Curses & Blood

by Kim Richardson

  My gut clenched when I realized we’d already missed a day and Lars was part of the “end all magic” spell. I looked at Faris. I didn’t like the concern shadowing his features.

  “Okay, so we still have time. A day? Maybe more, right? That’s gives us plenty of time to find these crazies and stop them. If we kill the spell maker, that should kill the spell as well. Right? Then this madness would stop. Right? Aunt Evanora?” Killing a couple of EAMs shouldn’t be a problem.

  “No.” My aunt’s face was creased in worry. “You must destroy the book. Only then will the spell be broken.”

  “Okay. Easy enough.”

  My aunt whipped out her hand and grasped my wrist, her hold iron tight. “You must find the book and destroy it, Samantha,” she said, her grip tightening around my wrist. “Do you understand? Nothing else matters. You must burn it. Burn it until all that is left is ashes.”

  “I will. I promise. I’ll burn it.” I stared at the worry on her face. “There’s something else. Isn’t there? What? What can be worse than removing all the magic in the world?” I knew she was holding out on me. I waited for the big punch line.

  “Everything that has a connection to magic… will die,” said my aunt. “Evanora will die. You. All the witches. All the vampires and werewolves. All the half-breeds. Every single race of magical beings will be eradicated from the world.”

  She turned her milky white eye on me. “If they succeed with the spell… then we will all die.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Every single race of magical beings will be eradicated from the world... If they succeed with the spell, then we will all die…

  Right. No pressure. My aunt’s words kept playing around in my head on a loop. Find the EAM cronies and burn the book or we all die. Sounded easy enough. The problem was, I had no idea where to look and I was running out of time.

  The first magical seal had been broken. We had two seals left to go. But what were these seals and how could I find them? Were they witches? Without the book, I was running around blindly.

  Fury exploded in me in a powerful storm. How could the Gray Council be so careless? How could they have kept such a dangerous book that could end us all tucked away neatly in one of their vaults? I wanted to pound in Irva’s face. I wanted to cut off that pretty smile of hers. I wanted to rip off that glamour and show the world her true colors.

  After two hours on the phone with assistants and secretaries, trying to get some answers from the Gray Council about the EAM group but getting the runaround instead, I’d given up trying to be politically correct. I was going to do things my way. I was going to go over to the Gray Council myself, and I was going to make them tell me.

  No more playing nice. I didn’t care if I wasn’t going to make “Witch of the Month.” And it didn’t matter that I’d never get hired by the Dark Witch Court again. Because, if we were all dead, I wouldn’t be around to care.

  If I didn’t stop the EAM group from breaking the seals, all magic and all things paranormal would be a thing of myth. It would be as though we’d never existed.

  I didn’t know about the rest of the half-breeds, but I wasn’t ready to die.

  Faris had been silent since we’d left my aunt’s shop. His face was grave with a sort of fear lingering in his eyes. Sparks of his demonic magic kept shooting out of his fingers, and I knew what he was thinking about. He was thinking about Cassandra, his great-great-granddaughter. She was a witch. If the EAM crew succeeded in completing the spell, she would die too. Just like me. Just like all the half-breeds. He’d lose her. He’d lose her when he’d just recently found her.

  “You want to talk about it?” I asked, walking alongside him. The sun was near setting, and the sky was fabulous with pink and blue and white, the wind pushing the darkness before it.

  The streets of Mystic Quarter exploded with life as all manner of half-breeds strolled the streets, hopping from one shop to the other, all part of their daily routines. A group of vampires milled in from Wicked Way, probably coming from the subway as they finished their jobs somewhere in the city. The paranormal community had no idea that a group of psychotic humans were trying to obliterate them all.

  Faris eyed me in suspicion as he hesitated, half his face cast in shadow by the lowering of the sun. “Talk about what?”

  “About what’s troubling you.”

  Faris forced a smile. “Nothing’s troubling me, Sammy darling. I have faith in your abilities. I’m certain you will find the book and destroy it.”

  “You don’t look convinced.”

  Faris pulled his face into a bright smile. “Is this better?”

  “Don’t be a jackass. I know you’re thinking of Cassandra. I would be too. I don’t want to die. I don’t want my aunt to die. Or my grandfather or Charlotte or anyone to die.”

  “Except the human bastards who have concocted this plan.”

  “Yes. Except the human bastards.”

  “What about Boy Scout?” asked Faris as we started up the street again.

  I frowned. “What about him?”

  “Well, for starters, don’t you find it strange that this ‘end of all magic spell,’ has no mention of the angel-borns’ demise? Only the magically infected will perish. But not the mortals with the angel essence in their veins.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “I find it strange that this spell doesn’t include them.”

  I halted. “Why? You think the angel-born are involved? Don’t forget the first witches concocted this stupid spell in the first place. Besides, what do the angel-born gain from it?”

  Faris turned and looked at me. “Everything.”

  I shot a glance at him. “Explain.”

  “Well, with all the half-breeds gone, it would make things easier for them. Don’t you think? They would never have to worry about a rogue vampire tearing the throat out of a child or a demented werewolf ripping an old lady to bloody ribbons. Life would be simpler for them. Better. They’d just have to watch out for a couple of lesser demons that happen to step through a Rift now and again.”

  I shook my head. “No. The angel-borns might be a group of pompous a-holes, but they’re not heartless.”

  “Speak for yourself.”

  “I get it. They don’t like demons. They were created for the sole purpose of watching over the humans, to protect them from demons, but I’m not a demon.”

  Faris snorted. “You have demon essence in your veins. That makes you a demon in their eyes.”

  “They don’t want this. They want to stop it.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  No. Yes. Maybe. “You’re wrong.” I started up the street, and Faris fell into step next to me. “I know you’re upset,” I told him. “I’m upset. I’m pissed. But let’s not get sidetracked. The enemy isn’t the angel-borns. The enemy is the EAM group. They started this mess, and I’m going to end it.”

  “Where do we look?” asked the mid-demon. “Eavesdropping on your conversations with the Council earlier—don’t give me those judgy eyes, you know I do it all the time—it didn’t sound like they were willing to help.”

  “They weren’t.” I increased my pace, my heart thumping loudly in my ears, and I felt a snarl curl on my lips. “That’s why you and I are going to pay them a visit.”

  Faris flashed me a real smile. “I like the sound of that. Will there be some pain involved? I’m thinking… mutilation with a mix of flogging and the rack. Please say yes.”

  I gave him a smile. “We’ll see.” I imagined pulling out Irva’s perfectly white teeth, one by one. It was an awesome visual.

  “Excellent.” Faris beamed and cracked his knuckles.

  I laughed. “You psychotic demon.” A sudden coldness seeped through my clothes, making me shiver. I looked to the sky. The sun had disappeared behind the buildings to the west, draping Mystic Quarter in shadow. The days were shorter now. After a sudden buzzing, the streetlights came on.

  A ring sounded from my bag. And aga
in. And again.

  “Aren’t you going to answer that?” asked Faris.

  I let out a sigh. “No.” I pulled out my phone, turned it off, and dropped it back into my bag.

  Faris looked at the street ahead, a knowing smile on his face. “How long are you going to torture Boy Scout like that?”

  I shrugged. “As long as it takes.”

  “What happened between the two of you? I thought things were going rather well, considering he’s a pompous angel-born Boy Scout and you’re a wicked, wicked witch. You caught him in bed with another woman. Didn’t you? I knew it!”

  “No.” I glared at him. “Besides, it’s not like we made this… whatever this is… official, or anything. He could be dating other people.”

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  “Since when are you an expert on all things relationship?”

  “I do have a few thousand years’ experience. One might say that would make me an expert in the field.”

  He had a point, but I didn’t feel like discussing Logan and my relationship right now. The “death of all things magical” sort of occupied my brain. He might survive the spell, but I wouldn’t.

  “Look. I just think it’s not going to work out. It’s fine really.” I glanced at the mid-demon. “Dating him was a mistake. But I’m not invested enough emotionally to have a meltdown, so don’t worry. He wasn’t that invested either, so no problem there. Stop looking at me like that.”

  “Boy Scout is a pompous ass. But I truly think he cares for you.”

  That’s it. I stopped and whirled at him. “Listen. I can’t deal with all of this right now. I can’t. I only have space in my brain to find the idiot EAM faction and burn that damn book. I don’t want to talk about Logan. I don’t even want to think about him. So. Do me a favor and let’s talk about something else or nothing at all.”

  “Yes, master,” said the mid-demon and I glared at him again. “Shall I fetch us transportation, Sammy darling? A stinky, sticky New York cab?”

  “Let’s grab a cab up on Starlight Lane,” I answered, eagerness making my legs move faster at the prospect of throwing the name of the book in Irva’s face. “We’re going to hit traffic at this hour—”

  A blazing, blue-white light exploded around us, blinding me. And then a sonic boom blasted the streets, making me jump. Darkness fell, sudden and complete, and I fumbled for my sigil rings as my heart lurched in panic. I knew what was going to happen next. I tried to brace myself, but I was too late.

  Once again, both Faris and I went hurling violently to the ground, hit by an invisible force. I slammed to the hard pavement and rolled to a stop. The light subsided and I blinked rapidly, trying to rid my vision of the white spots.

  When I could see clearly again, I shot to my feet and looked around. All the street lamps were off, and I couldn’t see any lights coming from any of the neighboring buildings on either side of the street. It looked like the blast took out the main transformer in Mystic Quarter. Dim light came from the night sky, helping me see without the streetlights. We weren’t covered in darkness just yet.

  I felt it. Like a wild storm, the dark energy rolled and boomed and echoed all around us, leaving in its wake the scent of sulfur.

  I began to realize the kind of power we were dealing with. Ancient. Destructible. Fatal. A power as old as the oceans and as broad as the sky. And the EAM group was about to take it all.

  They had broken the second magical seal.

  Faris got to his feet and brushed his pants. “That was kind of intense.”

  The sound of voices grew in alarm. With my pulse fast and my skin tingling in magic, I looked over my shoulder to a crowd of faeries and werewolves as they got to their feet. Some looked dazed, and others looked angry. A few had the same look on their faces as what I’d expected mine looked like—fear.

  A group of at least twelve vampires were getting nervous. Their eyes were wide as they scanned the streets with long, sharp teeth peeking from their lips. A few young werewolves watched, evaluating whether this was a scam or a real problem.

  My heart slammed against my chest. “Faris. The second seal…” The rest of my sentence died in my throat at the sudden shift in the air.

  My ears popped at the change in pressure. The air shifted again.

  I knew exactly what that was.

  I turned around slowly, following my senses.

  Not thirty feet away, undulating in the air like a heatwave on a hot summer day, was a patch of rippling black water. About ten feet across and twelve feet high, like a moving liquid doorway to a world of darkness and pain, stood a Rift—a gateway to the Netherworld.

  A mist of black smoke appeared, framing the edges of the shifting doorway. It shimmered and cracked, erupting in swirls of black mist like a maelstrom of shadows.

  An Asian vampire female hissed in anger at the Rift, though her eyes and posture said otherwise, as she stepped away from it. I didn’t blame her. If a Greater demon decided to step out, it could easily make a meal out of the vampire, or maybe a new vampire-leather coat.

  Three werewolves that looked like they should be in college moved before it, shirts and jackets off, flexing their muscles with their fingers ending in claws. The only one that was smiling was holding a baseball bat. I gave the kid credit for his creativity, but this wasn’t the time to show off. It would get him killed.

  Faris moved next to me. A cold darkness pricked my skin as black tendrils of his magic dripped from his hands. “What are the odds of another Rift opening in less than twenty-four hours?” he asked, his dark eyes nearly black in the dim light.

  Tension pulled all the muscles in my body tight. “Remote.”

  I felt a strong sudden pulse of demon magic spreading through me with the sensation of thousands of needles pricking my skin.

  I cursed. Another Rift rippled into existence across the street from the other Rift.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  My ears popped as the air shifted again. And then another Rift emerged, pulsing and shimmering in the street. And another. And another. Until five more Rifts had materialized.

  Cauldron save us.

  “And what are the odds of six Rifts appearing in the same vicinity?” asked Faris’s voice next to me.

  I had no answer for him. As far as I knew, Rifts weren’t a common thing. Yes, a Rift might open up in the city a few times a month, but that was to be expected. Some demon was always trying to get to our world. But Rifts took huge amounts of energy to open a single doorway to our world.

  And now Rifts were opening all over Mystic Quarter. And it scared the crap out of me.

  I couldn’t see any demons stepping through. Maybe we’d get lucky and the Rifts would close up again, having been just a warning.

  Power stirred and moved in the air.

  And then hundreds of demons came barreling out of the Rifts.

  CHAPTER 16

  What does one do when facing imminent danger that would surely result in death? Usually the answer would be—run like hell. Me? I stood frozen like a giant human popsicle, unable to move, unable to form coherent thoughts in my brain.

  This can’t be happening.

  It didn’t matter how many times I said it. It wouldn’t magic the Rifts away. I stared, my mouth hanging open like an idiot, as demon after demon came clambering through the Rifts and into the street. Imps, ghouls, igura demons, shadow demons, and even a few hellhounds tore up the payment with razor-sharp claws as they stalked a cornered faerie.

  I tried to make my stunned body respond, to move my feet, to unleash every ounce of magic at my command to kill the demons, but it wasn’t happening.

  I wasn’t sure if it was panic or whether I was in denial, refusing to believe what I was seeing before me with my own eyes.

  “Sammy darling,” came Faris’s voice. “You look like you need a hug or something?”

  The crowd of half-breeds panicked, falling into chaos and scattering. Half-breed screams mixed with the
hungry, vicious howls of demons filled the air like a thunderstorm. The hair on the back of my neck rose as cries poured out into the night. The high sounds tore at my heart, panicked and terrified. One of the screams peaked at a shuddering, violent point and then dissolved into a strangled jumble of sounds.

  “Sammy, if you don’t snap out of it, I’m going to give you a big wet kiss.”

  I blinked and frowned at the mid-demon. “Not if you want to keep those lips.”

  “Ah. There you are. Excellent.” Faris splayed his hands at his sides, black balls of demon death at the ready in his palms. “Now, get ready, darling. Here comes an igura demon.”

  The igura demon came at us like an oversized lizard. Iguras were ugly, a mismatch nightmare of scales, fur, claws and fangs. I could see a cluster of black eyes set in the front of its flat skull. Its tail ended in a thick talon that whipped menacingly from side to side as it ran.

  Okay, so they were ugly and powerful, but they weren’t immune to fire.

  The demon howled and drove itself into the air with its powerful lizard-legs, hurtling toward us and sailing through the air with a frightening and unnatural grace.

  I drew up my will, pulling on my sigil rings, and shouted, “Feurantis!”

  Fire soared forth from my outstretched fingers, and I directed it at the igura demon. It hit the beast in the face, covering the igura’s body in a sheet of yellow and orange flames.

  A shriek of pain came from the igura. And then it fell to the ground in a heap of charcoaled, blackened flesh and ash.

  “Holy shit,” I said. Yes, I’m quite articulate when facing a crisis.

  Faris flashed me a smile. “Deep-fried lizard. It’s not bad. Especially with a bit of garlic. I’ve had some before in—”

  “Watch out!”

  A ghoul demon rushed toward Faris. I could see it, even in the dim light, and I wished I couldn’t. It was naked, a horribly misshapen humanoid demon, hideous, foul, and heavily muscled.

  It leaped at Faris in a blur of grotesque limbs, bringing forth a stink of feces.