“And that thwarts that plan…” Aunty Ri murmurs. “So, you’re definitely a hybrid, and if you get a wolf, you might justbe the first-ever tribrid?”
Mama smiles, although her eyes are full of concern.
“Is that even a word?” she asks before coming over to me.
“Anything is,” Aunty replies dismissively.
“What else can we try?” I ask. I don’t care if I’m a hybrid, tribrid or whatever! I just want these powers gone!
“There’s… nothing more. Demons are not really of this world. Their magic-”
“Is like all the other monsters we see…”
“Well, demons aren’t really monsters, more a-” I cut Aunty off.
“So, it won’t work?” I ask.
“Hey, I know having a lot of power is a curse as much as it is a blessing, but with some training, you’ll manage it.” Mama tries to console me, her confidence only making me feel worse. “You can do this.”
“No, I don’t want it! Can’t Ahren do anything? He’s a demon hybrid! He is definitely stronger than me!” I cry out in desperation.
Mama looks at Aunty Ri, who nods. “I’ve told him to come. She’s right, he might be able to do something.”
Mama nods, then looks at me. “Si, there’s a chance it won’t work. Sometimes when magic mixes and manifests in a different way, it changes everything,” Mama tries to explain, but I don’t want to hear it. I just want this gone!
Ahren enters and looks between us before his eyes rest on me as Mama explains to him what happened. “We tried what we could, but if I show you the binding ritual, perhaps you can try.”
“That won’t hold unless we perform it daily, and that’s unrealistic. Besides, even if I wanted to, I can’t. I’m a blood demon. She is a different type; I will end up poisoning her.”
“Wait, what?” Aunty Ri asks sharply. “What do you mean, type of demon? Del just tried it, and she’s not in any pain.”
Ahren looks at me, his eyes unreadable. I wonder where he learns these things…
“There are different types of demons. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. Mom is a Soul Demon–necromancy. I’ve tapped into awakening a deeper side of my demon abilities. So, where Mom couldn’t poison you as her power is imbued with her witch heritage, my power will. Besides, we don’t know what kind of demon you are yet and how much you can handle.”
So, I have to live with this… My stomach sinks.
“How many kinds of demons are there?” I ask, trying to distract myself from breaking into tears.
Ahren is silent for a moment before he looks me in the eye. “Six.”
“And will you tell us what they are, or keep it a secret?” Mama asks, curious and also a little displeased. Probably because he never shared this knowledge.
He gives her a mischievous smile. “You never asked before. There’s Soul, Void, Shadow, Fire, Blood and Chaos.”
Chaos.
“I think I’m Chaos, my power is wild,” I murmur before sighing heavily. I don’t want this power!
“If you are, then I definitely will poison you. But it’s not black and white, and many demons will be something inbetween. We’re also not pure demons, so our powers will have mutations of their own. But one thing is that demons take on their own forms, so just because we’re family, we aren’t going to end up being the same.”
Mama is quiet. “Then… what was my mama?”
My anger and frustration fade as Mama looks off into the distance, her eyes glittering. “She wasn’t able to talk, she was small…”
I wrap my arms around her as Ahren glances at Aunty Ri. “A Void Demon. They are the purest and most innocent she-demons you will find. They are drawn to empty places to fill them with life… The easiest to drag into this world if someone wants because they are too naïve. They are the most innocent, opposite to fire demons, like the djinns, who are the worst,” he explains.
Mama once told me about how she met her mama, and it hurt so much. What the witches did to her was cruel and beyond evil.
