Page 9

We arrived back at the warehouse late last night, exhausted and covered in dirt from our trek through the forest and our fight with the dragon shifter. My muscles ached, my head throbbed, and my magic still buzzed inside me, but all I could think about was sleep.

Aspen and Boise had left, and the witches had returned to the Great Eternity Hall for the night.

Taking another chance, I went to Levi’s apartment for a much needed shower, and immediately returned to the witch’s circle. Later, Levi had brought us a quick meal and we collapsed onto the chaise lounges.

Now, morning light filtered through the warehouse windows, casting a pale glow across the concrete floor. I watched the shadows shift as I reached for the cuffs. I usually didn’t wear them when inside the circle, but soon, I would need them.

Levi brought a small crossbody bag for me to put the crystal inside. I picked it up from the crate I had left it on last night and stared at it. Its green surface gleamed, shaped like a delicate shell, and for a moment, I let myself hope that this insane plan might actually work.

No, I couldn’t think like that. It would work!

With a sigh, I placed the crystal inside the bag and slung it around my shoulders.

I glanced around the warehouse. “Where’s everyone else?”

Last night, right after we came back from the forest, Levi had called Max and told him we were ready for the next step in our plan. Though he had insisted on going right away, Max argued it was late and we were probably tired and needed to rest.

Not that I would admit that out loud, but the demon hunter was right, of course.

“They should be here any minute now,” Levi said, glancing to the warehouse’s side entrance.

As if they had heard us, a shimmering portal appeared to our right and a moment later, a purple portal showed up on our left. Abbey, Lacey, Farrah, and Wyatt came from one, and Aspen, Boise, Max, and Rage came from the other one.

I expected the portal to close the moment they all came through, but it stayed open for a little longer … and someone else came through.

Jasmin.

Even when crossing the portal, she looked as regal and as bored as ever. The princess of the underworld made her demon hunter uniform seem like a dressing gown as she flipped her long red hair over her shoulder.

The portal faded and she looked at me. “I’m here.”

I almost rolled my eyes at her. “Thank you for coming.” I glanced at all of my friends. “To all of you.”

“No need to thank us,” Farrah said with a smile.

Max looked at Aspen. “I think we’re all here.”

Aspen nodded. “Everyone ready?”

“One moment,” Lacey said as she turned to me. She handed me the cuffs and I sighed as I took them and clasped them around my wrists. Their weight felt oppressing. “Now, we’re ready.”

Aspen waited for my confirmation. When I nodded at him, the warlock moved his hands and opened a new portal for us.

As the others moved to the portal, Levi gave my hand a quick squeeze before releasing it. I took a deep breath, focusing on keeping my magic in check, and stepped into the portal alongside the others.

The world shifted around us, bending and twisting as the magic carried us through space.

We emerged at the mouth of a vast canyon, the air dry and cool, carrying the faint scent of sagebrush.

Towering cliffs loomed on either side, their craggy surfaces casting long shadows that stretched across the rocky ground.

The cuffs on my wrists felt tighter, almost as if my magic knew what lay ahead and was fighting against its restraints.

Max took the lead, guiding us down a narrow trail that wound through the canyon floor. He moved with the ease of someone who had walked this path many times before, but his shoulders were tense, his steps measured.

As we walked, he spoke quietly, his voice carrying just enough to reach us over the wind that swept through the canyon.

“Thrallgon is not like any demon you’ve encountered before.

He’s absorbed magic from dozens of supernaturals—shapeshifting, fire, ice, illusions, telekinesis. You name it, he’s probably got it.”

“Sounds like a real charmer,” Levi muttered. “How did you manage to trap him?”

Max shot him a grim look. “With the help of many witches and magical stones.”

“It probably needs to be recharged every once in a while,” Abbie observed.

“Correct,” Max said. “Actually, we’re due for a recharge at the end of the month.”

“So the barrier is weaker now?” I asked. “Isn’t that more dangerous?”

“It is, but it also means the spell you want him to do will be easier,” Max said.

Levi glanced at me, his dark eyes hard, full of concern.

“What else can you tell us about him?” Farrah asked as she stepped over a loose stone the size of my head.

“He’s a trickster, that’s how he was able to steal so much magic,” Max explained. “If given the opportunity, he’ll try to trick us, to find a way out of the barrier.”

“Great,” Wyatt muttered.

“That’s why we need to keep him focused on Ariella,” Max continued. “If we can make him lust after your magic and only that, he won’t have time for any tricks.”

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the plan settle on my shoulders. “And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then we improvise,” Max said, but the tightness in his jaw told me he knew just how dangerous that could be.

The trail narrowed, forcing us to walk single file through a jagged crevice. My breath came quicker as the walls pressed in around us, and I fought back the rising panic. If I lost control now, if my magic slipped free, I could bring the entire canyon down on us.

After what felt like an eternity, the path opened into a small cave, dimly lit by the glow of phosphorescent fungi clinging to the walls. Max stopped at the entrance, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “This is it. Everyone ready?”

A chorus of affirmations answered him, and I steeled myself for what was to come.

We moved forward, navigating a maze-like series of tunnels, each twist and turn leading us deeper underground.

The air grew colder, stale with the weight of centuries, and the darkness pressed against us like a living thing.

After nearly half an hour of walking, the tunnel widened into a small chamber. But when we reached the end, there was nothing but a solid wall of rock in front of us.

“What the hell?” Levi muttered, his frustration evident.

Max shook his head. “Watch.”

He raised his hand, brushing his fingers over the stone. The air shimmered, and the rock wall dissolved like mist, revealing a hidden archway leading into a larger, open space. A faint, pulsing barrier shimmered over the archway, casting a sickly green glow across the chamber beyond.

And there, in the center of the room, sat Thrallgon.

The demon was slumped over, almost human in appearance, but with skin that clung too tightly to his bones, his face half-hidden beneath the tattered hood of a filthy brown robe.

His head was nearly skeletal, the skin stretched over sharp cheekbones, with empty eye sockets that seemed to drink in the darkness.

He looked up as we approached, a grin spreading across his gaunt face, revealing rows of jagged teeth.

“Well, well,” he rasped, his voice echoing off the cavern walls. “It’s been a long time, Max. And you’ve brought friends.”

“Keep your focus,” Max said under his breath. He didn’t give Thrallgon any information, just a cold smile. “We have something you’ll want.”

Thrallgon’s gaze flicked over our group, his eyes lingering on each of us before settling on me. A shiver ran through me as his grin widened. “Oh, I see. A tasty morsel you’ve brought me. So much magic, so raw.”

“Here’s the deal,” Max said, his voice cold. “We give you a chance at her magic. You cooperate, we let you live. If you don’t …”

Thrallgon let out a wheezing laugh, but the hunger in his gaze was clear. “You’ll kill me? Come on, Max, we all know you can’t.”

“Look around, Thrallgon.” Max spread his hands wide. “I think with this group, we can.”

The demon glanced around us, taking us all in. I imagined he had some kind of special power that let him sense everyone’s magic.

He grimaced. “Very well.”

Max motioned for us to prepare, and the witches and warlocks stepped forward, forming a semi-circle around me.

I handed the crystal to Lacey, who placed it in the center of their formation, murmuring a spell to activate it.

The gem flared with a bright green light, sending ripples of energy through the air.

Max gestured toward the barrier, and it shimmered before pulling apart, creating an opening just large enough for me to step through. My heart pounded in my chest as I crossed the threshold, every instinct screaming at me to run.

But there was no turning back now.

Thrallgon’s expression shifted from amusement to ravenous hunger as I stepped closer.

He raised a bony hand, and I felt a sickening pull, like something was reaching inside me and tugging at my core.

My knees buckled, and I gasped as the foreign magic began to seep out of me, drawn toward him like iron to a magnet.

The witches chanted, focusing on the crystal as it began to glow brighter, its light turning into a shield around me. I could feel the crystal trying to hold on to my true magic, but the strain was immense, like trying to stop a flood with a thin wall of glass.

“He’s too strong!” Abbie shouted, her voice trembling with effort. “I’m not sure the crystal can hold him off!”

Levi’s eyes flashed with determination. “Take my power. Use whatever you need.”

Farrah stepped closer, adding her voice to the chant. “Mine too. Just hold on.”

A surge of energy flowed into the crystal, bolstering its power, and I felt the strain ease slightly.

But Thrallgon’s pull grew stronger, his mouth twisting into a triumphant sneer.

The cave walls trembled, and I bit back a scream as the last of the foreign magic tore free from my body, leaving only my own power behind.

“Now!” Levi shouted, reaching for me. The witches and warlocks pulled me out of the barrier just as Thrallgon’s eyes blazed with darkfire. He thrust a hand toward me, and a bolt of black flames shot through the air.

It struck the crystal, which flared one last time, absorbing the impact before fizzling out, its glow extinguished. The crystal fell to the ground, lifeless, its power spent.

Thrallgon’s laughter filled the cavern, a deep, echoing sound that sent chills through me. He raised his arms, and the barrier around the chamber cracked, then shattered like glass.

“With all this magic, you thought you could contain me?” he sneered, his voice filled with malice. “Now you will all burn.”

Fire and ice rained down from above, the air filled with illusions that twisted the space around us.

Darkfire seared through the air, barely missing me as I ducked.

I summoned a bolt of light and hurled it at him, the energy crackling in my palms before launching forward.

It struck Thrallgon in the chest, sending him staggering back.

Levi was on him in an instant, tackling the demon to the ground, but Thrallgon shifted beneath him, transforming into a massive wolf. He lunged at me, fangs bared, but Levi intercepted, grappling with the creature.

Max appeared out of nowhere, moving with blinding speed. He brought his Dawnblade down on the demon’s back, and Thrallgon howled in pain, his form shifting back to his human shape.

“It won’t stop him for long!” Max warned, his voice tight.

Jasmin stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger. She knelt beside the demon, her hands glowing with a dark, swirling energy.

“Let’s see if you taste as foul as you look,” she murmured, before pressing her hands against Thrallgon’s chest.

A ripple of power surged through the air as she began to drain the demon’s essence. Thrallgon’s mouth twisted into a silent scream, his body convulsing as his soul was ripped from him, bit by bit. I watched, my breath held, as Jasmin’s expression shifted from focus to strain, her skin paling.

“Are you okay?” Lacey called, her voice edged with worry.

Jasmin gasped, her body shuddering as she continued to draw in the demon’s power. “It’s… a lot,” she managed, her voice tight with effort. “I just need to?—”

The demon’s body went slack beneath her hands. Without wasting a second, Max brought down his Dawnblade, piercing the demon’s chest. Its form crumbled like ash.

Jasmin fell back, practically drunk on the power she had taken in. Rage was at her side in an instant, supporting her as she swayed. “I’ll take care of her.”

Max knelt beside the remains, sprinkling a silvery powder over them. The demon’s body dissolved into smoke, disappearing into the air, leaving behind nothing but silence.

It took a moment for the realization to sink in. Thrallgon was dead. The threat was gone.

And I had only my magic!

A laugh bubbled up in my chest, wild and giddy. I looked around at the others—our unlikely, exhausted group of warriors—and felt a surge of gratitude and relief. “We did it.”

“We sure did,” Abbie said with a smile.

“If we’re done here, we should go,” Max said, his voice tight, as if something was bothering him.

Even though we had defeated Thrallgon and the barrier was gone, Max said the chamber was still full of magic and it would be easier to portal outside the cave. So for the next thirty minutes, we made our way through the tunnels.

When finally out, Aspen stepped forward and opened a portal to the warehouse, and everyone began to filter through.

Levi wrapped an arm around my shoulders, his warmth seeping into me. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get home.”