Caged Magic

by Jennifer Lyon

  True, Blythe had been a total party girl, but pregnancy transformed her into a responsible young mom, making Risa damned proud.

  And a tad jealous. She’d lost her own baby when she’d been four months along in her pregnancy. Lost? You see her and talk to her when you’re alone. That’s not normal, crazy girl. People don’t see and chat with their dead baby. Her apprehension ratcheted up, and she rubbed at the ache in her forehead.

  “Hey, you okay?” Leaning forward, Blythe put her hand on Risa’s shoulder. “This last episode you had was bad. You were out of it for hours.”

  No, she really wasn’t okay. Not with her mind slowly cracking under the weight of the screams from all the souls trapped in her shield magic. It happened every time she used that particular power, getting worse with each episode. Definitely not okay, but Risa had to hold on to her sanity. Blythe and Kendall were counting on her.

  Once she got her, Blythe and Kendall to safety, then she could worry about finding a way to free the souls and save herself. Maybe by figuring out how to reach the Ancestors, the souls of witches who’d chosen to no longer reincarnate, but remain in Summerland. Risa had heard of other witches contacting them through their third eye.

  “Risa?” Concern dropped Blythe’s voice to a whisper.

  Blowing out a breath, Risa tried to release some of the tension cramping her neck muscles. “I’m fine.” Squinting against the glaring lights, she added, “We’re almost there.”

  Blythe leaned back. “How long will we be here in Vegas?”

  “Only long enough for my contact, Jim, to get us out of the country.” She hadn’t wanted to come back to Vegas since this was where Archer lived, but Risa trusted her contact. It had been a judgment call. Jim had a room waiting for them under assumed names. “Hopefully we’ll be on a plane tomorrow.”

  Spotting the Mystique Hotel, she guided the car up the driveway to the front. “We’re here.”

  As the car stopped, the baby woke and began fussing. Blythe clicked the release on the car seat.

  “Wait.” Risa scanned the portico. Too many people milled around. “I’ll come to your side of the car.” She grabbed her purse and looped the strap over her shoulder, feeling the weight of her gun tucked inside. She’d spent the last few years as a bodyguard for women stalked and harassed by men, and she was damned good at her job. Too bad she hadn’t had a clear shot at Archer last night. She might not be able to cause harm with her magic, but she’d have no problem shooting his ass.

  “Got it,” Blythe answered. “Shh, Kendall, I know, sweetheart.” She tried to soothe the cranky baby.

  The poor kid had had a rough day, but Risa ignored the urge to comfort her and got out of the car before the valet could open her door.

  Surprised, the man stepped back then recovered. “Are you checking in?”

  Nodding, she handed off the keys. The heaviness in her chakras increased. Weird. Tired, yeah that could be it. All three of them had hit their limit, and Risa had spent several hours early this morning trapped in soul screams. Time to get into a room to rest. She headed around the car just as a valet opened Blythe’s door.

  Keeping her hands free in case trouble erupted, Risa moved back and let the valet help Blythe and Kendall out. She watched all the people, searching for any sign of danger.

  A loud rumble ripped through the night. The ground pitched and undulated. Thrown off balance, she dropped to her knees, a shock of pain cramping straight down her center, like a hand reaching in and ripping out her magic.

  What the hell? Her pulse shot up, heart pounding.

  The ground rocked again. A thick sulfur scent billowed up. An oily sensation filled her mouth. Elemental fear raced down her spine. Sulfur? Oil? Only one thing she could think of—demon magic.

  Boom!

  An explosion plunged the entire boulevard into total blackness. Wrong. Unnatural. Adrenaline surged into her blood, and she jumped to her feet.

  Someone slammed into her, shoving Risa into another man. He heaved her away, and her knees crashed into the car bumper. Damn, that stung. Bracing her hands on the vehicle, she jerked her gaze around. Frantic voices shrilled, and people ran in panic.

  Another violent wave of shaking hit. Risa gripped the edge of the trunk. From her pelvis to her forehead, harsh pressure tugged and yanked on her magic, draining her power. Stealing it. A demon witch? Or Archer?

  Blythe and Kendall! They weren’t by the car. Oh God. Pushing off the trunk, she elbowed and shoved until she spotted them by the hotel doors.

  On the walkway between the car and the entrance stood a man with his head thrown back, arms outstretched, a bow clutched in one hand, a fistful of arrows in the other. Live flames lashed over his body like whips of lightning, streaking up and down his arms, torso, hips, sliding between his thighs, covering his legs and back. The flames ate away his clothes but left no burns on his skin. Instead, he seemed to be swelling, his muscles bulking up before her eyes.

  Risa dragged her gaze to his face and recognized the blond hair and even features—Archer.

  Once I spawn, you won’t be able to run fast or far enough.

  Chill bumps erupted on her skin, and her stomach twisted. What was he? Her entire being tried to cringe away.

  Two police officers ran up with a blanket and tossed it on him to smother the flames.

  The blanket ignited in a huge blaze, whooshed back and overwhelmed the two officers. Their pain-filled bellows jerked Risa from her shock. She shouldered her way closer as the doors to the hotel burst open and a thick-set, dark-skinned man ran out. Jim, her contact.

  “No!” Snapping into action, she mentally reached for her magic, hoping to douse the flames or create a barrier. But before she could get even one chakra open, the blaze engulfed Jim too.

  Don’t look, oh God, don’t look. Nausea churned, bile shoving up her throat. But she couldn’t fall apart. Forcing her stare from the burning man, she spotted Blythe trapped behind the fiery Archer by the hotel doors. Crammed in a corner, she had her body curved protectively around the baby.

  Go. Get them both away! Risa fought against the streams of stampeding people escaping, while concentrating to pry open her chakras. She had to cast a shield over Blythe and Kendall.

  Her chakras cramped and twisted, the pain worsening the closer she got to Archer.

  Her magic wouldn’t work, but her gun did. Jamming her hand into her purse, she clutched the weapon. The fiery light show engulfing Archer grew brighter. Risa darted past him, a blast of hot wind searing her skin. The smell of sulfur burned her throat, and her eyes watered.

  Like being in hell. Every instinct screamed to run away, escape. Find a closet to hide in.

  Rage sprang up to drive back her cowardice. Too many times she’d been weak and scared. Pathetic. Hot determination flooded her, and she pushed hard through the terrified throngs.

  Reaching Blythe, she turned and took up a protective stance. They would not die on her watch. She raised her gun, then got her first look at Archer’s naked back.

  Two flaps of something protruded from his shoulder blades down to his waist. His muscles rippled, and those things grew larger.

  “Wings,” she said. He was growing wings. She’d heard of Wing Slayer Hunters getting wings, but Archer wasn’t a witch hunter. So what was he? Would her gun kill him?

  One way to find out. Risa took aim. All her earlier panic and horror coalesced into extreme concentration.

  The licking flames vanished, and Archer spun around. In a blur of motion, he fitted an arrow in the bow and released it.

  Risa squeezed the trigger, but the arrow hit the gun and knocked it from her hand before she could get the shot off. Disbelieving, she stared as the gun struck the wall and stayed there, held by the arrow. It had pierced through the gun and into the wall. Flames slithered from the arrow, flared and engulfed the gun.

  Her calm control shattered. “Run!”

  “Take Kendall!” Blythe held out the baby. “You’re faster.”

&
nbsp; Risa snatched the child from Blythe’s arms and clamped her against her chest. With her free arm, she shoved Blythe ahead of her. The other woman broke into a run with Risa on her heels. They headed to the right, past what was left of the smoldering, sickening remains of the incinerated cops and Jim.

  “Keep running!” Risa passed Blythe, taking the lead. She didn’t have any weapons, her magic was on the fritz, and she had no way to fight that thing Archer had spawned into. The night had turned into a nightmare like nothing she’d ever seen. Voices screamed, and the hiss and crackle of fire punctuated the unnatural darkness and silence of the Strip. No car alarms, no sirens, no hums of any machinery.

  They made it to the street. Cars were stopped in place, as if their engines had all died. People milled around, staring at the flames crawling up the Mystique Hotel. Risa headed across the boulevard. Weaving between a brown truck and a Mercedes, she shifted Kendall and glanced back. Blythe kept up with her.

  But behind her Archer gained on them, his naked body gleaming in the moonlight, his growing wings flapping.

  And then he stopped. Raised his bow with an arrow poised.

  “Down!” Risa shouted.

  Too late, the arrow hit Blythe in the back.

  Blythe stumbled, weaving drunkenly. Her eyes rounded, her mouth dropping open. The gleaming arrow punched into her back, and the head jutted out from between her ribs.

  Kendall screamed, thrashing frantically and reaching for her mother.

  Clutching the baby, Risa stared at the arrow in utter blankness. An arrow. Through her best friend. Blood. Flickers of flames.

  A harsh, pained cry jerked Risa’s gaze up to Blythe’s sickly pale face. She swayed in ugly slow motion, canting one way then the other. Like a death dance…

  No! Reality snapped into place. Blythe couldn’t die. Risa couldn’t lose her friend. Kendall needed her mom. Fierce love and resolve flooded her veins. Do something. Anything. Blocking out everything else, Risa held Kendall tightly and concentrated on summoning her magic. She mentally reached to her first chakra at her pelvic floor.

  Only a trickle of power wafted up.

  Not enough. Fighting harder, she pulled on every ounce of will to yank out more magic.

  Blythe crumpled to the street. Hissing erupted from her as flames snaked out from the arrow and shaft, licking hungrily at her skin.

  Horror gripped Risa’s throat. She couldn’t get enough magic. Desperation burned her eyes, clogged her nose, and she ran to her friend. “No!” She had to stop the flames. Come on, chakras, open. Nothing happened.

  Blythe raised her head, eyes wild. “Run!” Her face contorted in pain, terror and purpose. “Save Kendall! You swore, Risa! You swore!” She barely got the words out as the flames ignited into an explosion so powerful, the force of it lifted Risa off her feet and threw her through the air.

  She tightened her arms around Kendall as she slammed into a car. The impact knocked the wind from her, and she slid down. Landing on her ass, she leaned against the vehicle, holding the screaming baby while fighting to get air into her lungs.

  Blythe was dead.

  Where was Archer?

  Breathe, damn it! She had to breathe and stay conscious. Oh God Blythe, how could she be dead? No, don’t think about her now. Survive first, get Kendall safe, then she could feel the loss. Naked calves and feet appeared. Before she could lift her gaze any more, Archer grabbed her long hair.

  Her heart stuttered at the up-close view of his crimson eyes and leathery skin. “What are you?” It came out a scraping whisper. Terror had robbed her of her voice.

  His lips stretched, revealing white teeth. “The son of Asmodeus.”

  Shock grayed her vision, and her chakras slammed shut. Asmodeus, the demon. “You’re a…” What?

  “A demon spawn and your worst fucking nightmare.”

  That pretty much summed it up. He’d killed Blythe. Murdered her. And now her soul had lodged in Risa’s magic with all the others. Too many emotions battled in her head—grief, hatred, her own failure. “Why didn’t you kill me? Why Blythe?”

  “You held my daughter, and my father wants her alive.” His eyes took on a glowing red cast. “And what he wants, he gets.”

  She tried to shake her head, holding Kendall closer. “She’s just a baby.” She’d sworn she’d protect Kendall, but wavy lines rippled in her vision, and weakness saturated her muscles. Hold on, don’t pass out.

  “If you hadn’t pissed me off, I’d just kill you. But now you’re going to suffer.” He yanked her forward. “Welcome to your nightmare.” He slammed her head back against the car.

  Her last thought was that she’d failed Blythe and Kendall.

  ~ 2 ~

  Linc ran up the east side of the Las Vegas Strip, where throngs of people rushed in the light from the moon and fire. Powerless, abandoned vehicles littered the road, and flames spewed from one of the hotels. He glanced over at the man pacing him. “What caused the blackout? Cars and machinery to just stop?”

  “Head toward the flames,” Ram said. “That must be the source of whatever is happening.”

  Linc passed the Cosmopolitan Hotel in a blur, weaving around people and closing in on the Bellagio, when he caught a whiff of witch blood. His skin heated, and that nagging itch between his shoulder blades intensified. Another whiff and his veins swelled in need, craving.

  Dozens of smells saturated the air—fires, burning rubber, perfumes, sweat, and sulfur—but the warm cinnamon scent compelled him. Witch blood. He wanted it. Not demon, but an earth witch with a fragrance that lured him like nothing else.

  Turning away from the Bellagio, he ran into the street, skirting stalled cars and panicked people, his focus on getting to the witch.

  He passed another fire, one so hot and vile with the scent of sulfur and cooking flesh that he slowed a few feet away. Pity and anger roiled in him. Tiny flames flickered around the remains of a human burned and discarded in the street. No one should die like that.

  “Christ.” Ram stopped beside him.

  “How did he or she catch on fire?”

  “Look.”

  Linc followed Ram’s gaze to the Mystique Hotel, which was covered in black-edged flames. “That’s not natural fire.” The flames curled then snapped outward like some kind of fire monster. “Has to be demon magic.”

  “We have to find the source.”

  Doing a three-sixty, Linc searched through the dark chaos, while fighting the urge to locate the earth witch he’d scented. He didn’t see anything until a group of people moved, clearing his sightline.

  About fifteen feet away, a woman had collapsed in a sitting position on the street, clutching a baby. Hovering over her was a naked man with wings growing out of his back, holding a bow and arrow. Thin whips of fiery light resembling miniature streaks of lightning snapped across his skin. “Holy fuck, what is that?”

  “Jesus,” Ram breathed out. “It has to be a demon, although how the hell a demon got here in that form, I don’t know. Thought they had to possess a human body.”

  Linc heard, but his focus zeroed in on the woman. She had a witch shimmer, faint but definitely there, pale blue with red holes indicating pain. The winds shifted, and he caught a faint whiff of the cinnamon-magic scent he’d smelled earlier. Before he could fully process it, he launched into a flat-out run, shouldering people out of his way.

  Had to get to her. Whatever that thing was looming over her, it would kill the witch and the baby she had cradled against her.

  A sound to his left jerked his head around just as two huge men tackled him, throwing him into the side of an SUV.

  Rogues, judging by the thick smell of copper coming off them.

  Linc rolled so fast a knife meant for him embedded in the tire. Shooting to his feet, he yanked his blade out and attacked.

  More rogues materialized and surrounded him. Goddammit, he had to get to the witch and baby. The clang of a cage door slamming sounded in his head, igniting his feral side. He plunged his
knife into the rogue closest to him. Internal rage boiled as he stabbed his blade into the hearts of two more. Hurry! Get to her! He kept going, slashing and killing until no rogue remained in his way.

  “Linc.” Ram had the last rogue pinned to a car.

  With the fury burning in his veins, Linc stalked over and raised his knife to kill the bastard.

  “Wait,” Ram ordered.

  Don’t stop. Kill. Get to—Linc snapped his jaw shut and froze his protesting arm and shoulder muscles. The other hunter didn’t throw around orders without reason. It took another breath to leash his frenzy. He shot his gaze to where he’d seen the witch and the demon thing.

  Gone.

  He had to find her and that kid. Now. He took a step, when a bellow spun him around.

  Ram had his knife buried in the rogue’s gut, and leaned over him, eyes cold. “Talk and I’ll make your death quick. What happened tonight?”

  Sweat poured off the man’s hairless face, his hands clenched in pain, and defiance burned in his brown eyes. “Fuck you.”

  “Wrong answer.” Ram yanked the knife up a couple inches.

  The rogue roared and tried to break Ram’s grip on the knife.

  Linc caught hold of the rogue’s upper arms and slammed him flat against the hood of the car. Furious that the rogues had stopped him from rescuing the witch before she’d vanished, he wanted some answers. There’s a good chance that demon thing had her and the kid. “Talk or we start carving you up.”

  The rogue flinched, his body shaking from pain and stress. “The hybrid is spawning.”

  Like something out of a goddamned comic book, Linc thought.

  “What’s a hybrid?” Ram questioned the rogue.

  “Half-mortal and half-demon. On their thirtieth birthday, they have to choose—human or demon. Archer chose, and Asmodeus pushed enough power through the ley lines to spawn him,” he finished in a hoarse whisper.

  “How many?” Linc demanded. “Do they all spawn at once?”

  He shook his head, the cords on his neck straining. “Don’t know. Archer’s the first.”

  “What’s with the bow and arrow?” Ram asked.