Page 66 of Fallen Demon

I cleared my throat. Pretending nothing happened, I introduced the others to Topaz, telling her their names, kinds, and if there was one, their jobs. The witch had an incredible memory, and in my brief time here, I had play-tested her many times.

“The Mojave kids brought me to her and she nursed me back to life,” I told my friends.

Rage frowned. “The kids brought Ariella to you. So, the Mojave people know you’re here?”

“Yes, we have an agreement.” She folded the towel in her hands, almost wrangling it with brisk movements. “I believe I know why you’re here.”

I nodded. “Sorry I didn’t come alone. It was safer this way.”

“I know.” She glanced at all my friends, except for Lacey. “Follow me.”

She turned her back to us and walked toward the rocky wall. She stopped in front of a random spot, waved her hand, and the rock shimmered until it disappeared, giving away to a five-by-eight foot entrance.

She extended her hand, palm up, and a ball of light poofed into existence. She pushed the ball forward and it floated in the air past the entrance. She gestured for me to go in first.

Holding my breath, I stepped through.

The hidden entrance gave way to a small cave, with nothing remarkable on the inside. At first glance, a person would wonder why Topaz had hidden this place.

I knew better.

I walked to the back of the space, knelt beside the wall, grabbed a large stone that fit perfectly in the ground, and pushed it aside.

Under the stone was a dark hole, the size of a large drawer, or a medium suitcase. And inside were a few items, all wrapped with enchanted cloth. According to Topaz, if I tried taking any of the other items hidden in that hole that didn’t belong to me, I would get shocked, and if I tried again, the shock could debilitate me. If I kept going, it would kill me.

So, I never tested that theory.

I reached inside and picked up the item that was a couple of inches wide and as long as my forearm, enveloped in a navy cloth.

I shuddered, thinking of how powerful this dagger was. Much more than I first thought when I took it.

Holding it in my hand, I stood up. All of my friends were inside the cave now, along with Topaz, the yellowish light floating near the ceiling casting dark shadows under their faces.

“Is that it?” Lacey asked, her voice thin.

Slowly, I laid the dagger in one of my palms, unwrapped the cloth, and I sucked in a sharp breath. There it was. The Scarlet Hex Dagger.

I had forgotten how simple but beautiful it was with its short silver hilt, a red gem on the pommel, and the shiny blade that, when twisted to one side or the other, showed a faint red tint.

“It is,” I said, not believing it. Here it was. The dagger was in my hands again.

And this was dangerous. We needed to do what we came to do and hide it again.

I turned to Topaz. “We need your help with one more thing.”

* * *

Topaz had worked hardto secure an agreement with the Mojave tribe so she could occupy this corner of their land. And yet, I had shown up at her doorstep five years ago, beaten and bloody, within an inch of my life.

And now I was here again, asking another favor.

She wasn’t happy about it, especially because we would have to go to an open field for the next step. But she didn’t complain. Not out loud, at least.

She marched ahead of us, taking the lead and guiding us farther into the Mojave land, away from their settlements—and her place—where we could do the spell without attracting unwanted attention.

We walked under the harsh sun for over thirty minutes, until we were standing in a large clearing among tall Joshua trees.

Zad and the demon hunters spread out through the clearing, as if patrolling the area to keep our enemies out.

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