Daughter of a Demon

CHAPTER TWELVE - Dawn

CHAPTER TWELVE

Dawn

Betrayal washed over me like a rush of cold water. It burned in my stomach and made my muscles itch.

But another emotion overcame me. One I had not experienced in a long time. I was afraid.

"I am sorry Ceres" Ira shifted wearily.

Fear pulsed through me like the blood in my veins. It seared its path through my body and sent my brain into overdrive.

How could Caneo do this to me? She told me she and my mom were friends. Or was that just another lie?

"Ceres, we have to leave now" Ira watched the trees constantly as if they could hear us.

Maybe they could.

"Why?" I knew why but I wanted to pretend that this hadn't happened. That I could go back and laugh at the silly things Lulu does and have long walks in the forest with Chet.

But most of all, I wanted Caneo to comfort me and tell me that all this wasn't true. Even though I never really trusted her, she was the closest thing I had to a mother and without her I'd be dead.

"You can stay if you like" She began to walk off, "I only came to help you because your father asked it of me"

I looked down at the muddy remnants of my shirt lying by my feet and jogged after her.

"Couldn't he come to fetch me himself?" I puffed large billowing clouds of tender white breath.

Ira chuckled as we walked side by side, "If he did, Luna would kill him"

"Why?" Cool mud oozed in between my toes and I shivered from a lone breeze, "What does she want with me?"

Her voice hardened, "I don't know but we'll find out soon enough"

We walked in silence after that and all that could be heard was the rhythmic sound of our breathing in the silent forest.

Mist crept around the trunks of the trees and hung in the air like a plague.

"Where are we going?" I asked through chattering teeth. The cold evening air had begun to seep into my bones and being topless and sopping wet didn't help at all.

"A temporary home" Ira stopped and turned to stare at me, "You're cold"

No duh.

"Don't worry my brother will be joining us soon" She smiled with confidence and continued walking.

Why would that help?

I hurried after her, partly stumbling because I had my arms crossed over my chest for warmth, "You have a brother?"

She smiled in amusement, "Yes. He is quite the show-off"

I didn't know of any  Demons being related to each other. Caneo must have told me at some point during one of her long history lessons. But for some reason the memories slipped from my grasp and fled my brain.

I was too tired to think about it. I was too tired to even think.

A headache throbbed inside my skull and pressed against the backs of my eyes.

"How long 'til we're there?" I walked barefoot by her side and watched her long braids shift and writhe across her shoulders.

Ira threw back her head and laughed a throaty laugh that startled a pair of crows.

They laughed along with her and flapped their large ebony wings in a blur of black feathers.

She spread out her arms in a wide gesture, "We're here already!"