Inner Demons by Sarra Cannon Page A

you.”
    Such a nice girl. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Too bad I needed her help. Otherwise, I would be inclined to give her a piece of my mind.
    “I want to know about your time on the Demons cheerleading squad.”
    My statement obviously surprised her. She flipped her head toward me, her eyes wide. “I was never on the Demons cheerleading squad.”
    “Maybe not officially,” I said. “But you were chosen, right?”
    She put her hands on the steering wheel and stared straight ahead.
    “Listen, it's obvious you hate us, and for some reason, you seem to hate me especially. I don't exactly get it, but I can live without your undying love and devotion,” I said. “I just want to know how far you got into the...” I searched for the right word to use. “Initiation.”
    “You mean, did they take me out to the sacred circle and give me some crazy tattoo?” She picked at her chipped black nail polish.
    “Yes, that's exactly what I mean.”
    “Why would I tell you that anyway?”
    “You came out here for a reason, right?” I said. “Besides insulting me? Because you could have done that just fine from your house.”
    She turned and looked me in the eye, as if she were trying to make up her mind about something.
    “Look,” I said. “I completely understand why you're not a fan of the cheerleaders in this town. Right now, I'm not so sure I'm a fan either. I wouldn't be coming to you like this unless I absolutely had to. You're the only person who has ever gotten off the squad. I need to know how you did that.”
    Morgyn bit her lower lip, then took in a long breath. Her hands trembled slightly as she turned and lifted the back of her shirt. There, on her back was a tattoo of a demon that was strikingly similar to my own. I gasped. Brooke said no one else's tattoo had ever taken the form of a demon. She'd been wrong.
    “Your tattoo is similar, right?”
    I nodded. “I don't understand.”
    “That's the way the Order wants it,” she said. “They don't want to actually tell their recruits anything, because if you knew the truth, you'd never agree to go along with their rituals. It's all about secrets with them.”
    “How did you get out?” I asked the question softly. I didn't know if I could trust her, but I had to try. I needed to know, because if there was a way out, I wanted to take it.
    Morgyn glanced around the parking lot. Her foot tapped nervously against the floorboard. “The only reason I'm going to tell you this is because we're the same, you and me.” She paused, and I wondered if she'd changed her mind. Then, she spoke again. “You are the Prima.”
    “Yeah,” I said. “Do you know what that means? I've heard it before, but I don't think I was supposed to know, and I have no idea what it means.”
    “In order for you to understand, I have to start from the beginning.”
    I settled back in my chair. My breath moved high into my chest and my heart pounded.
    “I'm sure you've already been taught that the witches of the Order of Shadows are all descendants of a human woman and shadow demon. For many years, the witches were a close-knit family. They were content with their powers and proud of their heritage because it was born from love. But one day, a group of sisters decided they wanted more power. They formed a group called the Order of Shadows and dedicated their lives to finding ways to increase their abilities and influence.
    “That's when they discovered a spell that could open a portal between our world and the shadow world. They call these portals demon gates.”
    I thought about the strange blue pool of light on the floor in the ritual room.
    “All over the world, there are places where magical energy is naturally strong and the fabric between our world and theirs is weaker. The Order of Shadows spent centuries locating these magical places and opening demon gates in each of them.”
    “So Peachville isn't the only one?”
    “Not by a long shot,” she said. “There are thousands