Page 64 of Death Trap

Arianna shrugged it off, moved behind the counter, and leaned onto her elbows. “As long as my aunt is happy where she is, I’m happy. And with half demons on your tail, it’s obvious she sent you here for a good reason. So, what can I help you with?”

“If you can imagine, I need a super-duper protection spell or good luck spell, if there is such a thing. Something that can get me through the gates of Hell and back out unscathed,” I said.

Her face scrunched up. “No such thing as a good luck spell. But I’m also not sure if you’re being funny or literal with the whole gates of Hell thing.”

“Literal, unfortunately.”

“This was my mom’s specialty. Dark, malevolent-based magic. Not mine,” she said, frowning.

“I don’t need help getting into Hell. I need help making sure I can get in, get what I need, and get out. A spell that is strong enough to cross over through dimensions.”

“But I don’t understand. You have half demons hunting for you. Why do you want to go into the fire willingly? Shouldn’t you be running the other way?”

That would be the smart thing to do, wouldn’t it?

I sighed. “It’s a long, complicated story, but I need to find a man who has all the answers I need. About myself. About my boss. He can help me figure out everything I need to know to…”

“Save the world?” She chuckled.

Exactly. Sounded pretty cheesy when she said it like that, though. “Sort of.”

“And this man is in Hell?” she asked.

I nodded. “I’m assuming to keep him out of reach, so he could never be found.”

“And keep your secrets secret.”

“Exactly.”

“It’s coming together now.” She stood up straight and tossed her long hair over her shoulder.

“Do you have any ideas?” I asked her.

“The first thing that comes to mind is the inner-light spell. Maybe a perception charm, too.”

I blinked. “Um, what?”

“Well, an inner-light spell just amplifies your natural goodness or inner light. It depends on how good the person actually is, deep down, so if you’re nasty and use the spell, you can’t expect it to be very effective. But if you’re a decent person, it should give you a good boost while it lasts.”

While it lasts? “Is it on a timer or something?”

“You have an hour only,” she said.

“Oh, man. I was hoping for more of a Cinderella time deal. Until midnight and all.”

She laughed at that. “One hour. That’s it. In that time, anyone with evil intent toward you cannot touch you without harming themselves. Problem is, I don’t know how it’ll react to the whole…into the spirit world thing. It may also make you a beacon and attract more Hell-dwelling creatures, like the half demons.”

That didn’t sound too good.

“And what was option two?”

“A perception charm. It’s an object you wear that will distort your appearance to other people. So, if you’re trying to hide from someone, such as your boss or a mess of demons, this will make them look over you. Make themperceiveyou as someone else.”

Oh, I liked that one.

“What’s the difference between spells and charms, actually? For my own curiosity.”

“Spells are something you perform on a living being. A charm involves an object,” she explained.

---