“It’s too windy to do the same spell outside.” I flip a page and sketch out what my circle will look like.
“The wind is coming from the back to the front,” Ethan says. “The front porch should be protected enough to keep the candles going and the salt from blowing out of place. I’ll test it.” He grabs the canister of salt and goes onto the porch.
“And I have a feeling I should make another batch of healing balm.” Nik puts the demon encyclopedia on the coffee table. “And cancel my date.”
“No, go on your date. Just…just don’t bring anyone back here.”
“And miss all the fun?” Nik smiles. “Truth be told I wasn’t too eager for this date. All he does is talk about how big of fish he catches and I don’t mean that as a euphemism. He’s very into fishing.”
I laugh. “Yeah, you might have dodged a bullet with that one.” Finishing my sketch, I go into the attic to try and find something to use to represent the element of spirit. There are no standards when it comes to representing this element, though circles and swirls have been used traditionally. I know there’s a metal bowl with circles etched along the top up here somewhere.
My phone, which I bought up with me, vibrates with a text. It’s Rene, and she wants to know if I can grab dinner.
Me: I would, but kinda have a demon problem right now
Rene: Shit! How can I help?
A smile takes over my face right away, grateful to have her as a friend.
Me: I think we have this one handled. Not as big and bad as before but need to handle before it tries to eat my uterus.
Rene: THE FUCK?
Me: I accidentally summoned an incubus
Only seconds later, my phone rings.
“Hello?” I answer, holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder.
“Girl, explain yourself.”
I open a box labeled altar cloths and reach inside, pulling out two folded black tablecloths. “You know how I told you about the ghost hunt that wasn’t actually a ghost hunt?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, while we were waiting for the bodies to burn, Ethan and I had sex in his car and I kinda, accidentally, gathered a lot of energy and then released it. Somehow that summoned the incubus, which I think was lurking about just not on the same plane as me.”
Rene doesn’t say anything as she processes everything I just spit out. “Again. The fuck? And you’re just not telling me you got down and dirty in public? Look at you!”
“Hah. It definitely was hot. Very hot.”
“Obviously, since you summoned a freaking sex demon. Is that what they really are?”
“Yeah,” I say and keep digging through the cloth . My fingers scrape against something metal. It looks like the handle of a sword, but instead of a blade, there’s just a foot-long metal rod that’s charred on the end. “They feed off your energy slowly over time until you’re too weak to fight. And then they eat your uterus if you have one. They look like the offspring of a California Raisin and a gargoyle.”
“Way to ruin my favorite book series where the hero is an expensive-suit wearing incubus.”
“Sorry,” I say with a laugh and hold up the sword, if you can call it that. The pommel is inlaid with amber, but it’s overall plain, much like the enchanted dagger. “Finding out the truth about a lot of this has…has…” I trail off when I wrap my fingers around the grip.
“Steady,” Aunt Estelle tells me and moves backward, holding out her hand. “Don’t overthink it.”
Nodding, I let out my breath, steady my grip and extend my hand, looking at the end of the metal rod. Fire springs from hand, traveling down the hilt and taking on the shape of the sword, making a blade out of fire.
“Holy hell,” I whisper.
“Anora?” Rene’s voice comes through the phone but echoes in my ear. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah,” I say as the phone slips, and I reach up with my other hand to push it back into place. I’m still holding the sword in front of me and I remember it clearly, standing in the backyard at twilight, practicing summoning the fire, slashing the sword through the air as embers rained on around my feet. They magically went out before anything came close to burning.
But I wasn’t in Aunt Estelle’s yard, I was in my parents. And I was twelve.
“Are you sure? You don’t sound sure.”
“I…I can wield a sword of fire,” I say out loud. “Hey, I’ll text you later.”
“Okay…uh, be careful, Anora.”
“I’ll try.” I end the call, put the phone in my pocket, and turn to Hunter, eyes wide “I can wield a sword of fire,” I repeat and then laugh. Clamping my hand over my mouth, I hurry downstairs, carrying the sword.