How I Dumped My Demon

By Elizabeth M. Darcy

Abandoned by her mother at a police station, Megan Stonebridge has no idea who she is or why a demon haunts her nightmares. When the dreams become a frightening reality, she questions her sanity. Putting her faith in a locket inscribed with ancient runes left with her by her mother, Megan must unlock the meaning of the runes before the demon drags her into the underworld. In fear for her life, Megan unknowingly casts a spell that summons a handsome warlock to help her dump her demon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Teen
• Release date: Jun 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781771308328

Elizabeth M. Darcy

Romance One Word at a Time Born in London, England and now living in Australia, Elizabeth spent twenty years in a small rural town before moving to the coast. She enjoys the thrill of writing romance and creates stories that will remain with the reader long after the final page.

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Published by Evernight Teen at Smashwords

www.evernightteen.com

Copyright© 2014 Elizabeth M. Darcy

ISBN: 978-1-77130-832-8

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: JC Chute

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

To Gary for bringing the magic into in my life.

HOW I DUMPED MY DEMON

Elizabeth M. Darcy

Copyright © 2014

Prologue

No, not again...please...not again. So cold. Megan’s breath came out in a rush of steam, and heart thundering in her ears, she gaped out the bay window. Through the gap in the open drapes, she could see the dark, angry clouds roll across the sky, obscuring the waning moon. Frost crept over the windowpane crackling into a crisp, floral opaque mass. Icy tendrils slithered down her spine as darkness smothered her in a shroud of terror. She buried her head beneath the blankets and squeezed her eyes shut.

He was here. So close, his familiar sweet scent, like that of violets, filled her nostrils and made her gag. Her throat tightened, cutting off a scream for help. Desperate to escape the room, she tossed the blankets to one side and forced her frozen body into action. Her legs twitched––unresponsive, heavy and paralyzed. Why can’t I move my legs? The hairs on the back of her neck rose and her teeth chattered. Out of the gloom, a pair of glowing, red eyes loomed over her and long, sharp nails caressed her cheek. She opened her mouth to scream, but not a sound escaped her lips. Blinded by terror, she pulled her head away from him and writhed, dragging her unresponsive limbs to the opposite edge of the bed.

She had to get away.

Drawing in another deep breath, she tasted violets on her tongue and forced out a whisper. What...d-do y-you want?

Laughter, deep and rumbling, rolled over her from every side, the chill in the room making every breath a cloud. Megan searched the gloom. Where are you? Why are you doing this to me?

Nothing, not one word, came from the darkness.

Before she could take another breath, the moon burst from behind a racing storm cloud, sending a ghostly blue hue streaming through the bedroom window. Shadows danced across the room in a procession of hideous gargoyles. One remained, still and menacing. Megan gasped and her breath caught in a scream at the sight of a tall figure at the foot of the bed, face concealed by a long, hooded cloak. One long, pale hand stretched toward her, palm up, and an index finger beckoned.

A deep voice crooned inside her head. "Come with me and you’ll never be alone again. You need me, Megan."

Megan gaped at him in horror. No! I won’t go with you. Help! Kate, help me!

"No one can hear you but me, Megan."

Lightning flashed, and in that millisecond of bright light, she glimpsed the cloak-shrouded face with its long, aristocratic nose and black, empty eyes. Struck dumb with fear, Megan clawed at the mattress in an attempt to scramble away. Sheets tangled around her legs like boa constrictors. The bed tipped, rocking from side to side and she clung to the bedrail—lifting to her knees. Under her, the mattress softened into a pit of quicksand, sucking her down, dragging her closer to his outstretched hand. Her eyes widened in terror, and she opened her mouth in a silent scream. Somebody help me.

As clouds obscured the moon again, the room plunged into inky blackness. Desperate to escape, she fought against the invisible bindings. A little further and she would reach the light and expel the demon. She opened her mouth again, trying desperately to drag air into her lungs. Kate! Heeeeeeeelp meeeeeeee.

"You know you belong to me, but I can wait." A deep voice echoed in the far reaches of her mind.

She shook her head in denial. "You c-can’t have me. I’ll n-never go with you."

The suffocating numbness vanished in the whisper of his words and she lunged for the bedside lamp, fumbling for the switch. The light bulb burst into life, blinding her with its brilliance. Cold and soaked in sweat, she kicked off the covers, leapt from the bed, and ran to flip the switch on the wall by the bedroom door, flooding the room with light.

No man stood beside her bed, no sickly smell of violets filled her nostrils—nothing. She glanced around the room, searching every corner. Everything was just as she had left it. A pile of clothes fresh from the dryer overflowed the small chair, spilling on the floor. Four pairs of shoes lay amongst the jeans and tops she had planned to wash. On the nightstand, a cell phone rested in the charger beside a pile of candy wrappers and a pizza box. She wiped damp hands on her pajama pants and, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, moved toward the window. Outside, a midnight sky sparkled with a million stars and a summer breeze disturbed the treetops. Slumping against the wall, she grasped the golden locket hanging from her neck.

It was just another bad dream—a very bad dream.

The following morning, Megan pushed the nightmare to the back of her mind and strolled into the old, country style kitchen of the small house she shared with Kate. The delightful smell of bread toasting filled her nostrils and her stomach growled in appreciation. She took the offered, blue and white striped mug of steaming coffee from her friend and sank into a kitchen chair. Tracing the grain in the wooden kitchen table with one finger, she stared into space and her mind flooded with images of demons. She shuddered. Forgetting the dream wouldn’t be easy.

Well, don’t you look great this morning? Kate narrowed her caramel gaze then turned back to the stove and stirred the eggs. If you’re coming down with the flu, don’t breathe on me. I can’t afford to miss work.

Megan sipped her coffee and sighed. I’m not ill. I had another bad dream, that’s all.

Want some eggs?

Yeah, thanks. I’m sorry. I know it was my turn to cook breakfast. I’ll cook dinner—okay?

"So we’re having pizza again tonight? Kate turned and pushed one finger down her throat. You know, you could learn to cook or try something else. Instead of spending all your time on Facebook, you should watch some celebrity chef shows." She pushed more bread in the toaster, and turned to slide a plate of golden, scrambled eggs and buttered toast across the table.

Megan grinned. She bought great pizza—and toast was her specialty. Sure, and if you promise to cook meatloaf tomorrow, I might buy some of that frozen garlic bread on the way home from work. With the dreams I’m having lately, it might keep the vampires away.

Kate pushed a strand of ebony hair behind one ear and slid into the other chair. Vampires? With one brow raised higher than the other, she threw Megan a confused look. Oh yes, blood-sucking vampires are the flavor of the month. You shouldn’t let those shows go to your head.

Amused at her friend’s attitude, Megan chuckled. "Yes, mom."

"No seriously, it’s not normal for you to have bad dreams every night. Kate pointed at Megan with a fork. Maybe you need to see a shrink.

Megan bit into a slice of toast, chewed slowly, and then washed the mouthful down with coffee. Like I can afford a shrink. Right now, I would find it difficult scraping up enough cash for Tylenol. Maybe I have a brain tumor or something. I’ll Google ‘bad dreams’ when I get home tonight—that’s free.

So, are they always the same? Kate reached for her coffee. Her long fingers tipped with