Primeval Magic (Demons of Fire and Night Book 3) Read online

  PRIMEVAL MAGIC

  DEMONS OF FIRE AND NIGHT BOOK 3

  C.N. CRAWFORD

  Primeval Magic

  Book 3 of the The Demons of Fire and Night Series.

  Copyright © 2017 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.

  CONTENTS

  Summary

  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

  Also by C.N. Crawford

  Acknowledgments

  About

  SUMMARY

  Ursula may have escaped the Shadow Realm, but things are worse in New York. Kester is missing, and the city is under siege by a legion of dragons. There’s a bounty on Ursula’s head – alive or dead, and the dragons prefer the latter.

  Ursula flees back to England, searching for hidden island of Avalon, barely staying ahead of the bloodthirsty monsters. To make things worse, she learns a dark truth about herself more terrible than she could possibly imagine.

  But with the powerful shadow demon Bael by her side, Ursula must focus on finding the one weapon that can fight the dragons—the sword Excalibur. If she fails, the dragons will destroy civilization completely.

  CHAPTER 1

  U rsula clasped the rough stone of the fountain’s lip. She pulled her head from the water, and sucked in a deep breath, gasping after the long journey through the portal. Above, the sun burned hot in the sky, and the humid spring air filled her aching lungs. A faint scent of smoke floated on the breeze. She wasn’t in the Shadow Realm anymore.

  A stony ground materialized under the water, forcing her upward. She ducked down, crouching behind the fountain’s shallow lip to shield her naked body from view. From the stone foundation of the fountain, bits of metal glinted up at her, sparking in the sunlight below the water. Nickels, dimes, and thousands of pennies. The portal had closed.

  She whirled, looking for Cera and Bael in the icy water, but she was completely alone, icy water lapping at her bare breasts.

  A chill snaked up her spine. What had happened to her friends? Just a few minutes ago, they’d all been jumping naked into the portal from the Shadow Realm. Bael’s muscled body had been exhausted but he’d been conscious when they’d pulled him into the frigid water. On the journey here, she’d tried to keep track of him, but icy currents had ripped them apart.

  And now it was just her, stark naked in a fountain in the center of New York City. Had Bael and Cera already climbed out, leaving her behind? Or worse—had they gotten lost in Nyxobas’s waters before the portal had closed?

  As she huddled out of view, something felt wrong. It wasn’t just that she was alone, or that the scent of smoke floated on the wind. It was the eerie silence that enshrouded the city. When was it ever silent in New York? She peered over the fountain’s edge, her sodden hair dripping onto the weathered stone.

  Directly in front of her, a tall building with ostentatious gold-filigreed awnings loomed over an empty street. She was within thirty feet of the Plaza Hotel, her New York home. All she needed to do to get home was dash across the street before someone arrested her for public indecency.

  And yet—why would the street be empty outside New York City’s Plaza Hotel? She was right next to Central Park. In the middle of the day, there should be honking cars, throngs of tourists, those horse-and-carriages clopping by. Yet no one was here.

  Apart from the flags waving forlornly in the wind, she hardly saw any movement—at least, not until a diminutive form rushed across the street. Her white hair streamed behind her, gleaming in the sunlight, and she wore a black raincoat that came down to her skinny knees. Cera. Thank the gods. The little oneiroi hurried toward the fountain, carrying two overcoats.

  “Ursula!” Cera chirped, her pale eyes shining.

  Still crouching, Ursula peered at Cera over the fountain’s edge. “What’s going on? Why is it so quiet?”

  Cera thrust one of the coats at her. “I haven’t got a clue. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. Perhaps a human plague or something. Surely you’re about due for one.”

  Shadow demons weren’t great at reassurance. Ursula rose, water dripping down her body, and grabbed the beige overcoat. Shivering, she pulled it on. Even if the streets were empty, she wasn’t comfortable standing here completely starkers in the broad daylight.

  Tying the belt around the coat, she stepped from the fountain, her bare feet sloshing onto the stony ground. She frowned at the other overcoat. Who was that for? “Where’s Bael?”

  Cera frowned. “He was with you. You went into the portal together. He is your betrothed, if you recall. You’re going to need to look after him.”

  Ursula turned to stare at the fountain, her stomach clenching with dread. What if he was drowning under that closed portal? Without his wings, he was completely mortal.

  “Bloody hell. I was holding his hand, but the currents forced us apart. Do you think he could have got out on his own?”

  He hadn’t been in good shape before they’d plunged into the water. Bael—her betrothed, apparently. The man who’d hastily offered to marry her before a bloodthirsty crowd, just to save her life. He was occasionally brutal and emotionally remote, and he had a dark past she didn’t even want to think about. And yet, somehow, the powerful shadow warrior had been growing on her. “What do we do?”

  Cera’s hand fluttered nervously to her mouth. “We need to open the portal again.”

  Ursual turned to stare into the fountain. Instead of a stony base covered in coins, the fountain had gone murky and dark. Just then, a bubble popped, followed by another.

  Ursula held up a hand. “Wait. I think the portal is opening again.”

  Something dark lurked under the water’s surface—Bael’s hair. Frantically reaching into the icy water, Ursula grabbed him under the shoulders and pulled him out, straining at the weight. As she hoisted his torso over the fountain’s edge, his head lolled back, eyes open. Bael’s eyes, normally a pale gray, had turned completely black.

  “Gods below,” whispered Cera.

  He must weigh three hundred pounds, all of it pure muscle, and Ursula strained to lift him. “Help me get him out of the pool.”

  Cera grabbed one of Bael’s arms, and together they pulled him from the water, until he dropped onto the stony ground with a hard thud. Immediately, he began coughing, and Ursula loosed a long breath. He can breathe, at least.

  He lay on his back, his powerful body like a fallen Greek sculpture—golden and perfectly proportioned. But in Bael’s case, dark tattoos covered his skin. Her heart thrumming, Ursula knelt beside his head. She touched her fingers to his cold throat. A pulse beat faintly beneath the surface of his skin.

  “Bael?” She leaned down, whispering in his ear. “Are you all right?” />
  “Ursula!” Cera pointed to his hip, where blood pooled onto the stone, mingling with the water. It was where she’d stabbed him in the lunar arena. Ursula frowned at the wound, her throat tightening. It looked even worse now, as if someone had gnawed at it. He was hemorrhaging blood.

  “I don’t understand,” said Ursula. “It wasn’t that bad before we went through the portal.”

  “I think the Forgotten One’s attacked him.”

  Bael groaned, shifting on the stone, his eyes now closed.

  Ursula touched his shoulder. “Bael, can you move?”

  He didn’t respond, but his enormous chest slowly rose and fell.

  Ursula glanced at the little oneiroi. “We have to get him inside. I just have no idea how we’ll lift him.” Ursula was unusually strong for someone her size, but even so, carrying Bael was beyond her capabilities.

  Cera straightened. “Wait here.” Before Ursula could respond, Cera darted back across the street and into the Plaza. After what seemed like an eternity, she reappeared at the entrance pushing a brass luggage cart. The cart creaked and bounced over the empty street as Cera pushed it—jarring sounds in the otherwise silent city.

  Smart thinking.

  Cera rolled the cart next to Bael, then she covered his naked body in the second raincoat. Ursula grabbed Bael’s ankles, and Cera grabbed his wrists. Grunting and straining, they hoisted him into the cart. As they lay him down on the cart, his feet dangling over the edge, his eyes fluttered, but they didn’t open.

  Ursula gripped the brass bars of the cart, wheeling him across the road.

  “We need to save the lord,” said Cera. “If he is going to marry you—”

  “He’s not actually my betrothed, you know,” Ursula interrupted. “He was just saving my life with that proposal.”

  “Don’t be absurd,” snapped Cera.

  “You are aware that he killed his last wife?” The wheels from the cart creaked as she pushed it across the empty street.

  “I’m sure he had a very good reason.”

  They approached the desolate Plaza Lobby, and Ursula forgot all about their discussion as a sharp tendril of fear coiled through her gut. Empty. New York City was entirely empty.

  IN THE PLAZA LOBBY, only the pale sunlight filtered in through the doors. No light shone from the wall sconces or crystal chandeliers. As the moved further inside, the vast hall was still and dark as a tomb.

  “What the bloody hell is going on?” Ursula whispered.

  Cera shook her head. “I have no idea. I just grabbed some clothes from a coat rack before I rushed back to the fountain.”

  Ursula pulled her raincoat closer, wishing desperately for a weapon. The empty shops and corridors in the Plaza lobby deeply unsettled her. As they moved through the interior of the hotel, pushing the luggage cart along in front of them, shudders snaked up her spine. Months ago, not long after Ursula had learned she was a hellhound, demons and mages had attacked the city of Boston. Had something similar happened in New York while she’d been on the moon?

  Under the raincoat, Bael’s chest slowly rose and fell. At his hip, a growing crimson stain bled into the overcoat, and Ursula’s stomach clenched. Once, he’d been immortal, but since he’d lost his wings, that had changed. Bael could be bleeding to death right in front of them, and the thought made Ursula’s heart hammer against her ribs.

  Cera paused at a junction of pale marble halls, and Ursula pointed down a dimly lit corridor. “The lift to my flat is this way.”

  As they moved further into the hall, two guards stepped from the shadows, and Ursula’s throat tightened. Just thirty feet away, they were dressed in military fatigues, gripping assault rifles. Ursula’s heart skipped a beat. Ever since Boston’s attack, humans had been openly hunting demons. Since her fire magic had been stripped from her in the Shadow Realm, she supposed she was an ordinary human now. But Cera sure as hell wasn’t, and these humans didn’t look particularly demon-friendly.

  One of them was pointing the gun directly at her, his brow creased, sweat beading on his skin. His hands were trembling slightly. He looked scared out of his wits. “Identify yourself.” His voice echoed off the ceiling.

  Ursula’s fingers tightened around the brass of the luggage cart, her legs beginning to shake. They were running out of time—fast. Bael was losing blood, and if he didn’t get medical attention straight away, he could die. She wasn’t going to let that happen. Her first instinct was to get the hell out here and take Bael to a hospital. But first, she needed to know what was going on. Given the desolation of New York’s streets, it didn’t look like a hospital would be an option.

  She considered her options. Option one was easy. They could turn and leave, but that would put them on the sidewalk in what appeared to be a deserted New York City. Bael was apparently bleeding to death, and she didn’t think an ambulance would be coming anytime soon to take them to Mount Sinai Hospital.

  Option two was more difficult. She could attack them. The problem was, she had no weapon, and she wasn’t anywhere near close enough. As she tried to think of a way to close the gap between them, a red dot appeared in the center of her chest—the rifle was fitted with a laser sight.

  That left only option three. Talk to them, like a regular person. Just a normal, barefoot woman, naked and soaked under a rain coat, with a bleeding naked man on a luggage cart. Oh, and a tiny white-haired companion. Nothing untoward here. “I live on the 19th floor,” she said at last. “I think my friend Zee might be up there.”

  The guard narrowed his eyes at her, studying her as if she looked familiar. “Are you…?” He trailed off, then shook his head. “What are you doing out of your apartment? The city is on lockdown.”

  I’ve just transported here from the moon wasn’t going to cut it. She needed a lie. A convincing lie. “My friend is hurt.” She pointed at Bael. “He called me. He said he’d been attacked…” She allowed the sentence to trail off, unsure if demons were the actual culprit in this lockdown. “Do you know where we can find a doctor?”

  The guard shot her an are you insane look. “A doctor?”

  Ursula cleared her throat. Wrong question, I guess. “He’s very badly injured.” And you either need to help me or get the hell out of my way.

  “No doctors around here.” The guard lowered his gun. “What floor was that again?”

  “The nineteenth.”

  The man spoke quietly into a microphone attached to his lapel, then touched his ear as someone replied. After a few moments, he nodded. “All right. You’re cleared to go up.”

  Ursula pushed the cart toward the guards, with Cera trailing behind, eyes lowered.

  As Ursula and Cera moved closer, the guards stepped back from the elevators, keeping their guns trained on them.

  Ursula pushed the button, and the soldier’s voice echoed off the ceiling again. “What happened to his clothes?”

  “He…” Ursula racked her brain for a convincing response. “He’s kind of an exhibitionist. I think that’s why he was attacked.”

  From the cart, Bael groaned, his eyes still closed. Maybe he didn’t appreciate being slandered.

  A ping sounded as the lift arrived, and Ursula loosed a breath. The doors slid open, and she rolled the cart into the elevator. Once they were safely inside, she punched the button marked 19.

  The doors started to close, but then stopped, blocked by one of Bael’s legs. She yanked the cart further into the lift, and finally the doors closed.

  She fell back against the mirrored wall, heart still racing. “What the hell is going on?”

  Cera shook her head. “This is your world. I have no idea. Why didn’t you ask the humans?”

  Ursula shook her head. “Something told me not to. Not until I have some idea what’s going on. What if demons attacked the city, like they did in Boston? I didn’t want them sussing out what we are. Did you see that soldier’s face? He looked really frightened.”

  The lift pinged as it reached the nineteenth floor, an
d the doors rolled open to the familiar marble atrium of her apartment. Zee stood directly before them, her eyes opened wide.

  “Ursula!” She wore a white dress, smudged with soot. “What are you doing here? New York isn’t safe for you. You need go back to the Shadow Realm.”

  CHAPTER 2

  U rsula pushed the luggage cart into the hall, and Cera followed behind her. As they moved into the hall, Zee hurried past them and into the elevator.

  “Zee?” said Ursula. “Where are you going? What the bloody hell is going on?”

  Zee’s blond hair was uncharacteristically messy, and she had dark circles beneath her eyes. “I’ll be right back to explain. Did you talk to anyone on your way in here?”

  Ursula frowned. “Only the guards at the door to the elevator. The first floor was empty. What’s happening? I need to get Bael medical attention somehow.”

  The lift door began to close, and Zee slammed her hand on it to stop it. “Did you give the guard your name?” she demanded, ignoring Ursula’s questions.