Nocturnal Magic (Demons of Fire and Night Book 2) Read online

  Nocturnal Magic

  Demons of Fire and Night Book 2

  C.N. Crawford

  Contents

  Copyright

  Summary

  In the same Universe as Nocturnal Magic…

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Also by C.N. Crawford

  Acknowledgments

  About

  Dedication

  Nocturnal Magic

  Book 2 of the The Demons of Fire and Night Series.

  Copyright © 2016 by C. N. Crawford.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Summary

  “Remember the darkness. Only the darkness will save you.”

  As part of a deal made with the god of night, Ursula is sent to the Shadow Realm. There, she must live in the forbidding palace of an ancient night demon. Granted--he seems to hate her. But he's easy on the eyes, powerful as hell, and he's supposed to keep her safe.

  But all that changes when the god of night chooses Ursula to fight for him in a tournament. Now, she must vanquish a horde of lethal demons, one at a time. Worse--she has to battle her own guardian, who has centuries of slaughter on his side. And only one can survive.

  In order to live, Ursula must learn to fight like a brutal shadow demon, and resist the dark temptations of the realm. If she fails, the god of night will drag her down into hell with him.

  In the same Universe as Nocturnal Magic…

  Nocturnal Magic is the second book in the Demons of Fire and Night Series. However, it is also part of a larger magical universe which includes Magic Hunter the first book in the Vampire’s Mage Series.

  Chapter 1

  Through the wide bay window, a summer breeze blew in, bringing with it the earthy smell of Central Park. Ursula paced over the hardwood floor, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the glass—her skin ten shades whiter than normal, her curls framing her face in a wild auburn halo. She was on edge tonight, tension tightening each of her muscles, holding her stomach in a vise-like grip.

  Zee sat on a nearby sofa, a laptop propped on her knees. “Ursula, you need to relax.”

  From outside, a car horn blared, and Ursula jumped.

  “See?” Zee let her shoe dangle from her foot. “You’re all tense.”

  With a shiver, Ursula glanced through the window at the pearly moon. “What time is it now?”

  “Time for you to calm down. No matter what comes next, getting worked up isn’t going to help.” She turned her laptop to Ursula, showcasing a catwalk model dressed in nothing but lilac ribbons, strategically covering her nipples and crotch. “Come look at Francesco Sforza’s fall line. It sort of puts things in perspective, you know? Like, maybe you’re going to be forced to stay in the Shadow Realm with some psychotic demons, but at least no one has made you to wear ribbons over your tits.” Ursula forced a smile, turning to stalk across the room again. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better. I’m having a hard time putting aside my impending damnation, though.”

  Zee plucked a glass of chardonnay from the table. “Well, there’s nothing you can do to change it. When you made the deal with him, it sealed your fate.”

  Ursula folded her arms. “Emerazel made the deal after I stole Bael’s soul for her.” A twinge of guilt pierced her chest. He got his soul back, but Nyxobas had probably killed him for his failure. “If it hadn’t been the only way to get your soul back, I’d never have agreed to it. Nyxobas literally shows up in all my worst nightmares.” A shiver crawled up her spine. “He always has, in fact. Even before I knew who he was.”

  “Well, he didn’t show up tonight.”

  Ursula turned to scrutinize the elevator once again, but its bronze doors remained tightly shut—just as they had been all day. Did gods arrive in elevators?

  Nyxobas was supposed to summon her to the Shadow Realm today. For six months, she’d have to live with him, work for him, do whatever he wanted. Fear snaked up her spine. And I have no idea what he wants from me.

  She glanced at the bags she’d packed. Honjo rested on top of a black duffel. At least she’d have her trusty katana with her, in case that psychopath Abrax tried anything. The incubus had attempted to drain her soul more than once.

  But she wasn’t going into this unprepared. In the bag beneath Honjo, she’d packed a collection of daggers and her finest ass-kicking boots. Plus, she had the reaping pen tucked in her pocket.

  “Ursula,” said Zee, her glass now empty.

  “The bottle’s in the kitchen,” Ursula said absent-mindedly. “If it’s empty, you can open a new one.”

  “Ursula!” Zee snapped, her eyes wide. “There’s someone behind you. At the window.”

  The hair rose on the back of Ursula’s neck. Now, the wind on her skin felt positively frigid.

  Ursula grabbed Honjo from the duffel and spun, ready to defend herself. A dark form hovered in the window, cloaked in shadow. Dread crawled up her throat. Nyxobas had definitely not forgotten about her.

  “Ursula?” said the figure, its voice light.

  She jumped, her fingers tightening on Honjo’s hilt. She’d been expecting Nyxobas’s deep voice, but this shadowy form was definitely female.

  “That’s me,” she said, trying to see into the darkness. Who the hell is this?

  “Wonderful,” said the woman as she stepped through the window, hopping onto the rug—not a human, but a small, sharp-toothed demon. The kind with an affinity for human flesh—an oneiroi.

  Ursula raised the blade defensively. With her cherubic face, the oneiroi looked harmless enough. Her long, silvery hair hung over a simple dark gown, and something like kindness glimmered in her pale eyes. She was almost matronly. But Ursula had encountered oneiroi in the fae realm. And they’d tried to rip her face off. Matronly or not, if this demon was going to leap for her throat, she’d be ready.

  “You’re not Nyxobas,” she said, gripping her sword. Way to state the obvious.

  “No, Ursula.” The demon’s pale brow furrowed. “I was sent to collect you. I am Cera.”

  “Oh. All right, then.” Ursula couldn’t think of anything better to say.

  Cera’s gaze landed on the laptop. �
�You do have such interesting fashion here. Who is it?”

  Zee muttered something that sounded like Francesco Sforza.

  “Fascinating,” said the demon, before turning to Ursula, all business again. “Are you ready to go?”

  So this was it—tonight she was leaving for the Kingdom of Shadows.

  “I guess I don’t have much choice.” She shot a panicked look at Zee, who simply shrugged, before she faced Cera again. “How are we getting there? And where do I put my bags?”

  “You won’t need the suitcases.” Cera flashed a lethal smile of razor-sharp teeth. “You’ll have anything you could possibly want when we arrive. The lord is very generous, milady. Besides, Sotz won’t be able to carry it.”

  Before she could ask who Sotz was, she caught a glimpse of movement through the window—enormous leathery wings beating the air and shining dark eyes. A chill crawled over her skin. As the creature moved closer, she made out a pair of long diaphanous ears. Is that a giant bat? “What the fuck?”

  The bat’s eyes widened. Did it understand what she was saying?

  “Shhh...” said Cera. “Don’t upset Sotz. He has very sensitive hearing. The creature squeezed its body onto the windowsill, gripping the stone with fleshy feet. It was enormous—the size of a small horse.

  “Don’t worry, little buddy,” Cera said, scratching the bat’s head. “I don’t think she’s ever met a lunar bat before.” Sotz nuzzled the demon and a low rumble filled the room. The creature was purring.

  Ursula crossed her arms, staring at them. “I’m confused. I thought Nyxobas was coming to get me.”

  “The god?” Cera laughed. “He’s far too busy to come himself. Sotz and I will be taking you to his kingdom.” She glanced at the bat. “Sotz, can you turn around?”

  The massive bat inched out of the window, flapping his wings twice before backing up into the window. A leather harness and saddle were strapped to his back.

  Lifting her skirts, Cera hopped onto Sotz’s shoulders, twisting her fingers into his fur. She looked back at Ursula expectantly. “Whenever you’re ready, dear.”

  Ursula turned to Zee who now stood, her empty wine glass forgotten on the coffee table. The fae girl had been keeping her company for the past six months. While Ursula had helped Zee recover from her soul-sucking trauma, Zee had tried to distract Ursula from her terrifying fate in the Shadow Realm. Their tools: champagne, loud music, and trips to Madison Ave—at least, in between all the hellhound work. “Zee, I’m really going to miss you.”

  Zee’s eyes glistened, and she wrapped Ursula in a hug so tight it threatened to crack her ribs. Despite being only a size two, she was surprisingly strong. When she finally released Ursula, a tear was streaking down her cheek.

  “Go.” Zee gestured at the oneiroi woman. “I’ll see you in six months.”

  Ursula flashed Zee her most stern look. “Make sure you take care of yourself.”

  Zee straightened, wiping her eyes. “I will. And, I’ll even put your stuff away. Though I might borrow that gold Valentino dress I bought for you.” She picked up the duffel and headed toward the hall. Ursula had the feeling she didn’t want anyone to see her cry.

  By the window Cera cleared her throat, and Ursula’s muscles tensed. Time to go.

  Chapter 2

  Ursula shoved the sword into the Kevlar scabbard and strapped it to her back. She was leaving her clothes behind, but there was no way in hell she’d travel to the Shadow Realm without Honjo.

  By the window, Cera turned to her, a wicked glint in her silver eyes. “Are you ready?”

  “Not really.”

  “Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

  Ursula shrugged. Good question. “I don’t think so, but I don’t remember anything from before the age of fifteen. For all I know, F.U. may have been a champion rider.”

  Cera’s pale brow crinkled. “F.U.?”

  “Former Ursula. My pre-amnesiac self.”

  Cera flashed her a sympathetic you-should-probably-take-your-medication smile.

  Ursula forced a smile back. Right. I sound like a nutter when I talk about the amnesia. Then again, we’re about to ride on the back of a giant bat, so a little nuttery is in order. “Well,” said Cera. “Whatever the case, I’ll be guiding Sotz, so you’ll just need to hold on.” She arched an eyebrow. “I do hope you’re not afraid of heights.” “Not really.” A chill whispered over her skin. But I’m terrified of Nyxobas.

  Her brush with the shadow void still haunted her nightmares—the god of night filled her with a horrifying, gnawing dread. A painful emptiness that still flickered in the hollows of her mind. She tried to push the thoughts away. Her voyage on the bat would be bad enough without dwelling on the void. “Climb on.” Cera nodded at a pair of leather handles on Sotz’s saddle. “Grip there. Then step into the stirrups. Just be sure to hold on tight.”

  Pretty sure I’ll be clutching on for dear life. Ursula pulled herself up to the windowsill, then hooked a leg over the saddle. Gripping the handles, she slipped her feet into the stirrups.

  As Cera whispered into the Sotz’s ear, Ursula’s fingers tightened on the leather. It didn’t seem like the safest way to travel. Surely, hurtling through the sky on a giant mammal required a seatbelt or helmet.

  In the next second, the bat launched from the window. For a moment, Ursula’s breath caught as the creature began a stomach-turning plunge, then the bat’s wings unfurled. Their path steadied, and they swooped past West 59th Street and over Central Park.

  Ursula clutched the harness in a death grip, her pulse racing. Her auburn hair whipped about her face with each beat of the giant wings. Sotz angled his wings, and they turned sharply. The movement cleared the hair from her eyes, and she caught a glimpse of the Plaza Hotel.

  “Where are we going?” she shouted over the wind.

  “Brooklyn,” Cera said, turning in her direction, her sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight as she spoke.

  The Shadow Realm is in Brooklyn? She frowned. It was hard to imagine the terrifying incubus Abrax cramming himself into skinny jeans. Maybe extending his talons to spear a vegan burger at a Park Slope diner.

  The night wind whipped over her skin, and she shivered, thinking of the high demon. She had no idea if he’d made it out of the fae realm alive.

  Sotz soared over the Plaza’s white marble crenellations, then higher above the twinkling lights of New York. Distant car horns floated on the wind, and the bat alternated each wing beat with graceful glides.

  Her grip on the harness relaxed. The view was extraordinary.

  The great avenues of New York carved between the buildings like golden rivers of light. All around her, skyscraper glass gleamed faintly in the moonlight.

  As they flew toward the tip of Manhattan, she breathed a sigh of relief at the quiet of the night air. After four years living in London, she’d grown accustomed to the perpetual background hum of busses, traffic jams and people asking for money. Up here, she heard only the distant beat of a helicopter’s blades. Somehow, floating through the dark night sky felt like home.

  Before she could get too comfortable, a piercing screech sent her heart racing. Cera screamed in an unintelligible language as Sotz folded his wings into his body. Ursula gripped the harness and they plummeted down, dropping out of the sky—but not fast enough.

  As the wind whipped Ursula’s hair into her face, something large and scaly slammed into Ursula’s side, nearly tearing her from the harness. The force of the impact sent them careening toward a skyscraper. Gritting her teeth, she clung to the handles with an iron grip.

  Cera shrieked hysterically, letting go of the bat’s neck.

  “Watch out!” Ursula pulled back on the harness. Her heart pounded hard against her ribs. Sotz’s wings snapped out, and Ursula jerked the harness away from the skyscraper. Sotz turned, veering away from the building.

  F.U. had apparently been bit of an equestrian.

  A second screech shattered the night, and she glanced to her
right, her blood chilling. She caught a glimpse of an enormous, shimmering outline. A translucent creature, at least the size of a bus. And it was heading right for them. Bollocks. We’re fighting something nearly impossible to see.

  “You need to steer!” she shouted at Cera.

  Clenching her knees against Sotz’s sides, she drew Honjo from his sheath. The long katana glinted in her hands—and not a moment too soon. She twisted in the saddle, slashing at a long, translucent limb. The blade jerked as it cut into solid flesh.

  A howl rent the air.

  In the next moment, the creature yanked the sword from her grasp.

  Her blood turned to ice. Honjo—her only weapon—had just been ripped from her hands.

  Sotz folded his wings, diving lower. Wind whistled in her ears as they raced like a falling meteor toward the East River. Just as Ursula resigned herself to a watery death, Sotz unfurled his wings, redirecting them toward the steel cables of the Williamsburg Bridge.

  Somewhere behind them, their attacker screeched, a bloodcurdling sound that shriveled her stomach. Adrenaline surged. Honjo hadn’t killed the damned thing, he had only annoyed it.

  The Williamsburg Bridge grew rapidly larger and Ursula’s muscles tightened as she braced for impact. At the last second, Sotz turned, diving between the cables, heading for the tunnel’s mouth.

  Ursula’s heart hammered against her ribs. Lights flashed in its entrance, and a rumbling noise echoed off the walls. A subway car is heading right for us. Ursula shouted a warning, but with a single flap of his wings, Sotz cleared the train, flying between the car and the ceiling.

  The train raced by beneath them, and she let out a long breath when they cleared it.

  Only the flashing red signal lights illuminated the tunnel, flashing off the rows of steel beams and girders on the ceiling. They winged down the tracks as a second train rumbled toward them, its lights glowing brighter and brighter. At the last possible moment, Sotz veered left into a dark corridor.