Part 31 (1/2)

Brus.h.i.+ng myself off* I sidled next to him. ”Good thing I know how to skate. You mind not looking like me?” I knew I should be scared, but h.e.l.l, I'd jumped a line to be here.

Al smirked at my sour att.i.tude, and a sheet of ever-after coated him. He gained bulk, height, and a ruddy complexion. ”Being you got me out very quickly,” he said, again himself as he tugged his lace straight. ”It's amazing how your pretty face opens doors.”

”I bet.”

Another drop in the line brought both Al's and my attention up, and we were trapped as Brooke's circle rose again. ”I have you!” Brooke exclaimed. ”You're mine! I did it!”

Sighing, I shook my head in disbelief as Al grumbled. This was not my day.

Bis dropped through the circle holding us, his red eyes whirling and the white tuft of fur on the end of his tail bristling. Wings beating to make my hair fly, he landed on my shoulder. Cincinnati's lines exploded in my mind, and my knees buckled as I reached for Al.

The gargoyle hissed as Al pulled me up. ”Make a circle around your thoughts,” he muttered so only Bis and I could hear. ”You look like a drunk like that.”

It wasn't hard, and immediately the humming between my ears stopped, and I stood under my own power. ”Thank you,” I whispered, trying to get a finger between Bis's tail and my neck. The kid was scared to death. He had abandoned me in the lines after I'd fried myself. It wasn't his fault, but I'd be surprised if he left me now even if I told him to go.

Brooke was almost hopping in delight, but Vivian looked ill. ”Brooke,” the youngest coven member said, ”there are two of them in there.”

”I know!” she said in delight. ”We circled them both!”

”You circled them,” Vivian said. ”Not me. This is against the coven. One of them is a demon.” circled them,” Vivian said. ”Not me. This is against the coven. One of them is a demon.”

”The h.e.l.l with it!” Brooke said, her delight tarnis.h.i.+ng. ”They're all shortsighted hacks.”

”I didn't agree to this!” Vivian protested, backing up. ”You summoned a demon, demon, not Rachel Morgan! Did you stop to think about what that makes you?” not Rachel Morgan! Did you stop to think about what that makes you?”

Brooke's eyes narrowed and she stiffened. ”I have control control of this of this situation” situation” she said stiltedly. ”I'm not a demon summoner. I just want the one to kill the other is all.” she said stiltedly. ”I'm not a demon summoner. I just want the one to kill the other is all.”

Whoops.

Bis's wings s.h.i.+fted as I turned to Al. The demon's eyebrows were high as he eyed me over his round smoked gla.s.ses. ”Perhaps you should do something, Rachel?” he suggested.

”Demon!” Brooke exclaimed as I touched her circle to find it humming a warning at me. ”I demand that you kill Rachel Morgan.”

I spun to face Al, my back hitting the bubble until I jerked away at its burning. Kill me? Kill me?

Bis spread his wings, claws pinching my shoulder. ”You're not touching her,” he hissed.

Al, though, wasn't moving. He gave me a glance, then put a hand behind his back to look elegant in his crushed green velvet and s.h.i.+ny buckled shoes. His visible hand became a fist in its white glove, and his lip curled in disgust. ”Who?” he said disdainfully; then he muttered to me, ”Best hurry, itchy witch. I can stall for only so long.”

My breath exploded from me. He didn't want to do it, but he would.

”That demon in there with you, dolt!” Brooke shouted, pointing.

Holy c.r.a.p, I had to get out of here!

”First,” Al said dryly, ”my name isn't dolt. And second, I'm the only demon here.”

Brooke fumed. Vivian's expression was puzzled. ”I demand you kill Rachel Morgan this instant!” Brooke stated.

Al reached into a pocket, pulling out a small tin. ”There are thirty-five Rachel Morgans on this continent alone,” he said, opening it. The scent of Brimstone hit me, and I sneezed. ”Which one would you prefer? The one in Sacramento or the one in New Mexico? You can't mean the newborn in Kalamazoo...” He sneezed as well, snapping the lid to the tin and tucking it away. ”A coven member sending a demon to kill a newborn? And people say I'm a s.a.d.i.s.t.”

I was frantic, almost not hearing Bis when he leaned forward and whispered in my ear, ”Can't you circle Al?”

My scanning of the floor for a weakness ceased. Circle Al? Circle Al? I looked up to see Al smiling at me. I had promised not to, but I think he'd overlook it in this case. I looked up to see Al smiling at me. I had promised not to, but I think he'd overlook it in this case.

”That one!” Brooke shouted, pointing. ”That witch right there!”

Al turned to me as if seeing me for the first time. ”That's not a witch.”

I had nothing to make a circle with. It was a good thing Brooke didn't know my third name. Maybe this was why the tradition of having three started. Giving up on finding anything useful, I awkwardly ran my finger across the dusty carpet, crab-walking around Al. He could have moved and avoided it easily, but he didn't.

”Just kill her!” Brooke screamed, and I invoked the circle.

I exhaled heavily as the s.m.u.t-coated sheet of gold-tinted ever-after rose up, loosely imprisoning Al. It was like tying a stallion with string, but Al rumbled appreciatively.

”Took you long enough,” he sniffed, poking at it only to draw back when it almost fell.

Shaking, I turned to Brooke, totally p.i.s.sed and smiling. The woman was staring, clearly recognizing that something had s.h.i.+fted, but not making the connection. She was a white witch. She had no clue that she'd just lost control of him. Vivian, though, was backing up, her face whiter than her coat used to be.

”Algaliarept, kill the woman standing beside you,” Brooke said, and Al blew her a kiss.

”Too late, Brooke. I circled him. He's my demon,” I said, hearing more than my words were saying. Al was my demon. I admitted it. It was time to live it. It was the only way I was going to survive being me.

”No!” Brooke exclaimed, her face becoming livid. ”I circled you. I circled both of you! Rachel, I demand you do what I say and release that demon!”

”That doesn't work on me,” I said smugly as Al chuckled. ”I'm not a demon. We've been over this.” I wasn't a demon, but Al didn't think I was a witch either.

”I've had enough,” Al said, reaching out to push through my paltry circle.

”Wait,” I said, and he hesitated. ”I have an idea.

This had better be good,” he warned me, eying me over his smoked gla.s.ses.

”Break my circle, and you're still stuck here with me. But if I banish you...”

Al smiled, his thick blocky teeth showing full and white. ”Itchy witch, I misjudged you.”

”Demon,” I said firmly, ”I demand that you depart from here and go directly to wherever your little demon heart desires.”

Al's smile widened. My hair s.h.i.+fted from the displaced air, and he was gone. I was alone in Brooke's circle. I was betting I wouldn't be alone for long. Please come back, Al. Please come back, Al.

”Rachel! I demand you do what I say,” Brooke shouted, beginning to look frazzled in her begrimed business suit.

”You can suck my toes, Brooke.” Bis's tail tightened, but I smiled sweetly, hand on my hip. A/, I summon you. I summon you. A/, A/, I summon you. Al! Get your a.s.s over here! I summon you. Al! Get your a.s.s over here!

Oh G.o.d. What if he didn't show? Had I just given myself to the coven?

Vivian stiffened, eyes wide. I felt a drop in the nearest ley line, and we all turned. ”h.e.l.lo, Brooke Sondra Stanton,” Al said, and I sagged in relief. He'd come back.