Alrik pulled the book out and found a small black button made into the wood. He pressed it and the bookcase slid to the side of the wall to reveal a small passage and a room at the other end. Holding the candelabra high, Alrik made his way through the passages, the words becoming clearer.

He paused to listen then froze. He recognized the sound of his mother's voice, and he also recognized the chant of a black magic spell. When he heard his name used in the same sentence he ran inside.

He found his mother on her knees, rocking with her eyes closed, and gripping an idol. The idol looked like it was made out of a small stick with several items wrapped around it. His eyes narrowed on the reddish site of hair and realized...it was his old hair. There was black hair too and he barely refrained from touching his own because he already knew it was his.

“Mother.”

His voice cut through her spell like ice. Her eyes flung open in fear and she scuttled back away from him, clutching the idol to her chest.

“S-son, what are you doing here?”

“I believe I should be asking you that.” Sucking in a deep breath, he inhaled the essence of dark magic. By God, he didn't even need to breathe it in, he could feel it. The dark energy saturated the room like a heavy cloud of angst and fire.

“I was just casting a spell to ensure that Telal doesn't bother us again.” She gave him a wobbly smile and stood.

“That isn't his hair on that idol, mother. Tell me what you've done to me or I'll make you hurt until you do.”

Her eyes widened and she took a step back. “Now, son, you know I'd never do anything to you.”

“Do I?” he asked coldly.

She hesitated. “Of course. I'm your mother.”

“By name only and don't act as if you don't know it. Tell me what spell you were casting on me and maybe I'll be lenient.”

She looked as though she'd talk but then she straightened, holding her chin up high. “I did nothing wrong. I was casting a spell on Telal like I said.”

Alrik stalked to her and slapped her clean across the face, the sound of it like a crash in the small room. She panted, cupping her reddened cheek. He tore the idol from her hands, fingering the strands of the hair he used to have.

“Tell me everything now.”

She quivered under his stare but kept her lips sealed. Rage boiled through him. Alrik grabbed her hand and dragged her through downstairs to the main hall. He found the nearest servant.

“Call the royal house. We have a traitor on our hands.”

Soon the royalty came down from their room, whispering excitedly to each other at the news. Of course they'd be ecstatic. This was quite the gossip. Alrik dragged his mother to the throne dais and shoved her into the seat.

“Guards, watch her, and if she moves, kill her.” The guards obeyed without question, surrounding her with swords drawn.

Alrik waited until the hall swarmed with aristocrats. “Take your seats,” he said in a booming voice. “Today I've learned something that will interest you all, I think.”

He looked at his mother and only saw steely determination in her eyes. No love, not even fondness. He'd learned long ago those weren't feelings she was capable of. Turning to the crowd, he held up the wooden idol in his hands. Though only made of wood and hair, the object weighed heavily in his palm from magic.

“Tonight I caught my mother in the act of treason against me.” The crowd roared profanities at his mother, but their eyes were excited. “I found her in the midst of her treachery, casting black magic on me and using this,” he said, holding the idol out for all to see, “as the foundation of her evil. If you look closely you'll see the hair taken from my own head used as fuel for her evil.”

He turned to her, unfeeling to the fear in her eyes. “What say you?”

His mother spoke loud and clear. “I deny these charges. What Alrik has witnessed was a casting on his brother, Telal Demuzi, the real traitor.” The crowd booed and hissed at her words.

“I hold this idol as evidence, which you can all see has my hair from ages ago and from now. What say you to that, mother?”

She clamped her lips shut and looked away. The crowd stood, yelling for her head, as, in unison, they began banging their fists on the table, rattling the silverware and glasses set out.

Alrik watched as his mother paled and understanding seemed to dawn on her beautiful face. “Tell me what you've done to me and I will show you some leniency.” The crowd hushed in an instant to hear what she'd say.

“I-I did what was best for you. You were weak.”

“I've never been weak!” he roared. He reached her and knelt over her. “Tell me what you did to me. This is your last chance.”

Seeing the fear in her eyes felt good, made him feel stronger; it fueled the anger he'd carried for so long.

Her eyes narrowed on him and in a hissing whisper said, “If you get rid of me you'll regret it, Alrik.”

Alrik stood stiffly. “Get her out of here.” The guards grabbed her and she started fighting. When she couldn't yank herself away from them, her eyes glowed brightly and magic burst forth from her. The guards went flying away and when they got up to charge at her she quickly hissed out another spell. The men choked, grabbing their stomachs at the same time as they fell to their knees convulsing and vomiting all over the floor.

Alrik held out his hand and thrust his own magic at his mother. He closed off the air to her until color drained from her face and she slumped to the floor.

“She is banished from these walls forever. Get her out of here and let us hope we never have to see her face again.”

More guards stormed in and dragged his unconscious mother out of the front hall to all the gawking eyes of the aristos. Without a word, Alrik left the great hall and his mother behind.

Now he knew why he'd changed, but the question now was, could he be changed back?

Two weeks later.

Lily nibbled on her lip as she checked the calendar. Only five days left. A feeling close to panic flared up inside her.

“I need a drink.”

On top of her dresser she had all the items out and ready to go. She started making her special juice and chugged it down in no time. She smiled, the panicked feeling already going away. Good stuff, she thought and went back to look at the calendar.

In five days, she'd hit her new moon and become fully succubus, requiring physical intimacy to live. Even with the drink loosening her up, her chest tightened. Her and Telal's relationship, if one would call it that, had become tumultuous at best.

One day he was ravaging her in a stairwell and the next he'd locked himself in his rec room for sometimes days on end. He'd even programmed it to lock from the inside so she or Kearnyn couldn't get in to see him. When he'd finally come out he'd have a grim, sad look on his face that made her want to cry. He'd shower and throw on fresh clothes after he was done...doing whatever it was he did. She didn't really know, he wouldn't tell her. She guessed he was allowing himself to wallow.

That couldn’t continue forever. Her mother was in that rift. She waited for the flood of emotions to hit her at the thought, but the juice didn't allow it. All she felt was a warm, cozy sensation in her mind and body.

“Better than yoga.” Laughing, she finished dressing and went to find him.

She'd given him as much time as she could before she broached the subject of the rift with him. Two weeks was a damned long time considering her mother was in the demon's prison. Even if his plans fell through and he couldn't open the rift, then she at least had to get her mother out. Aside from breaking her out, she really couldn't see any other course of action. That is, unless he can make a truce with Alrik Demuzi. The likelihood of that seemed to be going further and further away though.