Previously: Aurora’s parents had a hard choice to make, but they were willing to do anything to save their daughter. Aurora noticed weird things through the years leading up to her parents’ death on her graduation day.
Shortly later, Aurora finds out her life is nothing like she thought. She’s magical. And as she learns more, she finds a letter from her parents. Then, she encounters her first demon.
Episode 5: Fire! Fire!
After discovering Mr. Nightmare demon, I spent the next couple hours flipping through page after page of some pretty horrifying creatures. Apparently, everything I was scared of was real. Awesome, so much for thinking I just had an overactive imagination. Instead I was blessed with the curse of knowing. Now I know what you’re probably thinking, knowledge is power, right? I don’t know. I found out there are plenty of scary creatures that couldn’t be killed. They had to be vanquished, which apparently isn’t the same thing as killed.
I found out how to make a lot of potions that did a variety of things from vanquishing to curing the common cold. Although the cold one mentioned that if you did it wrong you’d die, so I thought I better hold off on that. The favorite thing I learned was that apparently my great-great-great-grandpa went to prison for killing a unicorn. Unicorns are sacred, and apparently real.
After I’d overloaded on information, I decided to go back upstairs. It certainly felt like I was living in some kind of weird nightmare that I’d wake up from. I cooked some lunch, and I decided to go watch some tv in the living room. I flicked on the tv only to find a show about the Salem Witch Trials. I got a weird feeling in my belly, so I quickly changed the channel. I settled on a nice rom com.
I’d been watching for maybe half an hour when all hell broke loose. A demon creature thing materialized in front of me. Yeah, I mean like it wasn’t there, and then it freaking was. I didn’t exactly understand how this was possible. The demon was rather human like in his features, but he had nasty scars all over his face, and his skin was a bluish-green color.
I’d jumped to my feet like that was going to help. Good thing I did too, because he threw a shiny orb thing at me, and when it hit the couch, it left a scorch mark. Pretty sure my chest wouldn’t have liked that. I turned and ran towards the kitchen doorway, but before I could make it there, the demon flashed around me and blocked my way. I started backing up as fast as I could.
I tripped over the coffee table as the demon reached for me, and I thought I was dead for sure. Then, he froze. I wiggled back real fast and looked at him. I didn’t exactly know what I was supposed to do with the demon. Well, Sammy had said she knew when someone needed her, so I yelled her name at the top of my lungs. Maybe it was the super good cat hearing or something.
A few seconds went by and the demon unfroze. He looked as confused as I felt, and he went to throw another orb thing at me. I threw my hands at him, hoping he’d freeze. He didn’t but my couch exploded with stuffing and flames. Well shit fire and save the matches, I’d made this situation much worse.
The demon ran at me, and I tried to blow him up. It didn’t work, so I just frantically shook my hands and arms at him. And you know what, that fucker laughed at me which made me really pissed off. I tried again and again and his arm blew off. He howled in pain and anger.
He dematerialized then, which was probably a good thing because I’d done nothing but wound him and piss him off pretty solid. I was looking at his arm on the floor when it disappeared. Oh boy was I happy about that because I didn’t know what to do with the arm otherwise. Then it hit me. MY COUCH WAS ON FIRE!
I ran to the laundry room and grabbed the fire extinguisher. When I got back in there, the flames had grown. I shook my hands at it hoping it would freeze, but I blew up the clock that was on the wall behind the couch, so I gave it up to a lost cause. I started spraying the extinguisher, and the flames were getting smaller and smaller.
About the time I was done, Sammy came running in through the cat door. She morphed right into lady Sammy.
“What happened?” she said with panic in her voice.
“A thing attacked me. Maybe a demon. Maybe something else,” I stuttered out in frustration.
“It blew up the couch and the clock?” she asked.
“No, I did. Sometimes when I shake my hands, things freeze. Sometimes they set on fire. And sometimes they explode,” I said. Panic was rising up in me. Sammy could tell. I must have looked a mess. She patted me soothingly.
“It’s okay. Let’s get you some tea.”
She led me back into the kitchen, and gently guided me into a chair. I collapsed and started shaking.
“How did you get it to leave?”
“I blew up its arm. I was trying to blow up him, but I just got the arm.”
“Well, you’re quite lucky he didn’t kill you. You must have natural ability, but you need to be trained. Now that you are a target, I’m afraid that this will happen again.”
“Trained at the school? My mom and dad left me a note in our credogrimoire.”
“Yes, at Mavericks. The new Dean wants to meet you, but I’ve been stalling since you didn’t know anything about the magical community. I thought you needed time to mourn before finding out.”
“Thank you,” I said in earnest. I couldn’t imagine how much worse it would have been had I learned about this the day of my graduation, the day they died. “I’m just so overwhelmed.”
She placed a cup of tea in front of me and patted me.
“Oh dear, you’re bleeding. Be back in a jiffy.” She struck off down into the basement. She came back a moment later and pulled a stopper out of the bottle she was holding. The liquid in it was lime green. She dropped a couple drips onto my arm, and then I gasped loudly. It hurt like hell! So much worse than the gash had.
She snickered as she sat it down. “Stings a bit, doesn’t it?”
“Yes...” I said grumpily.
“Well, looks at it now!”
I looked down at my arm, and I saw the gash fading away. Within seconds, you’d never know that it was there. “How in the hell does that stuff work?”
“Oh, soon enough you will understand it all, but this is far above your ability yet.”
I huffed a little. I was qualified to almost get killed by a demon thing, but not to make a freaking potion. Weren’t potions glorified soups with magical powers? “Fine. When will I learn?”
“As soon as they think you’re ready.”
“Who are they?” I asked, my interest piqued.
“They are the magical high council of witches and wizards.”
“So the equivalent of the Royal Family or the Presidential cabinet?”
“Yes, the cornerstone families always have members on the council.”
“My parents mentioned the cornerstone families in their letter.”
“Yes,” she said.
“How many are there?”
“Thirteen families. They are magical royalty. You are magical royalty. The difference is that in the magical community, royalty isn’t hidden away. They are protectors. They are rulers. They are actively engaged with the magical community. Some of the members even serve the sole purpose of protecting the community and less powerful witches and wizards.”
“Great. That’s definitely going to be what they want me to do. Just great...” I grumbled.
She giggled a little, but said, “You are nowhere near ready for that yet. Sleep soundly knowing that.”
“I might never sleep again. That demon thing materialized right in front of me. They don’t even have to use the door?”
“No, they shimmer, but we can get you some protective spells soon.”
“It was blue green! How do I know what type of demon it was?”
“Oh, you use your book, of course.”
“Oh, of course,” I snipped.
She shook her head sadly. “It will get easier. Let me show you.” She led me downstairs to the book, aka credogrimoire. As she opened it, I shivered. “Put your hands above it and picture the demon.”
I reached out and placed my hands above it. The book flipped with a sudden rustle of pages. I was suddenly looking down at a photo of the demon that had attacked me.
An electrical demon by the name of Crudo.