Shadow Demon

by Judith Post

  The bottoms of Reece’s feet tingled with the energy flowing into them. Earth’s energy. Solid and steady. She began to sing.

  Hecate glanced at her, surprised, then joined in. Luna did, too. The other witches struggled to maintain the fog.

  Was that part of the power of their coven? Darkness? What happened if sunlight burst through it? Reece’s voice rose and fell. Her opponent frantically chanted mantras to control the dark clouds.

  The witch yanked her fists in front of her. She sent one blast of fury after another at Reece. Reece surrounded herself with a protective bubble and sang louder. The volleys sputtered. Reece released her shield and raised her palms. Her power flowed until it connected with the witch’s abdomen. The light sank into her, and her body spasmed, but couldn’t break free. Her arms and legs jerked until she sagged to the ground. She didn’t move, didn’t stir.

  Was she dead? Reece turned to aim her energy at the witch fighting Hecate. Hecate hummed Reece's tune, and Reece joined in. Sunbeams pierced the heavy clouds. The witch howled, trying to battle two foes and still pull the darkness to her.

  This time, there was no slumping, no sagging. The witch absorbed Hecate’s and Reece’s magic, swelled for an instant, and then exploded. Blood and flesh flew in a circle.

  Reece turned her face, disgusted. At least there was no smell. The winds gusted it away. Hecate laughed and turned to the witch battling Luna. “Come on, kid. We have them on the run.”

  Hecate stood on one side of Luna and Reece on the other. The three of them sang in unison. The witch Aidann was battling stepped close to her friend, and the two of them stood shoulder to shoulder against Reece, Hecate, Luna, and Aidann. Their energy couldn’t match the energy from the four of them, and the witches were destroyed quickly.

  When the last two witches died, the fog began to lift. The winds stilled. And then Reece realized why the stormy weather had been so important to them. Four pentagrams were drawn at each corner of Nen’s property. A body lay inside each of them, blood spilling from stab marks in their chests and abdomens. Minerva and two fellow witches finished the last of their rites, then turned to face Hecate and the others.

  Minerva’s lips twisted in a mock greeting. “Hello, old friend. We meet again.”

  The fog had covered what Minerva and the two members of her coven were doing. The winds blew away the scent of their black magic.

  Without a word, Hecate dropped and rolled as she fired one, white hot blast to Minerva’s chest. Minerva raised both hands to protect her heart, and Hecate shot energy between Minerva’s eyes. Minerva’s head jerked backwards. Her legs gave, and she crumpled to the ground.

  The two witches with Minerva raised their arms to battle and stepped back for more room. A mistake. Too close to the grassy strip. Sandy, shifting to her Were form, yanked the feet out from under one of them, and Whitey, huge and fierce as a Were, lunged forward to rip out her throat. Black, brackish blood greased the curb.

  Scarlet energy flamed around Aidann. His blast was so powerful, it left a hole in the last witch's chest. When she fell, he took a deep breath to calm himself. No time for that. Two surges of power flew toward Whitey and Sandy, hit the salt and protective barrier, and exploded with loud booms.

  Whitey and Sandy dropped to the ground. Aidann and Luna whirled in unison. Hecate and Reece turned next.

  Nen strode into his front yard. The Egyptian warlock pulsed with power. His gaze rested on Hecate and he smiled. “My love, I finally get to see you again.”

  Color drained from Hecate’s face. She went ashen white.

  Reece’s blood froze. Her feet went numb. An ice ball formed in her stomach. Cold, hard fear. The warlock was taller than Damian or Aidann. His body was whip-cord hard, his skin burnished bronze. His head was clean shaven. Black brows rose in amusement. His eyes were so dark, they could be ebony pits. And dark energy writhed around him. Reece could taste it, feel it.

  Nen glanced at Minerva’s body and the other dead witches. “So you beat them. An entire coven. I assumed you would. Such a shame to lose good help, but I needed their deaths, as well as their victims, to summon my power.” He narrowed his eyes at Reece. “A Rutherford, I can tell. A cheap copy of sweet Luna, but much too clever for your own good.” He raised a hand to kill her, and Reece tensed, ready for action, but Hecate stepped between them.

  “She’s my godchild. I don’t intend to give her up easily.”

  Nen’s lips quirked in a cruel grimace. “My dear, you know how it distresses me to cause you pain, but if I must, I must.” He shot a blast that knocked Hecate across the street.

  Before he could shoot again, Aidann and Luna took places in front of Reece.

  “Run! Save yourself!” Luna cried.

  Nen chuckled, amused. He raised a hand, but Hecate shot a blast at him from where she landed. Nen turned to her, angry. “I will not harm you, but I will hurt you. Stay out of this.”

  A heavy body hurtled to earth, and Damian pinned Nen’s arms to his sides. A blur of energy rushed sideways, and Andre, black and savage in his Were form, sank his fangs into Nen’s neck, ripping and tearing as he went.

  Gurgling noises came from Nen’s throat, but the wound healed as fast as it opened. He pulled energy to him, then released it suddenly. Damian flew into the yard next door.

  Pete's unmarked car raced down the street. Reece held her breath. What was he thinking? She waved her hands, motioning him on, but he squealed to a stop.

  Nen raised his hand and shot energy at the car. The white, hot ball hit with a loud bang, then bounced off. Nen shook his head. “Clever, little witch, you love your protective spells, don’t you?”

  Nen raced toward the car, and Reece screamed, “Get out of here!”

  Pete pushed on the gas pedal just as another blast of power rocked the entire vehicle. When Nen moved his hands, the car raised off the ground. Its tires spun, but it went nowhere. Reece shot energy between Nen and the car. It broke Nen’s hold long enough for the car to fall to the pavement. Its tires gripped, and Pete sped away.

  Nen’s hands balled into fists. He stalked toward them.

  “The strip!” Reece cried.

  She jumped over the invisible barrier that surrounded the rectangle of grass. The others did the same. Only Hecate couldn’t join them. She was on the other side of the street, where Nen had tossed her.

  Nen threw back his head and laughed. “Do you really think your potions can protect you against me?”

  Aidann and Luna combined their energies and shot them at Nen in one, big beam.

  Nen held up a hand to brush it aside.

  Hecate darted toward the grass.

  Nen whirled and shook his head. “I think not, love. I’ll deal with your friends after I have you secure.”

  Luna and Aidann wound their arms together to blast Nen. The warlock caught their energy in his cupped hands and dropped it to the ground. Reece could join their link, but she doubted it would matter. There must be something else, something they could do to save Hecate.

  She dug in her jeans pocket. The holy water! She’d never given it to Wedge. Reece unplugged all six vials, and just as Nen strode forward to Hecate, she threw the water on him.

  He screamed. He fell to his knees. Pock marks steamed at each place a drop of water touched.

  Reece ran to Hecate. Luna and Aidann took up positions on the other side of her. The four of them formed a chain. They blasted more energy at Nen. It pushed him backward. They blasted over and over again. He tried to fight back, but the holy water had weakened him. He suffered each time he moved. Finally, they gave one, final, massive push and shoved him inside his house, past his doorway. Damian slammed the door and raced back to the grass strip.

  Aidann, Luna, Hecate, and Reece renewed their chants. Aidann took a pocket knife from his jeans and sliced his palm. He passed the blade to each of them to do the same. Then, together, at each corner of the house, they pressed their blood into the shields. Energy thrummed, rushed upward, and sealed the
house once more. That done, each took a rosary, ran to a corner, and buried it. There was a swooshing noise, and Light encased the entire area for a second before it faded.

  A howl rose from inside. It made the hair on Reece’s arms stand on end. Whitey and Sandy covered their ears. Luna pressed herself tight against Aidann’s chest. Hecate rubbed a hand over her eyes, wiping away tears.

  Andre ran to her. “Are you all right?”

  Hecate sagged into his arms. “He’s trapped again. For now.”

  Damian picked Reece off her feet and hugged her to him. “How did you think of the holy water?”

  Her fingers curled around the circle of moonstone.

  “That thought didn’t come from me,” Luna told her. “Your necklace likes you. It’s formed a conduit between you and your magic.”

  “My pendant, too. They work together.”

  Hecate sighed. “However it works, I’m glad magic sent you to me, or I wouldn’t have survived this.”

  “We wouldn’t have either.” Reece’s friends grouped around her in a circle. A symbol, she thought. Whitey and Sandy, human once more, tugged their ripped clothes over their bodies, then stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of them. Andre pulled on his jeans, slit down the seams. His shirt was in tatters. Jimmerson and Hud came to join them. So did Pete and Gordy. An odd union of Weres, gargoyles, witches, and mortals. But it worked. It had saved them from Nen. They hadn’t defeated him, but they’d survived him. Not enough, she knew. But they were alive to fight another day. And fight they would. She had no doubt of that.

  Chapter 22

  They stood together for a moment, stunned they’d survived, before Whitey and Sandy went to call Wedge. Pete and Jimmerson went to examine the bodies.

  Gordy looked at the four victims spread inside the pentagrams. The symbols inside the circles still hummed with power. The blood lines glowed. He pressed a hand to his forehead and glanced at Reece. “I’d have been one of these if you hadn’t stopped me, wouldn’t I?”

  “Nen was calling to you,” she said.

  He shook his head. “This stuff is too freakin’ weird for me.”

  “Pete deals with it all the time,” Damian told him. “He knows how to handle it. You’ll learn too.”

  Gordy didn’t look so sure, but Hud clapped a hand on his shoulder. “This stuff is outside what we understand.”

  “No shit.” The young detective wasn’t as cocky as before. He glanced at Nen’s house. “Is there a way to shut this guy out when he pesters me? Can I do a call block?”

  “Sort of, yes.” Hecate took him aside to talk to him. As usual, Andre accompanied her.

  The adrenaline rush gone, Reece felt weak and weepy. She fisted her hands and refused to cry. Not her style. They’d defeated Nen for the moment, but four people had died. She’d been right here, battling in the fog, and let Minerva and her helpers sacrifice four, innocent mortals. It sucked most of the wind out of her partial victory. No matter what they did to save lives, they failed.

  Damian encircled her with his wings, providing a temporary shelter. He touched his forehead to hers. “You did all you could. Without you, we would have failed. There’d be lots more than four bodies.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back tears. “He always manages to hurt somebody.”

  “Eventually, we’ll beat him. We’ll destroy him. And you’ll be a major part of that.”

  “We all are.”

  “People lose battles before they win wars. It’s sad, but true. You can’t be like Aurelius and let defeat make you lose your perspective.” She gave a small nod, and he put his finger under her chin, raising her face to his. “I’m proud of you, Reece.”

  She let out a ragged sigh. He had no idea how good that made her feel.

  When she gained her composure again, he furled his wings back in place. “You okay?”

  “I’m getting there.” Reece glanced over to see Pete talking to Whitey and Sandy. He had an odd look on his face. She’d seen that expression before. Where was it? Then it came to her—the first time Andre met Hecate. When Pete gazed at Sandy, he looked just as moonstruck.

  A glimmer of happiness fluttered inside her. It removed some of the ache. Reece tugged on Damian’s arm. “Is Pete married?”

  He gave her an odd look. She’d switched subjects too soon. “No, he doesn’t think it’s fair. Says a woman and kids shouldn’t be involved in his lifestyle.”

  “But what would he think about a werewolf?”

  Damian followed her gaze. His jaw dropped in surprise, and then he recovered himself with a smile. “You know, Weres have lifestyle problems of their own. It would probably be a fair trade-off.”

  Hud and Jimmerson motioned them over to one of the bodies. A woman, in her late thirties, lay spread out in the center of the pentagram, her face peaceful. Multiple stab wounds punctured her heart and abdomen.

  Hud nodded at a purse, tossed close by. “All four of these people were carrying I.D.s and cell phones. We called this woman’s family, and apparently, she stopped at a grocery store on her way home from work, left her cart, half full, sitting in an aisle, and walked out as if she were in a daze.”

  Jimmerson motioned to the next circle. “That guy left a meeting at his office to come here.”

  “Summoned,” Luna said, joining them.

  The man looked to be in his late fifties, early sixties. Probably thinking about retirement. Reece forced herself to glance at the other two bodies. “What a crappy way to go.”

  “They didn’t feel anything, didn’t struggle.” Aidann came to stand beside Luna. “They were bewitched, under a spell.”

  “It still stinks. Somebody lost them. Their lives are over.”

  “They got lucky,” Aidann insisted. “Nen was in a hurry. He had Minerva kill them quick and dirty. No fear. No pain. They didn’t know what happened.”

  That was a comfort, Reece had to admit. If Minerva had led them to Nen’s door, ushered them inside, Nen could have fed off their fear and suffering.

  Pete left Sandy to join them. “Sorry. I had a few things to ask the Weres, but I called the techs. They’ll be here soon. You guys might want to make yourselves scarce.”

  "Pete, I want to thank you…."

  He cut Reece off. "Not my most brilliant moment, but we've got nothing if you guys don't survive. We need you."

  "Thanks anyway." Reece glanced at Whitey and Sandy, who were talking on their cell phones. Probably calling for more clothes. Even in human form, they might call attention to themselves in shredded shirts and pants. “Is anyone coming to take the next watch?” she asked Pete. “They’ve done enough.”

  “It’s almost the end of their two-hour shift. Wedge is sending two more Weres.” He colored slightly. “I offered to give Sandy a ride home when I finish here.”

  The news was like a life boat, buoying her spirits higher, out of the murky depths.

  “Doing a good deed?” Reece couldn’t help it. She was a nosey person. She didn’t like that about herself, but there it was. She didn’t appreciate it when people interfered in her business, though, so she usually tried to stay out of theirs. She didn't press further.

  Pete raised a brow. “In case you're curious, she’s single.”

  “Like you?” Reece tried to sound innocent.

  He shook his head. “You’re terrible at interrogations. Stick with your day job.”

  Reece wasn’t offended. She’d learned what she wanted to know.

  Damian slid an arm around her. “If you’re satisfied, we’d better go. Witches look mortal enough, but I don’t. I’d rather not be seen.”

  “Mortals are getting gypped,” she said, following him to Andre’s Land Rover. “They’d love your wings.”

  “You think so? It’s my opinion, mortals don’t respond well to others. That’s why Pete reported the plague. Everyone on the block moved away for a while. What do you think they’d have made of your battle with Nen?”

  Aidann, who was following behind t
hem, answered. “There’d be a witch hunt. Mortals hate us.”

  Hecate, bringing up the rear with Andre and Luna, agreed. “They might come to us for potions and love charms, but if they knew we had real power, they’d fear us. And when mortals fear something, they do their best to destroy it.”

  That thought sobered Reece again. Her emotions seemed to be all over the place. If anyone had seen the battle, they’d have probably called the marines and asked bombers to strafe them. Even if mortals thought they were helping them, they wouldn’t trust a witch. She slid onto the car seat beside Damian and tried to remind herself that secrecy bred security. As far as she knew, witches had never been popular. Werewolves fared worse, and she wasn’t sure about gargoyles. But she had a feeling, even with all their goodness and beauty, they'd never fit in.

  Chapter 23

  Reece woke to the sound of rain. She smiled and snuggled under her comforter. When she was a little girl, her grandmother told her that raindrops beating on her roof were fairies dancing across the shingles. She still cherished that image. These were happy patters, more like a waltz.

  When sunrise came and Damian slid into bed beside her, he smelled of thunderstorms.

  “A gray day,” he told her, scooting close. He spooned his body around hers and sighed with relief.

  “It will wash the world clean.”

  He nuzzled her neck with his nose. “You hang onto that thought.”

  Unusual. He was ordinarily the optimist. She wasn’t. She pressed herself against him and drifted back to sleep. She was more tired than she’d realized after yesterday’s battles. The rain was a perfect excuse to sleep in and hibernate. When she got up, she’d curl up with a novel and drink hot tea.

  She woke a few hours later, pulled from a dream she couldn’t remember. There was a tingling sensation in the air. She lay still, trying to analyze it. Then the door to her condo clicked open, and she smelled magic.