Page 28 of Warrior Unraveled

“Let’s do the spell,” he said, his lips barely moving.

“Yes, yes, the spell,” she stammered and eased out of his embrace.

Her hands suddenly trembled, and she blamed the fact that Wesley was about to use magic, a power she was both afraid and in awe of, and not the sexual tension that seemed to crackle between them ever since he’d kissed her.

Witchcraft was something she had no defenses against. Fighting with deadly weapons was one thing, defending oneself against a witch’s spell was another altogether. And what if he had in fact already used witchcraft without her knowledge? What if he’d whispered a silent spell to bewitch her so she would trust him, believe in him, desire him? How would she even know?

“You okay?” Wesley suddenly asked, looking deep into her eyes.

“I’m fine. Let’s just get this over with.” The sooner the better. And she would watch him like a hawk, just in case he tried to pull a fast one.

Stop fretting! He won’t betray you. Just remember what he said. He needs you alive, because he wants you in his bed.

And that thought was frightening in itself. Because it meant he’d work his way through her defenses, just like he’d found a way through the limestone wall.

~ ~ ~

Virginia wore an apprehensive look. Was she worried that he wasn’t up to the task and not as skillful a witch as he’d told her he was? Maybe twenty years ago she would have had to worry, but he’d mastered his craft, and a guiding spell was the stuff of novices.

“Don’t look so doubtful,” Wes murmured with a smile. “I can do this in my sleep.”

“Has anybody ever told you that you’ve got a big mouth?”

He chuckled and knelt down in the sand that surrounded the water. “Trust me that’s not the only thing that’s big.” When her chin dropped in stunned silence, he winked at her. “You have to admit, you practically handed me that one.”

“Are we gonna chit-chat or do the spell?”

“It’s called flirting, and yes, we’re doing the spell.” He couldn’t help himself, rattling Virginia’s stern façade was too much fun. Whenever she lost her cool, he could practically see the flames she wanted to torch him with. But he wasn’t easily burned. She’d have to get a lot closer for that.

“Okay then.” He took a deep breath and looked at the water’s surface. It was as smooth as he imagined Virginia’s skin to be.

Concentrate!

As smooth as silk. Better.

He looked at his reflection in the glassy surface. “Egressus,” he murmured softly and began to chant a Latin incarnation. The words repeated over and over again, until they all seemed to be one. One word, one mission, one goal.

Ripples built on the water’s surface, traveling outward toward its shore.

Faster and faster they came and washed over the sand.

“Egressus,” Wes repeated the Latin word for exit.

Then the next ripple rose like a serpent and snaked onto the shore. It drew a pattern in the sand, moving as fast as a tornado, yet as gentle as a mother’s touch. A corresponding fire scorched his arm, though no flame was visible.

Like a child’s crayon the serpent drew a picture in the sand. And then just as quickly, it seeped away in the ground, leaving only a patch of wet sand. The fire on his arm extinguished. He exhaled sharply.

“Oh my God,” Virginia said, her voice carrying respect and admiration. “It looks like a map.”

“It is.” He studied the drawing his spell had created in the sand. “It shows where we are.” He pointed to a dot near a small pond. “And where we need to go.” He followed an arrow that wound its way through a labyrinth of tunnels and ended in a circle.

Virginia pointed to it. “What do you think this is?”

“Not sure, but it looks like a roundabout, you know, with all these tunnels leading to it. Maybe a stairway or something leading up? I mean, we’re gonna have to go up, right? We must be deep down somewhere in the earth’s crust.” At least it felt like it with all the lava, the sulfur, and the stench that came with it.

“Your guess is as good as mine. The Stealth Guardians have always assumed that the demons must be somewhere below ground, but we’ve never been able to confirm that.” Then she pointed to the map again. “But how will we remember this map once we’re back in the tunnels? I don’t have a phone to take a picture.”

“Then maybe we should use this map,” Wes said and unbuttoned his shirt sleeve, then rolled it back to expose the inside of his forearm, where a twin of the map was emblazoned on his skin like a tattoo. He’d felt the temporary burn while the spell had worked its magic, but now the discomfort was gone.

Virginia gasped and ran her finger over his forearm. “How?”

“Pretty neat, huh?” He took her hand and squeezed it. “We won’t have much time. The map will vanish from my skin within an hour, or even earlier.”

He jumped up and pulled her with him. Moments later, they were hurrying down one of the tunnels, following the map on Wesley’s forearm.