Bounty Hunters and Black Magic

by Kristen Banet

  She groaned as she sat up, and immediately bent over, covering her face. Why did her head still hurt so much? She gingerly touched the bump on her temple and cursed, realizing it would take at least a week for it to go down—and she didn’t have a week.

  “Hurry up!” one of the demons yelled.

  With a heavy sigh, she looked at the food. It wouldn’t be poisoned, since they needed her, but she didn’t want to eat their food anyway. She hadn’t eaten the breakfast either.

  With a streak of stubbornness, she stood up and left it there. She marched out of the barren room and into the hall, directing herself to where the demon stood waiting at the end towards the sitting room. Once she was there, she clasped her hands in front of her and waited, knowing she had drawn all eyes in the room.

  “You’re going to summon our brother back. The one you banished. Then we’ll send word to Redstone that we’re willing to exchange you for Georgie. You better hope they haven’t already banished Georgie as well. Then we’ll need you to summon him back to this plane before we give you back to them.”

  She looked down at the demon speaking. He was sprawled across a couch. His red eyes stood out in his obviously Hispanic face. She wondered who he stole it from for a moment. Whoever the previous inhabitant was really didn’t matter. Demon possession was a death sentence. The person was trapped inside and dead with it. The broken, misshapen soul that had control was not the one that belonged in it.

  Somewhere out there a woman could be hoping for her husband to return, not realizing what happened to him. Or maybe even children.

  “Nothing to say, witch?” another snapped, waving a hand in front of her face.

  “There’s two problems with your plan,” she said plainly. “First, I’m not a registered black magic user with the Society of Magic. You know what that is, right?” She waited for them to nod. “Good. At least you’re not ignorant. The banishing spell I used on your brother was one I’m not supposed to know. It’s also the only spell of that nature I do know. I banish you all back to where you belong, not bring you here.”

  “That’s a problem you’ll need to fix, because you aren’t leaving until we get what we want.” The one on the couch shrugged. “Hope you’re ready for an extended stay, if that’s going to be the case. What’s the second problem?”

  “I’m unable to do magic right now,” she informed them. It was ballsy. It left her at a disadvantage to admit that. “Not just from the runes you carved into this house, but also because my magic is temperamental. Sometimes it’s wildly out of control. Currently, I can’t even successfully cast the most basic of spells without something going terribly wrong.”

  “Really?” The Hispanic one sat up, looking interested.

  “If my magic wasn’t acting up, you would have never gotten me out of my house,” she said. “It only takes a couple of days to bring back into control, but still, time.”

  “Time is not something we have a lot of,” he said sadly. “If this is going to take longer than a couple of days, since you don’t know the spell you need…We’ll have to move on and take you with us. Sorry, but you owe us our brothers back.”

  “I mean, you’re demons who have stolen mortal forms and exist on a plane you don’t belong on. I’m not sure how I owe you anything.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Really. This is the circle of our world. Human summons demon. Human falls prey to demon possession. Demon runs around, breaking the law and causing general discord. Witch or warlock then banishes demon so that human can move on into the afterlife, having died thanks to the possession. The next human summons a demon. And so the cycle continues.”

  That earned her a snarl, as the demon jumped up and stomped into her personal space. Smoke poured out of his nose and sulfur filled the air.

  “You’re very full of yourself, Adalyn Lovett,” he hissed. She raised her chin, refusing to back down. She should have, truthfully. She was outgunned, outnumbered, and in the losing position. “You should have stayed in Redstone instead of toying with those of us who follow the great and powerful Anzu.”

  She resisted rolling her eyes at the red eyes in front of her. Everyone and their damned mommas with the stupid red eyes.

  “Get her back in her room. I’m tired of looking at her.” This one seemed like a leader for the rest. She would remember that. She was grabbed and yanked back. Before she was out of the sitting room, he grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. “You’ll see things my way soon. I’m being incredibly nice.”

  She didn’t respond. She turned, pulling her arm away from the other demon that had her, and walked out on her own. She went back to the bedroom, knowing one of them followed her the entire way. The moment the door was closed behind her, she listened. He didn’t move away.

  A guard at the door. That meant whatever she did had to be quiet or she was going to alert them to whatever she was doing. She had been hoping to buy more time, but that was looking less likely. She didn’t have the patience to sit quietly and pretend to work with demons. She needed to get out now.

  She went to the window and undid the locks, testing them. They squeaked only a little, nothing that couldn’t be explained by the creaky floor of the farmhouse. She tried to lightly open it and it wouldn’t budge. She didn’t try forcing it, knowing that would alert the guard.

  Damn it all to Hell. I just had to get myself into this. The fucking demon is right—I should have just stayed in Redstone and not toyed with things like this.

  She wished she could ignore the self-doubt, but there was no hope for it. She’d locked herself away from the world the day after William’s funeral, convincing herself that she could do this. And, in some ways, she’d succeeded. She knew a spell to banish demons that didn’t require a team of magic users, time, or a special room. She could do it anywhere, draw the pentagram in blood and get it done. But I didn’t think any of it through. Like I never think anything through. Gods, William would be so disappointed in me.

  She sat down on the bed, rubbing her face again. She had to make sure her escape plan was perfect or it would be worthless. The biggest problem with escape was her magic. She had no idea when it would be working again.

  “Why do I have to be a wild magic witch?” she asked no one. It was only a problem for witches like her. Their magic was too tied to their emotions. If something knocked them too far off balance, their magic suffered the consequences. It was the biggest reason the Society of Magic considered witches like her too dangerous. Anything could knock someone off balance. The last time it had happened to her was the day William died. It had taken her a month to find the peace of mind to use it again.

  The only way she’d be able to check how her magic was doing was to get outside. To get outside, she had to start her escape. If her magic wasn’t working again, her escape would fail and she wouldn’t get another chance. I have to think of something

  The idea came suddenly, and she knew she had to play a game with them.

  “Demon!” she called, hoping the guard was listening.

  The door opened and he looked in. “Yes, witch?”

  “I need to be able to test if my magic works if you all want me to summon Lars back. I only need to be escorted outside to make sure. I have no idea while I’m in a house spelled with runes.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her and closed the door without responding. She sighed heavily, hearing him walk away from the door. She heard the muffled voices of the four demons in the sitting room. She couldn’t hear exactly what they said, but they were obviously discussing it. At one point, there was even shouting, one of them saying she was trying to trick them.

  I am, but maybe not in the way they think.

  She wanted to test her magic, then go back inside; that was all. They were just going to help her do that. Once she knew her magic was back, she could plot her escape. She certainly didn’t need them to know that.

  Finally, it quieted down, and she heard footsteps of one of them coming back. The door swung open.

&nbs
p; “Come on. If there’s any funny business, we’ll just shoot you,” he growled.

  She jumped up and walked out quickly, not wanting him to change his mind. As she neared the front door, where the rest of them waited, the hard barrel of a gun touched her back.

  They really weren’t kidding about shooting her.

  “You’ll test a few spells on these,” the red eyed Hispanic said, holding up several empty liquor bottles. “Levitate them or something.”

  “Well, you’ll know if something goes wrong then, since I’ll probably blow them up,” she said, hoping she sounded like she was defeated.

  “Why the change of heart?” he asked, not letting her leave the house.

  “I don’t always think before I speak. I’m sorry for any hostility. I know this is the best way for me to get home safely.”

  “Smart. I’m glad you aren’t as irrational as most women.” He nodded to another demon, who opened the door for them. She walked out first, the barrel still digging uncomfortably into her back.

  The bottles were placed out in the dirt in front of the house. The horses were hitched to a post further away, and she filed that away. She could steal one later. It would speed up her escape.

  “Well?” one of the demons asked, looking down at her. She nodded and focused on the bottles, concentrating.

  She knew it was off already. Her magic was unruly the moment she even considered using it. She didn’t bother using a spell. She went back to the basics of her magic use: intent and visualization. Between her and the first bottle, she imagined a string and tried to gently pull the bottle along it.

  The bottle exploded.

  “Fuck.” She dropped her hand. “Well, I’d like to come out and try again later, if that’s okay.”

  “I’ve never heard of this happening before to a witch or warlock.” One of the demons sounded confused. “How do I know you aren’t just blowing them up? To trick us?”

  “It’s what I am,” she muttered, glaring at the broken glass in the dirt. “Wild magic. It’s unruly.”

  “Like you can be,” the leader commented. She turned the glare on him. She was trying, or so they thought. She didn’t need the rude comments. He raised an eyebrow at her. “I’ve heard of wild magic before. I didn’t know it had such consequences.”

  “How old are you?” she asked, narrowing her own eyes on him.

  “I was one of Anzu’s first followers on this plane. I’ve been in this body for three hundred years. I’ve met a witch or two like you. It’s why I would rather just trade your services to get my brothers back in return for your life than kill you and find someone else.” He leaned in close to her. “Finding a strong witch or warlock to do a summoning isn’t easy. Humans are unreliable. They tend to summon whatever they can in exchange for some power, and they can only do it once.”

  She knew why he’d rather have her do it. She wouldn’t get possessed or die from it. They could easily keep coming back to her, threatening her to do it again and again. She had no doubt that was their plan. There was only one thing that kept her safe from that very problem.

  “I still don’t know the spell,” she said softly.

  “And I think that’s the one thing you’re lying about.” He pointed back to the house. “We’ll bring you back out in a few hours to try again.”

  “Of course,” she mumbled, walking back in.

  For the entire exchange, the gun never left her lower back, a constant threat. The demon who held it followed her all the way back to the bedroom and closed her in.

  A few more hours till I can try again. Maybe then my magic will work. It’s already been a day and a half.

  All she could really do was hope. To pass the time, she settled on the floor to meditate. It sometimes helped her find her center and balance. Closing her eyes, she focused, just working to remain calm and keep her breathing even. Years of practicing this had gotten her to adulthood where other wild magic witches had failed to control their abilities.

  Now she had to hope it paid off.

  22

  Remy

  Remy stretched out, his legs stiff from another day of slow riding. Another day of nothing happening, as well. They had ridden, always on the lookout, but there was no sign of the demons. They finally stopped to set up camp towards dusk.

  “We can’t move into Fort Lackey without capturing the rest of them,” Remy said as Easton sat down next to him. The Nephilim looked at him with a frown.

  “Why not? We could always stick around Fort Lackey, waiting for them. There’s a chance they’re waiting for us to be off the case. They could then attack those who aren’t ready for the retaliation.”

  “I agree with Remy,” Maxwell said, sitting down across the fire. “I don’t like the idea of passing the problem off.”

  “We wouldn’t be. We would collect the bounty on this guy and then station ourselves to be the people to catch the rest.” Easton rubbed his hands together by the fire. While it was a hot southern summer, the nights still held a desert chill to them. “It would take longer, but we wouldn’t have that guy.” He nodded to the unconscious demon.

  Remy snorted, remembering what had happened earlier in the day. The demon had woken up while they were riding, then proceeded to try and jump off the horse they’d thrown him on. Remy had taken him down easily enough, but it was an inconvenience to have to chase him around whenever he woke up.

  “I’m not going to stick around Fort Lackey. I have business left over to deal with in Redstone. If that’s the plan, then you two will be on your own.” Maxwell put a pot over the fire and opened a can of beans. “Adalyn and I need to deal with some things.”

  At the mention of her, Remy sat up a little more. He didn’t say it, but he was strongly considering what Easton had mentioned a couple nights before, in town. The idea of working down in the southern regions, like around Redstone. That would mean they could visit her. He liked the idea of it, having a nice woman to go see every so often between jobs. He also didn’t hate Redstone. The fact that there were no humans there was a blessing. Humans, even though they knew the supernatural existed, tended to respond in fear and anger. No one in Redstone acted that way, not even her when she realized what all was different about him.

  If anything, she seemed to have enjoyed his oddities. Gods, he’d enjoyed her with them. Soft and easy to hold on to. Comfortable to lie next to and hold. She was a nice woman to pass the time with.

  “What’s that?” Easton asked casually.

  Remy smiled into his hands as he stared at the fire. For the last two days, they had slyly been trying to figure out what the feisty, curvy witch had done to make the marshal angry. It was almost a game. They were interested in her and wanted to know more. Remy was enchanted by her, certainly. He could have been spelled, for all he knew, but he wasn’t sure he cared, either. He enjoyed her company too much to care.

  Maxwell narrowed his eyes at them over the fire, shaking his head. Remy sighed, knowing they wouldn’t get it out of him tonight either.

  “Well, personally, I’m not sure that woman could do anything to upset me,” Easton commented, looking at Remy, who grinned.

  “You haven’t known her for several years,” Maxwell muttered.

  “How long have you?” Remy asked, stretching and leaning back again.

  “She came out West when she was eighteen. It was nearly a decade ago. I was in training with an older marshal. We were visiting Redstone so he could tell me a bit more about the Gate. I was already friends with William, who was a deputy for Redstone at the time, not the sheriff yet. We both met her on the same night, the day she rolled into town.”

  Remy didn’t interrupt. This seemed like a trip down memory lane.

  Easton glanced at him again, raising an eyebrow. “They obviously have much more history than I thought.”

  Remy gave a small nod at Easton’s words in his mind.

  “William had to throw her into the drunk tank at the jail. She’d tried to do a bit of magic and blew up
several bottles in the saloon. Valen even got spooked. We all thought the damned town was under attack and there she was, a young wide-eyed witch, looking a bit shocked she’d just done it.” Maxwell gave a dry chuckle. “Later, she told William she was a wild magic witch, and I had to explain to him what that was. The entire thing was an accident. Her magic had been acting up.”

  “Sounds like she came into town much like she lives there. With a bang,” Easton said quietly, a small smile playing on his face.

  “She does nothing quietly. If she could, she’d barrel through life like a fucking tornado or some other dangerous storm.” Maxwell rubbed his face. “She’s always been like that. William was a calming presence in her life, one that is no longer around. Now there’s nothing holding her back.”

  Remy could see it. Especially when he considered she was the reason they were all there, camping out on the road towards Fort Lackey.

  “Why does she have that problem? With her magic?”

  Remy raised an eyebrow this time, looking at Easton with a curious expression.

  “Wild magic witches. Their magic is tied to their emotions. It just works different than other witches or warlocks. I can do magic. Other witches and warlocks can do magic.” Maxwell took a deep breath. “She is magic. I’m lucky to be born with whatever is needed to harness the magic of the world and make a spell and perform it. Within limits. Within the amount of power I can channel safely. Wild magic and the witches who can do it…they pull magic from themselves. It’s them, not anything else. It’s not words or objects of power. It’s just them. And they can still do normal magic on top of it, which is…supercharged.”

  “So…” Easton waved a hand, looking for more information. Remy knew it was professional curiosity now. He’d never heard of wild magic witches, but Easton had, and said they were rare.

  “So, when they get upset, they lose some balance—or just all of their control. It leads to most being…put away during puberty, and trauma often leaves them…unable to ever learn control. Adalyn is the only one I’ve ever met who lives a relatively normal life.”