“Yeah, you do. He’s going to help us with the spell to keep you here for a while. Right, Gordon?” I flicked my gaze to my grandfather.
My grandfather made a face, moved towards his work table, grabbed a brown leather-bound book and began rummaging through it.
“Please try and be civil to each other while I’m gone,” I told them. “I don’t want to come back here and find you both dead.”
Faris blew out a breath. “For that—I’m going to need a lot more alcohol.”
My eyebrows rose and I shook my head. I didn’t have time to stay here and babysit both of them. I had to go.
I turned my attention back to the book. After I’d memorized Pegasus’s name in Latin and his unique sigil, I pulled open the top drawer from my work table, grabbed my spare golden sigil ring and slipped it on my finger.
I reached out and grabbed the chalk. “Come on, Poe. Let’s go,” I said and crossed the room.
“Yes, ma’am.” The clatter of wings rose, and then the raven zipped past me and flew down the stairs.
Excitement rushed through my body as I ran down after him. I hit the bottom, ran across the kitchen, and moved out through the back door to the small paver patio area. I held the door open for Poe and he flew past me and into our backyard.
Our backyard was the size of a large living room. But it was large enough to fit a horse.
Yellow light spilled from Vera’s windows, but if the witch had heard me, she would have been out here by now. Still, I had to hurry.
Moving fast, I knelt on the gray paver stone patio and quickly drew my summoning circle and triangle with Pegasus’s name in the center along with his sigil.
“What happens if he eats you?” said the raven as he settled on the patio next to me.
I stood up. “Horses don’t eat meat.”
“Demon horses do.”
Yikes. I tried not to think about it as I pulled on the energy from the circle and triangle, channeled the magic and recited the summoning spell in one breath.
“I conjure you, Pegasus, demon of the Netherworld to be subject to the will of my soul. I bind you with unbreakable adamantine fetters, and I deliver you into the black chaos in perdition. I invoke you, Pegasus, in the space in front of me!”
It happened a lot faster than I’d expected.
There, standing on my backyard patio was Pegasus.
My mouth fell open.
This was not the cutsie, white horse with angelic wings. This was Hell’s version.
He had a broad chest and four heavy hooves, and he was covered with a glistening black coat as sleek as silk. Large, black feathered wings were folded against his sides. A generous mane fell over his neck and a tail of long black tresses swooped the ground. He was huge. His back was taller than me. He was a giant, kingly horse and looked more like a Clydesdale than a thinner, more refined thoroughbred.
He pricked his ears forward, yellow, intelligent eyes watching me. Pegasus was both terrifying and glorious. Hot damn. I was all giddy inside. I almost applauded.
Pegasus neighed, and his lips pulled back, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. Now I got the meat part.
If I’d been human, I would have run away screaming. As it was, I was a dark witch, so, of course I was grinning at this scary beast. He was spectacular. Hell’s steed. But I didn’t have time to drool over this magnificent creature. I needed a ride.
“Pegasus,” I said, in way of greeting, meeting his eyes. “I need you to take me to 195th Street, corner of 73rd Avenue, in Queens,” I ordered, my heart pounding in my throat. And then I added, “Please.”
Pegasus raised his right leg and pawed at the ground. He lifted his head, his ears swiveling.
I looked down at Poe. “What’s he saying?”
“How the hell should I know?” said the raven. “I don’t speak horse.”
I gritted my teeth. I’d done the summoning properly. Pegasus couldn’t hurt me. If he could, he would have done it by now.
I took a breath. “I’m going to climb on your back now. Okay? So, please don’t eat me.”
With my heart throbbing in my throat, I took a careful step toward the horse. My head came to the middle of its stomach. “I think I’m going to need a ladder.”
Poe let out a cawing laugh. “There’s no saddle either. Faris was right, you should have brought a parachute.”
“Don’t start,” I said, annoyed.
But then Pegasus shifted and lowered himself down on his knees, low enough for me to climb up onto his back.
“This is going to be fun.” Or this was going to be the death of me. With my hands gripped firmly around a mass of his mane, I swung my right leg over his back and pulled myself up. The scent of sulfur was strong, but so was the scent of earth and oil.
Pegasus shifted his body and then stood.
“Don’t let me fall,” I said. I tightened my grip around his mane, twisting my fingers along locks of his black hair, and squeezed my thighs around his muscular sides.
The horse neighed and thrashed his powerful head back and forth. He spread his giant wings on either side, possessing a wingspan of about twenty feet.
And then with a powerful thrust of his wings, he leaped into the air—and me with him.
My head fell back and I screamed at the top of my lungs like a bloody banshee.
If Vera hadn’t heard me before, that would do it.
“Holy crap!” I shrilled as I hung on for dear life. Pegasus climbed higher and higher, the beating of his wings like giant drums, sending my hair in my eyes and mouth. I felt like I was on a roller coaster, rolling up to the highest peak without the protection of a seatbelt. I felt both fear and excitement all at once, adrenaline pounding through me.
This had to be the stupidest thing I’d ever done.
“Uh—Samantha?” came Poe’s voice as he flew next to me. “Shouldn’t you do the glamour spell? Unless you want to be splattered all over social media tomorrow morning.”
Right. I’d forgotten.
“Ut occultatum!” I breathed as I pulled on the magic from my sigil ring. A wash of energy rippled through me and out towards Pegasus. I felt the energy pull out and then settle, and I knew the glamour had snapped into place. The only indication that it was working was the constant tingling over my skin. If the horse demon felt anything, it didn’t show.
Pegasus flapped his wings and banked hard, the world tilting and then shooting behind. He navigated expertly in the night sky, flying hard and fast. He let out a fierce, exuberant cry that reverberated over every bone in my body. I smiled. The demon horse was having fun.
Flying on a winged horse made me feel a little reckless, a little wild. It made me do stupid things like howl and laugh out hysterically. The only thing left for me to do was look down.
New York City’s lights blurred up at me, bright, alive. Wow, Pegasus was fast. I couldn’t recognize anything as I squinted, eyes watering at the wind tearing at my eyes. A chill wind brushed my face, clogging my nose.
“Can you tell the beast to slow down,” shouted Poe, flapping wildly beside us. “I’m just a little bird!”
I let out a hysterical laugh. “Maybe you should hitch a ride if you can’t keep up.” I laughed harder at the scowl on the raven’s face.
Pegasus tucked in his wings, and we fell, my heart lurching to my throat as we dropped. I closed my eyes to keep from throwing up because I knew I would.