Sympathy for the Demons (Promised to the Demons #1) - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,10

Don’t try to fight. I’m trying my best to keep you safe here, but I don’t have a lot of options. We can’t let the magical councils get wind of this yet. Once they do, they’ll come after my witch.”

I wonder if Bernard will try to attack Bevan’s witch, I thought.

I couldn’t believe my ordinary day had been transformed into all of this. I could just go home and forget it ever happened, instead of potentially facing my own warlock in a fight. But when I thought of leaving this lovely world forever, going home, and trying to explain all this to Mrs. Franch, only to hear her cry about how much I’d hurt her, and having to appease her with an elaborate cake…

My other option was volunteering for this first and impressing Bevan.

Suddenly it was an easy choice.

I lifted my head and piped up, “I’ll do it.”

I could see relief in Bevan’s eyes. This meant something to him too. “Thank you, Jenny,” he said. “I realize this takes some bravery. I’ll put myself on the line too. As soon as anything goes down, I’ll be there to help you. And I do know magic.”

“I’ll go too,” said the prairie dog. “Death would be better than going home.”

“Me too. I’ll fight for my life,” said the robin.

After that, everyone else agreed to go with increasingly impassioned vows to die for the cause of freedom. My heart was beating very fast. Is that what I’m signing up for now? To die for freedom? My life in St. Augustine wasn’t that bad…

But I still couldn’t bring myself to go home, where every day was the same, and I didn’t have anyone to talk to, or even anywhere to really stretch my legs in human form. It was like a prison.

“I’m bringing you into the Fixed Plane,” Bevan said. “Helena and her team are working on renovating a house. It has a large garden and I’d suggest you try to find a spot there to stay so you’re not in her way. Just keep watch over the premises. Otherwise you can hang out, make friends, whatever you want. Sound good?” He clapped his hands. “Oh—and I’ll grab some food too.”

I wished Bevan would notice me a little more, but I knew there was no reason he should pay any attention to me above the others, especially in toad form. I didn’t know what his animal form was, but I supposed a strong man like him must change into something magnificent.

He filled a couple of sacks with food and then, in a flash, we were brought into the Fixed Plane in the living room of a large house with huge glassy modern windows. It was the largest room I’d seen in my life outside of a magazine, not that this was saying much. A lovely blond witch in a dusty t-shirt and black jeans walked up to him. “Bev! Whoa. So all these familiars showed up at your house?”

“Yeah. I get the feeling there will be more, so I want to stay back to greet them too. I’m running my own little Ellis Island, thanks to you. So, everybody, meet my witch, Helena.”

“Nice to meet you!” Helena said. “Sorry it isn’t under better circumstances. I had no idea that wizards could mistreat their familiars. That’s so wrong. We’re going to do everything we can to help.”

“They’re all going to stay in animal form so they don’t get in your way,” Bevan said. “But they’ll just keep sentry around the house and if you run into trouble, they all will fight.”

“We’re so grateful for the assistance,” Helena said, but she was looking at us like she wasn’t so sure we would be any use in a fight. She wasn’t stupid. I couldn’t imagine I would be very much use in a fight.

Especially if Bernard shows up. As soon as he sees me…I’ll have to go back.

I knew I could never say no to Bernard. He had a powerful hold over me, whether I liked it or not.

“I just hope we’re of some use,” said Grady, the skink. “I know we’re a pretty pathetic group of familiars.”

“Don’t doubt yourselves. Don’t ever listen to the people who tell you you’re pathetic!” One of the men working on the house with Helena stepped into the conversation and he seemed completely impassioned even though he didn’t know us at all. “They’re wrong. I truly believe that when we all pull together, we can make a difference. Nothing that has