The children huddled together in a corner, where a magical barrier trapped them in place. The sight of their small bodies shivering in the cold infuriated him. Simon didn’t know enough about children to guess their ages with any accuracy, but he was pretty sure none of them were over the age of ten. One of them, a boy slightly taller than the others, looked toward the stairs and right at Simon.
He took a protective step in front of the younger ones, and his dark hair fell over his forehead. He tossed it to the side in aggravation and glared at Simon. When he realized Simon wasn’t one of their captors, his blue eyes lit up with hope.A sensitive one, Simon realized, when the boy saw through his cloaking spell.Good. That would make this easier.Simon smiled to reassure him and sent a gentle push into the boy’s mind.I’m here to help. Be ready.
The boy nodded once and looked away. Simon focused on the Other. Now that he could see it, Simon could gauge its magic. It looked like a regular man, someone you might pass on the street and not give a second glance. A bit skinny, with disheveled light brown hair, the demon would have been unrecognizable if Simon couldn’t see the lines of dark magic being dragged from the children and into its body.
Its soul-based magic flowed differently than a mage’s, and Simon recognized it as demonic. His apprenticeship had prepared him for the possibility of a demon that looked human, but seeing firsthand a humanlike figure exude such complete dark magic truly terrified Simon. He had absolutely no idea what to do.
With its eyes closed and its head tilted back, the demon revealed the heinous smile on its face as it fed on the magical energies of thechildren. It drained them of their particular brand of magic, as well as their life force, and reveled in every damn minute of it. The demon chuckled, and the kids cried out in pain as dark, jagged lines of magic began flowing from them at a faster rate. The agony of the slow death the demon wrenched from their small bodies suddenly became horrifyingly real.
A savage fury overtook him. Simon concentrated on the spell, its harsh red lines showing just how deadly the damage was to the kids. With a telepathic push fed by his rage, Simon distracted the demon from the spell bleeding the children’s energy, and had the creature focus on a conjured enemy by the far wall. He created a monster as repulsive looking as this one made him feel but made sure it was only visible to the demon and himself.
Its bulbous eyes oozed, and its scaly yellow arms reached out for the demon. The demon went wild, letting out a piercing screech that echoed off the dirty walls. It fought and punched at the image only he and Simon could see. The distraction succeeded enough for Simon to move to the enclosure where the children drew together in despair and misery. Their hands covered their ears, and with horrified eyes, they watched the screaming demon. Simon felt guilty for adding to their terror, but he needed the demon occupied so he could work on the holding spell.
Simon began trying to dismantle the strange orange lines of the barrier and felt an immediate drain on his own energy. The magic holding them captive was strong, apparently a talent of the demon’s. With a frustrated grunt, Simon focused his power and attempted to unravel it one section at a time. A small opening appeared, and the sensitive boy rushed to it. He began herding the others through until they were all free. Simon let the barrier drop back into place.
To conserve his remaining power, Simon released the cloaking spell he was using on himself. The children jolted in surprise when he appeared. The boy shushed them and looked to Simon for guidance. Simon laid a finger across his lips to remind them to stay quiet and pointed back the way he’d come.
The children made for the stairs, their small bodies making littlenoise against the rough floor. Simon kept his eyes on the demon and watched it continue to fight its invisible foe. He backed toward the stairs behind them. He’d made it about halfway when the demon broke free from Simon’s compulsion and turned to him.
“Mage!”
Simon gathered his strength and sent another mental push, stronger this time. The demon laughed it off and raised its arms, throwing a burst of dark energy that hit Simon in the chest and tossed him back against the stairs.
Before Simon could get to his feet, the demon rushed him. It grabbed him by the jacket and flung him away from the stairs. Simon landed against the floor and gasped as his breath was knocked out of him. The demon clambered up the stairs and reached toward where the kids huddled. Simon realized it was conjuring another holding spell; he could see the same orange magical lines forming.
He scrambled to his feet and leapt on the demon’s back. It lost its balance and stumbled against the wall. Simon grabbed the rail with one hand and used the other to shove the demon back down the stairs. It hit the floor hard but rolled back to its feet.
Simon quickly focused his power and held out his hand to direct his magic. Outside of the cloaking spell, there was only one other at which he excelled: the Torpor Trance. He gathered every ounce of force he could muster and commanded the demon to sleep. The demon stopped moving, its own spell pausing, half-formed. Simon watched in stunned disbelief as it collapsed to the ground.
The children waited for direction at the top of the stairs. A warm trickle dripped down his face as he wearily climbed up to join them. His nose was bleeding, so he pinched his nostrils to stem the flow. His raised arm intensified the ache in his chest where the demon’s spell had hit him. Simon tried to access his magic, but only a near-empty reserve remained of his energy.
This was getting worse by the moment.
He looked to the boy, who returned his gaze with a concerned expression. “I’m fine. Come on. We’ve got to move fast.”
Simon paused to lift the smallest of the children in his arms. Her blonde curls hung damply against her cheeks, and she shivered in hishold. Her T-shirt and shorts didn’t provide enough protection during the long hours sitting on the floor. He opened his jacket so he could bring her close against his warmth, then wrapped the sides around her. She sniffled and nuzzled into Simon’s neck. “I want my mommy,” she whimpered.
“I know you do, sweetie. I’ll take you home, okay?”
She nodded and relaxed against him as Simon led them out of the house, past the man in the kitchen, who was still furiously cooking. The cabinet doors stood open and food spilled out onto the counters. The children eyed him suspiciously, and one of the younger boys grabbed Simon’s free hand and clenched it tightly.
The group hurried for the woods. The other human still counted where Simon had left him. “Five hundred thirty-seven. Five hundred thirty-eight.”
Simon kept moving, ushering the children forward. He glanced back frequently to check on the kids and make sure they weren’t being followed. He tripped over a branch and stumbled, but the eldest boy grabbed his arm and steadied him. The children were nearly silent in the woods around him, their shifter magic giving them an advantage in this setting.
He adjusted the little one he held, and she snuggled close to his body heat as her trembling eased. The little boy still holding Simon’s hand let out a frustrated huff. “I want to talk to Alpha.”
The eldest nodded. “I do too. I thought we could call him when we got away from them.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be at the car soon, and you can call him once we get away from here.” Simon tried to sound reassuring and hoped it helped.
It seemed to work, as the kids all looked at him and nodded. The eldest seemed to realize Simon was struggling in the dark and crossed over to take his arm. The others crowded close and held each other’s hands.
Simon felt a gentle push against his magic, and it suddenly seemed easier to maneuver in the forest. Puzzled, Simon opened his mind and sensed the body magic in them reaching out to help him. He adapted, his movements smoother andmuch quieter than before. The kids smiled and seemed much more relaxed.
Simon didn’t know how they were doing it, but in a few moments, they were through the woods and to the road where Simon had parked his car. Back on familiar ground, Simon hurried to his little hybrid. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and clicked the key fob to unlock it. The children clambered into the car before Simon even got his door open.
The older boy climbed into the front, and the other three scrambled into the back. The brown-haired girl in the back held out her hands for the little one in Simon’s arms, and Simon lowered her inside as well. He slipped off his jacket and covered her with it, then got into the driver’s seat and started the car.
