An Authorized Excerpt
Ally
stood in front of the house, staring up at it. Only the
attic light was on; the rest of the house stood dark. She
reached back into the car, popping open the glove
compartment to grab the heavy duty flashlight her father
insisted she keep there. She felt grateful for it now. She
didn't plan on waking the Masons to demand time with Daemon.
She
flicked the flashlight on, testing it. It cut through the
darkness. Ally trotted to the porch, hoping to find the door
unlocked. It was, so she pushed it open, trying to be quiet.
The door's hinges squeaked.
Ally
slipped inside, closing the door behind her. She swung the
flashlight around, peering into the living room on her way
past it. The beam of light glanced off the picture of young
demon-child Daemon. His malevolent, hate-filled stare caught
her attention. She almost screamed when she saw what looked
like fangs in his wide open, grinning mouth.
Ally's
heart jumped into her throat. He really didn't want her
here, did he? Funny, he had been so insistent before. Well,
parlor tricks weren't going to scare
her off.
She moved
forward with determination. The kitchen loomed on her left.
Ally glanced in. The shadows danced around her flashlight
beam, making the furniture look sinister.
She came
to the door at the end of the hallway and pushed it open.
The darkness here was complete; she couldn't even see her
own hand held in front of her face. Ally kept her flashlight
beam trained on the steps that rose up in front of her,
moving forward with caution. The door slammed behind her.
She
whirled, almost losing her grip on the flashlight, her hand
sweaty. She fumbled with it for a moment before regaining
control. Nothing stood behind her. Trying not to let her
fear overwhelm her, she turned back to the stairs. She
didn't like this one bit.
"I know
you're a demon," she called to the surrounding darkness.
"You don't have to scare me half-to-death." Her voice echoed
back to her, mocking her.
Ally
gasped and came to a stop at the sharp right turn. Bloody
footsteps appeared before her. They headed up the stairs in
the direction she was going. She placed her own foot next to
one, comparing sizes. The footsteps were a little smaller, a
woman's. Was this just another scare? She hoped it was an
illusion.
Ally kept
an eye on the footprints, not wanting to step on them.
Something below her creaked and she raced up the last few
stairs, throwing herself at the door that stood at the top
of the stairway.
It was
locked.
Fear
consumed her. She screamed and turned back to the groaning
darkness. The flashlight's beam bobbed crazily, revealing
slavering jaws and a demonic red-eyed gaze. She shrank back
against the door, shutting her eyes, not wanting to see any
more.
A moment
later she fell backward, caught up in strong arms that
lifted her into the attic room.
Ally kept
her eyes shut tight, tears leaking from beneath her lids.
She didn't know whether she was safe or not.
"I'm
sorry about that, Ally," Daemon murmured.
She felt
a soft surface beneath her. The strong arms disappeared. She
dared to open her eyes, her heart returning to a more normal
beat.
Daemon
looked down at her with concern. "You didn't tell me you
were coming."
Sweat
made her damp hair cling to her forehead. He brushed some
away, out of her face, his touch lingering. She didn't trust
herself to speak just then. She breathed deeply to calm
herself.
"What was
that?" she demanded once she got her breathing back under
control. She felt calmer now, in his presence.
He
glanced away, frowning. "This house is a hotbed for demonic
activity. When you were here before, I kept it at bay, but I
didn't know you were coming this time." He moved closer,
reaching out for her. She let him pull her into his arms.
"I'm sorry it scared you. If I had known you were coming, I
wouldn't have let that happen."
"I
thought you wanted me to stay away," Ally said, fresh tears
appearing. Something terrible could have happened to her.
She couldn't stop the shudder that racked her body.
Daemon
held her tighter, soothing her fears
