Hybrid Child

By Melissa Goldberg

Sixteen-year-old Celina was stressed out by the pressures of her life as a junior in high school. But that monotonous life of homework, SAT prep, and classes was all she wanted after she was kidnapped by a Demon King and dragged into a whole new world. Separated from her captor during the transportation process, Celina is left alone and helpless in a foreign and dangerous land. With newly formed allies, she sets out to discover why she’s been brought there and to solve the mystery of what makes her so sought after. She soon discovers that a power she wasn’t aware of has been within her, and not only is a Demon God interested in it, but so is an Angel God. And Celina, a mere human, is caught in a battle between the denizens of Heaven and Hell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melissa Goldberg
• Release date: Jul 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476297651

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Hybrid Child

Melissa Goldberg

Copyright 2012 Melissa Goldberg

Smashwords Edition

Cover Art by Idle Toil

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: The Mortal World

Chapter Two: The Demon World

Chapter Three: Stranded

Chapter Four: The Escape

Chapter Five: The Unlikely Trio

Chapter Six: The King of Asakar’Katir

Chapter Seven: The Human Seer

Chapter Eight: Traveling

Chapter Nine: The Palace of Erin’Crena

Chapter Ten: Angels and Assassins

Chapter Eleven: Fireside Chat

Chapter Twelve: Forbidden Meeting

Chapter Thirteen: Late Night Confessions

Chapter Fourteen: Accusations

Chapter Fifteen: Divine Intervention

Chapter Sixteen: Hybrid Child

Chapter Seventeen: Consequences

Chapter Eighteen: Hell Goes to Heaven

Chapter Nineteen: Aftermath

Epilogue: Royal Privileges

Chapter One: The Mortal World

Celina stumbled through the halls, looking just as zombie-like as the other teenagers shuffling their way toward their second period classes. She forced her eyes back open after a prolonged blink and pushed open the heavy library door.

Thank god she had decided to take a study hall her junior year of high school. She wasn’t normally the kind of student who opted out of an academic class for one that was referred to by most as Naptime 101, but her best friend Erika had talked her and their friend Adrienne into it, and Celina was very glad that she had. She truly believed that the teachers decided that from sophomore to junior year, the students miraculously developed the ability to function without sleep because they were assigning more work than ever. And adding that to the constant nagging of guidance counselors and parents to start looking into what colleges to apply to and her mother’s incessant harping about signing up for SAT prep classes because If you don’t get a good score on your SATs, you’ll never get into a decent college, it was no wonder that Celina felt like her head was about to implode.

She walked by the front desk and was about to head over to her usual table when she realized that she had yet to sign in on the attendance sheet. She took a few steps backward, not feeling motivated enough to actually turn around, and scribbled something resembling a signature next to her name. Her eyes slid down the paper to find her best friends’ names, but neither of them had signed in yet.

She wandered over to their customary table in the corner and flopped down to wait for them. She ran a hand through her hair, and then rested her head on her arms. It was at times like this that she wished she wasn’t too self-conscious to sleep in public. She could really use the rest. No matter how early she went to bed or how much she slept, she felt unnaturally tired. She would have been concerned that she was getting sick, but aside from the fatigue, she felt fine so she just chalked it all up to stress.

Other students started filtering into the library, and Celina straightened into a more dignified position. Some chattering girls passed by her table, and when Celina glanced over at them, one of the girls caught her eye and then quickly guided her friends a few tables away. Celina was rather accustomed to reactions like that; she had been told by more than one person that she came off as cold. Celina always wondered upon hearing that when independent had turned into cold, but she guessed that she gave off some sort of aura she wasn’t aware of.

Are you trying to kill Simon with your eyes?

Celina recognized Erika’s voice at once, and when she turned her head, her vision focused and her friend’s short fiery red hair, spiked with gel came into clear view. What?

Adrienne smiled at her from Erika’s right, and Celina could see that she was amused as usual at Celina’s obliviousness to her own behavior. You were, like, glaring at him.

Celina almost scoffed. I was not. My eyes just unfocused. I wasn’t looking at anybody in particular.

Adrienne and Erika sat down at the table with her, and Erika put her backpack on the graffiti covered surface in front of her. So time for the daily exchange of goods?

I have new manga. Celina and her friends had just joined in the craze of reading Japanese comic books about half a year ago, and while Celina had been skeptical at first, she was now the biggest fan of them amongst the three. She reached into her bag decorated with safety pins and buttons and pulled out two small volumes of manga. One’s a romance but it’s good, and the other is a fantasy one. Girl gets transported to a magical world, you know the story.

Erika and Adrienne agreed to each take one and switch afterward. Then Erika pulled out some CDs. I’ve got the newest Jimmy Eat World, and the much newer Fall Out Boy album.

Oh, man, so hard to choose which one I want first. Celina looked them over and then gave Adrienne a smile with slightly cocked eyebrows. Can I have FOB first?

Adrienne, being her laidback, non-confrontational self, easily agreed so Celina picked up Fall Out Boy album and hugged it a little. I’ll totally burn it to my iTunes this weekend and give it to you Monday. Or if you guys come over tonight for a movie marathon, I’ll give it to you then.

That would be cool. I want to do a Matrix marathon.

Celina nodded, feeling slightly more energetic now that she was discussing things she cared about instead of The Stranger which had been her hell of a first period English class. Yeah, good idea.

Adrienne reached into her backpack and pulled out a book and a Playstation game. "Okay, so we have a novel, Stardust, which was really good – I mean, Neil Gaiman so duh – and also Final Fantasy X, which I finally finished and one of you can now borrow."

Celina debated in her head. "I’ll take Stardust since you already have manga to read. Sound good?"

Erika nodded and they took their chosen goods from the table. Celina put the CD and book safely away in her backpack, and then pulled out her math text and notebook.

She stretched and the opened her textbook to the assigned homework. All right, here goes. You will not defeat me Pre-Calc; I shall have the last laugh!

Erika and Adrienne chuckled, and then all three giggled more when they heard the librarian shushing at them. Sometimes it still surprised Celina how comfortable she felt around her two best friends – well, in actuality, they were her only friends. She knew most of the people in her school, but she didn’t really talk to them much. More than anything, she tended to keep to herself. If Adrienne hadn’t asked to sit with her that day at lunch freshman year, she might never have made any close friends.

Knowing that third period was not as far away as she would have liked, Celina buried her head in her math book, tapping her pencil on the lined paper of her notebook as she read over the formula she’d need to solve the problems. Her brain couldn’t process this right now. She just needed a break from life here. It was too damn stressful.

****

During sixth period US History II, Celina started to get that imminent head implosion feeling again so she asked to go to the bathroom just for the chance to escape from class for a little while. She walked toward the second nearest bathroom to her classroom, taking the longest route possible, and passed by the windows that looked down into the school courtyard. She glanced down; the view of the sun-spotted sparsely green courtyard always lifted her spirits a little even if it made her feel more strongly than ever that she wanted to be outside and away from school.

That’s when something caught and held her attention. There was someone down there. That in and of itself wasn’t exciting enough to merit Celina pressing her face against the window and peering curiously downward, but the man – yes, it was definitely a man – was clothed rather bizarrely, and Celina couldn’t quite say why, but there was something foreign about him. He looked incredibly out of place there. He had long, rust-colored red hair gathered in a ponytail at his shoulder, and he could only be dressed for something like a Renaissance Fair clad in tall black boots and a stiff collared, impeccably lined coat reminiscent of earlier centuries. There was also something undeniably regal about him. He looked almost like he’d stepped out of an oil painting that should be hanging in an old palace somewhere in Europe rather than standing here in the courtyard of her high school in twenty-first century America.

He turned his head, and Celina couldn’t help but marvel at the delicate beauty of his features. He had such a feminine countenance and Celina would have assumed him to be a woman had it not been for the confident, masculine air that surrounded him. His bright – Celina almost wanted to say they were glowing – green eyes met hers, and when they did, Celina’s strength left her. Her knees wobbled and threatened to buckle, and when she tried to steady herself, she merely succeeded in falling to the ground with a yelp.

A teacher she had had freshman year, Mr. Preston, poked his head out of his classroom. When he saw her sitting sprawled on the floor, he rushed over to help her up.

Celina, what happened? Are you okay?

Celina shook off his hands as soon as she had her footing, and straightened out her school-issued plaid skirt and smoothed down her uniform’s jacket top. Yes, I’m fine. I just…someone was down there, and….

Someone was down where, Celina?

Celina felt so shaky that she almost wished she hadn’t pulled out of Mr. Preston’s supportive hold. In the courtyard. A man. With weird clothes. And he looked at me and…I don’t know. It was like all my energy left me.

There was someone outside? Not a teacher or a student?

Celina shook her head. No. A-A weird man.

Mr. Preston’s eyebrows furrowed, deepening the worry lines on his brow that never fully disappeared even when he was relaxed. Maybe you should go down to the office and tell them about this. The school gates are locked; no one but staff and students should be able to get in here.

Celina’s mind cleared a little, and the lunacy of her story started to weigh down on her. How was she supposed to say that she had seen a man who looked like he’d come out of an old painting hanging in the Versailles palace standing outside in the school’s courtyard? Now that she’d had a few minutes to think about it, she felt like she’d dreamed or imagined the whole thing. No. No, I don’t think it’s a pervert or a killer or anything. Maybe…maybe I’m just stressed out. And I’m seeing things.

Mr. Preston craned his neck away to glance out the window and then turned back to Celina. Well, no one is there now. Are you sure you don’t want to talk to someone? Maybe go to the nurse?

Celina shook her head. I’m fine. I’ll just go back to class.

He held out a hand toward her. I can walk you. My students are taking a test right now so-

No, Mr. Preston, I’m fine. Celina took a step back before he was able to put his hand on her arm. I can get back to class myself.

He seemed worried, but Celina remembered from freshman year that he always did. His class had been a lot of fun though. Freshman year classes still had fun activities and creative assignments. As Celina walked back to her AP History class, she sighed softly. Why did getting older have to suck so much?

****

Celina entered her home – a fortunate ten minute walk from school – thanking god it was Friday. She tossed her backpack to the side and walked into the living room. She fell face first onto the couch, keeping her combat-booted feet in the air and away from the fabric of the couch. She lowered them carefully so that the dirty soles were hanging safely off the arm, and groped around on the floor for the TV remote. She ran quickly through her parent’s work schedules in her head to figure out how long she had before they were home. Her mother had a case today so she’d be at the courthouse until late, and her dad said that since he had a presentation to prepare for, he’d be going out to dinner with his colleagues. Awesome, she’d have the whole house to herself for quite some time.

It used to bother Celina that her parents were always so busy with work, but now that she was a teenager, she actually really enjoyed it. Of course, she loved her parents and she knew she was lucky to have such good ones, but having her freedom and alone time, especially with the stress she’d been feeling the past three months, was a really nice perk to the two working parent household.

Celina flipped on the TV, but her cartoon-induced coma from reality had only started to take affect when the set fizzled out.

Oh come on!

She hit the power button on the remote three or four times, each time hitting it harder as though strength and anger would make a difference. Realizing she had no choice but to give up her comfy position on the couch, she half rolled off and half sat up, and after finding her footing on the floor, she marched over to the TV and crouched beside it.

"What did I ever do to you, TV? You have to break now?"

She tried hitting the power button on the television itself, but it refused to come to life. She banged on the side, wondering in vain if that might actually make a difference, but in any case, it made her feel a little better. Damn it, this is why she told her father that they needed to buy a new one, and those flat-screens at Best Buy had been on sale, but would he listen?

Don’t bother with that now. Let’s go.

Celina’s body reacted to the sudden, unfamiliar voice, but after that first jolt, she was absolutely frozen. There was someone in her house. She didn’t want to turn around, but she could almost feel someone coming closer from behind.

She swiveled around just as the man touched her arm. She got jerkily to her feet, yanking her arm from his cold, long-nailed hand. After a short moment of pure white emptiness, her brain registered his face and appearance.

You…you were at my school today! I saw you.

So you did. And now that We are sure you are the one We’re looking for, we must go. He reached out his hand again, but Celina recoiled from it and took two small hopping steps away from him, almost knocking the TV over as she did.

Her mind was spinning so fast trying to process what was going on that she was dizzy. What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere with you.

His delicate features twisted into an annoyed frown, and despite the beauty of his face, Celina found him quite terrifying. Seeing him so close, it was more obvious to her than ever that he didn’t belong to this time, this place, this world. It was like a character in color appearing in a black and white film. His posture and body language had the same regal feel she had sensed from him earlier, and his eyes, narrowed with irritation, made her heart thump hard against her ribcage in fear.

We don’t have time for this. Just come.

No!

His annoyed frown and furrowed brows clearly indicated his annoyance, but when he spoke, he was firm yet calm. They may be coming for you any minute. It is imperative that you leave with Us now. Do not make Us hurt you.

There was something odd about the way he was talking, but Celina’s mind wasn’t focused enough to pinpoint it. An accent? No, not just that; though there was a slightly indefinable accent on his words.

Celina felt suddenly sluggish as though she was slowly being drained of her energy. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be in shock.

"Uvari. You are emitting energy more clearly than ever. Come with Us. Now."

He reached out for her again, and this time, her reflexes weren’t fast enough to evade him. She stumbled a little, but the man’s – could he even be called a man? – hands held her tightly. She pulled against his grip, but he held her fast, nails that were more like talons pressing slightly into her skin through her uniform.

Now don’t try to get away. If we do not maintain body contact during the transportation process, we’ll be separated, and We won’t be able to help you.

Help me? You’re hurting me! She tried to yank her arms away again, but her body was fatigued and exhausted, and she was not strong enough. Her legs shook as though they could not bear to support the weight of her body. Let go! Please.

Celina’s mind screamed at her to do something useful. Kick him and run to the phone or scream for help, but her body did nothing. She felt herself growing weaker and weaker by the minute. What was he doing to her? She just wanted it to stop; she wanted him to go away; she wanted this not to be real.

The walls and objects of her living room began to blur and slide into one another, and pressure surrounded her on all sides. Was she passing out? She glanced over at her kidnapper, but he was still in perfect focus. She glanced down and saw nothing but blackness underneath her feet.

She twisted again against the man’s grip, and her legs kicked out into the abyss around her as though she was floating in water. Her home had completely disappeared. Her captor was perfectly still, breathing evenly with his eyes closed. Now was her chance; it was her only chance.

But she felt so tired. Her arms were limp and useless held aloft only by the man’s strong grip, and when she tried to kick her legs again, they merely shifted weakly underneath her.

She looked up at the man’s face and was angry that she ever thought him beautiful. Please. Please, just let me go.

Silence. We have to concentrate.

Why are you doing this? I want to go home. I can’t…I can’t breathe here. It’s like I’m falling, and I feel so tired. Please. I…. Her mind shut down as it did when sleep overtook her, and then it reactivated to wakefulness. But she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Through the blackness sliding into her mind and beginning to overtake her, she thought she could hear the man saying something, and then heat coursed through her body like tiny, burning needles stabbing her everywhere. Her muscles went completely tense, and she could no longer feel the talons poking into her skin. There was a howl of rage, and then Celina’s body gave into the darkness clouding her mind.

Chapter Two: The Demon World

The palace of the Melech of Kalu’Binai sat in the very center of its capital city, and any demon would admit that it was one of the most splendid palaces they’d ever seen, adding of course, that it was second only to their own province’s central monument. Melech Verashi al’Yinrya Kalu’Binai had been the ruler for many, many years. He had taken many wives, had many children, and employed many servants. Often the servants were confined to work only in certain areas