“Crazy. Stick with crazy.”
“Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “I’m going to go think on this, and avoid all your friends like the plague. Hope you’re good with that.”
“Yes. Probably wise.”
“Fine.” He motioned back and forth between us again. “We understand each other.”
“Okay.”
“Okay. I’m out.” He turned and headed for the door.
I stared at the empty space he’d just vacated. He should’ve had J.M.’s job, clearly.
Chapter Nine
Agnon heard the summons and forced its way into the weaker demon’s path, pushing it down and taking its place. Grudgingly, Agnon let the form it had assumed while last walking the earth, that of a young man, dissolve away. The being materialized in an enclosure it recognized. The summons it had interrupted before—when it had made first contact with the witches and promised them a boost in power for their participation in its cause—had come from the same place.
The building was large, damp but spacious, and held rows of stacked boxes toward the back. A body lay clumped some distance away, the vessel of the energy needed to summon Agnon. Humans in flowing robes of black gathered around him. Their toes were well back from the blood-splattered chalk outline they mistakenly thought would contain a being as mighty as Agnon.
Silly creatures.
While they clearly knew Agnon was a different demon than the one they’d called before it had stolen thesummons, they still had no idea of the power they’d brought to their doorstep. The being occasionally loved working with imbeciles. In this situation, especially, it made the task so much easier.
It stayed perfectly still, facing the self-proclaimed leader, a male human with moderate magical ability.
“Great One, we have had news,” the human said, wringing his hands. He was nervous and trying not to show it. Within his head echoed thoughts of fear, both for himself and for the woman to Agnon’s right.
The being turned its head that way until it was looking just behind its shoulder. The woman startled, then frowned. She grabbed her robes. A thought echoed regarding a stolen necklace. What a strange thing to think of in that moment. Or maybe this secret was simply more powerful than all her others.
The being filed that knowledge away.
“It seems theaswangwas destroyed before its power could be transferred,” the human leader said, his fear amplifying. “The creature had fed before the confrontation, but still the woman dispatched it with ease. She did have some help, though it was minimal.”
“How did the transfer fail?” Agnon asked. More than one person flinched. The being hadn’t adopted speech that was pleasing to the human ear.
“Another human killed it with a magical blast of fire. The transfer did not have a chance to make it to thewoman.”
“Did the fire touch the woman?”
“No. She had a spell that blocked it. But she was close enough to lose her eyebrows, I hear. The transfer would’ve happened if not for the fire.”
“You are such stupid creatures.” The being clasped its hands behind its back.
“I’m sorry, Great One, I do not follow you.”
“You are mages. Do you know of a spell that can block fire from harming the skin, but does not also protect the hair?”
All the mages exchanged glances. An echo of a thought came from a human on the left. The puny specimen worried his fellow mages would discover his lack of knowledge and power.
If a body was needed for a menial task, or to recover strength, Agnon would use this human first. His deteriorated body wouldn’t be missed.
“There is talk of experimental magic,” the human leader suggested.
It was a wonder this group of mages had managed to summon a demon at all.
“If what you heard is correct, it seems she is unaffected by fire,” the being said. “This is noteworthy. We must get closer and test her.”
The leader smiled. “We have connections. We can bring her to us and maintain the home field advantage.”
