I highly doubt that,Kyra thought.
“You’re his new pet, one on a tight leash if I go by what my grandson’s said regarding your chaperone.”
“What has this got to do with anything? Why has Frederick sent me here?”
“As a warning, I’m sure.” Matilda grinned. “But I do still have the best knowledge in summoning.”
“We used a pentagram with five concentrated points for the elements. The circle was strong, I quickened it myself.” Her blood was powerful, but that frustratingly didn’t reflect in her magic. She was weak compared to many of the coven, and even less compared to Frederick.
She couldn’t defend herself with her chi, not without making herself vulnerable.
“The witch who touched the shield was weak, which was why it fell. But even then I’ve been informed a generic summoning circle was used, which is dangerous when you haven’t got the Daemon’s name.” Matilda seemed lost in thought. “I’m not surprised Frederick wasn’t personally involved, he would have placed himself behind a protection line.”
Kyra clenched her jaw, her childhood memories of her parents summoning Daemons hazy. She knew it was a risk, but everything involved with Daemons was a risk. “Then what’s your suggestion?”
“You’re going to have to use the ten elements.” Matilda slowly reached for one of the grimoires, a page already dog-eared. “I designed this circle myself fifty years or so ago, it’s strong and will withstand even an accidental rebound.” She ripped the page.
Kyra accepted the paper when she held it out, her fingertips touching the drawing. It was more complicated than a normal circle, with five overlapping circles as well as an inverted pentagram in the centre. The elements Spirit, Fire, Earth, Water and Air were as they should be, but in between the overlapping circles were five other elements Kyra had never used. Ice, thunder, light, ore and shadow.
“The Daemon will be trapped in the centre pentagon, and the combined elements will trap him there untilyou’reready to send him back. It gives you back the control without their name.”
Kyra carefully folded the paper, keeping it safe inside her palm.
Matilda carefully pushed herself off the chair, dropping to her knees in front of Kyra. “It wasn’t just my design that Frederick sent you here for, my child. Flare your chi.”
Kyra sat back on her heels, pulling her arms back, but Matilda’s hand had already snapped out like a viper, gripping her wrist in a surprisingly iron grip.
“Flare your chi,” she repeated, her nail pressed against the pulse on her wrist. She added a little pressure, enough to hurt but not enough to break skin. “Do it, child.”
Kyra ignored the urge to pull back again, knowing if she did the nail would pierce her skin. Flaring out her chi she prepared herself to meet Matilda’s, and was surprised when she felt… nothing.
Cold spread through her veins at the contact, her chi searching for the connection of the other witch and finding nothing but a bottomless void. Matilda had had her very essence removed, the ability to harness her aura into a chi and her magic stripped. It supposedly took something away from you, a punishment more cruel than death for any Breed made of magic.
“Don’t underestimate Frederick, Kyra,” Matilda warned. “He’s only out for himself, and you’re nothing but a tool in his arsenal. Once you’re no longer useful you’ll be discarded, just like I was.”
Chapter8
Kyra
Kyra rushed down the stairs, Matilda’s chuckle resonating behind her. She needed to get out of there, the filth of the black magic seeping into her pores. Bane was nowhere to be seen as she entered the back room, while Eva sat stiffly on the old, worn sofa with the vampire beside her.
Eva immediately looked up, panic and something else pleading from her widened eyes. Blood splattered her collar, as well as the threads on her jumper. The vampire’s hand rested just above her knee, his face turned towards her throat with his lips by her ear.
“What’s your name?” Kyra asked, anger and frustration making her words sharp. “Fang face, I asked you a question.”
The vampire hissed, but turned his attention to her. “Fuck off, bitch, I’m talking to your friend here.”
Eva remained frozen beneath his palm. “Levi,” she said, voice quivering. “His name’s Levi.”
“Shhhh,” Levi whispered, “It’s just me and you here, precious.”
Kyra flared out her chi once more, exactly the same way she would as if she was checking out any other witch’s aura. Except this time she pushed it further, harder until it was almost a metaphysical blade that punctured into him, silent and undetectable as her power tasted, learned.
“You died at thirty-two years old,” she said, her tone deepening as she called on the darker side of her magic, the side she tried to hide, to suppress. “Undead for one-hundred and five.”
Levi released his grip on Eva, turning almost mechanically to glare at Kyra. Eva jumped up, and before Levi could grab her she sent violent pulses through his legs, causing them to spasm.
“What are you doing to me?!”
