Rival Demons by Sarra Cannon Read Free Book Online

Harper's free hand and use your other
one to grab onto my arm," he directed.
    We formed a chain and began to move through the
darkness. Jackson moved fast, and I struggled to keep up, my heart
pounding as I tried to catch my breath. The journey through the
forest was terrifying. Around us, the wind howled and animals moved
in the trees. It took some serious willpower not to jump every time
a vine slipped across the skin of my leg.
    An eternity seemed to pass before finally, up
ahead, the faintest strip of moonlight appeared in the distance.
Around me, the shadowy figures of the trees, low bushes and
underbrush began to form.
    "How much farther?" I asked.
    "We're getting close," Jackson said. He pulled a
tattered piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. "The map
says it should be just past the edge of the forest on this
side."
    Minutes later, we finally emerged from the
forest. Even the moonlight seemed brighter after the pitch darkness
we'd been in. I broke off from the others and stood on my own,
staring up toward the amber colored moon, noticing that now, there
were two moons in the sky. One amber and one lavender. It was
breathtaking.
    "We have to keep moving," he said, taking off
down a path that led along the edge of the forest.
    Soon, we came across a small bridge that floated
over a stream running with icy blue water.
    "This way," Jackson said. He motioned for Mary
Anne and I to cross first.
    I stepped up onto the bridge, half expecting it
to wobble since it was just floating in the air, but it was
surprisingly sturdy. I was over to the other side in five steps.
The grass beyond was strange and stiff, almost white as if it were
frost-bitten.
    I studied the new terrain as the others crossed
the stream.
    A field of white grass was cut into an
almost-perfect circle. All around it were large red stones, like
markers of some sort. In the center of the circle was a cluster of
something black, but from this distance I couldn't quite make out
what it was. I stepped out onto the stiff white grass, my legs
instantly breaking out in goosebumps.
    "Wait," Jackson called, then jogged over to me.
He pulled me back off the grass. "It's enchanted with frost. If you
tried to walk all the way to the middle, you'd be a frozen block of
ice before you got there."
    My eyes widened. "You can't be serious."
    "I'm deadly serious," he said. "See the ring in
the middle? That's where we're heading."
    "And how do we get over the enchanted grass
without using magic?" I asked.
    "You don't," a voice said, coming out of the
shadows just beyond the stream.
    I turned, my muscles tense and on high-alert.
The man who spoke was tall and lean with dark tanned skin and hair
as black as night. His eyes gleamed almost white. He squinted at us
in the darkness, weapon drawn.
    "Jericho," Jackson said. "Old friend. Don't you
remember us? Denaer and Lazalea."
    It took me a moment to realize Jackson was
giving this demon their true names. I realized with a pain in my
heart that I had never heard his true name until this moment.
    Denaer. So much like his twin brother's
name. It sent chills through me, making me feel as if even after
I'd felt so close to him, there was so much I still didn't know
about him.
    The demon he'd called Jericho straightened, then
stepped closer, shaking his head. "It can't be," he said. "But you
disappeared years ago. We haven't heard a word from you in
ages."
    Lea moved to him, extending her hand. "Jericho,
don't tell me you've forgotten me already?" There was a sweet
coaxing to her tone that I'd never heard before.
    Jericho bowed his head to her. "Princess
Lazalea," he said, his voice cracking a bit on the words. "It's an
honor to see you again."
    "Thank you," she said. "But please, you don't
need to bow. We're the ones who have come here to ask a favor of
you. And I'm afraid we're in a hurry."
    Jericho's eyes searched the small group. His
attention flicked from Mary Anne to myself, not even trying to
conceal his distaste. "Human