Free Demon Girl (Keeley Thomson Book One) by P.S. Power

give that to the thing, did she?
   Darla chuckled. On her it even sounded real.
   “We'll I've never had the pleasure of dating this particular being, but I can see how the two things could be confused.”
    The creature bellowed at Darla then, its voice a low rumble that shook inside Keeley's chest.
   “You tricked me. I'll destroy the ground you stand on and burn your ashes thrice!” The thing bellowed, a sound intense enough to make Keeley shake and want to back off. Only, if she did, that would leave Hally lying directly in front of the thing. Unconscious and defenseless. No that wouldn't be happening, fear or not. Instead she took another step forward, instantly regretting it as the fear tried to make her legs go out; it got stronger as she closed with the thing, great. Not wanting to show anything, she took another deliberate step toward it.
   Darla did the same.
   At first nothing happened, but finally the thing bellowed again and then... took a step back. Just a little one, but it was real, for all it tried to make it look like it was just re-balancing its weight in preparation to fight.
   Alright then, she thought, taking a single deep breath and smiling hugely.
   Keeley took a third step closer, matched again by the blond girl. Almost as if they'd choreographed it.
   It stepped back again, as if... pushed.
   The fear was intense, horrible. Crippling, except that she wasn't paralyzed by it. She just knew she should be. That was a different thing altogether, wasn't it? On the seventh step, just outside its arms reach the thing turned and ran.
   “You haven't seen the last of me!” It shouted back over its shoulder in slightly lisping and harsh sounding English.
   The little black thing shrugged at them. It had stayed out of the little fight after all and didn't seem intent on bullying anyone at all. It also didn't spray fear around the room, making it seem far more friendly to Keeley, all things considered.
   “Freedom?” It said softly, almost unheard in the room.
   Darla nodded.
   “If you do not trouble my lands, or my people, any of them, vassal, friend or family, you may go. Deal?”
   “A bargain true.” The sound sank through the room and then it did its own vanishing act.
   The floor was still thrashed as they got Hally around and onto the sofa, so it had actually happened, and Darla got Eve a brown paper bag from the kitchen so that she wouldn't pass out from breathing too much.
   The first words out of Hally's mouth were interesting, given the level of fear that Keeley still felt, and how much her own hands and legs shook at the moment.
   “Was... were those demons? Did we do that, with the board? I knew we shouldn't use that thing. Are they going to attack us again?” Her voice was scared, freaked out. Darla shook her head.
   “No, those weren't demons at all and they won't be back. That was just a bit of a botch up on my part. Not good, but things like that happen. Nothing to worry about at all.”
   Darla smiled gently and waved her hand as if to dismiss the idea. Keeley would have expected the same reaction if someone had accidentally broken a plate at dinner. Just a good hostess making sure everyone felt at ease.
   Eve took the bag she puffed into away from her face, the constant sound of crinkling suddenly gone from the room.
   “How do you know?” She husked, going back to her breathing into the bag.
   “Know what? That they won't be back or that they aren't demons?” The blond asked calmly, sounding pretty close to normal all things considered.
   The black haired girl nodded. Keeley had to admit she was pretty curious too so watched the whole thing closely.
   “Oh, well...” Darla took a deep breath and smiled.
   “They were trapped in a jar in my room, the big mean looking one for over a hundred years... a hundred and seventeen if I remember right and the others really just wanted to be gone, don't