“Yeah. Good point,” Peri agreed. “She’s a lot nicer than we are.”
Maya didn’t know if it was Skye’s brutal upbringing at the hands of demons or the dark visions that haunted her, but whatever the cause, Skye possessed the most gentle, empathetic soul she’d ever known.
Maya’s thoughts were shattered as the steel door leading down to the basement was slowly pushed open. She exchanged a glance with Peri. Earlier they’d both cast layers of magic that would keep out a horde of demons, not to mention set off a dozen different alarms.
There’d been nothing to indicate the Witch’s Brew had been breached. Not a peep.
Maya and Peri remained hidden in the shadows as footsteps crept down the stairs and a silhouette passed by, heading directly for the safe that was built into a concrete wall. Maya touched Peri’s arm, keeping her from springing the trap. She wanted to see exactly how the girl was entering the vaults.Was it magic? An incantation? Did she have inside help? And just as importantly, how did she know the safe was hidden behind the shelf of books?
Maya barely dared to breathe as the intruder lifted a hand and waved it in a circle, as if she were conducting an orchestra. In response, the shelves swept aside and the door to the vault swung open.
There was no tingle of magic. No blast of power. Nothing.
Next to Maya, she could feel Peri tense in surprise. Was the younger mage finally realizing that they weren’t dealing with a sticky-fingered brat?
A minute passed, then another. This was no smash and grab. The intruder was taking her sweet time. After what felt like an eternity the shadow reappeared and, chanting in a soft voice, Maya released the spell she’d cast onto the floor. At the same time, Peri dropped her own spell from the ceiling, wrapping it around the shadow.
“What the...” The intruder briefly struggled against the invisible bands wrapped around her, then as if realizing that each movement made them tighter, she made a sound of disgust.
“A snare?” The girl’s voice floated through the darkness. “Really? Super original.”
Maya reached to flip on the light switch. The soft glow flooded the formal sitting room decorated in dramatic shades of black and silver with low glass coffee tables and metal works of art that shimmered with a cold beauty. It was what most people expected when they visited the lair of a vampire and a powerful mage. The private areas of the lair were far cozier, with deep couches and lots of soft, fuzzy pillows. It turned out, she liked to snuggle with her vampire. Honestly, no one was more surprised than she was.
Maya stepped away from the stairs, sweeping her gaze over the short, slender form that was no longer hidden by shadows. Up close the girl looked even younger than Maya had expected. Her round face was sprinkled with freckles and surrounded by a halo of brown curls that matched her wide eyes. In defiance of the sweltering heat, she was wearing an oversized winter coat with large silver buttons and baggy sweatpants with sneakers. There was no aura around her that would mark her as a demon. Red for goblin or green for fey creatures. And the girl certainly wasn’t a vampire. There were less than a hundred leeches in the entire world and they were exclusively male. Just like all mages were females.
Maya’s attention turned to the swirling mist that formed over the girl’s coat pocket as well as the black bag she clutchedin a tight grip. The snare was designed to reveal magical objects as well as any spells or curses attached to her captive.
“She’s carrying some magical artifacts.”
Peri nodded, moving forward to grab the black bag before reaching into the coat pocket.
“What are you doing? Leave me alone.” The girl slapped at Peri’s hand. “Stranger danger! Stranger danger!” she screamed in a piercing voice.
“Hush.” With a wave of her hand, Maya placed a weave of air over the thief’s lips.
The girl glared at her, but her eyes widened as she caught sight of the silvery scars that ran the length of Maya’s jaw. It was possible she was simply bothered by the disfigurement, but Maya suspected that girl had belatedly recognized her. The rumors of Maya’s battle with a demented vampire had become the stuff of legends over the past forty years. In the demon world there were few creatures who weren’t a little afraid of the mage with a scarred face.
“These are yours,” Peri said as she strolled back to Maya and handed her the bag.
Maya peered inside. It felt oddly heavy. A lead lining? Interesting. She tilted the bag to the side, studying the three crystals that held minor curses and a vial of truth serum.
“Out of all the magical objects in the safe, this is what you decided to steal?” Maya demanded in confusion.
“This was in her pocket.” Peri handed Maya a small round stone with a hole drilled in the center of it.
“What is it?”
“There’s some sort of magic, but I don’t recognize it.”
Maya smoothed her thumb over the stone. It looked like something you could pick up anywhere, but there was a tingle of power that warned it wasn’t just another rock.
“There’s magic in it,” she murmured, gathering a small tendril of power. “But the only way to figure it out is to trigger the spell.”
“Don’t!” the girl snapped, easily breaking through the web Maya had placed over her lips. “You’re going to ruin it.”
Maya cut off her magic, like turning off a faucet. There was an edge of urgency in the girl’s voice.
“What is it?” Maya demanded.
