“Right back at ya, dude,” I said.
Ember parked a hand on her hip. “I’m not kidding.”
“He already promised not to hurt anyone in the coven.” I pulled another shadow spell from my satchel and popped it open…without cringing, I might add.
With our cover reinforced, we crept toward the three-story brick building. The racehorse in my chest kicked into overdrive, and I sucked in a deep breath, hoping to slow it before I hyperventilated.
“This is as close as I’m willing to get until we know what kind of magic is protecting the place. Do your thing, sis.” Ember motioned toward the front door.
“Here we go.” I kept the kit stocked with individual ingredients so the hunters could make whatever spells they needed on the fly. This time, I had an idea of what we’d be up against, so I’d packed a slew of ready-made potions.
This spell, however, was a specialty of mine. I’d practiced it so much I didn’t need the help of a potion. Being the youngest, I’d used it plenty of times to snoop in my sisters’ rooms, finding all the charms they’d put up to hide things. “Confess, expose my magic sleuth. I call on you to reveal your truth.”
I directed my intention toward the door and the nearby windows. Gold sparkled in the air, looking for signs of magic, but it fell to the ground, dissipating. Huh. That was odd.
“No magic on the entrance?” Ember asked.
“Doesn’t appear that way.” I crept up the stairs and tried the handle. “Just a lock.”
Chaos growled in my head.
“What?” I asked.
“There’s magic inside. Dark magic obtained from my realm.”
“Of course there is. They’re a dark magic coven. It’s kinda their thing.” I dug a lock-picking kit from my satchel and kneeled in front of the door.
“It’s too dangerous. You should wait until I’m free so I can take out the coven. Then you can access all their knowledge without risking your life.”
“There’s a problem with your plan. Two, actually.” I slid the tension wrench into the bottom of the keyhole and applied a little pressure. “We don’t take out other covens. They’re not a group of serial killers. They’re a bunch of self-serving witches who like to stir up trouble in their own town. Not our problem. They don’t mess with us, and we don’t report them to the Higher Power.”
“Is he trying to convince you to kill them all?” Concern creased Ember’s forehead.
“He’s afraid we’re going to get hurt.” I slid the rake in above the wrench and scrubbed it in a circular motion, disengaging the pins one by one.
“Better them than you.”
“Problem two: I can’t free you without accessing their knowledge, so zip it and let me get us inside before the shadow spell wears off.” I fought a grin. I hated to admit it, but it was kinda sweet that this big, growly demon was concerned for my safety.
Wait a minute. Demons weren’t sweet.
“Why do you even care? If I do nothing, you get to take over in a couple of weeks. You’ll be free whether I live or not.”
He missed several beats as he formulated his reply. For a demon named Chaos, he sure had a lot of control. “I am in your debt, and…” Another beat. Make that two. “You deserve life.”
The lock disengaged, and I shoved the tools into my satchel. “We’re in.” I tapped the door with my finger, making sure it wasn’t going to blow off the hinges at the first creak. It swung freely, so I stepped back and directed another magic-revealing spell into the opening. Again, no enchantments protected the entrance.
“This doesn’t feel right.” I rose to my feet, but my stomach didn’t go up with the rest of me. It continued sinking into my boots. “A human could have picked this lock. I know the BMS isn’t an ethical coven, but they’d protect their assets from the mundane if only to cover their asses with the Higher Power.”
“The shadow spell is wearing off, so make a decision. I’m going in.” Ember strode past me with the confidence of a gazelle walking into a pride of lions. Sure, she could outmaneuver them, but she was oblivious to their strength. Typical Ember.
I slung the satchel over my shoulder and followed her inside, closing the door behind me. Ember lit a fireball in her hand, and I shined a flashlight around the room. Ah. This made sense. The front of their HQ was a witchy shop like ours. If a mundane wanted to rob it, they couldn’t have them bursting into flames the second they stepped inside.
I blew out the breath I was well aware I’d been holding. Temptation to see if they sold any actual spells in their shop had me itching to check the place out, but Ember’s impatient glare as she stood by the door leading deeper into their lair kept my curiosity in check.
“What lies beyond that threshold can kill you.”
“I figured as much.” A quick test with my trusty gold sparkles revealed an electrification spell. I tilted my head and watched the glitter cling to the fabric of the enchantment. “This layer of protection has been here a long time. See how it’s rooted to the floor and door frame?”
I gestured to show Ember how the fibers thickened where the layer of magic connected to the building. “They must all have tokens that allow them to pass through unharmed.”
She unsheathed her sword. “Can you unravel it gently, or do I get to tear it apart?”
“I’ve got this.” The last thing I needed was for Ember to get electrocuted and leave me alone with whatever beastie they might have guarding the place.
I snatched two black tourmaline pendants from the rack and rubbed them with horehound leaves. After a quick incantation, they glowed blue before fading back to their normal hue. We slipped the cords around our necks and eyed the deadly door.
I took a step back. “If this doesn’t work, we’ll be Kentucky fried and dead on the floor.”
“Do you think it’ll work?” She flicked her gaze to me before focusing on the electric field blocking our way.
“It should. Unless…”
“Good enough for me.” Ember stepped through the door without even an arm hair standing on end.
My stomach clenched along with my jaw, my hands fisting instinctively. One of these days, her gall would get her killed. Hopefully this would not be that day.
“This was genius, Ash,” Ember whispered. “We can get in and out without them knowing we were here.”
