breath and began the incantation. Without pause, she repeated it back, and a warmth spread from their hands, reaching toward her mouth.

The demon leaned into her as its lips came to her ear. Turning her head, she whispered, power rolling off her tongue. "I swear to release you from the Prince."

The demon whispered its promise back, to leave them unharmed and in peace, and she felt the same warmth spread from its mouth into her ear, down into the very fiber of her being.

She was flushed, her heart racing, and a moment later, her lips were slamming against the Prince's in a fierce statement of obstinacy.

Breaking away, she felt the warmth dissipate, leaving only a slight blush in her cheeks.

There was no turning back now.