Page 10 of The Witch Queen of Halloween (Immortals After Dark 20)

Blastwent her beams. “Decadesago.I’dspot something amiss out of the corner of my eye, but only onHalloweennight.”Ashe defended to his left, more attacked on his right.Sheexploded them to the ceiling. “IthoughtIwas imagining it.Thenthey got worse each year.Butthey’ve never embodied before!”

“Thenwhat gives?”

Asshe fought besideRök, she played out different explanations, settling on the most likely: “Maybethis place is intensifying the curse.”Awizard’s stronghold imbued with magic?Shecould see it.

Ifthe castle wouldn’t open until dawn and it was turning her illusions into physical manifestations, then she was in trouble.Shehad every reason to expect many more, and they would only get deadlier.

“Kindof random, no?”Rökmoved with the ease of a practiced warrior, all his generous muscles working together to slaughter his enemy. “Gremlins?”

Apair vaulted from a pot rack, heading for a dismount—on her head.Sheblasted them into oblivion, then admitted, “Notjust gremlins.”

“Whatelse?”Heskewered three like a scaly kabob.

Shereluctantly said, “Anythingthat haunts mortals onHalloween.Horrorvillains and monsters.”SheknewRökwas well versed in them. “Theychange over time.Icall them myvisitors.”Wheneverhuman nightmares updated, so too would the visitors. “Overthe last few years,I’veseen a doll with a knife.Akiller clown.Sometimesaliens and . . .”Shehesitated, not wanting to cop to the most problematic one.

Rökflung the gremlin kabob from his blade.“And?”

“The. . .HeadlessHorseman.Or, at least, the humans’ latest version of it.”Thelast time she’d encountered the methodical swordsman and his red-eyed steed, she’d thankedHecatehe wasn’t real.Wouldhe be tonight?

“Youmean the version that hunts heads and can’t be killed?Fantastic.”

“Ican’t control this!YouthinkIhaven’t tried to?They’vehaunted me!”Shewould wake to a maniac with a glove of razors looming over her bed.Themachete-wielding camp slasher had first greeted her in the bathroom—the last shower she’d ever take after sunset onHalloween.

Dreadingthe coming visitation, she’d sought help fromMariketa, the leader of theHouseofWitches.Justa week ago, the young witch had told her that she’d find the answer to her curse within this castle.Poppyhad believed the curse would be broken here—not enhanced!

“Whatdo they want?”Rök’ssword never slowed.

“They’veterrorized anyone who’s seen them.”Likeher poor sisters.Poppyhadn’t told her parents how bad it’d gotten, refusing to distract them from their training. “Nowthat the visitors are embodied,Ithink senseless killing is the name of the game for them.”

“Killyou?You’refueling them.Where’sthe logic in that?”

“Gremlins: masters of logic.”Sheblew a lock of hair out of her eyes and fired again. “Youwant me to call a time-out and ask them about their motivations?”

“You’recertain this is a curse?Maybeit’s your own power gone berserk.”

“Awitch’s power rarely harms her, and she gathers more control over time, not less.Buteven so,Iwasn’t fully convinced it was a curse until now.”

“Whynow?”

Twogremlins clambered across the floor toward her legs, earning a blast. “Becausetheyaretrying to kill me.”

“Thenwhy take a job at bloodyHalloween?”

“Thecastle would only open tonight!”

Rökmuttered, “Wiccans, man,” as he beheaded another pair.

Shefired on a slavering trio, exploding them like meat sauce in a microwave.Thedemon cast her a brief look of approval.Onlyfour left, but her borrowed magic was fading.

Withan expert sweep of his sword,Rökstruck the four down.Arow of heads flew, landing with thuds to roll across the floor.

Hischest heaved as they scanned the twitching bodies. “Shouldwe be expecting more of these fuckers?”

“Idon’t think so.”

Helowered his gore-covered sword.

“Butother visitors will appear,” she added.

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