by Sam Cheever
I understood as though she’d spoken.
The kids, I told Deg as I sprang.
With an enraged yowl, Star sent her deadly energy along the strands. It surged along the magic fibers like fire along a fuse, emitting a black, sulfurous stench into the air as it went. I ran directly for it as Deg and my mother leapt toward the children.
A pain-filled scream drenched the air. The air boomed once and everyone else hit the ground, covering their ears as energy sliced through the atmosphere in wide, deadly blades, cutting away huge chunks of wood and ripping away the ceiling. Fire burned everywhere it touched, smoke billowed. I barely noticed any of it as I reached for the children’s life strands, my gaze locked on the rapidly approaching black energy.
I flung myself into the air and grabbed the fibers as I fell. I hit and rolled, wrapping my other hand around the burning threads and sending my own energy into it in an attempt to shut it down.
Posh’s magic hit mine and burrowed through as if it didn’t even exist. Deg was suddenly there, wrapping his big hands around the threads ahead of mine. They thrummed under the levels of power we sent into them, flame roared from beneath his palms and mine.
I thought for a moment that it wouldn’t be enough. Despite our combined efforts, Posh’s black energy burned through our grips, forcing us to continually back away to try to get in front of it.
Holly’s soft sobbing just about did me in. The sound of her cries told me we were running out of time and the children would be the ones who paid for our failure.
I gritted my teeth and forced more energy into the already bloated strands. They began to splinter and a new fear joined all the others. What if we burst the energy strands before we beat Posh back? Would the children die?
I didn’t have the answer to that. All I had was hope and determination.
Giving off another primal scream, I gritted my teeth and dragged at the remaining core of my magic, sending it into the strands between my fingers and praying it would be enough.
Finally, in minute increments, the progress of Posh’s hated magic began to slow. I held on even as my energy started to falter, praying I’d have enough to see it through.
The last of Posh’s magic halted beneath our hands, spitting angrily between our fingers. We were almost there. But I wouldn’t relax until we’d severed the thread that gave the Demon access to the kids. Unfortunately, I was afraid it would also harm the children.
I looked up, heart pounding with fear. My mother and Celeste were bent over the kids, frantically removing strands of Star’s magic. Unfortunately, each strand had to be carefully extracted or the children would die.
I could feel the tiny pulse of their life force beneath my fingertips. And I was terrified when I felt it start to wane.
“They’re dying!” I screamed, aching to release the strand and help.
Celeste just shook her head and kept working. Steady and slow.
Deg and I shared a look and I saw my fear mirrored in his gaze. Then he smiled...a soft smile that made my pulse slow and my terror ease.
They’ll be okay, LA.
I shook my head. He couldn’t possibly know that. But his words somehow made me feel better anyway. And my magic rose in answer to his energy, throbbing again at my core.
I felt something pressing against my shin and looked down. Mabel wound herself through my arms and beneath the strands. I lifted them quickly. “Be careful, kitten!”
But she raised up on her haunches and bumped her soft head against mine, sliding it off and along the spitting strand. I gave an alarmed cry just as the strand went dark and the energy sifted away.
A roaring sound erupted behind me. I turned to find the floor opening up into another chasm and Mandy and Star engaged in a deadly battle on the razor edge of the opening. Mandy had built a quelling web and was trying to wrap it around Star, but the Demon was too quick and kept sidestepping the net, only to send massive bolts of energy slamming into Mandy every time she escaped.
A plume of fire burst from the bowels of the open floor and a sulfurous stench filled the room in a gray cloud. I could barely breathe under the horrendous reek. Coughing erupted around me and I knew that if anyone had any energy left after being drained by Star for several days, the smoke and heat of the growing hell-fire would rob them of it.
“Get out of here!” I yelled and then took off toward Mandy and Star. A big hand grasped my arm, dragging me to a halt before I’d gone very far. I glared over my shoulder at Deg. “Let me go, Witch!”
He shook his head, sliding his grip down to grasp my hand. “Together we’re stronger.”
I frowned, unhappy, but realized he was right. “Let’s blast this bitch.”
His handsome face curved into a knee-melting smile and he nodded. Then we turned toward the battling duo and, catching Mandy’s eye, sent her scurrying for cover.
Thinking she’d won the battle, Star swung around and laughed. She lifted her hands into the air, prepared to send more evil into the room, and then stopped when she spotted Deg and me.
We stood in an aura of sizzling energy that was three times our width and reached all the way to the ceiling. It danced around us, hungry for the taste of Demon magic.
Our hands hung down at our sides, fingers dancing softly as we created death for the evil creature standing across from us.
Fire spat upward, forming a toxic barrier that Star no doubt thought would work in her favor.
But she didn’t know what we could accomplish together.
Or did she?
Her eyes widened. Her stance stiffened. And she glanced quickly toward the door behind her.
She wouldn’t make it.
Deg and I closed our eyes, pictured the Demon’s demise, and threw up our hands to send a wave of deadly energy in an inescapable wash to slam against Star. It wrapped around her like huge, spitting fingers of fire and lifted her off the ground. Carrying her out over the mouth of the hell-fire pit, it shot downward, dragging her straight to Hell.
The pit closed with an elongated popping noise and the room went completely quiet.
It was if everyone in the room heaved a collective sigh of relief. I turned toward Celeste, half afraid to find out how the children were. My mouth dry, my stomach tight with dread, I peered past my family and saw...
Relief soared.
The two small Familiars were sitting up, sans magical restraints, smiling and talking to their very relieved mother who had wrapped herself around them like a Winter coat and was shedding tears of relief.
Deg dropped an arm around my shoulders. “We did it.”
I turned my gaze upward, favoring him with a weary smile. “We did. Thanks so much for joining the battle. I know it wasn’t your fight.”
He shook his head, opening his mouth to respond. But the words never made it past his lips.
The door in front of us burst open and slammed back against the wall with an explosive bang. All eyes turned to the Demon standing there, eyes wild and hair standing straight up on his head.
Tension shot upward and energy spat from a dozen fingerprints, ready to do battle again.
Brock frowned, scrubbing a filthy hand over his sexy, square jaw. He looked terrible. But he was alive. “Did I miss all the fun?”
Deg walked over and slapped him on the back, grimacing at the wet splat as his hand connected with Brock’s sodden shirt. “It looks like you were right in the middle of it.” He pulled his hand away and something slimy oozed toward the ground. “What in the world happened?”
Brock shook his head. “It’s a really long story. I’ll just sum it up by telling you that the inside of a massive snake is not a nice place to be.”
“Erg,” I said, recoiling. “Are you all right?”
He got a cocky smile. “Of course. Well...” He rubbed one shoulder and I noticed the bright spot of fresh blood there, probably from a fang. “I’m better than the snake anyway.”
I looked down as a tiny, soft form wrapped itself warmly around
my ankle. “Hey, girlfriend.” Mabel narrowed her gaze softly and meowed as I greeted her. Reaching down, I lifted the kitten off the floor and snuggled her up under my chin.
“There’s something slightly off about that cat.”
My head shot up as Mandy limped slowly in my direction, her pretty face fixed into a frown. “She’s just a sweet kitten,” I objected.
Mandy didn’t argue, but she fixed a speculative gaze on the baby cat, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
“I’m so proud of you, LeeAnn,” a loving voice said from behind. I turned to my mother and allowed a warm bloom of happiness to fill my belly. Everyone was safe. My coldly assessing decision seemed to have turn out okay. It was safe to feel good about making my family proud.
But I hoped I’d never have to play Russian Roulette with anyone’s lives again.
That was why I preferred to leave the leadership roles to my mother and Celeste.
“Thanks, Mom.”
She gave me a quick hug, laughing softly when Mabel gave a soft yip of complaint from being squashed between us. Mother rubbed the tip of a finger beneath Mabel’s soft chin and the kitten was soon purring happily.
“How did you find us?” Celeste asked.
I turned to her, barely containing my frown. Celeste looked so frail, so much older than she had before she was captured. The entire thing seemed to have taken too much out of her. I shot my mother a quick look and saw her gaze fill with sadness. But she forced a smile and turned to Grandmama. “She’s a tracker, Mama.”
I shook my head. “I wish I could take credit for this. Unfortunately, Posh brought me here.” The full realization of how I’d been tricked hit me then, washing out any pride I might have felt at defeating the Demon. “She fooled me completely.”
Grandmama patted my shoulder. “Don’t feel bad, child. Star fooled all of us.”
“She’s always been very unobtrusive...non-descript.” Mother shrugged. “I didn’t pay attention and that was apparently what she wanted. I now realize she had to have been masking herself somehow. I should have known she was up to something.”
“I barely noticed her,” I agreed guiltily. “I didn’t even know her name.”
“I didn’t either.”
I glanced around to the young mother, firmly holding the hands of her two children as she approached.
Holly gave me a soft smile. “Thank you so much for saving my kids. I owe you one.”
Shaking my head, I returned the smile. “You don’t owe me anything.” The sting of guilt coursed through me again. My decision to go after Star could have just as easily killed her children. “I just got lucky.”
“I’m not buying that.” Her smile wavered as she glanced toward the still-smoking spot where Star had disappeared. “I walked past her nearly every day and barely acknowledged her existence. I wonder if that’s why she did what she did.”
“Possibly,” my mother said, giving the woman a squeeze. “But that’s on her. Not us. She could have done a hundred things to bring herself out of the shadows. Good things to help the world. Instead she chose to embrace her demonic side and cause harm. That isn’t on you or me or anybody else. The responsibility for that decision is completely on her.”
In that moment I realized why my mother was almost as good a leader as Celeste. She was right. And she’d boiled the whole thing down to a correct, if coldly factual, accounting that placed blame where it belonged. “How was she able to manage all this without anyone knowing how powerful she was?” I asked.
“I’m going to look into that,” Grandmama said on a frown. “I believe Star had some powerful magic in her family, but we’d given up on her ever reaching that potential since she never showed signs of being anything but average.”
“The Lei lines didn’t hurt either,” my mom offered. “She was able to tap into them and enhance her powers several fold.”
“Terrifying,” Deg said, shaking his dark head.
Celeste nodded. “Now we move forward. We heal, rebuild and grow stronger.” Her smile softened into weariness. “Starting tomorrow. Right now, after we tend to immediate business, I think I could use a few hours rest.”
We all looked toward the back corner of the smoky room, where a burly male Familiar whose name was Tom if I remembered correctly, bent down and gently pulled Star’s second victim off the floor. We watched sadly as he carried the gray haired woman out of the room. “We need to let Francie’s family know what happened to her,” Mom told Celeste, wrapping an arm around Grandmama’s frail shoulders. “And then we can go home.”
Celeste nodded.
I watched them walk toward the door, followed by all the Familiars Star had held hostage in that terrible place. I knew I should feel happier, but there was a hole in my chest that I wasn’t sure how to repair.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Deg asked from just behind me. I turned, shaking my head. “I’m just really tired I guess.”
He held my gaze a long moment. “You do look tired. But that’s not what’s bothering you.”
Irritation bloomed. The last thing I needed or wanted at that moment was to have someone force me to face my fears. “It’ll wait.”
We walked a few steps and then I remembered. “Hey, you never told me how you found me here?”
“Simple really. I was able to get us close by reading the energy we bound up in the rug at your house. Then Mandy tracked you here and we realized you’d gone on without us.” He frowned.
“I’m really sorry. Posh came to me and offered to show me and only me where the Demon was.” I shrugged. “I didn’t think I could refuse her offer.”
He shook his head. “I know you’re used to doing things by yourself...”
“But now you think I should ask you for permission before I do anything.” I glared up at him and saw in the darkening of his silver gaze when his anger rose to meet mine.
“Not at all, LA. I’m not your master and you’re not my servant. You’re thinking like the old ways. Things are different now. We can be partners, but it will take some effort to figure out how to work together. That’s all I’m trying to say.”
We descended a darkened staircase in silence and as my anger slid away, guilt replaced it. “I’m sorry, Deg.”
He shrugged. “No worries. I do understand.”
“You’re right. I’m stuck in the past. But I’m willing to work on this...whatever we have together now.”
“A partnership,” he said with a reassuring smile.
I gave him a smile in return. “I like the sound of that.”
Brock and Mandy argued playfully in front of us, both clearly the worse for wear but still lively enough to take jabs at each other. Suddenly I was glad they were in my court. I’d needed their help and they’d stepped up.
Like Deg.
I glanced up at him and found him watching me. Sighing, I shook my head. “And you’re right about something else too. So many things are bothering me right now. Like, for example, the fact that Star was able to impersonate so many others. Like the fact that I’d really liked and trusted Posh...” My voice trailed off. I really had thought Posh and I could be friends. That loss made me sad.
He gave my shoulders a squeeze, holding the door for me and stepping back so I could exit the horrible building into a cool, sweetly scented night. “Star was apparently able to project herself to be whomever she chose. You thought you saw your ex. Others saw people they’d trusted when they looked at her.” He frowned and I suddenly realized he might have seen someone too. “Who was it?” I asked.
Deg’s gaze dropped sharply to mine, his sexy mouth tightening. “It doesn’t matter. Just someone from my past.”
A painful jolt speared me in the general vicinity of my heart and I realized it had come from him. My weariness deepened as the realization brought another on its heels. I’d bonded with a Witch. I was now, for all intents and purposes, his Familiar. It was something I’d never envisioned myself doing.
A quick sliver of regret tu
gged at me. But I pushed it away. I’d done what I had to do...for my family and my friends. I wouldn’t regret it.
But I did need to figure out what to do with it.
I frowned up at him. “You knew it was Posh didn’t you? When you first got here, you and Mandy kept exchanging glances like there was something you didn’t want to tell me.”
“Not really no. We found the cat’s body outside.” He shook his head. “Seeing her dead terrified me. I thought you were gone too.”
“Her body? I don’t understand.”
“I don’t really understand it either. But it looks like your friend Posh wasn’t the Demon. Star was just using her form to entice you literally into her web.”
That made me feel a little better about my judgment. I’d really liked Posh. “She must have followed Tabby here...” I trailed off, feeling sad at the big cat’s loss. Then I shook it off, saving it for when I was alone. “We need to talk about what’s happened between us.”
He nodded. “We will. We’ll need to train and practice with the bond. I have some ideas...” He trailed off, giving me a look as we prepared to step into the barrier around Illusory Park. “And I’m sure you have some too. We’ll make it work, LA.”
I gave him a smile that I hoped didn’t look too doubtful. For better or worse, Deg and I were bonded. We would face the future together. That prospect looked daunting for the moment. But there was also a great array of possibilities inherent with it. “I’m looking forward to it,” I told him softly.
And in that moment I realized I was.
There was no going back. I stepped through the barrier, enjoying the swift blast of energy and the excited threads of magic that formed it. Everyone was back where they belonged. Thinking of Tabby and Posh I sighed. Almost everyone. I would mourn my lost friends by being a better Familiar. A better person. I’d become an asset to the people I cared about instead of a liability.
Deg dropped an arm around my shoulders as we walked up the steps of my cozy home, heading for the golden light behind the leaded glass windows.
