Witchcraft Rising [ONC 2020]

A Clue to the Demon

Knoxx gave an unnerved look. "It just seems so weird to share your body with a demon."

I looked over at him. "It's not weird, she's very useful in a fight."

Tenebris drifted over, causing Knoxx to yelp. "I am good at that, aren't I."

"Yes yes, but the rest of the time you're like this."

"Like what?"

"Annoying." She laughed darkly at the comment and drifted away to stare out the window, admiring something that fascinated her. Since the sun had gone down, no one would notice a moving shadow staring out the window of my room.

Knoxx shivered and closed the bag, slinging it over his shoulder casually. "Can she change forms?"

"She can also change into a tiny person. She was also what I was staring at the night you came over recently."

Knoxx stared wide eyed at me. "What did she do?"

"She punched my horse," I growled.

"You don't have a horse."

I opened my palm and summoned a miniature horse made of flames. It whinnied once, rearing up before dissipating in a wave of harmless fire.

"Oh, that horse. Right."

I laughed, pecking him on the cheek briefly before walking towards the dirty plates no one had removed yet and picked them up. "I'll return these to the dining hall and then come right back."

"I could go with you," Knoxx stammered.

"No need. Tenebris come here."

"I am not a trained dog that you can simply order around. I am a reign demon and I will kill Alkor one day and place his wings on my wall. You will respect me then when I sit on the Obsidian Throne, witchling."

"Mhmm, come here."

"Fine." She turned into a wisp and floated over to me. I held my arm out and she obediently dissolved back into my skin, settling into my core. It was unnerving how I had gotten used to her presence and magic in just a few days.

Knoxx had been gaping at me the entire time, and his jaw couldn't drop any lower now. "You just told a reign demon what to do and didn't get killed."

"Yeah, I did."

"That's amazing. I think I'm in love."

I let out a shaky laugh and headed towards the door, not looking at him.

The trip to the dining hall and back went undisturbed with no demons leaping out at me, so I was in good spirits when I returned ten minutes later.

Knoxx stopped pacing when I closed the door. I started. "You're still here? You can go back to your own rooms for now, you know."

He crossed the room to meet me halfway. "I know, but I was worried about you. Call it foolish since you have a reign demon guarding you, but I was still worried."

"Knoxx," I whispered softly. "I'm fine. Nothing happened. The cooks didn't see me when I snuck out a few pieces of fresh bread. See." I held up the bread wrapped in my cloak.

He let out a shaky laugh at that. "You really can not survive without bread."

"Have you met me?"

He smiled softly, so much emotion swirling in his eyes. He lifted a hand and tucked a strand of my blue-black hair behind my ear. "I have. I like you like this, when the Prophecy isn't weighing you down."