Page 134 of A Witch-ish Guide to Protectors and Pendulums

After letting Luc in on my plan, I manifested Connor and me back to our camp. Right away, I started gathering up necklaces and we even had some weapons—poisoned maces and even spray bottles full of the poisoned brew my brother and the witches had created. I didn’t have enough for everyone, but at least it was something.

We manifested back to the second witch camp, where Sim got to work on the poisonous barrier. I started distributing necklaces and Connor, the weapons. “If you don’t have aweapon,” I called to the group, “then hang back to help the injured. We’ll need people who are quick on their feet. Triage is as important as the fighting.”

They seemed to be okay with this plan. No one looked forward to dying, and I’d told the truth.

“Okay,” Luc said, turning to Connor and me. “We have to move Átahsaia to his location. You ready for that?”

Ready or not, we needed a ravenous demon-eating monster on our side. “Ready,” I agreed. Before taking off, I manifested my brother back to our camp. As his protector, Madigan would go crazy not knowing if he were sick or injured. Plus, for my plan to work, I needed him close to me when shit started to hit the metaphorical fan.

Luc and Connor each grabbed one of my arms and I manifested us to the outpost on Antarctica.

The ground shook beneath us as a sinkhole the size of a herd of elephants opened up in the ground about a hundred yards away. This massive, gnarled hand with fingernails so long and thick, they appeared more like tree roots, grabbed a hold of the edge of the sinkhole. The loudest grunt echoed up. The sound almost knocked me to the ground. This giant mountain pushed up from the hole. A bent knee and thigh thudded on the ground, allowing the rest of the monster to reveal his form. He had a long, gray beard that almost reached the ice under his gigantic feet and gray hair that he kept pulled back in a knot that must’ve reached his calves when undone.

He had these bulging, brown eyes. But even though he never once blinked, I felt no fear. As unsettling as his appearance was, his eyes exuded kindness. I expected him to lumber, slow and clunky, but he moved with speed and grace.

“Hello,” I said. “I’m Simone Lamia.”

He smiled, showing me a mouthful of yellowed teeth. “I am Átahsaia,” he said, introducing himself.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I replied. “This”—I pointed to Connor—“is my mate, Connor Baghest.”

“You wish for my help.” It wasn’t a question. “Lucifer told me of the demon uprising.”

“Yeah, they’ve gotten a bit unruly and since you haven’t eaten in a while, we thought you might like a snack.”

The laugh he let loose reverberated across the frozen land, causing cracks in the ice. “I will eat my way through your demon problem.”

I’d never moved a giant before and the prospect of it made moving all those witches laughably easy. One long, cleansing breath in, then slowly letting it out, I looked up at him. “I have to touch you to move you. Is that okay?”

He nodded. Connor and Luc joined me. After sending a quick prayer to Lilith and the universe, I manifested us to a spot behind the Göbekli Tepe archeological site, which lay opposite the hellhound camp. I swayed.

“More cake,” Connor ordered. “As soon as we get back.”

I nodded because the way my head spun, I felt like vomiting. Moving a giant—not fun.

“Warm,” Átahsaia said of the surroundings.

“It is.” I loved that in his long life, he got to experience the sun and warmth again. Now to get down to work.

When I say it took everything in me to keep the big guy cloaked, I wasnotexaggerating, but with no one else able to keep him hidden while Luc put the wards down, the job fell on me. I wanted to kiss Luc with tongues when he put the last ward in place. Then I was free to drop the cloak, which—record time on that one. I had enough left in the stores to manifest him a giant watch to wear around his neck. I set the alarm.

“When the alarm goes off, that’s when you come out eating. Not any sooner, okay?”

“‘Alarm’?”

“It’ll sound like this high-pitched rapid beeping. You press the button on the side to turn the beeping off and then it’s time to feast. But we can’t let the demons know you’re here until that moment.”

“I will not fail you,” he replied.

“Okay, well, we have to get back to our camp.” I hugged his leg as much as I could and finished with, “Good luck—or um—Bon Appétit.” How else did one say good bye to a demon-eating giant? I snagged the hems of Connor’s and Luc’s shirts, manifesting us back to our camp.

Yet again, my mate forced me to sit while he grabbed me tea and cake. Yet again, I woofed them down. Keeping a giant incognito robbed me of so much energy, I ate five rum cakes each as big as my hand, and drank an entire pot of the tea. I took breaks between each round of cakes and cups because that was a lot of food for me, but I had to be at full strength for this battle and my body told me in no uncertain terms that I wasnot.

In a moment of downtime, Connor dropped down next to me on the ground. He placed my hand on his lap, intertwining our fingers. “Feel ready?” he asked.

“I will as soon as I’ve had enough tea and cakes.”

“Not what I mean.”

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