A Demon's Child Ch. 07

Anita

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the flowers were both bright and plentiful. I wasn't out here to enjoy myself, however.

Hoofbeats thundered against the ground. I caught sight of our quarry, a tentacled monstrosity in a sickly shade of bruise purple. It was roughly horse sized, and it was moving rather swiftly for something with no real feet. I pulled back on the reins a little bit. Our goal was to herd it out of the valley, not to catch it.

The valley began to narrow, and the walls grew higher and rockier. This was it. The home stretch. I couldn't see it, focused as I was on the horse and the chase, but the wizards at the edges of our formation were falling away, allowing the rest of us to stay in formation as the way grew narrower.

Soon the only ones left were me and the wizard on my right, a slender man with a long, shaggy blond beard. He cast a fireball, aiming to miss, but it hit near the demon. The demon squealed and began to move faster.

The way has narrowed to a gap only 100 meters wide, with high, rocky walls that could not be climbed in a hurry. It opened up not long after this. The demon probably thought it was getting away.

Suddenly Saban appeared out of the long grass in front of the fleeing demon. It squealed again, and tried to turn around. But it was too late. It was caught.

I pulled back on the reins, as did the wizard on my right. Our horses came to a stop. The other wizard, Tom, dismounted swiftly. I waited, allowing Saban to help me off. I didn't need help dismounting, but Saban enjoyed having me slide into his arms.

"So you've got it?" I asked, nodding at the bruise colored demon, which was twitching and gnashing its teeth as it fought Saban's compulsion.

"Obviously," Saban said. "It's not trying to run."

"You want to do the honors, Anita?" Tom asked.

It took me several minutes, but soon the bruise demon was gone. "There. Banished."

Tom nodded, and reached for my reins. "I'll take care of your horse and mine, if you want."

Saban took them from him. "That's usually my job."

Tom shrugged. "Just thought you too might want some time alone."

Saban's annoyance vanished. "Actually, that's a very good idea." He handed Tom the reins. "Here you go." Tom took the reins, and walked back the way we'd come.

When he was out of earshot, Saban pulled me towards the long grass. "Care for some afternoon delight?" he asked, grinning.

I pulled my arm out of his grasp. "Saban! There's other wizards right over there! What if one of them comes up and sees us?"

"I suspect Tom is currently telling everyone to give us some privacy," Saban said.

I groaned. Ever since Saban's feelings about me had come out, my fellow wizards were giving us "alone time" whenever they could. It was starting to get annoying, especially because Saban wanted to take advantage of every chance offered. Sometimes I gave in. We'd had a lot of quickies lately.

This time when he tugged me toward the grass, I followed. Saban lowered me onto the ground, where no one could see me through the grass, and pulled down my pants and underthings. He bent over me, eyes lustful, and slowly ran his tongue along my opening before flicking it twice across my clit. I gasped.

His tongue thrust into me, caressing my insides, and then flicked across my clit once more. I hoped he was right about us being left alone. I thought of being discovered like this, and my cheeks flamed red. "Maybe this is a bad idea," I said hesitantly.

Saban gave me a look. "Really? You've gotten both of us all hot and bothered, and then you're not going to follow through?" His thumb absently circled my clit.

I started to pull up my pants. Saban scowled, but did not move to stop me. With the familiar bond reestablished, he had to listen when I said no. When my underwear brushed against my clit, warmth shot through me. I hesitated, and then pulled my pants back down. "Ok, but we need to make it quick."

Saban grinned. "Of course." He reached out with a tentacle. "There's something I've been wanting to try. Mind if I give it a go?"

I nodded, and the tentacle pressed against my clit. Pleasure shot through me. I screamed, and Saban swiftly thrust a tentacle into my mouth, muffling my cries.

My mind turned to jelly. For a while, I couldn't seem to think straight, couldn't do anything but feel. In a moment of clarity, I wondered what the fuck Saban was doing down there. It didn't feel like vibration. I wasn't sure what it felt like, other than incredibly good.

A tentacle slid into my pussy, stretching me wide. It pressed up against my g-spot and began to thrust. I whimpered, throat closed too tightly to scream.

It was, as I requested, over very quickly. I came twice, jerking and shuddering in the grass, and then Saban released me. It took me a moment to catch my breath. "What the fuck was that?" I gasped.

Saban grinned, and held up a tentacle. It was tipped with thousands of hair thin strands, each one moving independently to caress the air. I swallowed. "That's certainly a... Creative idea." I hadn't realized Saban had such fine control over his shapeshifting.

Saban grinned. "I wonder what would happen if I made them vibrate? Each one at a slightly different frequency."

I swallowed again. I would probably cum then and there, regardless of whether there'd been any previous foreplay. "Let's not try it right now." I pulled up my pants. "They're probably waiting for us."

My fellow wizards were waiting for us, albeit at a careful distance. Someone had propped a mirror on a tree. Behind the glass, Master Evona noted my arrival and nodded. "Good. You're here." She didn't speculate about what had been keeping us, but my cheeks still flamed red.

"We have now banished over half of the demons who came through the portal," Master Evona said. There were cheers, and two of the wizards high fived. Master Evona continued. "However, that still leaves nine demons, and these will likely be the more difficult ones. Most of you will go back to scanning the countryside, but I need two journeymen to visit a local village, Stone Glen, and search for several missing persons there. Saban, would you mind providing transport?"

Saban shrugged. "If Anita is one of the two wizards."

Evona nodded. "Of course. Now, I'd like a vol-"

Before she finished her sentence, Tom burst out with, "Me! Please, pick me!"

Master Evona raised an eyebrow. "So enthusiastic. Is there a reason?"

"My family lives in Stone Glen," Tom explained.

"Ah. Well, then you must be the second wizard," Master Evona said. She laid out a search pattern for the wizards who were staying. Then the mirror was only a mirror again.

Saban looked at Tom with suspicion. "So I'll be transporting you, too."

Tom went white, abruptly realizing what that would mean. "Don't- Don't worry! I'll keep my hands to myself. I mean, I don't want to fall off so I'll have to hold on a bit, but-" Saban's expression cut him off.

I sighed. "Saban, it'll be fine."

Saban looked at me. "But-"

"But nothing. I've been indulging you all week; it's time you did something for me." I snapped. "Besides, you'll be right there. Tom won't try anything. He's not suicidal." Beside me, Tom nodded emphatically.

Saban growled. "All right. Just know, Tom, if your hands end up where they shouldn't, I will kill you."

I patted the nervous Tom on the shoulder. "Don't worry. If he tries to hurt you, I can stop him. And then," I glared at Saban, "I'll make him regret it."

Saban looked incredulous. "Are you threatening me?"

"Yes," I replied. "If you think about it, you'll find there's a lot of things I can do to make your life miserable. And there's nothing you can threaten me with. I know you won't follow through."

Saban sighed. The corners of his mouth quirked up. "You are absolutely right." He smiled at Tom. "Don't look so nervous. Anita's got me declawed."

Soon Tom and I were sitting on Saban's back. After a brief discussion, it was agreed that Tom would ride in back. I had thought Saban would object most to Tom wrapping his arms around me, but I was wrong. Saban could live with someone else holding me, but he drew the line at my arms being wrapped around Tom.

So I was in front, and Tom's arms were wrapped carefully around my waist. I could tell that, despite my assurances, Tom would rather fall off than shift his grip.

Saban moved from a walk to a trot, and then from a trot to a canter. Tom's arms wrapped tighter. The tension was almost palpable. I spoke in an effort to relieve the pressure. "So, your family, is it just your parents, or do you have a partner and children?"

"It's my parents, and my grandma," Tom said. "They're probably fine, though. My Grandma's a pretty powerful wizard. She's retired."

"Why don't you just mirror her, then?" I asked.

Tom snorted. "She doesn't like mirror magic. Actually, she doesn't like any spell invented in this century. The cottage is actually still lit by oil lamp, if you can believe it. She has to special order the oil. Dad wants light stones, but Grandma is dead set against it."

I shook my head. Light stones had been around for fifty years. For nearly everyone, they were just a part of life. And mirror magic, while newer than light stones, was still older than I was, so I couldn't imagine being without that, either. "So she only uses magic from before the magical revolution?" I asked.

"Yep," Tom said. "It's a bit awkward, actually, because my business is based around newer magic."

"Oh?" I asked. "What is your business?"

"I make self cleaning dish sets," Tom said. "The ceramics are made by magic, and then I charm them along with some scrubbers so that the scrubbers will clean the dishes when triggered, and then I package them up and sell them. Rowan uses my products, actually, in their kitchens." I could tell that the last bit was a point of pride.

I'd never considered leaving Rowan and starting a business of my own. Lots of wizards my age had done just that, but I'd never thought of setting off on my own. My power just wasn't set up for domestic tasks, or making things. I was powerful, but I could really only destroy, I thought sadly.

We talked a bit more, about trivial things. Soon we were at the village. Tom dismounted with a sigh of relief. Horse Saban sniggered, a noise no horse should really be able to make. I poked him. "Be nice." Then I slid off Saban's back. I turned to Tom. "You should probably go check on your family. I'll talk to the village elder, see if I can find out who's missing." Tom nodded, and hurried off.

I headed for the blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith would know who the elder was. Actually, he might be able to point me to the missing people without going through the elder. The blacksmith's smithy was usually the social center of any village. Anyone who didn't have anything to do tended to gravitate there, or to the local pub. The bartender at the pub would be just as good for information about the village, but I liked blacksmiths. Most of them were cute.

The blacksmith was shoeing a horse when I arrived. I waited until he had his assistant put the hoof down before I spoke. "Hi. You got a minute?"

The blacksmith wiped his forehead with a cloth and then nodded. "I do now." He looked at me speculatively, and before I could speak he added, "You're from Rowan."

I nodded. "How did you know?"

He shrugged. "I'm a lesser mage, and my gift is spotting those with magic. Also metalworking. I'm really good at iron magic. Well, the bits that don't require much power, anyways." He looked Saban and I over. "You know why they didn't just send Tom? He's a local boy."

"He's here, too," I replied. "He's checking on his family."

The blacksmith nodded. "Good. I assume you're here about Stoat, Ryan, Old Mag, and Lisa?"

"If they're the ones missing," I responded.

He nodded. "They're missing all right. Stoat might have just wandered off for a bit, but the rest aren't the kind to leave without giving word, and Old Mag can't really walk much anymore, so she's definitely missing. You should start with her, I think. If she wasn't taken by demons, she's likely fallen into a ditch somewhere and can't get back out." When I agreed, he pointed me toward where Old Mag lived with her son.

It was near the edge of the village. Actually, all the disappearances were from houses at the edge of the village, or out of it entirely, which made demon attacks the most likely explanation. Saban followed me in silence.

The blacksmith had pointed me to "the cottage with the big luck charm on it," but when I sensed the luck charm, I was surprised by its strength. The blacksmith had told me the son's wife , Adena, was a lesser mage. She must be close to wizard level power to cast so strong a mark.

And she was, I noticed when she opened the door. When I said I was from Rowan, she frowned deeply, but she still showed me Mag's room. I fished a hairbrush out of her dresser, and put a few strands in a sample vial. Now I just had to enchant it.

"Mind if I use your backyard?" I asked. Adena wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something bad, but she assented.

I cut the necessary runes into the grass with my knife, and placed the ingredients in their proper places, including the vial of hair. Saban stood off to one side, humming softly. When I cast the spell, the hair shone with a bright light, which gradually dimmed to a soft glow. It would get stronger as I got closer to Mag. It wasn't just a game of hotter and colder, though. The hair also pulled in the direction of Mag. I hung the vial on a string, and it pointed out of the village.

Adena left the cottage. "I'm coming with you," she informed me.

"It's dangerous," I warned her.

Her lips pursed. "And I'll get in your way? Is that it? I'll have you know that my magic is just as strong as yours. If I had been chosen by Rowan, I'd be as powerful a wizard as you."

Saban snorted. "I highly doubt that."

She rounded on him. "Doubt all you like; it's true. And who are you, anyways? You're not a wizard. I can tell. Why are you here?"

Saban sniggered. "If you were really wizard material, you'd know."

She drew herself up, but before she could launch into an indignant tirade, I interrupted. "Saban is a demon. He's my familiar."

"I'd have a familiar, too, if it was allowed," Adena told me. "One just as strong as yours."

I gave Saban a warning look. I did not feel like arguing with this woman, so I didn't tell her that Saban was a demon lord, and I did not point out that there were very good reasons demon summoning was forbidden to lesser mages, on pain of death. Demons were trouble, as our current problem proved. "You're more than welcome to come with us, Adena, if you aren't too busy, and you can take responsibility for your own safety."

She sniffed disdainfully. "I can protect myself. And I won't get in your way."

I'd never said she'd get in my way. She was the one who'd brought that up. "Then feel free to come along," I told her. "Do you have a horse?"

Soon I was mounted on Saban, and she was on her own mare. We entered the brush surrounding the village. It wasn't a proper forest. Forests had larger trees. No tall trees would grow on this rocky soil, however, so we got thick brush instead, with huge bushes, tons of creepers, and trees no higher 12 feet.

It meant I had to do a lot of ducking, as there were many low branches, and we had to make several detours around thorny bushes. Saban would have been able to just power through the thorns. Despite her assurances, Adena was slowing us down.

If the hair hadn't been glowing so brightly, I would have attempted to send Adena back to the village, or, alternately, just left her behind. However, the hair's bright shine indicated we were close, and having Adena with me would mean I wouldn't have to take care of the body when I found it. If Old Mag was actually dead. It was still possible she'd wandered off and gotten stuck somewhere.

"You sense any demons?" I asked Saban.

He shook his head, but he also stamped his foot. In the code we'd worked out, head shaking plus stomping mean no, but with a qualifier.

I thought for a moment. "You sense the body. And that's got demon residue."

Saban nodded, and twitched his ears. I'd guessed correctly.

Beside me, Adena was very pale. "Body?" she asked weakly.

"I'm afraid that's right. Your mother in law is dead," I told her.

*

Saban

Adena shook her head. "I thought... I hoped she was still alive."

Well, she's not, I wanted to say, and you should have acknowledged that possibility going out. Unfortunately, I was in horse form. Or possibly fortunately. I had a feeling that saying that would earn me a smack from Anita. And possibly a temporary reduction in my pussy privileges.

I sniffed the demonic residue on the corpse. Well, sort of sniffed. Demonic residue wasn't a smell, exactly, more like a feeling. I couldn't explain it any better than that, just like I couldn't explain what my connection to other demons was like, or how it felt to be a shapeshifter. It was an intrinsic part of who I was, and it was also something humans didn't have words for. I'd be able to explain it to another demon, because the language of demons was thoughts and feelings, not words. However, there would be no point.

My musings stopped when we reached the body. I knelt to allow Anita to dismount, and the bitchy mage slid off of her horse. She knelt by the corpse. "Gods. What did they do to her?"

I had finished shifting back, so I replied. "They tortured her." I examined the corpse with a practiced eye. "They were very thorough. And they took their time. See how this bit here has scabbed over? And the burns have started to bubble. She was probably alive for several days before-"

Anita slapped me. Hard. "What the hell, Saban? Why in the gods' name would you tell her that?"

I shrugged. "She was the one who asked."

Anita slapped me again.

I raised my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

She glared at me. "No, you're not. But you will be." She turned back to Adena, who was now sobbing. "I'm sorry about that. Is there anything I can do?"

Adena shook her head. "Tell me what he said wasn't true," she whispered.

Anita rested her hand on Adena's shoulder. "It's not. He was just lying to hurt you. Demons do that. Your mother in law was likely dead when they mutilated her body." She glared at me where Adena couldn't see, daring me to tell her otherwise.

I hadn't been lying. I almost never lied. For one, demon language was mind to mind. To make a lie convincing, some part of you had to honestly believe it. I could lie. I'd had a lot of practice under my father's rule, keeping him from discovering the spark of rebellion in my heart. It was still difficult.

Also, lying to my subjects tended to be counterproductive. While I could call them from anywhere, and command them when they were close, if I wanted to have any long term influence on them, they had to want to do what I told him. The best way to accomplish that was to threaten them with pain while promising them some reward. If I lied about the reward, or they didn't believe I would punish them, eventually they might decide to rebel. That would be irritating, so I was in the habit of telling the truth. The habit carried over to my dealing with mortals.

Wisely, I stayed silent. As it was I probably was going to sleep alone for a few nights, and I doubted Anita would let me make her cum for a while. I decided that I was an idiot. Why couldn't I have kept my mouth shut?

I leaned over the body, and sniffed. Using my human nose helped me access my psychic one. The body smelled fairly fresh, and there weren't many bugs. If we'd arrived an hour earlier, we might have found her alive. I decided not to tell Adena that.