Desert Magick: Phoenix Lights

by Dana Davis

  Afterward, the three took their seats on the blanket in front of Simon, Daisy in the middle, and held hands.

  Scarlet gave Daisy’s hand a slight squeeze. “Relax and let us guide you, Daisy. You’ve got a lot of power, so that’ll help us, but you’re still green. And whatever you do, don’t break the link with us. Understand?”

  Once the hitchhiker arrived, Scarlet and Kali would channel him into the vessel, Simon’s body, using Daisy’s power as a booster. Then they could send the murderous hitchhiker back where he belonged. At least, that was the plan.

  Sounds simple. Right? Worry over what she was about to do traveled up her spine and sent her hairs standing on end. The last time she’d done a cemetery ritual to contact the afterlife, she had died. She looked over to Noah and gave him a confident smile. He didn’t try to hide his worry but he knew the repercussions if they didn’t get this hitchhiker back to the afterlife. A glance at Bridgette told her the redhead was scared but determined. If she felt guilty about using Simon, she didn’t show it.

  Okay, here goes nothing. She turned back to Scarlet. “I’m ready.”

  “Remove your spell, Bridgette,” Scarlet said in a low voice that caused a chill up Daisy’s back. Once the trussing spell was removed, Simon began to wriggle in an attempt to get his binds off. Scarlet leaned toward his face, keeping Daisy’s hand firmly in her own. “If you struggle, it’ll be much more painful.”

  The siren’s eyes widened and he grew quiet, but when his pleading gaze moved to Daisy, guilt bubbled up. Yes, he was a siren. Yes, he had kidnapped Bridgette and numerous other women as his sexual slaves. Yes, he and his sister had taken Noah and Kali against their will. That was his nature. Noah and Kali weren’t harmed but they could have been. Simon was a pain in the ass but he hadn’t killed anyone. Daisy glanced at his sister, whose piercing gaze settled on her. Those eyes glistened with anger in the lantern light.

  Maybe we should’ve used Cleo instead of Simon. But the hitchhiker had been a male in his life and would be attracted to a male vessel more than a female one. We need every advantage. Otherwise, that thing will merge with me to kill innocent people. And Simon’s got a strong heart. Right?

  Before Daisy could dwell on those disturbing thoughts anymore, Scarlet and Kali began to chant in whispered voices. She joined in with her own whispers, enticing the hitchhiker with a body, a living vessel, a paranormal. No, not enticing – demanding. This spell demanded he come to them. The herbs they had sprinkled over the bone dust acted like catnip, and once inside the circle, he would have no choice but to obey.

  Mist began to form in the mirror as those on the other side gathered to help, allies Scarlet had enlisted on behalf of Daisy. The ghosts kept their distance from the glass so as not to be detected by the hitchhiker. Punk girl Lisa was there somewhere, along with Gerty and several others.

  I’m gonna owe a hell of a lot of spirits when this is over.

  Kali’s hand began to turn cold and stiff, a sign that she was putting part of herself into the afterlife. This was how necromancers used their powers to control the dead. Though she’d been warned about this phase of the ritual, Daisy fought the rising urge to panic and break the connection. It unnerved her to feel her friend’s hand that way. Kali felt dead. Daisy tightened her grip on the flaccid fingers, just as she’d been instructed.

  We’re ready. Scarlet’s voice in her mind startled her. Keep your wits, Daisy. You can do this.

  Chanting, while channeling and keeping physical contact with Kali and Scarlet. The task was harder than it sounded and Scarlet reminded Daisy whenever her grip began to loosen. She felt lightheaded, like the time she and her mom had gone to the ancient pyramids in Teotihuacán, Mexico, where the altitude made those not used to it struggle for breath.

  Breathe, Daisy, Scarlet told her. Slow and steady. That’s it. Good. He’s getting closer.

  Kali grew silent and Daisy worked to push her concern away. The necro didn’t need any distractions. Not now. She could feel the air growing heavier around her as the hitchhiker approached and her heart raced like a greyhound on the tracks. Doubt filled her. I’m not a trained medium. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.

  An intense heaviness pressed down on her, accompanied by a stench so strong she thought she might vomit. And then it happened. A form so black she couldn’t see anything through it, took shape just above the tombstone. Simon cried out in muffled squeals behind his gag and pumped his body like a worm as he tried in vain to move away. He looked absolutely terrified. From outside the circle, muffled squeals from Simon’s sister found Daisy’s ears.

  Daisy’s heart jack hammered against her ribs as the black figure turned its gaze on her. He had no features at all, but he looked at her, wanted her, lusted after her power like a newborn colt to its mother’s teat. It saw her as one thing. A temporary container in the living world, a shell to utilize. A host to continue its killing spree, until it wore her out and sent them both to the afterlife. Terror flooded Daisy and she froze, unable to remember what to do next.

  Scarlet gripped her hand so hard it hurt and only then did she realize Kali’s hand was slipping. Desperate not to lose this dark evil in front of her, Daisy clamped down on the necro’s hand so hard she feared she would break the woman’s fingers.

  It was then that the spirits in the mirror began calling to the hitchhiker, enticing it with wondrous power, coaxing it, appealing to its greed for blood. The black shadow turned and seemed to reach out toward Simon, who clamped his eyes shut and whined. The hitchhiker’s stench made Daisy gag but she managed to hold onto her stomach. Part of that black shadow now touched the mirror and spread out like spilled ink.

  She jumped when Scarlet spoke. “I command you into the vessel. I command you into the vessel. Obey me.”

  As Daisy began chanting with her, the hitchhiker seemed to gain a sudden understanding of what was happening. He stretched his black mass outward, elongating himself, trying to get away from the mirror, attempting to move away from Simon. The mirror had trapped part of him, like an insect in a spider’s web and his black mass quivered like a foul blot soiling the living world, as he drew closer to Simon, closer to the vessel. The bait.

  Come on, come on. Get in there. Daisy continued the chant, her quiet voice mixing with Scarlet’s again.

  The wind around them picked up and dried bougainvillea flowers skittered across the gravestones. Zoey sat just out of reach of the black mass with the Dream Catcher box open. The hitchhiker didn’t seem to notice her at all. Perhaps the box protected her that way. For just a second, Daisy thought she saw pale light come from the box but it must’ve been her imagination. Her chest felt like a cobweb had attached itself to her skin. She didn’t have time to dwell on the meaning because someone made a shocked noise behind her. She couldn’t tell whether it was Noah or someone else.

  She snapped her gaze back to the hitchhiker. The black form moved toward Simon, stretching out over him like a filthy blanket, blocking out any light behind it. The siren wept, tears streaming down his cheeks. Daisy shoved guilt down and fought not to break the connection with Scarlet and Kali.

  As she continued to chant, she caught sight of Kali’s figure reflected in the mirror. The woman looked dead. A wave of panic surged through Daisy, but she reminded herself that necromancers worked this way. Part in this world and part in the next. That was their nature.

  She turned her gaze back to the hitchhiker. Simon trembled and whimpered as the black mass lowered over him. The sight caught Daisy’s breath and she hesitated, stumbling over the next words in the chant. In a sudden move, the black mass arched back toward the headstone, nonexistent gaze leveled on Daisy. Then it lunged. Straight for her.

  Bridgette threw herself between Daisy and the hitchhiker in what seemed like slow motion. She had crossed the barrier, the protective circle.

  “No!” Daisy tore her hands from Scarlet and Kali’s grips and shoved her cousin back across the circle.

  Someone cried out for he
r. Noah. And she tried to move out of the hitchhiker’s reach. But it was too late.

  She pitched forward, her elbow smacking into the mirror, and the black mass slammed into her like hot, slippery ink. It oozed like fire into her skin and took her panicked breath with it. Her body burned. She tried to scream but no sound came out. The smell of rotting vegetation assaulted her for an instant, then was gone, replaced by the smell of ash.

  You’re mine, a deep, gravely voice said inside her head. Mine.

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  * * * *

  Chapter 31

  Into the Fire

  “Daisy!” Bridgette scrambled to her feet again and lunged for her cousin. She heard Noah’s panicked cries mingle with her own and he moved toward his wife at the same time.

  “Don’t touch her!” Scarlet screamed. The medium put herself between them and Daisy. “Don’t touch her. Don’t cross the circle again, witch!”

  Bridgette, startled into logic by the alarm in Scarlet’s voice, grabbed onto Noah when he tried to go around the medium. “Do what she says, Noah.” The frightened look in his eyes added to her own sense of terror, but she held onto him until he agreed not to interfere.

  Scarlet crossed between Daisy and Kali, taking them both by the hand. At her touch, Daisy writhed, trying to pull away, but Scarlet looked to have a good hold on her. At least for now. What scared the piss out of Bridgette was Daisy’s face. A menacing visage superimposed itself over her cousin’s features, creating something that would make a Hollywood horror effects person drool.

  “Scarlet, do something.”

  “I’m working on it.” The medium’s voice sounded strained as she struggled to hold onto Daisy’s hand. “Just stay back.”

  Bridgette didn’t like where this was going. Not one fucking bit. “Can I truss her?”

  “No. No spells. Too dange—” Scarlet pitched to the ground, landing on her back.

  Bridgette and Noah both started toward her but Bridgette’s mom managed to get in their way this time, though how she moved so fast with those crutches, Bridgette had no idea.

  “No,” her mother said. “You can’t interfere. Either of you.” Noah looked like he would ignore Marge but she grabbed onto his arm. “Noah? Noah Kavanaugh. Look at me. I know you love your wife. I know it’s terrifying to see her like this. It scares the hell out of me too. But we have to let Scarlet and Kali do their jobs. If we interfere, we’ll just make it worse for them. For Daisy. If you cross that line and she gets hurt, you’ll never forgive yourself.”

  That seemed to get through to Noah and he moved back from the edge of the circle. The circle that Bridgette had crossed earlier. Scarlet grunted and cursed in Spanish as she scrambled up and between Daisy and Kali.

  Did I cause this? Did that thing get her because I crossed the barrier? Bridgette caught her mother’s warning gaze and she forced herself to keep out of it, but she watched Scarlet, just in case the medium asked for a witch’s help. I’m so sorry, Daisy. I didn’t mean to make things worse. I’m so sorry. She opened her senses. Daisy’s mental cries met her, accompanied by an onslaught of evil. Terrible, ugly thoughts that slammed into her so hard it felt like her head would split in two. The continued onslaught made her nauseous and threatened to knock her out and she went to her knees. She barely managed to slam a plug into her mental wall before those vile thoughts could overwhelm her. Holy shit that hurt! Dots swam in front of her eyes for a moment. Her mother put a hand on her shoulder until she nodded she was okay, and she struggled to her feet with Jay’s help.

  Simon, his face etched in terror, squirmed and bucked until he moved clear from the headstone. His sister squealed behind Bridgette, still under Fay’s trussing spell.

  Bridgette wanted to truss the idiot but if Scarlet got that thing out of Daisy, maybe they could direct it into Simon. She pointed at the siren, all sympathy for him gone just now. “Jay. Watch him.” Movement told her Jay was doing as she’d ordered so she focused on Scarlet. The medium struggled with something unseen, her face contorted with tension, or pain. Maybe both. “Scarlet? What the hell’s going on?”

  “No you don’t,” Scarlet said in a breathless tone. Her voice sounded beyond strained. She held onto Daisy and Kali’s hands and it looked like they were trying to pull her apart. A sick, ethereal tug of war.

  “I’ll kill you, you medium bitch.” It was Daisy’s voice, but the underlying hatred and madness sent a chill racing up Bridgette’s spine. Daisy’s eyes opened and Bridgette saw evil in that gaze, the same evil she’d experienced telepathically, and she feared for her cousin’s life.

  Noah moved forward again, pressing against Bridgette’s back.

  “Noah, don’t,” Marge said. Her voice lost its gentleness. But Noah didn’t stop this time and the woman uttered a trussing spell.

  Bridgette helped lower him onto the ground with Jay’s assistance. She knew how much this tortured him. It took all her control not to scream at someone, as memories of Daisy’s previous death in this very cemetery flooded her. She shoved them back and opened her senses again, a miniscule crack in her mental wall. She got vague thoughts from Scarlet, mostly about keeping a link with Daisy and Kali, and she heard whispers between Scarlet and Kali. Silent communication of some type.

  Telepathy? She dismissed that thought for a later time and concentrated on Daisy again.

  “Is she okay, Bridgette? Can you hear her in there?” Her mother’s voice trembled now.

  Daisy’s thoughts spurted out from behind the hitchhiker’s vile notions like a tiny leak in a fishing boat. The cursing she heard gave her hope, since Daisy seemed more angry than afraid now, if that were even possible. “She’s there. She’s pissed off.”

  “Good,” her mother said. “Keep it up, Daisy. Fight the bastard. You can do it, honey.”

  Zoey let out a tiny squeak, like a mouse in pain, and Bridgette flipped her head toward the girl. The open box shook in her hands as she gazed into it, trembling as though a seizure took her.

  How the hell is she staying upright? “Zoey?” No answer. Thoughts came in whispered spurts to Bridgette’s mind. She didn’t dare cross the barrier again. I’ll get to her later. First, Daisy. Bridgette inched toward the circle, reassuring her mother that she wouldn’t interfere, but prepared to help Scarlet any way she could.

  Daisy’s gaze snapped to her. “You’re next, bitch.” Her cousin lunged at her, stopping short at the barrier circle the thing inside her couldn’t cross now.

  But Bridgette’s instincts had kicked in and she’d stepped back. She tripped on Noah’s prone form, lost her balance, and stumbled forward, closing the distance and crossing the barrier just long enough for her cousin to get in a good bite on her arm. She cried out as pain shot through her.

  Her mother pulled her back to the outside of the circle. “Damnit, Bridgette. Are you okay?”

  She gritted her teeth against the pain. “I’m fine, Mom. Stay back. All of you. Stay the hell back!” Bridgette trembled with fear for her cousin and tried to ignore the fiery pain in her arm. What the fuck am I supposed to do?

  “Brendon, take over Noah’s trussing. I need to heal my daughter. I’m sorry, Noah, dear, but you’re too much of a risk just now.” Marge removed her trussing spell as Cousin Brendon cast his. “Hold still, Bridgette.” Her mother began a healing spell.

  Several seconds later, the pain in Bridgette’s arm lifted and the wound closed up. She wished it were that easy to help Daisy. “Scarlet? Kali?”

  Neither woman answered as they struggled with something unseen, something strong and determined, bent on having its way. Then, like an eye of a storm passed through her, Daisy suddenly grew calm, quiet. She sat cross-legged on the twisted blanket in front of the headstone, as though she’d decided to meditate.

  “Daisy?” The eyes that moved toward Bridgette didn’t look anything like those of her loving cousin. And the dangerous smile that grew on those familiar lips made her realize that Daisy wasn’t the one looking back at her. Her cousin’s
thoughts grew distant, whispered, and a jolt of panic seared through Bridgette. “Stay strong, Daisy. Fight him. You have to fight, damnit. Don’t you dare give up. I’ll kick your ass from one end of Scottsdale to the other if you don’t put everything you’ve got into fighting that bastard. You hear me, Cousin? Fight, damnit!”

  She swallowed back tears as she begged the universe to keep her cousin safe.

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  * * * *

  Chapter 32

  Eternal Flame

  After the dizzying pain stopped, Daisy found herself someplace dark. She could barely see out of her own eyes. Her ears didn’t work properly, either, and Bridgette’s words came in muffled tones to her. Her cousin looked terrified.

  She tried to move her head to look for Noah but couldn’t. Is he okay? What the hell happened? She tried to move her arm but it didn’t respond, either. Did I have a heart attack? A faint voice called out to her. Kali? She couldn’t seem to get control of her body. What’s happening to me? A string of curses flooded her mind but she could no longer speak.

  A sudden avalanche of emotions slammed into her, taking her breath, and her mind replayed childhood memories.

  A large woman beat her for spilling milk then made her lick it off the floor. As punishment for a bad grade in school, she received a painful smack on the ear that made her head ring, followed by a burn on her arm with the fireplace poker.

  Father, claiming that what went on in the house while he toiled at work was “women’s business”, ignored her pleas to take her with him whenever he left the house. One day, he never came back and his absence seemed to anger Mother even more. The beatings grew worse. Bruises, scratches, burns, a black eye, fractured ribs, a broken wrist.

  Mother told the doctors and nurses she got hurt climbing trees, playing with the other kids, or being careless around the fireplace. That she was a klutzy child and a bit on the stupid side. Mother’s hands twisted the apron around her dress when she spoke, and sorrow touched her voice. All the while, Daisy’s hatred simmered like a pot of water trying to boil. Every time Mother beat her and told lies about her, that anger bloomed another petal.