A full Daemon has not set foot on the mortal plane for one thousand and sixty five revolutions around the sun, due mostly to the protections set by a no name sorcerer that prevents them from crossing the veil unless directly summoned in a three circle ritual. The exact ritual to summon a daemon with its corporeal body was lost during the European witch hunts when many witch and sorcerer bloodlines were stamped out. Today, a supplicant can only summon the daemon’s essence. Though this may sound better, it’s not. A daemon can strike a bargain with its supplicant to lend some of its powers in return for something of the daemon’s choosing. This usually ends in massive bloodshed for all involved. My best advice for you is to avoid daemons and any who may be carrying their taint.
So the demon taint they were talking about was part of the bargain struck by the summoner. Interesting, but it didn’t exactly tell me what that taint meant or how it was causing the symptoms people displayed.
I tossed the book on the coffee table, making a sound of frustration. I needed more information.
I headed to the bedroom, changing into my pajamas before heading to the kitchen for my nightly snack.
Dawn was coming, though it was still an hour or so off. There wasn’t time to go anywhere or gather any information. I’d just have to go with what I had and see if I could glean anything from Liam next time he was around.
My reaching hand encountered nothing but air. I looked into the cupboard, standing on my toes. Where were the wine glasses? There should have been at least two clean ones left.
A flash of jewel toned wings appeared briefly in the darkness before disappearing. Pixies. Son of a gun. Not again.
I stepped back and reached into my spice rack, pulling out the cinnamon. Armed with the spice, I sprinkled some in the cupboard where I saw the wings. A soft sneeze greeted me; a blur of color attached to a small body flew past my nose.
Definitely a pixie. I should have caught on the first time something of mine was in a place it didn’t belong.
Pixies were the annoying cockroaches of this world. Pranksters and mischief makers who could make life difficult for anybody whose house they infested. Where there was one, there were usually more.
They made my life a nightmare when I first came back to Columbus. At the time, I had no idea they even existed. I just thought I was losing my mind when things kept turning up in places I had no memory of leaving them.
How did the beast even get in here? I’d lined every entrance with cinnamon after I discovered how effective it was during my last infestation of the pests. I refreshed it regularly too. It should have been enough to keep my current guests out.
“Where are you, little pest?” I said in a sing song voice.
One of my framed photos fell over in my living room. Gotcha. I moved into that area, looking closely for any small flutters of movement or a brief glimpse of jewel toned wings.
The book flipped open, the pages turning one after another. I madly waved the jar with the cinnamon, leaving the room smelling like Christmas as half of the spice landed on me. There were no discreet sneezes.
These guys were fast. I’d give them that.
I crept close to the book, feeling the need for subterfuge despite the fact it was unlikely I would be able to sneak up on a pixie and outweighed one by quite a bit.
I bent over the book, thinking maybe it was hiding behind one of the pages. The words caught my eye, making my mission seem unimportant for the moment.
Ways to recognize Daemon taint
It is not easy to recognize those who consort with daemons, but there are signs for the observant. The best and most common sign is the smell of basil and anise. This isn’t a common combo so it is a dead giveaway when you come across it. Despite human myths, daemon’s rarely smell of sulfur or decay. Another sign that only shows in about sixty percent of summoners is a slight discoloration to their fingertips. Usually a color close to purple or blue.
Once again, if you see these signs it is best to take a big step backward and then run as fast as you can in the other direction. These individuals are extremely dangerous and not to be trifled with unless you have serious power at your back. There is no shame in living to fight another day.
It wasn’t much to go off, but it was more than I’d had before. I wasn’t even sure how accurate this book was or when it was written. Things could have changed or whoever wrote this might have been way off base. Either way, it was something to keep in mind.
“Little vampire,” a high pitched voice sang. “Was that helpful?”
I stood, the cinnamon clutched in my hand. That voice had sounded close.
“Well was it?” a second voice said, right in my ear.
I spun, flinging the cinnamon in a circle around me. There was a brief movement as something flew into my curtains.
Heh. Not so smart after all.
I stalked closer, holding the jar at the ready. Time to evict these pixies. No freeloaders in this house.
A sharp sting in my hand loosened my grip on the jar. It fell, hitting the sofa before rolling to the ground and spilling half of the cinnamon in the process.
“Now that’s not very nice after we helped you,” a female voice said close to my ear.
