Starfire (Grim Gate 2)

She crosses her arms. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

I half smile. “I don’t really like it either. There is a reason my aunt went after X in the first place.”

“I know, and that’s why I think you need help.”

“You can help me set up,” I offer, hoping that would suffice. There’s no way Rene is getting involved in the actual summoning.

“Okay,” she agrees, still not looking happy about the whole situation. We finish lunch in silence and then go outside, setting everything up. The sun is out, warming the day, and I’m sweating by the time I’m done raking away leftover snow and hauling broken tools away from the back of the barn. I get my first circle drawn, using a ton of salt over the cold grass. Wanting perfect circles, I had Ethan hold a rope and stand in the middle of the first circle.

“You’re a perfectionist,” he teases. “The circles can be slightly oval and still work, I’m sure.”

“It will be better if it’s neat,” I tell him, though I have no valid reason why that would be true. I draw another circle and then Ethan gives me two feet of slack so I can draw one more.

“It reminds me of crop circles,” I say when we were finished.

“Kind of,” Ethan agrees. “You ready? The daylight fades fast in the afternoon.”

“Yeah,” I say and take my gloves off so I can cast the barrier spell. I pull what I need from the pocket of my coat, setting quartz crystals at the north, south, east, and west points of the circle. I light a candle, shielding the flame with my hand, and close my eyes.

“Murus lucis,” I whisper and feel the barrier go up. It’s meant to trap only entities made up of dark energy, allow me to pass through.

“You mean business,” Nik says, stopping by the edge of the last circle. “This place is going to be humming with magic.”

“We were just thinking we could watch from the barn,” Rene says, nervously eyeing Nik.

“No,” Ethan and I say and the same time.

“This is dangerous. You and Nik will be in the house,” Ethan tells them. “Not just for your sake, but for Anora’s too. She needs to concentrate and not be worried about her friends.”

“That makes sense,” Rene tells us. How long is it gonna take? I want to know when I should start worrying.”

“Hopefully not long,” I say. “As long as the circles hold, it should be an easy kill. X literally has like two feet of space. He won’t be able to get away from me. Just one stab,” I make a motion with my hand, “and he’s a toast.”

“Just keep him away from me,” Nik adds. “Kill him dead,” he orders with a smile.

“That’s the only way,” I reply and walk them to the house. I look at Rene and Nikolai, feeling like I need an epic speech to send them off.

“Be careful, my lady,” Nik says with a bow.

“I will.”

“Come back in one piece,” Rene adds ruefully. I wait until she and Nik are safely in the house before going back into the barn to cast the final protection spell on the space Ethan takes his place behind the toolshed, with his armory of high powered rifles. I buckle a belt around my waist with the dagger attached. Using the enchanted dagger helps me target my magic, but if I can’t get that close, a fireball will suffice.

I think…I hope.

Hunter shifts into shadow form, staying out of sight until he’s needed.

Using the tip of my dagger, I slice open my finger, squeezing the tip to get a nice sized bead of blood pooling on my flesh. I draw X’s sigil on the mirror and step back.

I close my eyes and let the shields drop. A rush of whispers fill the quiet. I open my eyes and look around. Dust speckles the cold, still air and a feeling of foreboding hangs above me.

Xozon.

Black smoke starts to rise from the mirror. Sweat drips between my breasts and my pulse picks up. It’s the same black mist that led me into the road, leaving me standing in the cold. The smoke billows up faster and faster, twisting into a human form. This is it. He’s stepping out of the mirror. Pushing my shoulders back, I pull the dagger from its sheath.

“Anora Benson,” Xozon coos, black mist still covering his face.

“Xozon,” I say back.

“I have to say I was surprised you were the one to summon me, though judging by the look of it, you think you can best me.” His voice is deep and throaty, and he has a slight accent I can’t place.

“I will best you.”

Xozon laughs. The mist beings to dissipate, and he turns around, black cloaks swishing behind him. He looks very much like the drawing in the book, with pale skin stretched tightly across high cheekbones. “Kill me, I’d like to see you tr—” He stops, running into the wall the first circle created.