Did the cold cause the goosebumps, or something else?
"Jesus," he said. "What is this place?"
"An old boarding school. A lot of people were murdered here."
He took a step forward, and bumped into an old desk. His shin smacked into the side. He held in a shout as he bent over. Leese stood next to him, rubbing his back.
"Sorry," she said. "Forgot that was there. I can barely see."
"There were demons here before. Where did they all—?"
There was a roar from the hallway. A shadow moved across the wall.
It was just outside.
He pulled Leese down next to him. A horned head appeared in the doorway. Kevin had already pulled a vial from his belt. He wrapped an arm around Leese's shoulders and put it to her lips.
She drank without saying a word. He only gave her half before pulling the vial away, finishing the rest himself.
The demon entered the old office. Kevin moved Leese behind the desk and lay flat on the filthy, dank carpet. They were shoulder to shoulder, looking up at the ceiling and bottom of the desk.
They could hear the demon behind them. Its head loomed over them, moving back and forth.
Leese let out a quiet gasp. He turned his head to see she was gone. The invisibility potion had taken effect. He reached out and felt her jeans. Pulling her closer, her hand found his knee.
The demon sniffed, then violently threw the desk aside. It crashed into the wall, splintering apart. If the demon took one more step forward, it would trample them.
Leese moved. Kevin could feel her, trying to stand. He gripped her arm and pulled her on top of him. Her hair touched his face.
He was afraid, but didn't panic. If the demon found them, he had magic to spare.
The demon turned and left. He still didn't move. Leese's cool breath brushed his cheek. He held her close until he was satisfied the demon was long gone.
Leese stood up first. She kept a hand on Kevin's wrist and helped him up. Still unable to see each other, they felt for each other's hands. It would be several minutes until the potion wore off.
"What if demons don't need to see?" she whispered. "I've seen some without eyes, you know. What if it found us?"
"Then I would have come up with something else."
"Wow. Cocky."
Still holding her hand, he plucked his reading glasses from a pouch. The walls vanished as he slipped them on.
He didn't like what he saw.
"Holy shit."
"What? What is it?"
Demons roamed the halls. There were too many to count. Some would disappear, then reappear as they walked. Others stepped directly into walls. Some were covered in fresh blood. How was that possible? Only Alex could answer.
Without walls, Kevin had a difficult time determining distance. Maybe three halls over, there was Alex. He wasn't alone.
He was spread out on a conference table. Another man paced, talking to himself. He'd stop to laugh occasionally. There were lit candles all around.
Alex wasn't moving.
"I see him. I think I see that crazy guy."
"Michael. Is Evan with him?"
"I don't think so."
She pulled on his hand.
"Let's go."
He didn't budge.
"No, no. Let's stick to the offices. You don't want to go out there."
Kevin drew a standard portal on the wall with a magic marker. The next office was like the rest. Ruined furniture, decaying documents on the floor. Kevin jumped as Leese grabbed his butt.
"Sorry," she said, hooking a finger through his belt hoop. "That wasn't on purpose."
They moved cautiously. He made sure there were no demons nearby as they moved from office to office. One emerged from a wall, ten feet away. They moved into a corner as they waited for it to pass. It stopped for a moment in the doorway, its nose twitching. Kevin rested a hand over the pouch containing his flashlight, in case he had to blind it and run.
Leese rested her head on his shoulder. He hugged her around the waist. She didn't make a sound. He ached to hold her since they'd broken up, and the first chance he got was in a haunted boarding school.
The demon eventually moved away. Leese let out a relaxed breath.
"Is it clear?"
"Yeah."
He made another portal.
"Who's Marie?" Leese asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
"A friend of Jack's. Sent to watch over me. You'd like her."
"You shouldn't have left with that bullshit story. You shouldn't have left at all."
The remark came out of nowhere. He paused for a moment to look at her, forgetting he couldn't. They stood in the middle of a decrepit women's bathroom, with demons all around them. He nearly suggested they continue the conversation another time, but different words came out.
"I know."
"I was a wreck. I still am." Her voice shook. "I really needed you."
"I thought I was helping by staying away."
"You were wrong." Her bluntness made Kevin smile. "They weren't even after you."
"If we live from this, maybe I can make it up—"
"Alicia!"
They both went quiet. The voice wasn't far away. Kevin spun and looked through the wall to see a well-dressed man wandering alone, a gun at his side. He didn't seem to be bothered at all by the demons just a hall over.
Kevin led Leese to a bathroom stall. As they walked quietly, their invisibility wore off. Leese took his hand.
"That's Evan," she whispered. "He works for Michael."
"You should have stayed with us," he called. "Michael can't fully control them yet. If they find you, they'll kill you."
"Oh, God," Leese said. "They're killing Alex. Still draining him."
"Evan must be using magic. To keep safe."
He took a step forward, keeping Leese behind him. She grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing?"
"It's just one guy with a gun." He reached for a vial on his belt. "That's no problem."
"Be care—"
Her warning was shortened as she let out a choking cough. He turned to see a demon had lifted her off the ground, its claws around her throat. She held tight to its forearms as she kicked with her legs. Where did it come from? Every shadow in the boarding school was dangerous.
Kevin rushed forward, only to hear gunshots. Dust and dirt exploded around him, and he felt a pain in the back of his shoulder. The demon let out a horrible laugh as Kevin fell to one knee.
He met with Leese's panicked eyes, right before the demon bit into her shoulder. She screamed, and it threw her violently into the wall.
It was difficult to move. He stumbled his way past the demon, his shoulder in agony. It didn't pursue. There was another single gunshot, with purpose, striking the back of Kevin's leg. He collapsed to the floor and crawled. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Evan standing at the door to the bathroom, gun drawn. The demon remained still, its mouth open.
Out came a voice. Human, with a demonic growl.
"I have more respect for your brother, Alicia. He's still holding on."
Kevin assumed the voice belonged to Michael. He tried to ignore him, and the fact that he was talking through a demon. His leg gave out mid-crawl. He could feel the bullet pressing against muscle. Spinning on his back, he pushed with one leg. Evan had stepped into the room, keeping a cautious eye on the demon.
A pair of hands grabbed Kevin's shoulders from behind. He thought it was another creature at first, then recognized the warm touch.
"Leese?"
"I'm okay," she said, pulling him to the corner of the bathroom.
He wasn't sure she was telling the truth. She winced in pain. Her shoulder was a mess of blood and gore. Still, like Alex, she didn't give up.
Neither would he.
He pulled a vial from his belt and threw it upwards in front of them, shattering it on the ceiling. What looked like light rain fell, catching the moonlight. Then the rain changed, forming
a shield that stretched from wall to wall. It cut through a portion of an old sink, sending porcelain to the floor.
"That barrier won't last long."
Leese had already taken action. She reached over his chest and pulled a vial of water. She'd seen him write the word water enough to recognize the label. A flare of pain shot through his arm as she held his hand.
"Sorry," she said.
They worked without talking, each using magic from the other's belt. Kevin flipped open a pouch and retrieved a magnet. Leese pressed the vial of water to his finger and took a drink.
Evan made his way to the barrier. He ran a hand along the surface, marveling at its texture. Taking a step back, he fired off a round. Leese flinched as the bullet stopped and fell.
The demon still didn't move. Others slowly filed into the room. Kevin pulled out a mothball and released it over their heads, giving them floating light.
"Who are you?" Evan asked Kevin.
He focused on the task at hand. Breathing deeply, he rubbed the magnet between his fingers. Leese stared at the gathering demons, fear in her eyes.
"Hey," he said gently. "Just watch me. And get some water ready."
He held the magnet over his leg and gritted his teeth. The bullet trembled. It ripped through his flesh, colliding with the magnet. The scream of pain shocked even him. He didn't think it would hurt that much.
"Shit, man!" Evan said. "What are you doing?"
Leese held on tight. He collapsed against her, onto her lap. She hugged him protectively, pulling him further into the corner. The demons still gathered by the barrier.
He ripped out the last bullet in his shoulder. She put the vial to his lips. The familiar sensation of healing magic coursed through him. Wounds closed, pain went away.
The barrier shimmered. A demon near the front smiled and drooled. If there were any doubts about their intelligence, they were gone now. They knew the barrier was failing.
Evan backed up.
"I can't help you," he said, no remorse in his voice. "You shouldn't have run. I'm sorry."
Kevin jumped up, keeping Leese behind him. The barrier failed. He held his ringed hand in front of him as he threw a vial at his feet.
The ice potion exploded. The coldness spread around them, encasing the demons. Only Kevin's ring protected them from such violent magic at close range. One demon nearly reached them. Its claws were inches away, almost touching his hand. He pulled his hand back and shook it before cradling it to his stomach.
"Are you okay?" Leese asked.
"Yeah, just…cold."
Through the wall of ice, he saw movement. Leese's eyes went wide as she peeked around the frozen demons. He joined her, putting a hand on her back.
Evan was also trapped. His arm from the elbow down was free, his fingers wiggling. They could see his face, etched with fear.
"Is he dead?"
"No." He ran his hand along the magical ice, leaving a beautiful trail of blue behind. "This doesn't kill."
"Kevin?" It was Martha, her voice quiet, emanating from his ring. "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah."
"It's Aggie. She's threatening to kill Marie and Caroline now if you don't show up."
He sighed in frustration.
"Do you believe her?"
"I…don't know."
Leese touched his arm, her eyes desperate.
"I don't think Alex can hold on much longer."
Kevin slipped on his glasses to peer through the walls. Michael still spoke to no one, pacing next to Alex. Was Alex unconscious? Too weak to move?
Something caught his eye that made his whole body go still.
Michael had a pair of wings.
"You're right," he said. "He won't. What exactly did Michael do?"
"Oh, God," she said in defeat, trying to remember. "He drank from this jar with fire in it. He's got these things spread all over the place. Called them wards."
Kevin noticed a jar in the corner, under where an old hand dryer used to be. Inside was a thick liquid with a candle in the middle. The flame had burnt out. He picked it up carefully, holding it far away.
"Like this?"
"Yes! That's it."
Handing over the jar to Leese, he prepared a portal.
Martha was surprised when he called her name.
She was sitting in front of the couch, near Cindy. Cindy was covered in a blanket. Martha struggled to her feet and approached with a look of confusion.
"Kevin?"
"Yeah," he said, taking the jar from Leese. "What is this?"
Martha leaned through the portal and sniffed the jar. Her nose turned up as she scowled. She studied all around, motioning for Kevin to turn it.
"Ugly, ugly magic," she said. "Designed to steal memories. Spread several in a room, drink from the source, and the witch can steal someone's memories, make them their own."
"Okay, this is different. It's being used to steal someone's powers."
"Powers?" Martha shook her head. "What powers? Humans don't have powers."
"This one does. How do we stop it?"
"You don't. The whole thing happens in an instant."
Kevin sighed. He didn't feel like explaining.
"Her brother has demonic powers. They're being drained, using these." He held up the jar. "Help me. We need to come up with something. Quick."
"Demonic," she said. "Magic and demonic don't mix very well." Her eyes lit up. "Maybe we can slow it down? Let's start with that."
"Every protection potion usually has rock, or mineral."
"Yes!" She ran to his shelves. "Some quartz dust."
He was right behind her. Leese stood near the portal, looking back nervously.
"Sulfur," Kevin added.
The ingredient came to him. He grabbed an empty vial from the rack.
"Some sugar," Martha said, shaking her head. "It's always sugar."
Kevin added to the vial as the ingredients came. Some were mundane, others exotic. A pinch of bone dust from a crocodile. Cornstarch.
The last ingredient came to Kevin and Martha at the same time. They cringed.
"What?" Leese said.
"A drop of human blood."
Leese stepped into the storage room, with Kevin meeting her halfway. She ripped her sleeve off, exposing her slender shoulder. There was still blood from where the demon bit her.
"Will this work?"
"My lord," Martha said. "What have you two—?"
"Yes."
He took the jar from her and poured in the dry potion. Taking a breath, he touched the liquid around the candle. It turned a bright red. Kevin and Martha had created another joint spell, nudging it into existence. Sometimes, magic took so long to create. It was amazing what stress and two witches could accomplish.
"What is it?" Leese asked.
"It weakens demonic energy," Martha said.
"It should counter what Michael used."
Leese raised an eyebrow.
"Should?"
"Will. It will."
"Okay," she said, determined. "Let's go."
She led the way back through the portal. They circled around the wall of ice to the corner. Martha stood at the portal behind them.
"Oh my God," she said, noticing the frozen chaos.
Leese set the jar where they found it. Besides glowing red, it did nothing else.
"Are you sure this will work?" she asked.
Kevin had already prepared the next portal. He held a photo of the library.
"Trust me."
"I do."
He pulled another invisibility potion.
"Do you want to come with me?" he asked. "I have no idea what we're running into."
She approached and took his hand, feeling the photo between his fingers. Close enough for a kiss, she took the potion and stole a drink. She put the vial to his lips. With a smile, he finished it.
"You wouldn't know what to do without me."
"You're right," he said. "I don't."
As they
faded from sight, Leese guided Kevin's hand to the wall. The portal opened.
CHAPTER 26
It had been some time since Kevin had last seen the library Martha took care of. The photo from the website brought them directly behind one of the bookshelves. To the right were the computers. It looked like she'd done some upgrades.
In between the shelves, he could see Marie and Caroline. He was horrified to see them both locked in a cage. They didn't even have the decency to cover Marie. She was still naked, laying on her side. The cage wasn't big enough to stand. She was covered in bruises. Her face was charred, probably from one of their fireballs. Half of her hair was missing, revealing a burnt scalp.
Caroline was in better shape. She was tired, struggling for breath, but didn't look harmed otherwise.
There were two witches sitting at a table nearby, talking quietly. Aggie paced near the cage, talking into her hand.
"Kevin!" Leese hissed.
He turned to look at her, and his mind registered that he could see her. He looked down at his hands. Completely visible.
A voice called to the left.
"He's here!"
The fireball soared toward them. Kevin managed to get his palm up barely in time. His shield absorbed one fireball, rocking him back, and then another. A witch from somewhere else in the library threw her own fireball. He fell back into Leese, who caught him. Pain ate at his hand.
His fingers flew across his belt, knowing exactly where to reach. He threw a vial at the carpet next to him, unleashing a barrier. The shield blocked two more fireballs, giving him time to retrieve another vial. He smashed it on the end of the bookshelf next to him. The weightless potion, a reworking of his gravity-defying feather, lifted the bookshelf an inch off the floor.
Kevin grabbed the shelf and threw it across the library toward the nearest witch. The massive shelf soared through the air, like a train, with books falling everywhere. The witch, not even imagining being attacked with a bookshelf, wasn't prepared for the violent collision.
Another fireball came, shattering his barrier. It struck the wall behind Kevin and Leese, forcing them to the floor. He tried to reach her, but another landed near his feet. He motioned for Leese to run away. She hesitated, not wanting to leave him. Her eyes were desperate.
"Go!" he shouted.
Leese was fast. He made sure she was okay before running in the opposite direction. A fireball shot past him, striking a window. This firewall didn't stop there, however, as a wall of flame spread out in front of him.
Damned and Cursed (Book 8): Witch Trial Page 29