Page 77 of The Girl Who Inherits the Dead

“Delly, draw the magic between your fingers like it’s an accordion and it can expand,” Maison instructs, also choosing to ignore the valid points. “Like that paper art your dad uses to decorate for Christmas.”

Unfortunately, Delina completely understands that reference, and she sighs. “That’s just a different sort of visualization,” she says, then pokes at the magic with a finger.

A spark snaps between her finger and the chord, but a quick glance at Maison doesn’t show any additional worry, so she shrugs it off, picking it up gingerly, testing to see if it can spread apart.

It does, a crackling, warping net, and she shudders.

“I mean, that might work,” Chloe replies, tilting her head sideways to look at it, her eyes crossing slightly. “Looks more like a basic shield than anything else.”

When she lifts her gaze to him, Maison’s eyes glow red. “On a bigger level, it would confuse the hell out of a demon if she does it properly.”

“Okay, I’ll practice,” Delina grinds out, and despite the chill of the air, her hands grow hot, like she laid out in the direct sun.

He scowls at her, and she lets the magic go with a snap.

He flinches at the abrupt motion. “Don’t do that,” he says, then hesitates, obviously torn, before the confident expression filters over him again. “Maybe do that if there’s a demon in your face about to kill you. It’s disorienting.”

“Oooh, really?” Chloe asks, eager, and Delina reaches for the strip of magic again, her hand falling harmlessly through it. “How disorienting?”

“You know those flash bangs Gurlien used to do to startle people before doing a diagnostic? Like that.” Maison shakes out his hands, grabs the strip again for Delina. “Except not physical.”

“Ew,” Chloe replies helpfully.

“Flash bang the demon, got it,” Delina says, pulling the magic into the same net shape as before, though her fingertips crackle with sparks.

“Might give you a chance to run,” Maison says, and briefly, ever so briefly, he meets her eyes. “Snap it large enough so they can’t see you through their magic and most demons don’t pay that much attention to the physical appearance.”

Delina swallows, at the harsh reminder of the fate that could possibly befall her with a face to face with an actual demon, before she spreads the magic a bit further, until her hands are wider than her body.

Sparks swirl around her hand, nestling into her skin, and Chloe’s breath hitches.

“Is that okay?” Chloe asks, her voice hushed. “That doesn’t seem good.”

“That’s only not good if she’s a spell weaver, don’t worry,” Maison replies, his eyes glowing as he evaluates her, before he obviously widens his stance, bracing himself. “Okay, let it go.”

Delina raises an eyebrow, then, discomfort fitting inside her, snaps it.

There’s a brief moment of surprise, of Maison’s eyes widening and the golden power reflected in them, before he tumbles to the ground with a small ‘oof.’

Chloe stands there, completely unaffected, a puzzled look on her face.

“You okay?” Delina asks, as he awkwardly climbs back up, damp moss all on his pant legs. He’s not in any pain, not that she can tell with a brief scan.

“Yeah, definitely do that if you come face to face with a demon,” Maison grumbles, brushing himself off. “Not sure if it affected me more because I’m less powerful, or if it affected me less because I’m only half.”

It bothers her a little, when he calls himself half, but she tosses it behind her. “Should we go in the basement where we can set up that padding?”

“I don’t need padding,” Maison shoots back, “don’t knock me into a tree and I’m good.”

She narrows her eyes at him, and he lifts his chin.

If he’s getting competitive with it, so can she.

She reaches for the strip of magic again, and this time there’s a little bit of resistance before her hand falls through it once more.

“Freddy…” Chloe trails off, at something in his face, before she throws up her arms once more. “This doesn’t do anything except still make it so she has to run.”

“But she has time to run now,” Maison says, but he doesn’t take his eyes off of Delina, as she tries to grab the magic again. “Stop thinking of it as something you pick up, that won’t work.”

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