Chapter 5: : Chapter 5

Half an hour later, and after much protesting, I found myself in my aunt’s “workshop,” a massive candlelit room in the bottom of an old, elaborate red stone building. The floor was inscribed with dozens of interlinked magical circles, rings of arcane runes.

I slowly stepped across the black stonework, deliberately avoiding the magical sigils. I had no idea if anything would happen if I stepped on them, but I wasn’t about to experiment.

“These look similar to the ring that contains the Sphere of Devouring,” I said uneasily, then met my aunt’s eyes with an accusatory stare. “As well as the circles of blood the sorcerer used to summon blood demons.”

Aunt Laurel swept effortlessly across the floor to the center of the room, her silver hair trailing behind her. “Circles are powerful tools for containing and controlling magic. Some of these are for focus, others for protection, and some for summoning demons and other spirits.”

My stomach churned, and it felt like something was trying to push its way out of my chest. Probably the massive boatload of doubts I had about this particular venture. We needed to talk about this before things got out of hand.

I steeled my nerve. She was my aunt, but also as intimidating as a dragon.

“Aunt Laurel, I don’t want to be rude—you’ve been so kind and opened new worlds to me—but we need to have a frank discussion. I have some sort of twisted shadow magic, and you’re about to summon demons. These both seem…”

She raised an eyebrow. “Diabolical? Evil? Sinister? Like witchcraft?”

I gave an apologetic shrug. “Pretty much.”

She strode over and grabbed my shoulders. “Savannah, these are labels that people use to try to take your power. Don’t ever let anyone take your power or make you doubt yourself. Magic is a tool. It can be used for good or bad.”

“But summoning demons? That seems, like, always bad.”

“Gun violence is a plague in Chicago. You’re a good shot. Does that make you evil?”

I grimaced. “I hope not. I just worry…” I held up my hands and summoned my magic. Dark, smoky shadows twisted around my fingers.

“Would you rather make leaves grow and flowers bloom?”

I looked at the inky darkness drifting from my hand. “Maybe? Could I do that?”

She shook her head. “I know a young woman, like you, who had power over plants. She nearly brought a blight on the whole world. There are two sides to every coin.”

I let the magic dissipate.

“Savannah, you’re strong, and you have a good heart. Trust it.” She clapped her hands. “Now, let’s summon some demons. Casey, fetch the coal.”

My head spun.

Having a conversation with my aunt was like listening to an airline captain come over the intercom and say, “Sorry about the turbulence, folks. Everything is going to be okay,” followed shortly by, “Good news, there are enough parachutes for everyone, and the flight attendants are standing by to help you put them on.”

A scent of nutmeg filled the room as a stream of light poured from my aunt’s hand into the runes of one of the circles. The sigils illuminated one by one until the whole circle was lit and crackling with magic. “This is a circle of protection,” she explained. “As long as we’re in here, we’ll be protected from the demons.”

Casey dumped a hefty bag of coal into a wide brass brazier set into one of the other circles.

“The coal is an offering, used to lure the demons and give them form in our world,” my aunt continued. She flicked her eyes to me. “Kahanov would have used blood to summon the blood demons that attacked you. A lot of it.”

Memories of the blood drainers with all their tubes and IV bags brought bile to my throat.

At my aunt’s command, Casey lobbed a fireball into the pile of coal. Bright orange flames flickered in his eyes as he grinned at me. “You’re going to love this.”

Why didn’t I believe him?

Laurel gently shoved me inside the glowing circle of protection, and Casey joined me. She strode to the burning heap of coal and poured her magic into it until the surrounding circle of runes glowed bright red.

With a swift gesture, she raised her hands, and all the shadows of the room swung toward her. She began chanting and weaving her hands, and the world twisted around her silhouette. Vertigo squirmed in my belly, and I grabbed Casey’s arm as the room spun.

As my aunt’s voice rose in tempo, the air crackled with power, and the scent of brimstone burned my throat. The fire seemed to suck the shadows inward.

No doubt about it—this was definitely diabolic magic.

An ear-splitting screech echoed through the room, and a sinister form rose from the flames, clawing at the air.

My aunt scurried back to the circle of protection just as the lighting in the candlelit room returned to normal, leaving a flaming demon perched atop the pile of coal.

It was about two feet tall.

“That’s it?” Casey asked.

“Baby steps, Casey,” my aunt responded.

I was too busy trembling. My very own aunt had just summoned a creature from hell.

The thing screeched, glared at us, and then scampered on all fours across the room and ran up one of the walls.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked, my voice not quite as steady as I’d have liked.

“Extinguish it. Like you’ve practiced with candles and fire.”

I bit my lip, uncertain what to think. “You want me to…kill it? After we just summoned it?”

She shrugged. “You can’t really kill demons, at least not in the way we think of death, not without a lot of trouble. They just disappear and go back to whichever hell they came from. I’m sure it’s unpleasant for them, but they’re embodiments of chaos. This is like recess for them.”

I raised my hand toward the creature on the wall, but hesitated. “Isn’t Zara a demon?”

Casey snorted. “Half-demon. There’s a big difference. As in real death. So don’t kill her, no matter how mouthy she gets.”

I licked my lips as the thing jumped down and scrabbled over the stone floor, then slammed against the steel exit door.

“Actually, you make a good point, Savannah,” my aunt mused. “Why don’t you negotiate with it?”

She shoved me out of the circle of protection. The instant I was out, the thing screeched and charged at me, flames billowing from its coal-like eyes.

Heart racing, I bolted for the opposite end of the room, desperately trying to summon my magic. Icy shadows swirled around me, along with the memories of being chased by blood demons. I tried to call the long, dark shadows that stretched across the room to smother the monster, but I couldn’t concentrate.

Searing pain lanced through my skin as the devilish thing’s burning claws raked into me. With a yelp of surprise and despair, I spun and sent a burst of uncontrolled dark magic at the monster. It flew backward with a sizzle.

Casey hooted. “Nice shot! Now extinguish it before it extinguishes you!”

The thing charged, but feeling more confident, I backpedaled, calling the shadows. Streaks of darkness coiled around my hand and slithered across the floor. I waved my fingers, and the shadows moved like a black fog, but before I could strike, the burning thing leapt to the wall, and then plunged down onto me.

Its claws dug into my shoulders, and its touch burned like pressing my hand to a hot grill. I screamed and lashed out with my magic, sending the demon careening across the floor.

I struck out with the shadows, pushing them toward the demon. The shadows slithered and darted like serpents, and the creature’s flames flickered and began to fade. It screeched and struggled to get away, but I showed no mercy as I willed the darkness to extinguish it.

Suddenly, it vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving an unearthly chuckle hanging in the air. It was laughing? How was I supposed to interpret that?

or I shook my head in wonder as Casey started applauding. Chest heaving, I placed my hands on my knees.

“You got it, Cuz! Nice job,” he shouted.

“Yes. Well done. Now try more,” my aunt quipped, and then began chanting again. Seconds later, the room twisted, and demons began leaping from the flames.

I was still bushed. This was too much.

My heels pounded on the stone as I darted toward the circle. Casey shoved me back before I could get in.

“What the hell?” I shouted as I dodged away from the clutches of a diminutive yet deadly, charging fire demon.

Casey dramatically put the back of his wrist against his forehead and gave a plaintive and deeply sarcastic cry. “Oh, save me cousin. I can’t protect myself with my weak fire magic. It’s useless against fire demons.”

The trio of fire demons darted toward me, and I retreated as quickly as I could, trying unsuccessfully to repel them. “Casey, you asshole!”

My aunt Laurel grinned. “You make a good point, son. As a specialist, you’re woefully unprepared for a battle like this.”

She clapped her hands, and he was ejected out of the circle of protection with a yelp.

“Oh, shit!” he cried as the demons converged on their juicy new target.

Chaos ensued. Blasts of magic filled the room as we tried to contend with the fiery devils. As soon as one was down, my aunt summoned another.

Finally, I screamed, “Enough already!” and pointed my hand at the burning pile of charcoal and ash. The shadows converged like serpents and extinguished the flames. Unfortunately, the little bastards didn’t disappear.

Deprived of their burnt offering, one charged at me in a rage, and I stumbled back. My foot caught on a seam in the stone, and I slammed down onto the hard floor, sending a jolt of pain up my tailbone and through my spine.

I gasped as the burning beastie lunged, but before it landed on me, my aunt clapped her hands again, and the red glowing circle vanished. A surprised screech erupted from the flaming demon as it poofed out of existence, along with all the others.

Pulse hammering in my temples, I flopped back onto the mercifully cold stone as bits of ash rained down around me. I was more drained than I’d ever been in my life, but the glowing warmth of triumph trickled through my veins.

I’d lived. And I’d actually slain demons with my magic. Not bullets.

Casey dropped to the floor and rolled onto his back, chest heaving. “Holy shit, Mom. Are you nuts?”

As fit as he looked, he was really out of shape, and she gave him a kick. “Practice outside your specialty, you little pyromaniac.”

Then she headed over to me and helped me up. “You did so well. Wasn’t that fun?”

My mouth was dry, and I didn’t have the strength to respond. My family was comprised of demon-summoning lunatics who were definitely into the dark arts.

Seemed about right.

My phone alarm began to buzz. I swiped it off and glanced up at my insane family. “Shit. I lost track of time. I’ve got a date with a devil.”