Page 14 of Samhain Savior
“Come on.Come on!” I whispered, my trembling thumb failing to generate a spark on the second or even third try. “Please!”
Finally, the lighter flared to life, and I held the small flame to the end of the bundle of dried white sage leaves. Exhaling a gentle breath, the sage began smoldering brightly in the night as I pocketed the lighter and began to chant.
“Custodi me de tenebris. Custodi me in lumine.”
Over and over I whispered the words Heidi had taught me, whipping the smudge stick back and forth as the shadows crept closer and closer. Backing away, because I refused to take my eyes off them, I moved slowly until Ifound my back pressed against the fence that surrounded the cemetery.
And the shadows kept moving.
“Fuck.” Throwing the smudge stick down, I shoved my hand into my satchel, feeling around for the leather drawstring pouch I knew was there. Once I had it, I poured a fist full of the contents into my hand.
“Custodi me de tenebris!” I panted, sprinkling the consecrated salt in a rough circle around me, attempting to create a barrier. I may have been lacking strength in most aspects of my magic, but I was a rock star at consecrating things. The shadows immediately stopped advancing, instead climbing higher and higher, creating a near solid wall around the edge of my salt circle. “Get thefuckaway from me!”
“Now, now,” came a voice like velvet, and I froze, the small hairs on my body rising. “That’s no way for a lady to talk.”
I couldn’t see him, but I could feel him, the pure energy radiating across the cemetery and straight into my soul. I knew he was dangerous—I could tell that easily—but there was something about that voice and the energy that danced around me that was almost seductive. It was as though all my self-preservationinstincts were going haywire, telling me that the most dangerous man in the room simply wasn’t a dangerto me.
But that was crazy. Right?
I nodded to myself, even as something stirred within the depths of the void in my chest.
The shadows, stalled at the edge of my haphazard salt circle, continued to writhe, poking and prodding at my protection, looking for a way in.
I had heard stories about shadows like those, whispered tales so far-fetched they couldn’t have been anything other than fiction, and yet...here they were, like a nightmare come to life.
I stared at them, my panicked brain trying to process the sight of sentient shadows while also attempting to come up with an escape plan, because I knew that I couldn’t stay where I was. Whatever was coming for me now was bigger than anything the Order of the Broken Veil had ever thrown at Heidi and me.
“Bruja.” A new voice spoke to my right, startling me and drawing my attention away from the pulsing energy pounding at the inside of my skull. Rougher and less refined, this voice was low and animalistic, feeling like an immediate threat. “Strega. Heks. Noita.” Over and over he spoke, his breathing picking up with every word he uttered. “However you wanna say it, boss, she’s a witch.”
Above me, the whispered sound of feathered wings beating against the air hissed by my head, and I ducked reflexively before I could stop myself. From my other side came a low, resonating growl, and I knew that I was surrounded, one on either side andhimright in front.
“I’m aware, Vine. Thank you.” The first voice was closer, sounding like it was coming from right before me, but the thick wall of shadows prevented me from actuallyseeinganything. I might as well have been wearing a blindfold for all I could see. In her pouch, Pandora squirmed but made no attempt to intervene. “The real question is, what is a witch doing here all alone when we have a dead Guardian and a stolen artifact on our hands?”
His words caught me by surprise, and I felt my eyes widen.
Stolen artifact?
If what he said was true, then I really was in trouble, because lost witches weren’t the only thing Father Phips was supposed to be protecting.
Eyeing my backpack on the ground by my feet, I considered my options. I could stay, stand my ground and fight the way Heidi had, but that was a long shot.
Not only had I spent my entire life running, but I was fairly certain I’d never seen enemies like these before.
If I stayed, Iwas dead. No question.
That left running. Sighing internally, I mentally said goodbye to my backpack, knowing that if I made a move for it, I’d give away my intentions and be caught before I even took a step. Instead, I hunched forward, rolling my shoulders as though I was trying to protect myself from the encroaching shadows still pawing at my salt barrier. As I did, my cloak moved, sliding in front of me and concealing my hands from view.
I may not have been able to see more than twelve inches in front of my face, but I knew for sure that whoever was out there was watching me.
Closely.
“Please,” I whispered, not even having to fake the shakiness of my voice. Carefully, I slid my hand back into my satchel, my fingers hunting for a specific item while trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. “Please, don’t hurt me. I didn’t do anything.”
“That’s what the last witch said,” the second voice, Vine, sneered, and I could feel his hatred of me in every syllable. “Right before I ate his soul.”
Now I wasreallyshaking. Soul eaters? I was so fucked.
“Please let me go,” I whispered, my fingers wrapping around the small glass vial I was looking for. Heidi had drilled into me that this particular item was not to be trifled with. 'Only as a last resort,' she'd warned. 'It'll buyyou time, but it'll also let everyone know exactly where you are.”
