"Hang on," Mary whispered. "I feel it again."
We were in a small clearing, and I'd just noticed the most beautiful bird watching us. Its captivating stare and dark presence locked me in place.
It watched a bit too closely. "Bird," I whispered. I was sure it was a demon, but it was odd, because I couldn't see its true form, and I always could before.
Suddenly, it spread its wings and launched into the air. I prepared to blast it with power when something slammed into my chest. I fell backward into Mary and we both tumbled to the ground.
Luc reached me first and grabbed the creature from my chest before I could react. If Mary hadn't been behind me, I could've tucked and rolled so as not to hit the ground like that, but we were a tangled heap of limbs.
I didn't see the creature clearly before Luc ripped its head off. I did see its black blood coming straight for my face, though. Lifting my hands, I shot hellfire out. It caught the blood and burned it up before it had a chance to reach me and Mary. Ugh.
"Gross," Mary whispered.
I hopped up and grabbed her hand. "Agreed. Was it the bird?"
"No," Michael said. "The bird was a lucky distraction for the demon."
"Come on." I pushed forward, irritated by the delays. "Do you think he's doing this on purpose?" I asked.
Mary shook her head. "No. Cecilio is aBrujo Blanco. He doesn't consort with demons. Doing this for you goes against his nature, and he will likely have to make amends to the magic, but he recognizes the necessity."
We continued forward again, but the farther we went, the thicker the air became. Breathing became more difficult and soon I realized we were at the mercy of a spell, not the natural weather patterns.
When I knew what to fight, it got easier because I waved my hand and created a bubble of clear air around us. The pressure dissipated.
"I think that spell was designed so we didn't feel it until it already had us pretty bogged down," Michael said. "Clever."
I nodded and we pressed on. We finally found theBrujo'shouse, but not before having to kill three more demons that attacked us viciously, if unsuccessfully. They were no match for even one of us unless they surprised us as the first one had.
None did. We were ready for them.
After about an hour of walking, we broke out into a clearing with a beautiful stone home built around a massive tree.
"Whoa," I whispered.
Mary's jaw dropped. "Whoa is right."
"This is the home of the witch?" Gabriel asked. "It's something out of a storybook."
The home was several stories high. It was difficult to tell how many because they weren't level. They were held up with stairs that ran the wrong way, all stone, and arches with intricate designs at the top.
There was no discernable way the bottom of the home held up the top and sides. "It sort of makes me dizzy," Lucifer said. "I love it."
The wooden front door opened, and a slender man with a wizened face stepped through the large archway. He wore jeans and an old t-shirt that saidWorld's Fair 1982."Good. You survived the journey in. Let's get started."
8
As we neared the building,I focused on theBrujo'saura and found it nearly as pure as Mary's. It was a soft green as if he had a deep connection with the earth and nature magic. He was intrinsically good, as Mary had described. He narrowed his eyes but sighed and stepped aside. "Come in, come in."
We filed in after Mary and looked around with wide eyes. The interior was as mysterious as the outside. It was simultaneously homey and threatening. "Did the demons give you much trouble?" His accent gave his voice a musical quality. Or maybe it was the magic in the air. It was hard to tell.
"A bit," Mary said. "We are in your debt for your assistance."
"Well, when we sendlos demoniosback toinfierno, it will be worth it, will it not?"
We all chuckled. "It will, indeed," Luc said. He stepped forward and held out his hand. "I will not forget your help,Blanco."
I didn't speak much Spanish, so I wasn't sure if calling CecilioBlancowas appropriate, but he seemed to accept it. Cecilio looked Lucifer up and down. "You are he?"
