Inner Demons

4. The Magic Doesn't Come From The Words

"Everyone give a warm welcome to our newest Demon cheerleader, Harper Madison!"

The entire cheerleading squad was gathered in the gym after school. Mrs. King pulled me up front and I smiled as everyone cheered. I had spent most of the day getting over the anger I felt about last night. After all, I couldn't undo what had already been done. Instead, I focused on the reason I'd joined the squad in the first place. I wanted to learn to control this wild magic inside of me. I wanted answers.

"If everyone will please go into the locker room and get changed, I'd like to talk to Harper privately for a minute."

The girls disappeared into the women's locker room. Mrs. King motioned for me to take a seat on the bleachers. She sat next to me, turning her body completely towards me. I was struck by how young she looked. She could have been a teenager herself if I didn't know any better. I found myself wondering just how old she was, but I figured it would be rude to ask."I heard about the ritual last night."

I looked up, surprised. I hadn't expected her to mention the tattoo.

"Brooke told me you were upset this morning," she said. "About the shadow demon."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she shook her head. "It's completely understandable. To be honest, I'm excited that yours turned out to be a demon."

"Last night, they told me it was just a hazing ritual. A charm of some kind that wouldn't be permanent. But it's more than that isn't it?"

Mrs. King smiled. "You're so much more perceptive than the others. It's exciting for me to see your level of understanding already, when we haven't even started the training."

"That doesn't really answer my question," I said.

"No, I guess it doesn't." She leaned forward and placed her hand on my leg. "There is a lot you're about to learn, Harper. About our way of life here. The tattoo is the first step. It's like a leap of faith. A mark of acceptance."

I felt as if I had been branded. My foot tapped nervously against the bleachers.

"Harper, I promise you it will be worth it. Once you see what we can offer you, you'll forget all about the tattoo."

I studied her face. She seemed to be truly concerned about me. "So what happens next?"

"It's a bit unusual to have a girl coming onto the squad mid-season, so you've got a lot of catching up to do. Plus, you're already a sophomore and most girls start their freshman year." Mrs. King stood and I followed her toward the locker room. "What you're about to see might come as a shock."

Curious, my footsteps quickened. As we walked into the locker room, I stared open-mouthed at the empty space. Where did everyone go? I hadn't seen them pass by us to go outside or anything.

"Come with me," Mrs. King said. She stood on the far side of the room at the edge of a long row of lockers.

We walked together to the back corner of the locker room where a large demon was painted onto the wall. Mrs. King stepped up and touched the demon's face. Her hand passed completely through.

My eyes grew wide and I placed my hand over my mouth. A secret passage-way in the girl's locker room? Mrs. King walked straight through it. Cautiously, I followed her, my hands out in front of me just in case. I giggled as I passed through. A sort of invisible force-field tickled when I crossed over it.

"Only girls with the tattoo and official members of the Order can pass through this doorway," she said.

"Does that mean you still have a tattoo?"