Releasing the Demons: Solarian Chronicles II Read online

  Mallory Anderson

  Releasing the Demons

  Solarian Chronicles II

  First published by Mallory Anderson 2021

  Copyright © 2021 by Mallory Anderson

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

  First edition

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  To my family, who continue to put up with my obsession with a computer screen, and who deal with the fact I don’t call near as much as I should. I love you all!

  To the musicians I’ve mentioned within these pages, I can’t thank you enough for all the inspiration you’ve given me over the years!

  We humans fear the beast within the wolf because we do not understand the beast within ourselves.

  Gerald Hausman

  Contents

  1. As Seen In Dreams

  2. Lovestruck Demons

  3. Truth Be Told

  4. Scars of History

  5. Dragons, Demons, and Elves (Oh, My!)

  6. Traitors

  7. Mind Games

  8. Homecoming

  9. Myths of Impossibilities

  10. Angel Feathers and Demon Eyes

  11. Swords and Arrows

  12. Genetics and Musicology

  13. High School Bullshit and Dark Betrayal

  14. Not Your Typical Friday Night…

  15. Brotherly Un-Love

  16. Releasing the Demon Within

  17. Weathering the Storm

  18. Elvish Fights and Zombie Demons

  19. The Awakening

  20. A New Beginning

  21. Confessions and Going Home

  22. A Wolf’s Confessions

  23. Graduation…Again

  24. A Family Reunion

  25. Back to the Music

  26. Revelations and Questions

  27. Night Flight

  28. Revelations

  29. The Best Halloween Ever

  30. The Newest Wolf

  31. Song of Sorrows

  32. A Wolf’s Sorrow at Dawn

  33. Sorrows of the Soul

  34. (If I Could) Turn Back the Hands of Time

  35. Unexpected Memories

  36. Unsettled Spirits

  37. Here We Go (Again) And Other Untold Lies

  38. Brotherly Un-Love (Reprise)

  39. Dragon Flights and a White Christmas

  40. And the World Will Turn to Ash

  And Then, It Ends

  Also by Mallory Anderson

  One

  As Seen In Dreams

  Mickala grimaced, feeling the sweat already forming on her forehead and beginning to run down her back as she climbed into the back of the large Escalade to go to a plant nursery with her mom and stepdad, Michelle and Travis Scott. It was mid-June in Miami, and the humidity already felt like it was trying to crush her. She was visiting from Milton, Georgia, a small town about half an hour north of Atlanta. Thinking of Milton made her think of Victor, and she laughed to herself, knowing he was more than likely bored to death of meetings.

  She looked up at her mother and smiled to herself. People didn’t understand the extraordinary bond they shared, considering how Victor had adopted Mickala not long after she’d been born. It had an open adoption, however, and Michelle had always been a part of Mickala’s life. Michelle had lost Mickala’s father, Kristopher, just weeks before Mickala had been born, and it threw her down into such a deep depression, she knew she’d be in no shape to take care of Mickala. She’d only just married Travis, and although happy with him, she still missed Mickala’s father very much.

  Mickala was still trying to get the hang of things here, though. After Victor had adopted her, they lived in England from the time she was six months until just about three years ago, when they moved to Georgia, and she was constantly amazed at the many stark differences between the two countries.

  Travis and Michelle were talking about the plants and flowers they were getting, but Mickala wasn’t really focused on their conversation. She was too busy trying to piece together the strange dream she’d had the night before. She couldn’t remember exactly what it had been about, but the two men in it she felt would somehow be very important to her life. The first was shorter, with spiky black hair, crystal blue eyes, and an arrogant smirk. The second was taller, with blue-black hair falling way past his shoulders, dark green eyes, and a small scar on his left cheek. There was something about them in general, and the second man in particular, which seemed to call to her very soul.

  Eventually, she gave up on the dream, shaking her head as they pulled out of the driveway and headed into the city. As they began getting closer to the nursery, she felt something like a pull forming deep inside her, as if there was suddenly a compass inside her stomach, but it was one she had no idea where it was pointing. The pulling sensation kept increasing in intensity, becoming even painful, and Michelle glanced back when her daughter shifted in her seat, but Mickala was staring out the window, her forehead wrinkled.

  ***

  Just when Mickala didn’t think she could handle it anymore, they pulled into the parking lot of the huge nursery. By now, she was having a hard time even breathing, like there was some invisible force sitting on her chest. They all got out, and while Michelle and Travis went into the office, she walked along the gravel paths, still being drawn, to the back of the property. She couldn’t stop her feet from moving, propelling herself forward, and she was feeling more than a little frightened. When she reached the last area, she could see the wooden fence, and the pulling sensation vanished, and she was back in control of her own body. The only thing she could think of was a GPS voice in her head saying, ‘You have reached your destination.’

  She saw someone standing with their back to her, hands in their pockets, long black hair pulled back into a low ponytail. The sun was glaring down on them, and she saw the blue tints embedded deep in their hair. Mickala froze, her eyes wide, as she realized not only was the person a broad-shouldered man, but also the pull she’d been feeling seemed to come from him. A pull on her wasn’t the only thing this man was emitting. Powerful waves of energy radiated from deep inside him, raising the fine hair on her arms and the back of her neck. The man didn’t move a muscle to indicate she was there as she came closer. That’s when she saw an uniquely colored flower on the end of the table next to him. He seemed content to ignore her light footfalls crunching the gravel, staring off into the distance, even as she came up behind him.

  He still didn’t move as she made her way over to the plant, and she felt the blood red and white petal, its softness like velvet. That’s when she felt eyes on her. She glanced up, but the only sign he’d been looking at her was the slight sway of his l
ong hair on a windless day. Her lips twitched up in a faint smile, then movement on the ground caught her attention. There was a small lizard trying to climb up the steel table leg, but he wasn’t having much luck. It didn’t take her long to see why. He only had three legs, and she assumed a cat or a bird had more than likely made off with the forth. She knelt, being careful not to scare it, laying her hand flat on the ground.

  After a few minutes, the lizard climbed up, and she straightened, cupping her hand so it wouldn’t fall off. She laid it flat on the table, but the lizard seemed content to just relax and catch his breath for a few seconds. His tiny rib cage rose and dropped, and she laughed under her breath as the creature’s flicking tongue tickled the inside of her palm. She felt the man’s eyes on her again, but she ignored him this time. Finally, the lizard scurried off, but it turned to look back at her for a few seconds before disappearing among the planters.

  A quiet laugh rumbled from beside her. “It’s almost as if he was saying ‘thanks for the lift’.” The voice was quiet, but she heard undertones of the same significant power she’d been feeling.

  Mickala looked up, and she was just barely able to keep a straight face as a pair of dark green eyes met hers. She couldn’t remember ever seeing a pair of eyes that green before. But that wasn’t what shocked her the most. What made her heart race was the fact the man standing in front of her was literally the man of her dreams, down to the scar on his cheek. His hair was the color she’d kill to have, the kind of deep black that turned dark blue when the sun hit it a certain way. It only took her a quick second to recover, and he didn’t seem to realize anything was off, so she smiled. “Maybe. I guess we’ll never know.” She held her hand out. “I’m Mickala Clarkson.”

  ***

  The man took it, surprised by the strength in the girl’s grip. “I’m Aiden Miller. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mickala.”

  “Likewise.” She tilted her head to the side. “You don’t sound like you’re from Florida.”

  He gave a surprised laugh, and the feeling the sound caused amazed her. “I’m not. I’m from Colorado, but it’s a lot closer to Florida than where you sound like you’re from.”

  She laughed. “Touché. I just moved back from England.”

  “And you ended up here, how?” he asked, beginning walking her around the enormous complex without really thinking about it.

  “Well, technically, I was born in America, but I moved to England when I was a baby. We just moved back about three years ago. I’ve got dual citizenship now, and I’m living in Georgia. I’m visiting my mom and stepdad during the summer. What about you?”

  “It’s complicated,” he said.

  She smiled. “I’m pretty sure I can keep up.”

  He just shrugged. “I was a foster kid growing up, so I got bounced around a lot. When I was in junior high, there was a friend I got close to, Zach Miller. His parents eventually adopted me. A couple of years later, he was at basketball practice, and our father went to pick him up. On the way home, they hit a patch of black ice, and they went through a guardrail into the lake. By the time help arrived, it was too late,” he said.

  She laid a gentle hand on his arm. “Miami makes perfect sense.”

  He nodded. “There’s no ice.” He shook his head, attempting to dispel the sudden somber mood. “Actually, though, I’m getting ready to move to Georgia soon myself.”

  “Really? Where?”

  “Um, Milton? Well, it’s part of Alpharetta,” he said. “Have you heard of it?” He took three or four steps before he realized she wasn’t beside him anymore, and he came back to her. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m well acquainted with Milton. It’s where I live.”

  “No kidding?” he asked, his eyes wide, and she shook her head. “And you go to the high school there?”

  “Well, there’s two of them. There’s Milton, and there’s Cambridge,” she said. “I’m a senior at Cambridge. Which one are you going to?”

  “The same one,” he said, laughing. “I guess it’s a small world after all.”

  “Maybe,” she said, her face thoughtful. “What about your mom? She owns this place, right?” Aiden nodded. “Why would she just sell it and leave?”

  “She’s staying. I’m moving by myself.” He saw her confusion, and he smiled. “It just feels like something I should do. I don’t know why. Besides, I’m eighteen, and this place is my mom’s thing. I just came today because she asked me to.”

  Mickala laughed. “My mom did, too. She and Travis, my stepdad, love gardening. They probably have the biggest garden in Miami that doesn’t belong to the government. Honestly, I’m surprised we haven’t met before today. Mom and Travis seem to be here more than they’re at home. Especially during this time of year. But, like you said, it’s their thing, not ours.”

  “So, when did your parents separate? You said you live with your father in Milton?”

  She shook her head. “They didn’t divorce,” she said, her voice sad. “My biological father died just a couple of weeks before I was born. Mom suffered from severe depression afterwards, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to take care of me the way she should. The father I have in Georgia is the man who adopted me, Victor. He’s an Englishman who had just opened up a couple small little hotels here in the States.”

  His eyes widened. “Wait. You said your last name is Clarkson?”

  “Yes.” She sighed to herself, knowing where he was heading with this.

  “Victor Clarkson, as in Clarkson Hotels?”

  She nodded, a smile on her face. “That’s my father.”

  “His hotels are right up there with the Ritz and Hilton brand. They’re all over the world, right?”

  Mickala laughed. “He’s always been very business smart.”

  “Obviously. He’s one of the richest men on the planet.”

  Her face showed her obvious distress. “Just please, no Paris comparisons.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh at her frustration. “Deal.”

  ***

  They walked around for about an hour and a half, and they talked the entire time, jumping from subject to subject and back again. In reality, it almost scared her at how easy he was to talk to, how well they seemed to click. She hadn’t found anyone before him like that besides her adoptive father, her stepdad, and mom that she could talk to. They were still walking around, and Mickala couldn’t help but feel there was something strange about Aiden. It wasn’t anything on the surface, and God knew she found his surface extremely attractive, but there was something about him on the inside, starting with the power she could still feel flowing from him. They were about to go into a greenhouse, and she stopped him, laying a hand on his arm. She gasped at the raw energy she felt coursing just underneath this man’s skin. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.” He looked at her, waiting.

  She grew quiet, trying to think of a way to word her question without appearing to be insane, even though she was already confident about the answer. Finally, she just sighed and jumped right in. “I guess there’s no real good way of asking this, but I’m already almost positive of the answer.” She looked him right in the eyes. “There’s just something about you that’s not normal, Aiden. You’re not even human, are you?”

  Two

  Lovestruck Demons

  Aiden’s mouth dropped, and if the moment hadn’t been so serious, she would’ve laughed. He looked as if someone had just sucker punched him in the stomach. Finally, he released his pent-up breath in an explosive sigh. “How in the hells did you know about that?” he said.

  She shrugged, then was unable to help herself. He still had that dumbfounded look on his face, and she cracked up. For an instant, Aiden wondered if maybe she wasn’t a little crazy after all. “Let’s just say, I’m good at sensing stuff like that, and I can read? Feel? Your power. What are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I’m a demon,” he said, then laughed at her raised eyebrow. “We
’re not all scrunch-faced, horned, tailed ugly creatures.” He hesitated, thinking. “Okay, well, maybe there are some like that. I’m a fox demon, though.”

  She tilted her head again. “So, you turn into a fox and run around?”

  He laughed again, shaking his head, but he couldn’t believe the turn this conversation had taken. “Not exactly.” He looked at her. “You’re not scared?”

  “No. Should I be?”

  “Well, no, but, I’m a demon, and I think most people would freak out about that. They’d either think I was crazy, or they would believe me and run for the hills.”

  Mickala shrugged again. “Most, maybe, but believe it or not, I’ve seen a lot of things that would drive those same people insane.”

  “If you say so,” he replied, but he wasn’t sure. On the surface, he let the conversation drop, but he couldn’t stop glancing at the girl who had seen through a disguise that had taken him a very long time to build as if it had been nothing at all.

  On the outside, the girl seemed like any other human, if not abnormally pretty. She was tall and slender, and her legs seemed to have no end in their shorts, but she had amazing curves in all the right places. Her hair was long, dark brown with natural blonde highlights that shone like gold in the blazing sun, and her eyes were a killer sapphire blue which seemed to sparkle like the gemstone in the early afternoon sun. On top of all of that, she had a hellacious smile, a killer laugh, and just from the little he’d known her, she seemed very kind. He wasn’t even going to allow himself to think about that sexy as hell accent she carried.

  He gave a mental headshake. No matter how perfect she seemed, she was still only human. I’ve seen a lot of things… He couldn’t help but wonder what in the world she could’ve seen to make him being a demon so unimportant. For the first of what would end up being many times, he thought maybe she had a few secrets of her own. She may only be a human, but she’s damn sure an interesting one.