The female reaper that saved me from the scrappers pushes her way to the front. They all look the same yet somehow I can tell who’s male and who’s female. She bows her head, wanting me to pat her too. I do, and it’s like she’s excited.
“All right,” I say to my reapers. “There’s a demon—Xozon—and he’s been stealing energy from witches for centuries. It’s yours for the taking as long as you make sure to kill him so he can’t get away.”
I close my eyes and think of him, of the chaotic energy he gives off and feel the reaper’s excitement grow. I’m able to pick out bits and pieces from the random reaper thoughts that filter through my mind. Demon energy isn’t as pure as human energy, of course, but it’s able to sustain them for long periods of time. They salivate—literally—at the thought of ripping Xozon to shreds, sucking his aura and then eating his flesh. Gross.
“I just have to get him,” I say. “He’s hiding in a different dimension, but when I call him forth, go after him. Stay out of sight until then.”
The reapers scatter and Ethan, Hunter, and I go to the mirror. There’s a tiny crack in it and I can see inside, watching dark blue light dance around. It’s mesmerizing, and I’m sure it’s something Xozon is doing on purpose to true and lure someone—anyone—closer.
Ethan and Hunter take their places at the side of the toolshed again, and I redraw the salt line. I wince as I pick the scab off my fingers from where I sliced it with the dagger earlier, reopening the wound so I can draw Xozon’s sigil on the mirror.
Then I dash back and wait. Black smoke rises from the mirror, escaping from the crack. My heart is in my throat as I watch him rise and take on a human shape.
“Done already?” He whirls around, cloak billowing around his feet. His question confuses me at first, and then I realize he thinks I’m still under his influence. “That took longer than I thought.”
“I stopped for lunch,” I retort and Xozon’s sunken-in eyes widen. “Nobody breaks my curses!”
“There’s a first for everything.” I take a step back, mentally calling my reapers to slink forward. “And today is historic for firsts.”
“I’ll put you in a different reality,” he threatens and steps forward. I can tell by his jerky movements he expected to be trapped inside another barrier circle. When he doesn’t hit the wall, he laughs. “You’re either brave or stupid.”
“I’m probably a bit of both,” I admit with a shrug. “And go ahead. Make a new reality…for yourself. Because in this one, you die.”
He takes a step back, placing one foot above the mirror. That’s how he got away before, through the mirror! The female reaper moves with catlike grace behind Xozon. I’d be scared if she weren’t following my direction. The hunger inside of her threatens to take over, beady eyes set on Xozon.
I don’t have much energy left, and I focus most of it on telekinetically moving the mirror back right as the reaper jumps, hands clasping over Xozon’s face, fingers digging into his eyes. She skins her jagged teeth into his neck, twisting and pulling back a mouthful of flesh and veins.
Holy shit.
And I thought reapers just went after the weak.
The other reapers swam in, taking Xozon to the ground. He reaches for them, but his powers are useless on them. With open mouths, the reapers lean over the chaos demon, sucking his aura away from his body, coming out as black mist. It’s a terrifying sight and I slowly back away.
I can feel the reaper’s satisfaction and it makes me smile as I watch them slurp up every last flicker of energy left in Xozon. Then they tear in, ripping the flesh from his body.
“Tell me I’m not hallucinating now,” Ethan says, reaching for me.
I take his hand and move to the side of the toolshed along with him. “If you are, you’re in good company.”
He envelopes his arms around me and I let out a breath. “I can’t believe that worked,” he admits.
“I knew it would, but even I’m surprised.”
Ethan looks from the reapers to me, and I know what he’s thinking. I can’t call on them to fight demons like this. They are demons themselves, and this is a fine line I’m dangerously tiptoeing.
“We can go inside,” I say, not wanting to stand here and watch the reapers consume and entire body. “They’ll be a while.”
Ethan watches the group of reapers noisily munching on the dead demon. “What are you going to do with them? Shouldn’t you kill them now?”
“No!” I say a little too loudly. “They just did something I couldn’t do and saved me from getting the mad-touch again. If I kill them, it would just be tacky. And I really don’t think they’d like me too much after that.”