Mentored in Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights)

“If we get out of here—”

“When…” he interrupted.

“When we get out of here, I’m going to marry you. I don’t care what my mother says.”

“I’d like that.” She heard the love in his voice. The hopefulness.

She wished she had hope. She was operating on determination alone. All of this was too much for her. She’d seen and done plenty since leaving her incredibly sheltered life, but this was beyond anything anyone could imagine. So far beyond that it was traumatizing. Who even had the imagination for all this crazy crap? What sort of twisted individual was behind it?

“I miss Reagan,” Penny said, another tear falling. She infused that emotion into the spell, her spells always stronger because she didn’t just use magic—she poured herself into it. “She would take all of this in stride.”

Darius crouched back down before them. “She didn’t, actually. She thought a lot of it was a mind-fuck.”

“She did?” Penny lifted her eyes to the vampire’s. “Really?”

“Yes. She nearly broke on the boat ride. With the drops from the ceiling. Then we got to a circus sect and she about unraveled. You are showing your true grit, Penny Bristol. You have earned your place in Reagan’s company. We all have.”

Lead lined her stomach and more tears dripped down her cheeks as she continued to work on the spell. Creating something more than just a cooling spell. Creating a barrier of protection that would keep them safe and invisible. Fire and ice. She was using what she knew of Reagan, of her multifaceted magic, and infusing it into the spell.

“Thank you,” she barely got out. “That helps.”

He touched her knee briefly before standing and stepping to the side.

“This will work,” Emery said to Darius, not looking away from the spell. “Penny has it. This will work for what we need, here and beyond.” He chuckled. “You’re a genius, baby.”

“I am barely holding it together, actually.” She tied off her portion of the spell and let Emery add the final touches.

“How hot is it?” Emery stood as the spell fluxed and boiled, condensing into a little ball.

“It is painful for me, but I could make it,” Darius said. “You would…not.”

Emery watched as the spell reduced, smaller and smaller, and then began to shimmer. Blue coated its surface, then white, before it began to balloon in size again, the color losing saturation as it became first cloudy and then wispy. Finally, it drifted to each of them and enshrouded them.

“This should withstand both types of magic, to a degree,” Emery said, putting out his hands and watching the magic coat him. Darius, unable to see magic, just watched them. The spell had no feeling in it. No warmth or coolness. No impact. If Emery hadn’t seemed so confident, she would’ve thought she’d created a dud.

“Let’s go,” Emery said.

She grabbed the back of his shirt and followed him toward the fire. If the ground weren’t so rocky, she would’ve closed her eyes.

“We’re almost there, Turdswallop,” he said softly, stepping into the flame.

“Buttercrack fizzleshits,” she said, following him.

“I’m telling your mother,” he replied, laughing.

“I’m not sure what would be worse, her or this field,” Darius said, stepping in beside Emery.

Taking a deep breath, Penny followed, her foot touching down on the crispy ground. The flame licked her ankle. Heat coated her calf. The bite of pain didn’t chomp down.

“We’re good?” she asked, following with the other foot. “We’re okay?”

“You did it. Let’s go.” Darius was walking quickly before she could properly prepare herself.

“Okay, but…” She jogged to catch up with the other two. “What if it stops working?”

“That is why we are hurrying,” Darius replied, and picked up the pace.

The flame rose as they hastened across the field, reaching past her waist now, up to her stomach. The heat pulsed, thick against her body. They passed through a short wall of blue flame, and pain slashed through her awareness.

“Holy flapjack crusty barnacles!” She hopped and danced, speeding up. “Screw this. Get me outta here!”

She ran past Emery and Darius and jumped over the next wall of blue. Her toes didn’t quite make it over, and searing pain curled through her body. The heat intensified as they neared the gate, but it wasn’t unbearable yet. She could withstand it. She could do this!

A waft of blue reached for her as she passed, like a pair of hands. It clutched her leg, blistering in its intensity. She cried out and wrenched away but refrained from using her godly magic to kill it at the root. She didn’t want their passage through this field known. She didn’t want Darius to force them through another week of torture.

The gate was just up ahead. Crackling orange flame reared up as she got closer, filling the entrance. The black gates still didn’t glow with heat, but it was an illusion, obviously, because it was hot. She could feel its scorching heat, the flames at the onset nothing compared to these. Sweat drenched her brow. If it weren’t for her spell, she’d have been roasted to a crisp. As it was, she bit her lip, pushing through the pain.