“The only thing I’ve been doing this entire time is paying attention,” Ray complained, his arms up. “Do you honestly think I enjoy having my ass thrown against a wall over and over again?”
“When I hit you with the demon magic, you have to absorb it,” Tally ordered, ignoring his snark like a pro. “Don’t try and shield it away from you. Take it fully into your body. Reaper, you eat souls for a living, eat this, and when you’re done, eject it.” Without any more instruction she aimed an ugly, gnarled wooden staff at Ray. It was covered with gruesome, howling faces, all of them with reptilian eyes. Tally incanted something under her breath and a current of energy manifested in the air and rushed forward like a lightning bolt.
It hit Ray squarely in the chest.
But instead of flying backward as he had in the past, he flung his arms wide and started to shake like he was possessed. After a few seconds he doubled over, straining, the magic clearly taking hold. His new fangs snapped down and his face began to shift downward in that awful vamp slide—his facial bones elongating, making his skin appear to be made of hot wax.
Something I wasn’t fond of witnessing, but it couldn’t be helped.
Ray had recently become a potent mix of vampire and reaper. The reaper piece had been a total surprise and the best theory any of us had was that my blood had brought his latent reaper genes to the forefront. I’d also inadvertently become his vamp Master after feeding him my blood to complete his transition—much to the chagrin of both of us. But because Ray was pigheaded and ridiculously ornery, the relationship hadn’t solidified fully yet. Something new had been forged between us, however—something I was certain was going to be a work in progress until the very end of time.
I observed him now with morbid curiosity.
He was a strong, stubborn son of a bitch, and right now he was going to show me up or die trying. That kind of pure tenacity had earned him a grudging respect from everyone, including me. He was a brand-new supernatural, but there was no denying he was powerful.
“You will get it in no time, Ma Reine.” Naomi had come to stand beside me. “I have no doubt you will learn to harness the magic as you have done before.”
“That’s the problem.” I turned toward her, tearing my eyes off the spectacle of Ray. “I don’t feel like there’s anything to harness. Whatever Tally is throwing at us isn’t full demon magic. I’ve felt the dark, smoky demon essence before, and I’ve shaken it off. But this is a hybrid of some kind and it shocks my system. It comes too fast and before I can think about mounting a defense, I’m out of the circle.”
“It’s concentrated on purpose,” Tally quipped, overhearing our conversation perfectly. “If the Prince of Hell wanted you dead, it would hit you with the equivalent of a loaded handgun. This is cannon fire.” She shook her staff. “When ten demons hit you at once, it will feel like a wrecking ball smashing into your body. This is me getting you used to it the hard way.” She gestured at Ray, who was still doubled over in the middle of the circle. “Demons can’t physically pass through the circle boundaries, but their magic can. They will do everything to try and knock you out of your only protection, and once you’re out, you’re free for the taking.”
Only organic matter could pass through a witch circle.
I’d been told that if demons tried to cross the boundary their blood boiled in their veins, killing them instantly. I glanced down at my hemp fatigues. I wore the witches’ standard combat uniform. It was dark green and form-fitting, and it held a little stretch, courtesy of some natural rubber plant woven between the fibers for ease of motion. The outfit was also spelled to act like a shield against some of the lesser demon magic, but it didn’t seem to be repelling much of whatever Tally had tossed at me.
Ray made a low strangled noise and began to stagger back and forth, bobbing and weaving like a drunk, his arms cartwheeling in front of him. He came close to the edge of the circle a few times but never crossed the line. Then, without warning, his chest bowed toward the ceiling and he bellowed, and a second later he doubled over and vomited all over the ground.
Thick, black sludge hit the dirt floor in a rush.
“Ew, Ray,” I coughed, covering my face with the inside of my elbow as bile rose in my throat. When I’d taken in the magic Tally had thrown at me, it had never manifested physically like that. We’re not ejecting anything, so where does our magic go? I asked my wolf. She gave a sharp bark and shook her head. I took that to mean she had no idea either. Maybe it passes through us and that’s why it’s not working?
Seeing it come out of Ray like that was sobering.
Before Tally could congratulate Ray on finally gaining control of the magic, a sweet child’s voice piped up from my right. “It’s okay to have a tummy ache. Demons don’t like you.” She pronounced the word demon like denims in her two-year-old cadence. “You are very strong.”
“Maggie,” Tally cautioned, the tenderness in her voice reserved only for her daughter, “you need to stay back. Mommy told you this was a very dangerous place. I agreed to let you come here at your insistence, but you have to follow the rules or go back upstairs.”
The child had indeed wandered to the edge of the circle. She pointed to Ray as she took a step backward, listening to her mom like a champ. “Reaper.” She smiled and clapped her hands together. “He did it.”
He had indeed done it.
Ray stood there with a big grin on his face, a smear of black sludge across his chin. “Take that, huh, kid? The demons won’t get me now.”
Maggie giggled before she abruptly sobered. “Demons are bad.”
“You got that right.” Ray strode out of the circle. As he crossed the line a crackle of power ran through the room, making my ears pop.
“Maggie, take another step back,” Tally ordered, as the toddler hadn’t gone back to play with her less interesting toys. “This circle is too dangerous for little girls. You can’t stand so close. Go and play with your dollies while Mommy finishes her work. I’m almost done. There’s only one more person to try.” She arched a pointed look in my direction.
The child took a few more reluctant steps backward, but was not interested one bit in playing with her dolls. Once she was situated a little farther away, she raised her chubby little finger at me. “Time for you to go.”
I chuckled. “Oracles don’t do time, remember, Maggie?” I edged toward the circle, resigned to yet another try. “But just for you, I’ll let your mom blast me one more time. How does that sound?” As I walked by her, I patted her on the head.