Page 71 of Caught in the Devil’s Hand

A hundred circles, a thousand circles—they all appeared in front of her. So bright was their glow that her eyes ached, and they continually fell into her. She convulsed as she took them all in, and the knowledge of their shapes was a boiling heat that made her think she was melting. Days seemed to pass, and the only way to tell how many circles were left was the slowly fading glow all around her.

The last circle appeared, and she knew it as she had known all the others. It was a circle no one but she could draw, meant only for her. She memorized it as well, a tear falling from her eye as she realized its significance. It was the last circle, yet somehow she knew it was just a taste of the knowledge she was meant to learn.

It was dark again, and she floated there alone, exhausted. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and she saw the figure of a man in front of her once more. He had been there all along, watching her absorb the magical patterns. He moved forward, his dimensions barely discernable, like smoke hovering in the dark of night. His hands, foggy and unclear, reached out to her, and she felt his cool touch on her face.

His outline grew more distinct, glowing as though the sun had risen behind him. He leaned forward. “Soon, my chosen one,” he whispered. “I am already proud.”

He kissed her forehead, and she fell immediately to sleep, head rolling back. All was quiet for a long while.

“Shumei! Please wake up,” a familiar voice begged. “Divine One be merciful.”

Then came a young voice. “What happened? What happened to her?”

“We don’t know, little one. Fetch some water, quickly,” a third voice said.

She groaned, feeling as if she had been lying there for a week. The back of her head throbbed with pain, and her throat hurt.

“Shumei. Thank the Divine One,” Vallen said, touching his lips to her forehead. He held her in his arms, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself still on the porch.

“What happened?” Rosuke asked, kneeling by her other side. She tried to speak, but her throat was so dry.

“Mizu…mizu hoshii,” she croaked. Both demons gasped.

“What did you just say?” Vallen asked.

“Want…water,” she whispered, wondering why they hadn’t heard her the first time.

“Is she awake?” Oka panted, running up to them with a jug and a cup. Rosuke jumped off the porch to make way for him.

“G… Give her some water first,” Vallen said, face frozen.

“She just spoke Mahou,” Rosuke whispered vehemently. He and Vallen shared a look she could not understand. They watched as she gratefully gulped down the water.

“Shumei, what happened?” Vallen asked again once she had caught her breath.

“I was…studying the circle and watching you.” She paused, wondering how to describe her experience. It had been as vivid and upsetting as her recurring dream, and she was certain both events were more than what they’d seemed. She felt as though she was going crazy.

“I remember wishing to have the circle memorized, but then I fell.” She looked from one concerned face to another. “I fell into the book. I must have just fainted, but…the dream I had felt so real.” She snuggled closer to Vallen.

“What was the dream?” Rosuke asked.

“I saw the circle, and it broke apart and fell into me. And then more and more circles appeared, and they did the same. It felt like days had passed, and I was ready to faint from the heat.”

Vallen and Rosuke exchanged another enigmatic look. With Vallen’s help, she sat up and discovered the book still sitting in her lap. She had merely slumped backward. Vallen sat on one side of her while Oka sat on the other. Rosuke stood upon the ground in front of them, arms crossed.

“What did you see happen?” she asked.

“I was watching them fight,” Oka began, “and I heard a thump. You were lying on your back. I called your name but you didn’t answer.”

“Rosuke and I realized something was wrong when Oka called your name a second time,” Vallen said.

“That’s when you screamed,” Rosuke said.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” Vallen said, banding his arm around her shoulders. Oka wrapped his smaller arm around her waist.

“We all ran over to see what was happening, and by the time Vallen picked you up, you were convulsing and your face was red,” Rosuke explained.

“Whatever it was, it made it possible for me to draw that damned circle. And I could do it with plenty of time to spare. I could do it with my eyes closed,” she boasted.