Dragons Don't Burn

Cassie couldn’t breathe. She had to get out.

The thick smoke roiling overhead and swirling around her was closing her throat and clogging her lungs. The cause was lost, the historical plantation home was going to burn to the ground, and she’d be lucky if her first failure in many years didn’t kill her.

Fire witches were immune to the effects of fire and fire magic, but their tolerance to smoke asphyxiation had a limit.

She swung her left hand backwards, searching for the magus that had been standing slightly behind her when the fire had gone wild. Her hand made contact with the flimsy material of the muscle shirt he was wearing and she tugged him in what she hoped was the direction of the door. She couldn’t even see him at arm’s length through the heavy smoke, much less the exit. Cassie only knew it had been directly behind her.

It was a narrow thing, the witch and the magus barely staggering down the front stairs before a window shattered and a massive backdraft roared out the open door after them. The young man took a step backward and tripped over his own foot, landing on his ass in the dew-damp grass. Cassie took a few deep breaths of the fresh morning air and contemplated the terrible beauty of her out-of-control conflagration before glaring down at the wheezing, terrified magus.

“I thought you said you were dealing with a rogue elf or a goblin,” she snarled at him.

He blinked up at her, eyes full of surprise. “It’s not one?”

She shook her head. “That’s a demon, and now he knows exactly who’s after him. Probably watching us right now.”

“Well how was I supposed to know that?”

The witch stared down at him in disbelief for a long moment before kicking the ground.

“Fuck, you’re right, you wouldn’t have known. Because you have no idea what you’re doing.”

“Hey!” the magus protested, “I know what I’m-”

“No you don’t!” Cassie spat, cutting him off. “If you did, you would have told me it was a demon when we first spoke. You’re only 23 and all the signs were there, but I didn’t do my own identification spell because the piece was too hard to get. Did you even actually cast one? Fuckin’ rookie.”

She spat on the ground, spun on her heel, and began to walk off.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“Home,” she called over her shoulder as he staggered to his feet. “I can’t help you with a demon.”

“What?!” the magus cried out, panic creeping into his voice. “Why?! You can’t just leave, what am I supposed to do about the demon and this burning house?!”

Cassie stopped with a huff and let the young man catch up to her.

“Look, kid, fire-based magic doesn’t work on demons to begin with and that one’s pretty strong. You’d probably need both a light and an aether witch to stand a chance.”

The young magus’ round, dirty face changed from panic to terror. “What do you mean, to stand a chance?”

“I meant what I said. There’s nothing I can do for you here, call whoever it was that sent you to me and tell them what you’re actually dealing with. As far as the burning house, the sirens I hear in the distance tell me that the fire department is going to take care of it. You and me both need to be out of here before they pull up. Good luck.”

With that, Cassie jogged down the street for a couple blocks before darting into the woods - not the easiest task considering that her lungs still didn’t seem to be functioning correctly. It was quite an unpleasant mile walk to where she’d left her ancient but well-kept Dodge Ram parked at the turn-in to a cotton field. She didn’t look back.

The home Cassie drove to wasn’t actually a home at all. It was a camping spot where she’d left the utility trailer full of all her worldly possessions, including the tent she slept in. Of all the secrets she’d ever kept, that was the one she was most ashamed of: she had to sleep in a tent every night to keep her own powers from killing her.

Fire was hands-down the worst element. As Cassie began her nightly setup she thought enviously of the other types of witches. Air, water, earth, storm, light, shadow, and aether - all could call upon their element at will and get it to recede at their command. Not fire. Fire would always come when called, but sometimes it also came when it wasn’t summoned. And recede? Only through tremendous force of will and skill honed to pinpoint precision. Alone among the elements fire resented being commanded, and even if it obeyed it was still endlessly looking for the slightest opening to escape the witch’s hold over it.

Today the fire had gotten away from Cassie, and she cursed herself as she stretched the thin nylon shell over the aluminum poles. She should have known better than to try an incineration indoors, if it had been an elf of any significant strength she would’ve surely caught something else on fire in the process. She shouldn’t have trusted that inexperienced hick magus and she should have known it was a demon she was facing down. She hated failing at anything, but she especially hated failing at an extermination.

Because failing at eliminating her target often meant that Cassie became hunted as well as hunter.

Once her tent was set for the night, the witch went into her trailer and started to rummage around. First, she found the protection talisman given to her by the only nephilim she knew and clipped the chain around her neck. She said the brief prayer in Hebrew he’d taught her and briefly felt a sense of weightlessness. Less than five minutes later, her phone rang.

“Hi Mike,” she said, not needing to look at the caller ID. The nephilim knew when his power had been called upon.

“Cassie, everything okay?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I messed up pretty bad, and put the talisman on as a precaution.”

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. “Tell me.”

“I took a very young an inexperienced magus at his word, thought I was exterminating a rogue elf. Turned out it was a demon, and I tried to burn him in what's probably his own home. You know how fire magic behaves when it interacts with demons, the home is a total loss.”

“You’re right, you did mess up bad,” Mike said. “That’s quite unlike you.”

“I know. I guess I was just in a hurry to get this job done and get to Florida for the winter. The leaves are already starting to turn here. I shouldn’t have rushed it.”

“Well, do I need to come? There’s not much you can do against a demon.”

Cassie shook her head even though Mike couldn’t see it. “No, this is my mistake and I’ll deal with it. I’m hoping that the demon heard me yelling at the magus and will accept a very sincere apology from me. Demons are usually really good about their business stuff so he probably has insurance on the home I burned, but I’ll offer to cover any costs and I might need you to back me on that.”

“Of course,” Mike said without hesitation. “If we can take care of this financially that would be ideal. The organization and I will back you.”

“Great. I’ll drop you a line once I’ve spoken to the demon, you should feel it through the talisman if he’s not willing to work with me.”

“Right, okay. Stay safe,” Michael told her.

“Thanks,” she said, and ended the call.

Supplies in hand, Cassie set about warding her camp. It wouldn’t do any good against a demon, he’d effortlessly walk through it, but to make an offering correctly it was necessary to have a ward up and place the offering outside of it. The offering was a small fire she’d start at nightfall, a single golden aureus and a dried white peony. The ancient coin was an indication that the witch was willing to make things right financially, the white peony to show her embarrassment at her mistake.

Since she had a couple hours until nightfall Cassie proceeded to the campground bathrooms to try washing away the smell of house fire. It didn’t work as well as she’d hoped: even after three rounds of soaping she still smelled a bit like charcoal. As she returned to her camp she got a sarcastic text from the magus letting her know that he’d managed to get away from the scene before the authorities arrived and thanking her for nothing. She wanted to send him a scathing reply but didn’t have time. Twilight was approaching and she needed to get down a meal - using her powers was a huge drain on her energy and she was starting to feel lightheaded from the calorie deficit.

Once the night was truly dark Cassie lit the offering fire with a thought and moved just inside the circular ward she’d placed around her tent. She knelt, eyes on the little flames, and waited.

The demon must have been watching her because he arrived within minutes. The way he appeared to emerge from the undergrowth without actually coming out of it -instead stepping forth from thin air- was far more intimidating than his appearance. All of them looked appropriately hellish but only the truly powerful ones could materialize so smoothly.

He was massive, at least 6’6”, every statuesque inch of him made from rippling muscle. He hadn’t come in his human appearance but rather a more demonic one. From his waist to his ankles he was covered in sleek black fur, backwards knees like a four-legged animal angling down to his cloven hooves. His torso was covered in pure white skin that somehow looked dingy with soot but also glowed faintly blue in the light of the half moon above. He had shoulder-length black hair that moved and flowed despite the still night air, and from it two thick black horns curled backwards. He glowered at her for a moment with glowing eyes that shifted between red, orange and gold like the firelight before him.

At first he did not speak, he leaned down to pick up the dried flower and the Roman coin. He studied the items for a moment, the faintest ghost of a smile tugging one corner of his mouth, then looked at her.

“You’re sorry for what you did then, witch?” the demon asked in a rumbling voice that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “And you’ll compensate me for my costs?”

“Very, deeply, sorry,” Cassie confirmed. “Of course I’ll pay for the damages.”

The demon rolled the coin back and forth across his knuckles, glowing eyes trained on it.

“Why are you sorry?” he asked as he toyed with the offering. “Because you failed?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry because I never attempt to neutralize demons, or anything with a fire affinity for that matter. I would not have accepted this job had I known one was involved.”

He finally stopped rolling the coin and looked at her again. “I must say, I was quite surprised to be struck by a fire witch. Your kind is normally much more friendly towards mine.”

Cassie couldn’t stop the tiny upwards tug at the corner of her mouth. “We certainly are, which is why I wanted to apologize and make things right. Demonkind have always been good to me, I don't want to spoil that.”

“Just so,” the demon said, and stepped around the fire to get a little closer to her. “This is an impressive offering, I’ve not seen a coin like this in centuries.”

“I’m glad it pleases you,” Cassie replied.

“It pleases me to see you on your knees as well,” he rumbled.

The demon came another step closer, and crouched down in front of her. His fiery eyes studied her face and she studied his in return. He had high, elegant brows, a straight, fine nose, an angled jaw and a mouth too full and shapely to belong on a face that was supposed to be frightening.

“It seemed the appropriate way to greet you, since I’m begging your forgiveness,” she replied. “Truly, I have no desire to harm you and I’m very sorry about your home.”

“It’s not my home, just a rental property. Humans like to get married there,” the demon told her with a bit of a sarcastic smile.

Cassie gave a short laugh. Oh, the things humans didn’t know!

“I’m glad it wasn’t your home, though I still feel bad.”

“You were right earlier when you said that I was watching you,” he said, straightening to his full height. “I heard you berate that magus. You know your wrongs, don’t you, witch?”

She bowed her head. “I do.”

“Will you beg me for the magus’ life as well?”

“No,” she said, looking up to meet his glowing gaze, “The magus is no friend or kin to me. I dare not question whatever price you will have him pay for his actions.”

The demon grinned a terrible grin full of razor sharp teeth. “You’re heartless. I like that, too.”

It stung a little to be called heartless. Cassie certainly did have a heart buried somewhere beneath the pile of ashes and embers within her. She was, however, realistic… and also still pissed off that the magus could be so stupid as to send a fire witch against a demon.

“I warned him there was nothing I could do for him,” she said, spreading her hands with a shrug.

“Very well, witch. I accept your offering and your apology. You may rise.”

Though Cassie wanted to collapse with relief, she made it to her feet instead. The offerings seemed to have vanished as she bowed her head to the demon again, hands pressed together before her.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

The demon did something she didn’t expect - he reached out to hook one of his clawed fingers under her chin and tilted her face up.

“Tell me, little fire witch, what is your name?”

“Cassandra,” she said, smiling a little. “May I know yours?”

He said it in the demons’ tongue. It was unpronounceable for her human mouth but in her ears it rang like a song of fire and shadow.

“May I know the one I can say,” she asked, giving him a suggestive smile.

“Beleth."

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Beleth,” she told him sweetly.

Inside, however, she quaked a little. His name was one she recognized and he was terribly powerful indeed.

“How many years do you have, Cassandra?” he asked, pronouncing her name a little slowly, his rumbling voice almost purring.

“Forty-two,” she told him as he lowered his claw, releasing her.

“Young for a witch, old for a fire witch,” he said, tilting his head. “And wearing a nephilim’s talisman, too. So interesting. And lovely.”

“Thank you, my lord,” she said with a smile. Knowing his identity made the title appropriate, and of course he’d know the talisman for what it was. He may well have known Mike’s angelic father at some point before human history began.

She would have sworn Beleth’s chest puffed up a little.

“No need for such formality, little one,” he said with a dismissive gesture, edging closer to her until only the space of the ward was between them. “But I would ask that you remove that unsightly thing.”

Cassie smiled up at him coyly, feigning ignorance. “For what purpose?”

He smiled his sharp smile again. “Ah, Cassandra, don’t toy with me. Surely it’s been a long time since you’ve come across one who could withstand your passions.”

She looked Beleth up and down, slowly, then let him see her lick her lips.

“Yes, it has.”

Beleth reached through the ward to cover half her back with one massive, clawed hand. He pulled her a little roughly against his hulking form and instantly the heat of an unquenchable fire leapt through her veins. He lowered his head to brush her ear with his coal-black lips.

“Come then, little one. Let’s get everything off of you.”