It’s so quiet here and the wind blows again but hardly makes a sound.
Maybe I will get in, say the spell, and get out.
I take a few more steps, better able to visualize the dimension if I think I’m in the middle. This place isn’t endless, after all. Pacing toward the dead tree, I stop and look around again. A sense of urgency takes over and I pull the spell from my pocket.
“Spiritus,” I start and my voice echoes all around, reverberating off invisible walls. It startles me and I gasp. Suddenly, a black shape appears from the ground, rising into the air like a dark cloud. Oh, fuck.
It’s the wraith.
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
I look back at the spell, taking several quick steps back. Fear starts to rise in my stomach and my heart rate quickens. Sucking in a breath and forcing myself to hold it, I flick my gaze back to the paper.
“Spiritus lucis, spiritus at—”
Kornath raises into the air, letting out a harrowing yell.
“Spiritus lucis, spiritus aterni,” I keep reading and he rushes at me. Throwing out my free hand, I summon a ball of fire and am about to throw it when it hits me that I have no idea what would happen if this place goes up in flames.
Kornath suddenly moves back, red eyes glowing against the gray landscape. He falls to the ground, looking like someone dropped a billowing sheet to the ground. There is no movement at all. My breath leaves me and I take a step back, closing my fist and putting out the flames.
“Hello Anora.”
I whirl around and see a woman in a long black dress standing behind me. She’s wearing a crown adorned with red jewels that match her eyes.
“Kornath,” I breathe.
“This is my true form. Do you know how you become a wraith, Anora?” Her voice is melodic and almost beautiful. But I know better. She moves forward, gliding across the dead grass.
“I don’t,” I answer honestly.
“First, you sell your soul. And then the rest of you just goes away with it.” She tips her head. “It’s quite freeing.” She inhales, and the red light fades in her eyes, leaving her looking very human. “There are so many things you are afraid of.” Lifting a hand, she twists it in the air and it’s like a knife to my heart, feeling the absolute pain and devastation I felt after Leslie died. Death will happen again, and it’s going to be my fault.
Holding my own hands out in front of me, I think about Ethan. He’s sitting right there, holding onto me.
“Stay with me, Anora,” he whispers and rubs his thumb over the back of my hand. I hold onto that feeling, the pressure of his hands, as I fight off the fear.
“You’re strong,” she says, voice hoarse. “Stronger than the others. It’s been a while since I’ve had a companion. You can stay with me and I can teach you how not to be afraid anymore. When you let go of the fear you let go of the pain.”
“You can save your come to the dark side bullshit. I’m not turning evil. Life sucks and sometimes just being alive hurts like hell. But feeling nothing? That would be worse than death.”
“Funny, because that’s what will happen to you. It’s what happens to them all.”
“And that’s why I’m here, to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“That’s what they told me the last time.” I need to say the spell and get out of here. Kornath is stalling me on purpose making it harder for Devin to keep the door open. She’ll either trap me in here with her or get out. “And then I heard the knocking.”
“Well, your master didn’t quite finish the job of breaking you out.”
“Master?” Kornath tips her head, and her long, flowing hair falls to the side. “My master is dead. Bael…he made mistakes. Mistakes I intend to avoid when I take his place. There’s a vacancy in Hell and how can I rule when I have no one under me.”
She points, and her hand starts to shift into that of a wraith with shriveled skin and long, bony fingers. “You’re not like the others. You’ll make a good acolyte.”
“I am nobody’s acolyte, B itch,” I shoot back and swallow hard. It’s not or never and I reach deep inside, feeling Ethan’s hold not only on my hand, but on my heart. I’m going to need him, now more than ever.
Without hesitation, I summon fire, balling my fingers into a fist and throwing it at Kornath. It hits her right in the chest and she screams, the long, billowing gown catching on fire.
“Spiritus lucis, spiritus aterni, Te voco, ut teneas per orbem,” I read, holding out my hand, gathering energy. It leaves my fingers and I envision it wrapping around the field. “Spiritus lucis, spiritus aterni, Te voco, ut teneas per orbem!” The grass around Kornath starts to burn, traveling fast across the field. Shit! I drop the paper and run, hoping I can be faster than the wildfire I started.
Ethan! I turn and trip over a tangle of weeds, hurting my knees and scraping my palms. Kornath shifts back into a wraith, floating above the grass. Embers fall from her, and another line of fire travels right for me. She shrieks before succumbing to the flames, falling in a heap of ash on the ground in a whoosh, sending red hot embers soaring across the field. Closing my eyes, I hold my hands out in front of me and think of Ethan, feeling him tighten his grip on me, saying my name.
The world spins again and I fall forward again, but this time, I fall right into Ethan’s arms. Heart hammering, I push myself up. “Close it!” I yell. “Close the door.”
Devin lifts his hands up and pieces of ash start to fall from a black shadow that’s forming right above us, chanting. “Stamina obstringere, claude portam,” Devin exclaims, and the black cloud folds in on itself with a crackling hiss and then dissipates to nothing. Ethan’s arms go around me and I let out a breath.
“Are you okay?” He sits me up and looks me up and down and then pulls me in for a hug. It feels so good to be up against him.
“Yeah. That was close.” We get to our feet and I brush ash off my arms. I can’t be certain Kornath is dead. If it were that easy, certainly the witch who put her there would have killed her instead of locking her up. “I recast the circle,” I tell everyone, blinking and seeing an image of Kornath’s body on fire. I want to tell myself there’s no way she could survive, but deep down I think I know all I just majorly pissed off a power demon of fear.
Here's to hoping the door holds for another century.
“Thanks,” I tell Nik and take the glass of iced tea. “I think I inhaled burning demon bit s.” Sitting on the couch, I lean back and tell everyone what happened.
“Vacancy in Hell?” Sam echoes. “What does that mean?”
“I have no idea,” I go on. “But I guess it doesn’t matter, right? The demon is dead and the pocket dimension is nothing but ash at this point.” I take another drink and put my glass on the coffee table.
“Is this a normal Saturday for you?” Laney watches Ethan sweep up the circle of salt from the floor.
“I would say no, but, yeah. It kind of is.” I look at Steph. “Though, um, holding a hunter hostage is new. What are we going to do with her?”
“David and Julia are on their way,” Sam says. “Julia will make sure all footage of you using magic is wiped clean, and David will see that Stephanie is disciplined.”