Inner Demons by Sarra Cannon Page B

of demon gates all over the world. The Order of Shadows is extremely powerful.”
    “I had no idea,” I said. “The way Mrs. King talks about it, I thought the Order was just a local coven of witches.”
    “That's what they want you to believe,” she said. “The Order's goal in opening these demon gates was to harness the power of the shadow demons. Not by mating with them and passing the power on to their daughters, but by making them slaves inside each witch's body.”
    “I've seen it,” I said.
    She turned to me, eyes wide. “What do you mean?”
    “Brooke,” I said. “She was initiated into the Order this past weekend.”
    “And they let you watch? That can't be right.”
    “No,” I said. “They didn't know I was there.”
    Morgyn studied me, then laughed. “Maybe I've underestimated you, cheerleader. I definitely want to know how you managed to pull that off, but first, I need to tell you the rest of the story. As with all magic, there are rules involved in the opening of the gates and maintenance of the portals. When a gate is opened, a virgin witch with strong powers is chosen to be the first. The Prima. She is bonded to the the first demon called through the gate. This demon cannot be a lesser demon. In order for the portal to open, the first demon through must be a powerful shadow demon.
    “The Prima is also more than just one girl. Her entire future line is bound to the same demon. When one Prima dies, the next girl in the family line is then bound to the first demon.”
    “And that's what I am?” So much was going through my mind. A vision of the lady in white from my dreams. She must have been the original Prima. My great-great-grandmother or something like that.
    “Yes,” she said. “And you are the only one left of your line. Without a reigning Prima, a demon gate is much less powerful than it could be. That's why you're so important to them, Harper. You already have a connection to Peachville's first demon, but it's nothing compared to what it will be when they take you through the final initiation ceremony. When the true spirit of the first demon enters you, you will become more powerful than you could ever imagine. But even more than that, every witch who has ever been bound to a demon from the Peachville demon gate will become more powerful.”
    I sat back in my seat and stared down at my hand. The scar on my hand was a test. Somehow they must have tested my blood to see if I was the Prima. But how had they found me in the first place? And what had happened to my mother?
    “Is that why my tattoo took the form of a demon?” I asked.
    Morgyn nodded. “Yes.”
    “So are you also a Prima?”
    She gave me a half-smile. “You're smart, Harper. You catch on fast. Yes, I am a Prima. They brought me to Shadowford when I was only ten years old with the purpose of finding out if I was their Prima. When they gave me the tattoo, it came out a demon, but it wasn't the right one. I am a Prima, but not for this demon gate.”
    “So where, then?”
    Morgyn lowered her head. “Far from here,” she said.
    “Why don't you just go home, then?”
    “It's not that easy,” she said. “There are rules, remember? I have already been marked by the wrong demon gate. In order to go home, I have to complete my service to the Order here in Peachville.”
    “What kind of service?”
    She sighed and looked out the window. “You ask a lot of questions, you know that?”
    I sat quietly, letting the information she'd given me so far sink in. I felt like a starving man being kept alive with tiny drops of water. I never quite got the entire truth.
    “So why tell me all of this if you hate me so much?”
    “I don't hate you,” she said. “I envy you. You're going to have the entire world at your fingertips.”
    I shook my head. “I don't want this,” I said. “I don't want any of it.”
    “Then you're a fool,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Look, I just came here to tell you that you