Page 78 of Shadows of the Soul

I fell into sync with her as we recited the incantation which would send Bune back to Hell. Aunt Liz flipped onto her front and crawled to the edge of the circle in front of me. Her eyes were lit up with demonic energy, not red like the movies portrayed. This was like staring at black diamonds. The demon had altered her features, moving her bone structure to accommodate the insidious presence. It was bone chilling, even for me.

It smiled. “Daughter of death, do you enjoy playing with these lesser creatures, making them think they are your equal?” Ah, we were at the flattery stage. Except demons always missed the mark.

“Daughter of death?” Dave mumbled. Great, now the pack’s chief of security was up in business again.

“Stay focused,” Aunt Dayna snapped.

“Keep going and I’ll tear and shred her from the inside out,” Bune growled.

Dave’s eyes shot from me to Aunt Liz. “It’s lying,” I told him. “Kill the host, and it loses its footing on earth.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t make it hurt,” Bune snapped.

My grandmother’s chanting reached a crescendo. This was it. “I command you, Bune, duke of Hell, in the name of our Lord, release this woman.”

The demon’s head snapped toward my grandmother, twisting slightly too much to be comfortable. “Pitiful witch, you can’t banish me.”

My grandmother yanked on the power from our circle. I sucked in a breath. “Bune, release Elizabeth Roberts, my firstborn. In the name of the Father, the Son–”

Bune cackled. “The Holy Spirit has long since abandoned you, Eloise. You made your bed when you did a deal with the devil. Did you think he wouldn’t collect? Foolish woman.”

My grandmother twisted the lid of the bottle and threw the contents at Bune. “Release her,” she bellowed, shoving all her power at Bune. Bune flew back to the center of the circle, bits of the ceiling scattering onto the floor, and his roar rivaled Hudson’s.

He threw a hand out and made a fist. My grandmother grasped her throat with her hands and coughed. Her shoulders lifted, forcing my hand to slip. “What’s happening?” I ground out.

Bune smiled and pulled their hand up. My grandmother’s feet left the ground as she gasped for breath. I grabbed her arm. “Let her go,” I demanded.

“Your aunt or your grandmother, daughter of death, choose.”

My heart pounded and sweat formed on my forehead. No, no, no. This wasn’t happening. I wasn’t losing anybody. I squeezed my eyes closed. Every second moved us a step closer to either of them dying.

I pressed my lips together and yanked on the power chain, pulling it from my grandmother into me. I needed to take control. My spine stiffened with the combined mass of magic.

“Release her,” I boomed. Bune tightened his fist. My grandmother’s feet kicked in protest next to me. When this was over, I would hunt Bune and eradicate him from any dimension.

“How’s your faith?” Bune snarled. “Do you pray to Him?”

“This isn’t working,” Dave stated. I glared at him. He pressed his lips together. No, don’t do it, Dave. He pulled the two hands he was holding closer together, so they were in front of his stomach, then pushed them together as he untangled his hands from Hudson and Rockhard.

“Dave, no.”

He glanced at me, then dived into the circle. He tackled Bune flat to the floor and pinned his hands above his head. “Elizabeth Roberts,” he snapped. “You are a powerful elemental who will not be taken down by a second-rate demon on a power trip.”

Bune snapped his teeth at Dave’s face. I glanced at my grandmother. She was levitating a foot off the ground, being strangled by an invisible force.

“Still not working,” I muttered. Plus, he’d deteriorated the power source. I had zero chance of defeating Bune now. My inner beast stirred, reminding me I had a store of power which could turn Bune to dust.

“Do you remember our first date?” Dave whispered. “You wore a lemon dress, with your hair half up. I’d never seen such a vision of beauty and grace. You cooked your lamb shanks with rosemary and redcurrant sauce. It was hands down the best lamb I’d ever eaten.”

Bune shuddered, and for a second I thought I saw a change in his face. “Keep going,” I muttered.

“Later we took a walk by the river. Your hair shone in the moonlight as you recalled your dreams of being an ice skater. That was our next date. Turns out you’re shit at ice skating, but we had fun falling. We are still having fun falling, Liz, so get back here and let me love you.”

Bune bellowed a cry of anger as my aunt fought him. Dave leaned down and smacked his lips straight onto Bune’s. Later I’d realize it was a very fairytale princess exorcism. My grandmother dropped to the floor with a clatter and sucked in a huge breath. I pulled on my power and pushed it onto Dave and Bune. “Release her, Bune,” I screamed.

Bune roared. The walls shook, then a boom sounded in the room, like something had imploded. White rose petals floated from the ceiling. They rained down around us, outlining the circle where Dave was holding a limp Aunt Liz. The heavy floral scent chased away the rot and decay. I knelt down next to my grandmother and checked her pulse. She was okay. Next, I walked in the circle and checked on Aunt Liz. Her bone structure was restored, her eyes no longer bulged, and she was breathing. I closed my eyes and exhaled. Nobody died, that was a result.

“It’s over?” Hudson asked.

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