Page 43 of Succubus Shadows (Georgina Kincaid 5)

Erik had to lean and get on his knees for a lot of his chalk work, something that had to be agony on his back. With a sigh, he finally stood up and examined his design. It showed two large concentric circles, filled and surrounded with a number of arcane symbols. Some I knew; some I didn't. Jerome studied the pattern too, and for the first time ever, my boss looked...nervous.

"Is it ready?" he demanded.

Erik nodded, one hand absentmindedly rubbing his back. "Barring the spell itself, yes."

Jerome's eyes fell on Seth, who flinched. "You," said the demon. "Come here."

Seth eyed the pattern almost as uneasily as Jerome had. "What will happen to me?"

"It won't kill you, if that's what you're worried about. And you can leave the circle whenever you want. Now stop wasting time."

I didn't like hearing Jerome boss Seth around. It stirred up those coals of rage that had been burning within me lately. I even grew angry seeing Seth obey; I kind of wanted him to defy Jerome. A moment later, I tried to banish such thoughts. I needed to save my fury for the Oneroi, not this group. Surely Jerome wasn't lying. Carter, who'd remained quiet throughout all of this, would have called Jerome on it. I hoped.

Seth walked over to Jerome's side, careful not to step on any of the chalk lines - like how superstitious people avoid cracks on sidewalks. Erik gave Seth a small smile.

"He's right, Mr. Mortensen. This won't hurt you. Though it will be...strange."

Mei suddenly went rigid again. "Him? That's all you're using? Jerome, one person can't - "

"Enough!" roared Jerome. "I'm tired of listening to everyone backtalk me. Can we get on with this?"

Erik nodded and walked over to the table with the incense. There was also a small bowl of water and a long, roughly hewn piece of stone. Smoky quartz, I thought. Erik picked it up carefully, reverently. He pushed the tip of the wand into the smoldering incense, and then held it up so the smoke could swathe it. A couple seconds later, he dipped the wand's end into the water. When that was completed, he began carrying the wand to the circle.

"Wait," Carter suddenly said. He straightened up from where he'd been slouching against some boxes. "I'm going in too."

"You're all crazy," muttered Mei.

"She has a point," said Jerome. "If you're in here - "

"I know, I know," said Carter, stepping over the lines to join Jerome. "And I also know what might come out." The two of them looked at each other, more silent messages passing, and then neither spoke again.

Erik returned to the circle's center, holding the wand up high. Both Carter and Jerome had moved as far from the humans as possible without crossing the inner circle. As Erik's arms reached heavenward, he suddenly didn't seem like a weak old man. True, his body was frail and growing gaunter every day, but as he stood there and began chanting, he became so much more than human. Dante was a better magician when it came down to it, but Erik wasn't without his own power, even if rarely used. If I'd been there in the flesh, I would have felt the magic he was summoning. Knowing it was there almost made me believe I could see it.

He finished his chant, spoken in words I only knew a little of, and then walked around the circle. He touched it in four spots with the wand, all equidistant from each other. The instant his wand touched the fourth spot, every immortal in the room suddenly flinched and looked uncomfortable - even the greater ones. Seth mostly looked confused.

As a disconnected observer, my view was like Seth's. I saw nothing happen either. But I realized then that if I'd been there, I would have felt what all the other immortals had as well. Erik had locked the circle, slamming invisible walls into place. All magical circles were different, but he'd told Seth that he could cross out - meaning this was a circle to keep only immortals in. It wasn't exactly like a summoning. Summonings required massive amounts of magic because they were enslaving an immortal against his or her will. This circle was a prison too, but it required less magic because the immortals had entered it by choice. Jerome and Carter had just knowingly allowed themselves to be entrapped.

This was why he wanted Mei around. For an unscrupulous magic user - say, like Dante - this was a golden opportunity. Two imprisoned greater immortals? It had infinite possibilities for a magician. Whatever Erik was doing here, I didn't believe he'd abuse this situation. But Jerome, being a demon, didn't trust anyone. Jerome had wanted Mei on hand to do some smiting if Erik wouldn't release his prisoners. Of course, she would be powerless to do anything until Erik left the circle - which he'd have to do eventually.

If they were all trying to rescue me, though, Erik couldn't have created this circle with the intent of trapping Jerome and Carter specifically. The angel's words came back to me: I also know what might come out.

Erik stood in front of Seth, who was growing more nervous by the second. The strain in Erik's face showed the power he was keeping in check. He couldn't play kindly old man right now, but he did what he could.

"Do you care about Miss Kincaid?" he asked Seth. "Do you want to save her?"

"Yes," answered Seth swiftly.

"Then you must think about her. Focus every ounce of your being on her. Imagine her. Cry out for her. There must be no other thoughts in your head - only her."

Seth looked puzzled but nodded. Erik turned to Jerome and Carter. "And you must stop him from going in entirely. You can't enter yourselves, but you can keep him here. You have to, or you'll lose both of them."

Erik waited for no acknowledgment from the angel and demon. He held up his wand again and touched Seth on his forehead, both cheeks, and chin. Seth shivered.

"Remember," said Erik. "When the gate opens, think of her. Only her. Reach for her. And when you find her, do not let go."

"Gate?" asked Seth. "What - "

But Erik was chanting again, and a wind emerged out of nowhere, ruffling the hair of those in the circles. His voice grew more and more powerful, and then -

I was back with the Oneroi.

"What happened?" I exclaimed. For the millionth time, I wished I could beat on the walls of my prison. I wanted to claw their eyes out again. I wanted to choke them. "Show me what happens!"

"Failure," said One.

"They won't succeed," added Two. "The demoness was correct. A dozen humans who loved you couldn't reach you, let alone - "

He stopped speaking. His eyes met One's, and then both glanced around as though searching for something. I tried to see what they saw or heard, but there was nothing for me. Only blackness and silence.

Then, I felt the stirring of another dream coming over me. The dark world started to go blurry, and both Oneroi jerked their heads toward me.

"No!" exclaimed Two, extending his hand.

Everything grew clear again. I didn't dream. I stayed where I was.

Georgina.

My name. For the first time in - well, I had no idea how many days - I heard something that wasn't the Oneroi. It was so faint, a whisper lost on the wind. My name. One of them, at least.

I couldn't tell where it came from, but every part of me tried to focus on it, to figure out its origin.

Georgina.

"Yes?" I said aloud. "I'm here!"

The world grew blurry again. I didn't hear my name, but it was like the siren song all over again. Music without sound, colors without description.

"Stop this!" cried One. I had never heard the Oneroi raise their voices. They always spoke in those low, sly tones. But they were pretty upset now.

"Fight it!" This was Two, speaking to One. "Join me! Don't let it - "

I left them for another dream. Or, well, more like another place. No, it wasn't even a place. It was like I was floating in space, in a nebula. Perhaps a hurricane was a more accurate way to describe it because things were swirling around me and blowing past. Wisps of smoke. Bits of colors. Brilliant stars. Some touched me. Some went through me. And every time I made contact, I felt an emotion - an emotion that wasn't my own. Happiness. Terror. With that emotion came a brief flash of an image. A green field. An airplane. A monster. It was a snowstorm of stimuli.

I was lost and adrift, almost more scared than in my prison with the Oneroi. At least that had had some substance, no matter how insignificant. But this...what was this? Every once in a while, it would start to dissolve to black, like I might be returning to the box.... Then, the darkness would fade, again leaving me helpless in this mad riot of sensation.

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