My Magical Life to Live: Midlife Witchery Book 4

by Trim, Brenda

  Fiona wrapped an arm around Isidora’s shoulders and held her close. “I’m sorry, Grams. I never meant to bring you back. I didn’t even know it was possible. It’s all my fault.”

  Isidora turned and met Fiona’s gaze. “Stop that, Fiona. There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m glad I’m back, even if that means I’m a ghoul. Although if I start asking for chicken skin, tell me no. I draw the line at eating the skin. I don’t care where it comes from. And you four need to find that demon and send it back to hell.”

  “It’s the Underworld, and we have help with that. There’s a UIS agent in town searching for the rogue demon.”

  “Something he can’t do without us, I might add,” Fiona pointed out. “He’s made it clear he has no way of finding the Dark witch. Or maybe we’re looking for one of those Tainted Phoebe told us about.

  “I can’t keep up with it all,” Fiona admitted with a shake of her head. “We need to find an evil asshole and the creature they brought to our town.”

  “Piece of cake,” I told her. “It’s not as difficult as fighting an evil Fae King. We’ve got this. And if we’re wrong about you being a ghoul, we will still have made our town safer.”

  I felt like I was swimming in an entirely different ocean since I returned from Eidothea. I couldn’t find the object of my curse, and none of us truly understood what it meant if Isidora was a ghoul. We didn’t even know if we were right. Not that that really mattered. The safest approach was to assume we were right and go from there.

  Chapter 10

  I dropped my head into my hands. It was pounding like the percussion section of the high school band. I needed to find out how I was being cursed. It was the only explanation for why all this shit was happening right now. And why the council thinks I feel different.

  I might not find all of the answers, but I could tell if my magical signature really was Dark. It would have to be if they truly believed I tried to kill Faye. I grabbed a silver serving platter and set it on my table, then grabbed candles and herbs.

  I grabbed some bistort and used the mortar and pestle to grind it into a paste. I hoped its power of divination would reveal my magical signature to me. I’d never done anything like this before. I wasn’t even certain what it should generally look like, but I had to try.

  I spread the paste over the flat plane of a silver platter then set the candles at the cardinal points. “Ignis.” All four of the wicks caught fire, and soft yellow illumination spread from them.

  This had to be done right. Intent was a critical factor in successfully casting spells. I took several deep breaths and cleared my mind, and only kept the focus on shoving my magic into the silver and revealing my signature. “Inficio.” I waited a few seconds for my magic to sink into the platter, then finished my chant. “Revelare.”

  The air hummed around me, and the table vibrated beneath my fingertips. My heart leaped in my chest when the silver began to glow. The silver turned opaque and a bright beam shot to the ceiling. The colors shifted from opaque to blue-green.

  For a few seconds, it remained the color of the sea. The briny scent in the room matched the colors, and I felt a sense of rightness when I looked at the image. That certainty fled on swift wings when the beam shuddered and shifted a second later.

  The width increased, and the color changed to the hue of flames-bright orange, yellow and red. The briny scent was gone and replaced by cinnamon. Warning bells slid through my mind, and my heart was hammering against my rib cage. Flux. That was the sensation I got from this new rhythm. Everything was up in the air.

  Thin tendrils of green-blue wove their way through the column. My stomach squirmed, and my eyebrows inched together. My breathing turned choppy, and I lost track of my intent as panic took over everything else.

  You’re not evil. Stop and take note of the energy for a second. My rational mind didn’t often prevail when I got going on something. It did right then because I needed to know I wasn’t a lost cause.

  After forcing myself to take several slow deep breaths, I was able to pick up on more details. There was nothing Dark or malevolent about the energy. It was warm and welcoming. It made me question if I was cursed after all.

  The thought hadn’t fully formed when the platter started to smoke, and the light darkened. It didn’t turn black, but the colors deepened. A loud pop made me jump a second before the silver exploded. Shards of the platter shot across the room and embedded in the wall next to the window.

  Looked like I was cursed after all. I hated that my magic refused to cooperate. This was the worst explosion so far. If this kept up, I would have to tell Fiona and Aislinn and ask for their help. I didn’t want to burden them. They were going through crises of their own.

  There was no time to think about my wonky magic any further because alarm raced up and down my spine. It tingled and stung. Was this part of the curse? I scanned the room for any hint of the source of my fear.

  It wasn’t something I’d ever experienced, so it was beyond my scope. My cell phone rang at that precise second. I screamed and nearly jumped out of my skin. The device bounced on the table in front of where I was now standing. Fiona’s name flashed across the screen.

  I snatched it and hit the accept button. “Fiona! Something’s wrong, and I have no idea what.”

  “Violet, thank God you’re okay. I think you’re in danger. Didn’t you feel the intruder cross your wards?” My mind short-circuited when it tried to process Fiona’s words.

  My best friend and I bonded formally, and she shared her extensive powers with us after she killed the Fae Queen. She’s one of the most powerful witches, a nicotisa. When she inherited the Queen’s abilities, she needed to dull the target on her back by spreading it around.

  I hadn’t stopped to think about the effect that would have on me since I had accepted Fiona’s energy. “I felt something travel down my back, and I’m on edge, but didn’t know what it meant.

  I needed to shut off the lights and make sure I couldn’t be seen from outside. “Averte lux,” I muttered and ducked below the windowsill behind me. “Are you sure someone crossed my wards?”

  “Pretty sure. It felt exactly like it did when those Dark creatures crossed onto Pymm’s Pondside a few months ago.”

  “How did you know it was me, though? I didn’t even know this was possible.” I was still weirded out by the events.

  “At first, I had no idea where the breach occurred. Bas and Grams told me it wasn’t at our place and guided me through introspection. It only took a second for me to lock onto you. Do you see anyone?” I wasn’t surprised by Fiona’s ability to figure this crap out. She was powerful and talented. She didn’t feel like it, but she was a natural where magic was concerned.

  I gripped the wood and lifted my head so I could look out of the front window. The night was quiet, and nothing prowled across my lawn. Someone could be hiding behind the giant oak tree or one of the three bushes. I saw no sign to indicate it was in any of those locations.

  “There’s nothing in the front yard. I’m going to check out back.” It wouldn’t be the direction I would choose to approach my house from. I lived in the middle of town in one of the older homes. My location made commuting to my store easy, but it also meant I was surrounded by neighbors. I didn’t have acres of property like Fiona and Aislinn.

  Fiona’s sigh echoed through the phone. I couldn’t relax. My nerves were still being plucked by something. “Maybe the ward held, and they took off. The backyard would be a difficult direction to attack from.”

  When I spelled the lights off, I didn’t direct them to only the dining room, so they went off in the entire house. Before bonding with Fiona, I wouldn’t have had the power to shut off both floors. Now, I have to watch what I do because my magic reaches much farther.

  I paused by the side window and glanced out at Mr. Parker’s house. The lights in his house were off too. Damn. Looks like I overreached again. I saw his silhouette enter his kitchen with a flashlight. He was headed
for the door to his basement. No doubt he thought he’d blown a fuse.

  “The side yard is cleared.” I continued to the kitchen. Glass burst in front of me and flew at my face. I dropped my phone and threw my arms up to shield myself from injury. Shards sliced into my skin, and I instinctively dropped to my knees.

  “Violet!” I could barely hear Fiona’s voice shouting through the tiny speaker on my cell.

  Snarling consumed my attention, and I watched a pair of red eyes as the creature jumped through the broken sliding glass door that led to my back patio. The eyes told me it was the demon. All I could see were the bright gaze and black shadows. The thing radiated menace and violent intent.

  I was squatting in my kitchen unarmed and facing an unknown enemy. I was totally screwed. Grab the butcher knife. You can’t just roll over and die. Giving up wasn’t in my wheelhouse. I was a fighter.

  I rolled toward the counter on my right, where I kept my athame in the top drawer. The smooth maneuver in my head was actually an awkward flopping that ended up with me having a dozen more cuts on my back. The glass was everywhere.

  A grey hand clamped onto my wrist and jerked me up to my feet. The demon was there, and it had lost its human skin. The horns were massive on the top of its head. “Miss me, Angel?”

  “I have no idea why you’re stalking me. I’m not worth your time. Please just leave me alone.” I was trying to distract it so I could grab my knife. It was a ceremonial blade, but it would cut him regardless.

  “Someone wants you very badly. And I must admit that I find you fascinating. You aren’t an average witch. I think I’ll play...unh.” The demon dropped my arm and grunted as he bent over.

  I was tired of his blathering and kneed him in the balls. Thankfully he had them. Otherwise, the move wouldn’t have done much to stop him. I took the opportunity to yank the drawer open and grabbed the athame.

  He healed far faster than I had hoped and put a fist through the drawer and sent the contents flying into the air while the bottom fell to the floor. The athame slipped from my fingers.

  I needed that weapon and grabbed it before it hit the ground. I cut my hand in the process but didn’t have time to worry about that. I kicked the demon’s shins and ran toward the dining room.

  The demon caught me as I was passing the table where my reveal spell had gone horribly wrong. It yanked my shoulder and pulled me, making my body twirl in a circle—pain shot from my upper arm to the base of my neck.

  I slashed out wildly and managed to cut its hand. He let go and kicked me across the room. The force was enough to propel me into the living room. I slammed into the back of the sofa and dropped to the floor. My breath left me in a rush.

  I watched through slitted eyes as the demon prowled toward me. It had a confident swagger. I wanted to wipe that grin off his face. “Ferrum faucium.” I directed every ounce of my desire to bash his skull into my spell.

  Energy bounced back at me and knocked me on my back. The demon stood over me. Black blood dripped from a cut on his right cheek. At least I did some damage before it rebounded on me.

  The demon picked me up by my throat and shoved me against the wall. I had lost my athame on the floor somewhere. I was helpless in his grip. My heart raced, and my eyes stung. I didn’t want to die like this. I was eager to find out what life had to offer me. And I hadn’t figured out my new brand of magic yet.

  The demon’s tongue was black and slimy as it rolled across his lower lip. The sight was vulgar. I tried to suck in a breath but couldn’t manage more than a small sip of air. My chest burned, and my vision wavered.

  My feet kicked, and I scratched his arms. He doubled over when my foot connected with his stomach. I was too high to hit his groin again. “Liberatio.” The words were a mere whisper and did me no good.

  I had no desire for my magic to backfire on me again, so my intent didn’t match what I wanted. My fists switched to banging on his forearm. It didn’t take long before he dropped me. His foot connected with my head, making my head swim.

  Bile punched the back of my throat in a bid to be ejected through my mouth and nose. It burned worse than the attack from the Fae in Eidothea. My chest burned right where my magical tattoo was as if to mock me. Okay, so it wasn’t quite that bad.

  I got to my hands and knees and tried to crawl away from him. He grabbed my hair and stopped me short. My head was throbbing enough. I didn’t need this method of extraction to be added to my already battered body.

  Instead of scrabbling away from the demon, I switched and moved toward him. My hand landed on the shard of an end table as I turned. I wrapped my fingers around the broken leg and brought it close to my body.

  When he lifted me off my feet again, I swung with all my might. After I added more pressure, the wood pierced through skin and muscle and then moved quickly through the rest of his abdomen.

  His red eyes flared wide, and he coughed for several seconds. Black tar oozed from the corner of his mouth, and his breathing stuttered. I wiggled, trying to get free. It wasn’t until I brought my knee up and slammed it into his stomach, managing to get free.

  My foot slipped, and I landed hard on my left hip. I pushed my sneakers into the hardwood floor for purchase and shoved my sore body away from the demon. He watched me with death in his red eyes. Any fascination he had for me had vanished.

  He pulled the wood out, dripping ichor onto the floor, and tossed it aside. He bared his teeth at me, revealing sharp fangs that weren’t there a second ago. He prowled toward me and flared his nostrils. The smile this time was lurid and made the bile burn hotter.

  I poured every ounce of energy I had into getting up and getting the heck out of there. I was halfway to standing when he leaped toward me and knocked me back down. For the fifth time, I was on the ground with a pounding head. It was highly distracting.

  It felt like a needle was stabbed through the side of my skull where it had bounced off the wood floor. The demon was on top of me a second later. He flashed sharp claws and raked them down the right side of my chest. Razor blades cut me open, including my boob.

  Fire burned through my veins. I was getting used to the sensation that had been building since my return. The demon brought his bloody fingers to his mouth and licked the red fluid from them. His eyes rolled back in his head, and his vile body shivered above me.

  “You taste...what are you?”

  My chest was rising and falling rapidly, and I opened my mouth to answer him, but nothing came out. My eyes slipped closed then snapped open when I heard him inhale. Something tugged in my chest, lifting it toward him.

  His eyes darkened, and green veins rippled through his red irises. He was taking my power. He was going to kill me. I bucked and brought my knees up to his body. He backhanded me and shoved my shoulders into the floor. A loud snap was followed by excruciating pain radiating through my shoulders.

  “Ssss,” I couldn’t even beg for my life. My hands refused to move, but I never stopped fighting.

  Every time he sucked in a breath, he took more of my energy. Black dots swam in my vision. I kept thrusting my hips up and moving as much as possible, trying to get him off of me.

  I was nothing but a massive ball of agony. I wasn’t going to live through this. And even if I did, I would end up in a magical coma-like Faye. Tears built in my eyes as the futility of my situation dawned on me.

  No! You aren’t dying today. Fight! I refused to go down so quickly. It took too much energy to lift one of my legs, but I brought it to my chest and pushed against him. To my surprise, the demon went flying and crashed into my bookcase.

  How the hell had I managed that one? I was out of energy and barely got my leg into position before my energy was zapped. A thundering roar shook the room as a massive guy stepped over me and put himself between me and the demon.

  “Your time on Earth is over, asshole.” Thanos. Somehow, he’d come to save me. I choked out a sob of relief and ended up with a mouth full of blood.

  “Catch m
e if you can,” the demon taunted.

  Thanos turned and kicked out. His foot connected with the demon and sent it flying through the plate glass window in front of my house. My heart was racing, but it still skipped a beat. My chest burned, and I could barely keep my eyes open.

  Thanos had come, but it was going to be too late for me. The demon stood up outside and looked down at me. He winked and took off running. Thanos snarled, shot a glance my way, then bolted through the gap where my window used to be.

  I heard the sound of brakes squealing outside. My eyes slipped closed. Someone was yelling outside. Not that I could make out what was being said. My mind focused on the pain in my torso. It felt like a truck-sporting-large-swords on the front end had rammed me half a dozen times and cut me to shreds in the process.

  I wished I’d done more with my life. Fiona’s arrival had given me a new purpose. We’d formed a kick-ass coven that I would miss. My death would destroy my best friends and kids.

  In the distance, someone was pounding on something. The urgency made me want to open my eyes and respond. I tried but didn’t manage anything since everything remained dark.

  Hands landed on my shoulders, sending more pain arching through me. It was the last straw and the last thing I knew before my brain signed off.

  Chapter 11

  Pain battered my torso with relentless determination. Why the heck did it feel as if I went through a shredder? I groaned then cried out when I tried to turn over.

  “Easy, Lightning. You’ve been injured. You shouldn’t move too much.” Thanos’ deep timber was a warm comfort even though I barely knew him.

  Why was he with me when I was sleeping? Heat crawled over my face when I thought of him watching me while I was unconscious. Why would a guy as sexy as him want to watch while I wasn’t awake? It made no sense to me.

  “Violet! Oh, my Gods, we thought you weren’t ever going to wake up.” Aislinn’s voice was frantic.