Demon Princess #4: Reign Storm

Chapter 1

Once upon a time, I followed the rules.  

I did what I was told. I read the instructions, I looked both ways before I crossed the road, I rarely got in trouble at school or at home. And I tried very hard not to lie.  

Times had changed. And while some of my recent lies had come back to bite me, I'd only told them to try to help someone or keep someone safe. But now the lying was over. It was finally time for the truth. 

However, when it came to rules -- some were definitely meant to be broken. 

After kicking me out of the Shadowlands when I told him the truth about Michael (a truth that had caused a whole lot of trouble!), I was certain my father wanted me to stay away where it was "safe." This was his version of grounding me for my own good. But after seeing what I had using Dread's magical "see what's happening inside the castle without actually being there" rock, there was no way he could keep me out for long. 

Unfortunately, as motivated as I was to get to that ultra-valuable truth, the last few days had seriously exhausted me. Even with the help of my dragon's tear bracelet, I couldn't open a porthole to the Shadowlands no matter how hard I tried. 

Let's just say, instead of breaking down into a deep watering hole of tears, I got angry. Horns popped, but I didn't shift all the way to Darkling form. And I...may have punched my bedroom wall really hard. Not hard enough to do any damage -- at least not to the wall itself. But now my hand felt like one big throbbing bruise, which only made me angrier. 

I needed to see my father. I needed him to tell me if he'd taken Michael's amulet away as punishment for sucking out some of my energy. But I was fine. I had plenty of energy to spare! 

"Calm down," I told myself over and over. "Calm...down." 

Once I did just that, the horns retreated into my cranium with the non-delicate feel of a band-aid being ripped off an eyeball. Then I got really sleepy. 

I warily eyed the door, expecting my mother to burst in at any moment, demanding to know about all the noise was about. But nothing happened. 

The Shadow book lay on the floor next to the bed where I'd dropped it after reading Beasley's message over and over again until my eyes stung. 

"Fine," I mumbled. "I'll get a hour of sleep, then I'll try this again." 

With that in mind, I crawled into my bed, my heart pounding hard, my mind swirling with all sorts of horrible scenarios and outcomes. Before too long, though, I drifted off into a surprisingly dreamless sleep. 

It didn't feel very long at all before I jerked awake, sitting up so quickly my stomach muscles cramped. 

Sunlight blazed through my window. 

"What time is it?" My gaze shot to the alarm clock which read 12:20. 

Crap! I'd slept for over twelve hours! 

"No, no no." I scrambled out of bed, my feet getting tangled in the sheets. There was a note taped to the inside of my door. 

You were snoring so loudly, I didn't want to wake you. Get your rest because after I get home from the grocery store, we're having that talk about your father. -- Mom 

I decided to ignore the part about me snoring, since that was just rude.  

The view from my window showed the snowy driveway absent my mother's car. I had no idea how long I had before she returned.