Night Witch (Book 1) ✔️

Prologue

There was a slamming door and the scrape of a lock twisting shut as the girl picked herself up from where she'd been thrown on the floor. She scowled as she brushed herself off, still keeping the tears at bay.

Stupid. She'd been so stupid! She'd answered the question wrong. But dates and names always got so jumbled in her head. She should have known though. Grandmother never accepted weakness or stupidity.

Her punishment wasn't bad this time though, she'd just been locked in the library. It was one of her favorite rooms in the sprawling mansion even though there wasn't anything fun here. There were books though. And books would mean she could answer Grandmother's questions and maybe she'd even be let out in time for a small dinner. She'd have to answer all the questions right though.

She hurried over to the bookshelves and started reading the spines. At 8 she couldn't reach the top shelves but there were enough books on the lower ones she should be able to find something on the late Veronic period of the Lower Realms. It had been a few thousand years ago so she looked for the oldest books in the library.

She felt panic rise as she completed a circuit of the room and there was nothing. All of the books she'd been assigned to memorize had been left in her room. She couldn't find any history books on the Veronic period here - not even ones on the Middle Realms.

She crumpled and hugged her knees to her chest trying her best not to cry. Grandmother would know if she did. And she hated crying. The punishment would be worse than not knowing the answer to a history question. Perhaps even being locked in the basement with Grandmother's magic.

She sniffled and pounded on her forehead as she frantically thought. There were no books. She couldn't discover the answer. The only people who would know were dead or demons.

Her head flew up at that thought. Demons. Grandmother always said she should be using her powers as a Dark Witch more. Dark Witches could summon demons and if she summoned an older one they might know the answers she needed.

She leapt to her feet and ran to the corner of the room where the demon books were stored. She pulled them down and frantically flipped through looking for dates and names. The last book fell to the floor and she almost gave up before she realized there was another book bound in old leather one shelf up that looked old enough to have demons who might remember the Veronic period.

Very carefully, knowing she was in for a beating if she destroyed the shelves, she used the lowest shelf as a step and stretched for the book. It came tumbling down and she had to scramble in order to catch it from falling. Panting with nerves, she carefully opened the cover, the spine crackling as she pried it open.

She skimmed through half of the book when she found a demon that would work. Hepshentus, a female mid level demon, had been born one hundred years before the Veronic period and reading the small biography revealed she probably wouldn't eat children. The her summoning also didn't require much which was good considering library had very few supplies.

The child ran over to the small cupboard in the opposite corner and smiled as she found a small silver dish and a few sets of herbs as well as a tiny, sharp knife. She grabbed her supplies and ran back to the book before carefully laying out what she needed.

The book had a small picture of the summoning circle she'd need if she wanted to keep the demon somewhat secure but without access to a full spell cupboard she had to use her own blood to draw it. Hefting the book with her left arm, having to hold it in the crook of her arm because of it's size and weight, she held the knife in her left hand and cut a deep line down her index finger on her free right hand.

Grimacing at the pain, she did her best to copy the drawing on the smooth hardwood floor. The blood dripped and splattered so after she'd done the outline she ran her finger through it all to smooth out the line. The blood was slowing now and she had to cut it again to make it flow in order to put the runes in the correct corners of the octagon she'd drawn.

Finally done, she plopped down and sucked on her finger all the while glaring at the book. It wasn't really the book's fault but she needed something to blame for the pain and slightly woozy head. She carefully removed the ribbon used to pull back her hair and wrapped it around her wounded finger.

With the blood work done, she hauled the book back to her supplies and carefully mixed together three of the herbs on the silver platter. She hurried back to the cabinet and pulled out two candles. No lighter in sight.

Muttering under her breath she snapped to help generate heat and green demonic flame leaped to life in her palm. She grinned, not yet able to get it to work every time, and carefully heated the bottom of one candle so she could stick it to the platter before extinguishing the flames by closing her palms. Once done, she stepped cautiously into the octagon and around the runes to set the platter in the circle.

Stepping out, careful not to smudge any lines, she point at the candle and muttered another incantation. She frowned and had to try three times to get the candle lit before she picked up and lit the second candle.

With a deep breath, she looked down at the book and memorized the short summoning incantation. She began walking around the octagon and repeating the incantation, careful not to skip or misspeak any words. On her fifth circle, she turned and walked once around in the other direction. Finally back where she started, she held the candle and spoke.

"I, Cassandra Weir, summon thee Hepshentus to speak with me today." She furrowed her brow and thought hard about what she needed. She imagined her intention flowing through the portal to the Demon Realm and following the thread that the summoning had made to the demon Hepshentus.

Then she waited. And waited. And... Waited. Just as she was getting worried, the line of blood erupted into huge green demon flames. She almost dropped the candle but managed to catch it as a tall, dark haired man materialized behind the curtain of flame.

"You're not Hepshentus." It was the only thing she could think to say.

The man looked down at her with concern. "And you didn't take care to be sure only she could answer your summon. I thought to come play with the mage who had made such an error but you are a child. Tell me, why do you summon a demon alone?"

Cassandra grit her teeth and glared back. "Not any demon can answer a specific summons. Why can you?"

The demon who looked like a human man stared at her for a brief moment before he began to chuckle. "I see you weren't joking when you sent your intention to learn."

"No. I need help with demon history and Hepshentus is old enough to know the answers. Are you?"

The man's grin split his face in a frightening way. "Yes, little human, I am older than Hepshentus."

That started to worry the girl. She didn't recognize this demon but most of the very old ones were very powerful. Tear through a ward constructed for a different demon and eat a witch powerful.

She gulped and held her candle close to her chest. Maybe she should just blow out the candle to send him back and deal with Grandmother's punishment. No, better to die quickly if this demon decided he'd like to eat her. She took a shaky breath and tried to look stern.

"I summoned Hepshentus to answer some questions about the Veronic period. Would you be willing to do that?"

The demon looked puzzled. "You're learning demon history?"

She nodded.

"Why? You witches have shunned us for a thousand years."

Cassandra blushed and then felt her fear grow. She fidgeted and she had to look away before she answered. "I'm a Dark Witch."

The demon froze and when she peaked back his face was frozen in disgust and rage. "You are Seraphina's whelp?"

She carefully nodded. "She's raising me."

She waited for a long moment. "So, will you help me?"

The demon narrowed his eyes and stepped to the very edge of the protective circle. "What will you do if I say no?"

She gulped. "I'll send you back and try again for Hepshentus."

But a little better next time. She thought.

The demon frowned at her. "You'd try again?" She nodded and the demon took a good look at her before nodding once. "Very well then, ask me your questions."