Are you insane?! Emily screamed.
The fire demon ignored her. Now, onward to the Alfreds’. Let’s teach them not to mess with The Owl again!
No! Emily mentally reached out to try and wrestle with the fire demon. The moment her mental hands touched him, her mind was seared with a hot flash of pain. She snapped back, screaming in pain. Her “hands” burned. If she could see them, they would have turned a deep crimson color from the fire.
The fire demon just laughed. Your time as The Owl is over! It’s time for the reign of the fire demon!
Emily was already in full-on panic mode. Was she going to remain The Owl forever? Was she always going to be controlled by a fire demon? How had she lost control so fast?
The fire demon ascended to a height of a thousand feet. He did a couple of revolutions around the cottage to get his bearings and to search her mind for information on the Alfreds and their house. Emily felt so violated as the intrusive fire demon snooped around her memory. When he was up to speed, he righted himself and made to go south.
“Fire Demon!” cried a loud female voice.
Emily felt the fire demon’s consciousness stiffen. Down at the house stood a frail, elderly-looking form. At this height, Emily had no trouble recognizing Aunt Anastacia. She looked different—like she had aged a hundred years. Her face was filled with wrinkles. Her body trembled with old age. Her hair had turned from its sunny red to a bright white color.
Her hands were raised to them, her fingers trembling, her lips tight, her eyes filled with fire and intensity. Dad stood beside her, ready to catch her if she fell. A walking cane leaned against the banister.
“Fire Demon!” Aunt Anastacia cried again. In spite of her strange oldness, her voice was full of power.
The fire demon, after taking one look at the old woman, turned their beak and shot away from the house.
“Stop!” Anastacia cried.
They barely made it a hundred yards before an invisible rope latched around The Owl’s beak. Immediately, their forward speed was shredded, and they were yanked backward.
Get off me! the fire demon screamed in panic, which manifested as a shriek from The Owl’s beak. An undignified squawk.
Emily would have laughed at the fire demon’s sudden helplessness if she wasn’t still terrified by the notion of being controlled.
The fire demon struggled for a while against the invisible chain, flapping its wings in fright. After a minute, they were yanked out of the skies and toward the house.
“Let her loose!” Aunt Anastacia called. The words carried a thunderbolt effect. A jolt of electricity blasted through the consciousness of the fire demon. Instantly, it slipped out of the reins, momentarily stunned, while Emily snapped back into control. As soon as she was back in control, Aunt Anastacia’s magic suddenly failed.
Emily allowed herself to fall toward the ground. At about ten yards from the ground, she transformed back to human and collapsed in a heap near the front porch.
6
Emily remained on the ground. Heart pounding in her chest. Mind racing. She tried to control her breathing, but it wasn’t working; she was having a panic attack, and she knew it. She wasn’t afraid to admit it to herself because she had good reason. Being trapped in The Owl’s body like that, she hadn’t thought she would ever make it out alive.
She wasn’t even sure how it had happened. One moment, she was in charge, and the next, the fire demon came out of nowhere.
Emily shut her eyes, listening to herself breathe. Her entire body shivered in fear. She was conscious of her dad’s presence and Aunt Anastacia’s figure looming over her on the porch. She was happy they didn't interfere with what she was going through.
Images flashed through her mind. Images of the horde of death being decimated by the fire demon. She relived every moment, second by second. She relived the frustrating moments she’d tried to take control. The fire demon had not only had a firm grasp of her body, it also had a way to keep her in line. It could hurt her or worse.
Emily opened one eye and peeked at her hand where the fire demon had seared her. Even though she could feel the residue of pain there, she saw no burn marks.
Emily’s thoughts morphed into anger.
“Emily—” Dad’s voice started.
“No,” Aunt Anastacia cut him off. Her voice was severely strained and warped. It was more like midway between someone hooked to a breathing machine and someone in the throes of a terrible respiratory collapse.
“Let her work through it herself,” Aunt Anastacia continued, picking each of her words with great labor. “When she’s ready, she’ll talk to us.”
“But we don’t have time.” Dad’s voice was tinged with anticipation. “The Alfreds are on their way, no doubt.”
“She’s within my boundary spell,” Aunt Anastacia replied almost casually. “It’ll take even the great Gregory some time to break the exterior defenses. We have time.”
“Do we really?” Dad didn’t sound convinced.
Anastacia didn’t reply.
Emily’s heart continued to boil in anger. Selena?
I’m right here, Emily.
Why the hell didn’t you do anything? Emily’s thoughts screamed at The Owl. The moment she did that, she regretted it.
She shut her eyes and sighed again, allowing her anger to course through and out of her. There was no need to be angry. All she had to do was figure out what happened and find a way to prevent it from ever happening again. That was all. No need to transfer her anger to Selena.
I’m sorry for snapping, Emily said. I just felt like you abandoned me out there. You allowed the fire demon to—
I’m sorry, too, Selena interrupted. I should have warned you about him. I just didn’t think he’d come to your
