The Cat's Meow

by Stacey Kennedy

  The lead warlock wasn’t familiar to me, but most of the warlocks present weren’t, except a few I’d seen at The Wicked Lair. Bryon must’ve been right—they were probably not from Charleston, but had gathered to summon Baal.

  A slow smile crossed the leader warlock’s face, dark and sinister. The wind picked up as he muttered a spell, and then black smoke rose up from his feet, swirling around him, encasing his thin frame.

  Once the smoke ceased, I blinked, hoping the view in front of me was wrong.

  Sadly, it wasn’t.

  “Bryon,” Kale spat.

  He smiled a malicious grin, making my blood run cold. “Had your chance to kill me, didn’t you? Foolish.”

  I could only gawk at him. Bryon was behind this? How was that even possible? No doubt he’d gathered a glamour spell to hide his appearance, but why go to those extremes? But as I stared into his ominous eyes, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. We had been played by Bryon as much as Kale had played me.

  “Ah yes, Libby,” Bryon said in a dark voice, now focused on me. “I see your mind piecing it all together. Wasn’t it a surprise to hear a High Priest was coming to Charleston to seek out a witch?” His smile widened. “Even more interesting, he came to find you. It didn’t take long to see what you’d been up to these past years since I’d left, who your contacts were, and didn’t it all fall perfectly into place?”

  I stared, dumfounded, and couldn’t even blink. Just as Kale had asked me the very same question about a snitch, Bryon had considered it, too. I wondered how many others in Charleston he planted the lies with besides Edwin. But he wasn’t wrong; I went right to Edwin because I suspected he’d know what was going on.

  And Edwin had told me exactly what Bryon had wanted him to, hadn’t he?

  My mouth had fallen open somewhere during his speech and I found myself so shocked I had no words. Hadn’t I learned my lesson long ago that Bryon would screw me over? He knew I wouldn’t allow Kale to destroy him that night. Rage boiled inside and I shot up from behind the tomb, stepping away from the spot I hid.

  Kale’s eyes narrowed. I was refusing a direct order from a High Priest, but my silence couldn’t be contained. “But you led us right to you. You wanted us to find you? That makes no sense.”

  Bryon smirked. “It makes perfect sense.”

  Kale’s fist tightened and he inhaled a sharp breath. “You drew us here for the attack.”

  Like a snap of fingers I now understood. “The plan has come together. They’ve come.” The warlock—Bryon, as it appeared—stated that last night. At the time I didn’t understand, but Goddess, he had been talking about me and Kale being there and discovering their location.

  Bryon had told us their whereabouts so we’d come tonight. They never intended to summon Baal—they didn’t need to—and he wanted the High Priests cornered. Holy shit, he succeeded.

  Even I could see the brilliance of the plan. No way would anyone get all the High Priests to one location without the Sentinels. But with all the killings going on around the United States, especially in New Orleans—the Alchemy’s city—everyone was dispersed. That explained why the Sentinels hadn’t come to Charleston and the High Priests had come instead. Bryon hid his plans so well no one had realized the threat. Never giving too much information to make it too easy, but just enough to do what he wanted. The worst part was, I led the High Priests here—I brought them to their very deaths.

  Gregor stepped forward. Even in the face of demons he looked brave. “You now have us. Finish what you started.”

  The High Priests appeared heroic in their firm stances, but me, not so much. The threat of this all worried me because it seemed that Bryon had no doubt he’d destroy them. The demons concerned me even more, though—it appeared they had borrowed bodies from what I suspected were victims Bryon had murdered. But a demon was easily spotted with its crimson eyes burning like hell’s fire.

  “I happen to agree with you.” Bryon smiled, dark and dangerous. “The time for a new ruler is upon us. Tonight, I pulled my plan together and I will be rewarded for your deaths.”

  Without any hesitation, Kale swiped out his wand toward me. I hadn’t realized he’d drawn a rune through the conversation. Once again, in the moment of danger, his concern was me. Before I could catch up and process that, a large bluish bubble surrounded me. I hit the ground with an oof, as the wind was knocked out of me and the heat of his protection seethed across my skin.

  I might have been annoyed he’d placed his magic on me instead of himself, but the magic erupting around me made me realize why he’d done it. My protection gave him leverage. He needed a diversion to draw his runes: while he drew them, he could get killed. I couldn’t waver, especially when hell broke loose around me. Loud shouts from Bryon soared across the air and the High Priests formed a plan among them.

  I ignored it all, focusing inward, and closed my eyes as I drew on the warmth in my chest, hoping one spell I’d seen last night would work. “Bright light. Dark night. Cloak Kale in light, as dark as night.”

  My veins turned to liquid fire and I gasped, forcing my eyes open as Kale vanished. A curse echoed that I suspected came from Bryon, but I stared at the spot Kale had disappeared from. I begged the Goddess to work her magic and hold the cloak around him long enough that he could draw runes or whatever he needed to.

  Smoke swirled around Alistair’s feet and he shouted words in a language I’d never heard. I had no doubt he, and the other High Priests, worked their magic to fight back, but I couldn’t look away from where Kale had vanished.

  Seconds had never felt so long.

  A blast of dark-blue light burst from where Kale had disappeared, and then the bright light lit up the sky. I blinked once and he had formed again. He stood over his rune with a stream of light cascading out of his wand and whirling around him. He pointed his wand outward and the magic soared out in front of him with a loud crackle.

  I didn’t doubt that if I glanced at the other High Priests, the same level of magic would be coming from them all, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Kale. I was transfixed by his magic—he was a powerful sight. No matter how angry I was, he enthralled me.

  I expected screams to erupt as the magic took lives, but the only thing I heard—felt—was the high level of magic surrounding me. It simmered against my skin, and the heat of the magic increased the temperature of the air.

  Kale’s eyes narrowed and his mouth parted. Time slowed as he lowered his wand, withdrawing the magic. The scent of burned wood from Kale’s wand reached my nose.

  Worry raged in the depths of his eyes. “What is this?”

  I forced myself to turn away from him and gasped at the scene before me. No bodies had fallen, all the warlocks still stood strong, and amusement shone on their faces. I couldn’t understand—I’d seen Kale use magic and knew the other High Priests had, too.

  How was no one dead?

  “Ah,” Bryon said, his high voice mocking. “Demonic power is unfathomable. We’re protected in ways you cannot break.” He turned to the demon next to him. “Kill them.”

  No. No. No.

  I’d never heard of demons possessing the power to shield magic, but then again, my knowledge of demons lacked. My job had always been to stop anyone who tried to tap into the darkness, not understand the power they possessed.

  Kale spun, and in the same way he had done for me, he bathed the other High Priests and himself in the protection bubble. The glow of blue light formed around each body and shone throughout the dark night.

  He dropped to his knees, trembled, and struggled against the strain of his hold. To protect one he managed. To protect all of us the pressure became obvious. Against warlocks, the High Priests had them beat. Against five demons, they were screwed.

  The demons released a loud hiss, so evil and raw it horrified me. Then the bodies they possessed dropped to the ground as black smoke formed, and I couldn’t move, think, or make a sound. I could only watch in terror as the black smoke
raced forward.

  The shadowy cloud surrounded all four of the High Priests. The silence that followed was far worse than if they had screamed, especially since Kale now convulsed on his knees. His head rested on the ground as he fought to hold onto the spell to protect.

  Help them!

  Kale’s sudden roar snapped me back into focus. I dropped to my knees and my heart clenched—that horrified scream meant only one thing.

  Gregor’s shriek followed and confirmed my worst fears…and maybe slight relief because Kale remained safe. He didn’t scream for his own life, but for the knowledge that he couldn’t hold his shield and Gregor had lost the protection.

  I stared in total disbelief as Gregor’s body lifted four feet off the ground and the smoke swirled around him. His screams were not right. His soul was being stolen from the inside out as his life force was ripped away.

  I grasped my chest as the Goddess burned wicked hot in my body, urging me to help. She hated to watch evil destroy good, and I agreed with her, but what could I do?

  Alistair screamed out a spell in a voice raised with worry and urgency. Kale still trembled on the ground and fought to protect the rest of us, but Alistair’s spell failed to stop the demons that attacked Gregor.

  With a final scream, Gregor’s body soared through the air, landing a few feet in front of me; his eyes were wide-open, blank…and dead. Then a crimson light spilled from his eyes before he winked out of existence.

  I screeched, sliding back on my butt, and glanced around. No one paid attention to me. All the warlocks stared at the demons that now attacked the other High Priests and waited for their demise. No doubt in a few short minutes they would die.

  Kale would die.

  My heart reached out to him, and no matter what he’d done to me, the secrets he kept, a world without Kale in it couldn’t register in my mind.

  Get up, Libby.

  Do something.

  Fight.

  “How, Goddess? Tell me what to do.” I screamed inside my head, pleading for her to give me a sign. No magic I learned would save them. If the High Priests couldn’t beat them, then how could I? None of the spells I’d studied would help them and I wasn’t strong enough.

  Although…

  A memory raced through my mind from the book—an answer to the very foundation of Bryon’s plan, as if the Goddess had reminded me how to help. If I couldn’t stop his harbor of evil, I could beat him at his own game. Bryon had in fact suggested it. But doing this went against everything I believed in, everything I’d been raised to do, and it went against white magic.

  To my surprise, my instincts didn’t lead me away and the Goddess didn’t tell me no—she encouraged me, which didn’t make a zip of sense. But, as always, I never questioned her and hoped to hell I read her right. I might be damned for my actions now, but Kale couldn’t die tonight. I had been gifted the book of spells and it wasn’t to be wasted. No matter that fear, anxiety, and horror engulfed me. It was do or die.

  After a silent prayer to the Goddess to give me strength, I pushed off the ground, and focused on Kale. He screamed against his distress and I felt it right down to my toes.

  With my focus on Kale to drive my purpose I called, “Baal who dwells in slivers of night.” All heads jerked to me, and Bryon’s brow furrowed as the other warlocks exchanged glances. I pulled on the Goddess’s strength. Without my strong connection to her, this spell would destroy me. Through her, I had a fighting chance. “Uncloak your shadow to witch’s sight.”

  “No,” Bryon roared and raced forward, as did the other warlocks behind him. To me, it all happened in slow motion. Bryon had known me five years ago when I didn’t have nearly the strength I did now, and he hadn’t considered me a threat…until this very moment. “Stop her.”

  The demons ceased their attack on the High Priests and the smoke swept my way, but I held my focus and dug down into the very core of my magic, and wind whipped around me. “By the power of the Goddess, I bind thee.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Evil in its rawest form stared me dead in the eye. Baal looked human, but he was a Prince of Hell and I suspected he could take whatever form he wanted to. I wondered why he’d appear this way and not as a beast with horns or something, since that’d be far scarier.

  Not like I’d ask him.

  His eyes were more the color of flames than the crimson color of the demons. To my surprise, he was actually handsome. Tall, shaved head, angular features…and, well, muscular beneath his jeans and red T-shirt.

  Odd!

  As the smoke—demons—that had approached me settled to the ground, Baal glanced around at the others in the cemetery. The warlocks’ eyes were huge and all of them were stuck on the spot, but then Baal scanned the High Priests.

  Kale didn’t convulse anymore, since the removal of the demon attack had made his need to protect us lessen. His eyes were fixed on me and intense. I couldn’t read whether he was happy with what I’d done or displeased.

  “What do you want, witch?” Baal asked. Even his voice sounded so normal, deep, throaty…and sexy.

  Very odd!

  I didn’t have a clue what to ask of him—I hadn’t gotten that far. I was still trying to accept that the spell had worked and I had summoned up a Prince of Hell.

  “Err…” I caught sight of Daryen, his mouth agape, and then I glanced at Alistair, who smiled at me. I sighed, knowing that even if I came out of this with my head still attached, I wouldn’t be condemned by the Alchemy because I tapped into the darkness. “They ordered your demons to kill for them,” I told Baal.

  His eyes narrowed, which scared the bejesus out of me, and then he surveyed the warlocks in the cemetery again before his dark, evil gaze returned to me. “I am under your command, witch. What do you ask of me?”

  My impression was that he didn’t much appreciate the warlocks’ plan, or that they had used his demons, and I suspected a Prince of Hell had more important things to deal with than pesky warlocks.

  I considered our situation and thought up a plan real quick, careful what to ask for. Baal couldn’t kill me now since he was under my spell, but I had no doubt if I used him for my benefit it would piss him off. He could always kill me tomorrow. So, I went with what I figured had annoyed him. “Banish the demons back to hell and remove any power they’ve given to these warlocks.”

  By the Goddess, did he smirk? “You don’t want me to share my power with you?”

  “Not particularly.” I shuddered at the horrific thought.

  Kale still hadn’t moved. I wondered if he had even breathed. Those steely eyes of his remained indifferent.

  Baal dipped at the waist with what almost looked like a formal bow before he turned to the demons. “I set you free.”

  The same loud, high-pitched squeal sped through the air and my blood turned ice cold. Baal set his sights on Bryon, and hell, he should be scared because I was, and Baal wasn’t focused on me.

  “It was a mistake to bond my demons for your personal use.” By the rage in Baal’s eyes, whatever magic Bryon had tapped into was among the darkest of magic, and Baal didn’t like it. “The magic is not yours to command. I’ll await you in my realm and deliver your punishment.” A wave of hot air blasted around me, and the fear on Bryon’s face was raw. Then Baal turned to me. “The protection is gone.”

  Before I had a chance to open my mouth, Kale shouted out a chant and a ribbon of blue magic poured from his wand, circling the warlocks. I thought maybe that was their death sentence, but it didn’t blow them up, just held them caged like a blue rope I knew they’d never cross.

  “Thank the Goddess.” I sighed.

  Baal chuckled.

  A demon chuckled?

  “Is this all you wish of me, witch?”

  “Well…” I glanced at Kale, who still looked stunned stupid. Eventually he nodded, so I turned to Baal. “Yes, that’s all. Err…thank you.”

  Was that the right thing to say? As odd as it was, I didn’t fear Baal in
the sense that he’d harm me. He was evil, but it seemed to be restrained power. I had the feeling I was nothing to him. If I left him alone, he’d do the same, which was why I’d asked him to do something I assumed he would’ve done anyway—take back what belonged to him.

  Without another word and with the smile still on his face, black smoke rose up from the ground in a loud hiss. Then, with a loud bang that made me jump a foot off the ground, Baal vanished, and I reeled, confused by the interaction. Not like I would ever admit this aloud, but Baal seemed almost respectable.

  “Libby,” Kale said, gesturing toward the warlocks. “The choice is yours.”

  Oh yeah, I understood the choice well enough. While normally I would never agree to what was about to come out of my mouth, the mistake I’d made by letting Bryon live the last time wouldn’t be repeated, but I paused at Kale’s concern.

  Why had he asked my permission?

  Was it that I had summoned Baal and saved our magical butts? No, I didn’t think so. From all appearances, it seemed he didn’t want to displease me or do something else I couldn’t forgive him for, especially considering I had once loved one of the warlocks.

  The warlocks begged and pleaded for their lives, tears rushing down their faces. Some hugged each other, a few glanced around and looked for a way out of Kale’s magic, and some stood frozen on the spot.

  “No matter what happens to us now, this isn’t the end.” Bryon gave his charming smile that had once won me over. “Are you really going to kill me, Libby? Do you not remember what we shared?” His eyes were warm and the memory of how he once loved me swept through my mind.

  Tears filled my eyes. “You know, to end this for good we have to start somewhere, which means you, Bryon, and yes, I can have you killed.” The Goddess shone within me, telling me this was right. I turned to Kale and ordered, “Destroy them.”

  Shock rippled across Kale’s face at my coldness, but it quickly vanished. His face darkened before he pointed his wand to the rune beneath his feet and chanted. The blue rope around the warlocks brightened, and then grew tighter and enclosed them. Screams filled the air and I covered my ears to avoid them.