Raging Inferno (Delphine Rising Book 1), page 20
“It’s because we’ve just entered sacred ground, kids. Keep moving, we’re almost there,” Mom said.
Several minutes later, we came to a stop where the full moon was at its highest. I could see almost everything around me within the clearing and felt an overwhelming sense of peace. It was if the ancestors were there to greet us.
Everyone unpacked and began lighting small torches as Mom directed, placing them haphazardly around the clearing. By the time we were finished, it was almost ten forty-five p.m. and we heard the voices of two women. I looked toward the path and saw Allison and Catherine, but Harold wasn’t with them. I began to worry, as Danny hadn’t been able to reach him since the meeting. I hoped he was okay.
Allison and Catherine were dressed in traditional robes, something the council was fond of. They were long and black with a gold five-pointed star encased in circle, with angel wings on either side, the symbol of our coven, embroidered on the left front lapel. Allison’s short blonde hair whipped in the wind as she walked toward us, her brown eyes glowing in an orange hue. Catherine’s long, light brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun, while her gray eyes looked almost otherworldly from where I was standing. They had their magic on full display and were ready for anything; just what I wanted to see.
Mom waved them over and asked where Harold was—the question of night. Allison said he had been held up in a meeting and would be along shortly, but that didn’t make me feel much better. Something felt off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It would kill me if Harold went back on his word and turned us into the rest of the coven. Not to mention, what it would do to his and Danny’s relationship. He was always such a good man and I hated to think the worst. I decided to try and stay positive, hoping it was nothing but my imagination. I had so many enemies running around, it was hard to trust anyone at that point.
“All right, girls, listen up,” Mom said. “There’s been a change of plans. Instead of Liz cutting the circle with the Sword of Light, Abby, I want you to use your athame. It will be the most powerful and should protect you if the demon attempts to pull you within.”
Well, there went my idea of keeping it secret. Mom just spilled the beans. I was waiting for an onslaught of questions, but none came… Yet.
“Okay, but shouldn’t we wait for Harold? Don’t we need all members present before we create the sacred circle?” I asked.
“We have seven witches present and he should be here any moment. Allison, try to call him and see how far out he is. If he’s close, we’ll wait; otherwise, we’ll continue,” Mom said.
Allison called Harold, but the service was terrible; she could only hear every other word. From what she could understand, he was running behind and wouldn’t be there for at least another fifteen or twenty minutes. He was cutting it close if he even showed at all.
I wondered what he could be doing that was more important than vanquishing a demon back to hell. Danny seemed pissed and I didn’t blame him. No one said a word as Mom and Catherine began giving us instructions.
Mom asked that I cut a wide circle with my athame, allowing plenty of room for the summoning and vanquishing to take place. Hellfire was going to rain down and we didn’t want to be in close proximity. Everyone gave a wide berth, standing in a circular formation as I cut the circle counterclockwise, praying to the ancestors for guidance at the same time. I knew it wasn’t necessary, but I felt I needed their presence as I ventured down an unknown path.
Once the circle was complete, Allison and Catherine began mixing a foul-smelling concoction in a small caldron. I assumed that was where I would be adding my blood for the summoning. I had no idea what was in there and didn’t care to ask. It smelled like a mixture of rotten food, dead animal carcass and who knew what else; it was just gross.
We waited until eleven forty-five for Harold to make an appearance, but he never showed. Catherine sliced my palm with an athame of her own; my blood dripped into the small cauldron to complete the summoning potion. She then stepped inside the circle and poured the mixture into the centermost part. When she was done, she wrapped my hand in a wet cloth saturated with healing herbs, and the seven of us took our places around the circle to begin the ritual, with Danny to my right and Liz to my left.
Allison first thanked the ancestors for allowing us to use their sacred ground, then went over the summoning spell one last time.
Arms raised toward the sky, we set our magic free and the summoning ritual began. One by one we recited the spell, then came together and sounded off:
Ancients and Ancestors
We call upon thee
To summon a demon
And set Abigail free
Bring him forth at our call
Through their connection
Shall he fall
Seal this sacred circle with your power
Where evil cannot escape
In this witching hour.
Harsh winds began to howl as we continued the chant, shouting with our arms raised toward the Heavens above, with streams of glowing magic shooting from our palms. The circle ignited in a magical flame and my body began to vibrate with majestic power as I felt the ancestors’ strength, along with the power of the circle.
Moments later, acrid-smelling smoke rose from the center of the circle and gradually the hollow-eyed demon appeared, fighting and digging into the earth as his body was unwillingly brought forth.
Slowly, we lowered our arms as we watched the demon struggle to break from the circle. When the flames died down, he looked directly into my eyes and gave me an evil sneer.
“Abigail, I’ve underestimated you; however, your little witch circle will not stop me from taking what belongs to me,” he said, but was cut off by a bolt of lightning to the chest from Allison.
“Demon, tell us your name,” she said in an authoritative voice.
He was struggling to stand and coughed several times before answering. “I owe you nothing, witch. I have many names, none of which you shall know,” he said through gritted teeth.
Allison threw another lightning bolt toward his abdomen, knocking him to the ground, and demanded his name again. “You’ll never leave this circle, demon. Tell us your name!” she shouted.
I wouldn’t want to be on her bad side. She was kicking his ass and he wasn’t even trying to fight back. In fact, I hadn’t seen him display any sort of magic since the ritual began. I wondered if it was because the circle had weakened him. Either way, I was enjoying the scene.
“You think you’re all powerful, yet you can do nothing to force me. I can withstand your puny magic, witch. Abigail will be mine and there’s nothing you can do to stop me,” the demon barked as smoke arose from his chest.
Okay, I’d had enough of him claiming me to the darkness. I was nobody’s bitch, but I was about to make that piece of shit mine.
“Hey, asshole. I’m right here and I don’t see you taking me or my soul anywhere. You look pretty well trapped. Oh and that darkness you like to feed on? It’s gone, you son of a bitch!” I yelled, then proceeded to shoot him down with my fire, following up with a blast of blue and white magic straight to his torso. He went down like a sack of potatoes, struggling to breathe.
“Are you ready to share your name or shall we continue with our puny magic?” Allison asked him.
The demon was choking and gasping for air, attempting to sit up, but couldn’t find the strength. Daddy’s magic was powerful and had done quite a number on him.
“Bal… Balthazar!” he shouted, breathing heavily.
“Thank you, Balthazar,” Allison said and I laughed to myself.
His name was Balthazar? What kind of name was that? I’d heard it before, but I wasn’t sure where. Whatever, he was on his way to a fiery grave.
Mom glared at me and I straightened up. I supposed it wasn’t the time for laughing, considering we were in the middle of a ritual and about to begin the vanquishing spell. I should probably stop thinking random thoughts and focus. That was the one thing she’d told me to do: not to get distracted.
Catherine looked around and told everyone to drink their protection potions before we began the spell. The demon was still writhing on the ground in agony, not paying attention to us. I took a great amount of pleasure in his pain and the smell of charred flesh after everything he’d done—infecting and ultimately killing hybrids, spreading dark magic, then attempting to claim my soul. I drank my potion and tucked the bottle back in my coat pocket, while making sure my athame was within reach if I needed it.
Mom looked toward us and nodded, letting us know it was time for the vanquishing. My heart began to race and Danny clasped my hand, kissing my knuckles, sensing the change in me. I was trying not to allow my nerves to get to me, or think about unknown factors and what could happen if things went south. I kept praying to God and the ancestors to lend me their strength and to stand alongside me while we banished this demon back into the fiery pits of the underworld.
All at once, Mom, Catherine and Allison lifted their hands to the Heavens, while Danny, Liz, Danielle and I followed suit. Our palms glowing, we sent our magic upward and the vanquishing began.
When the demon saw our magic rise, he struggled to his feet, clutching his chest, demanding to know what was going on. We ignored his outburst and shouted the spell.
Ancients and Ancestors we call upon thee
Come stand beside us with the blessings of God Almighty
“Stop, you can’t do this! I am Balthazar! You have no power over me!” the demon roared.
We continued, undeterred as the wind picked up, blowing my hair across my face, blinding me for several moments.
Loan us your strength
Loan us your power
To vanquish this demon
“Nooooo!!!!” the demon yelled and I felt my head being viciously tugged forward into the circle just as Mom had predicted. He was gonna try to take me with him. Screw that!
Danny grabbed my waist with his left arm, keeping my body outside of the circle. I refused to scream in pain, but I would take his ass down. I twisted to the side, left arm still outstretched, and shouted firmly again, “Vanquish this demon!” Then with my right hand, I snatched my athame from its sheath in my coat pocket and sliced Balthazar’s wrist, along with a chunk of my hair, releasing myself from his grip. He screamed in agony as inky black blood gushed from his wound. His hollow gaze met mine and I sneered, then continued the spell.
“In this witching hour!” I yelled, hands outstretched again.
Balthazar had other ideas. All of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain my radiate throughout my body and I fell to my knees, screaming in pain. It felt as if I was being burned alive, but there was no flame. I snapped my eyes open to see the demon’s good hand extended with a flow of dark magic heading straight toward me. I couldn’t think. I could barely breathe. I kept blinking, trying to locate my magic, but I was in too much pain.
Danny kept trying to pull me to my feet, but I couldn’t move from my knees. I heard Mom and Catherine shouting spells in the background, but the demon was undeterred—he was taking me with him into the pits of hell or I would die alongside him within the circle. I felt myself slipping away as darkness ebbed my vision.
“Abby, no!” Liz blasted a stream of heavenly light from her sword straight at Balthazar’s head, breaking his spell and knocking him to the ground.
Slowly, the burning pain subsided and Danny lifted me to my feet. The coven continued to chant the spell as Balthazar tried to lift his smoking body from the ground. He was shouting what seemed to be a spell in an unknown language, directing his hollowed gaze my way. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands.
My vision began to clear and I could feel my magic flowing through my veins once more. I felt my father’s power and sent it forth, knocking Balthazar to his knees. He howled, doubling over in pain. I stretched my hands toward the Heavens once more and resumed reciting the vanquishing spell with much more force this time as tears rolled down my face.
To vanquish this demon
In this witching hour
Rain down hellfire to expel evil from this place
Vanquish Balthazar from time and space
Balthazar collapsed, motionless in the middle of the circle. Suddenly, I could see what looked like hundreds of bright yellow orbs of light surrounding the circle throughout the clearing; our ancestors were there to help us finish the spell.
Thunder cracked loudly and lightning spread across the midnight sky. Bursts of green and white flames rained down from the Heavens, engulfing the circle in a raging inferno of hellfire, torching what was left of Balthazar’s body.
Black smoke rose from the flames; it was Balthazar. “You cannot defeat me! Your darkened soul is mine! Your god has no power–”
Another fiery wall of hellfire, much greater than before, rained down from the Heavens above, stopping the spirit of Balthazar midsentence, slamming his ethereal form back into his burning body. Flames devoured the circle until there was nothing but brilliant green and white firestorms torching everything within its wake.
The ground began to tremble and Danielle, Liz and I looked to one another wondering what was going to happen next. The yellow orbs in the clearing ascended into the air, taking on more human-like shapes, and began to hover closer to the circle. In the next moment, lightning struck the middle of the circle where the charred remains of Balthazar lay within the flames.
The earth cracked open; slowly at first, and then with another strike of lightning, a huge crevice began to form. The entire circle caved in on itself as a fiery tornado sucked the demon’s body and what was left of the hellfire down into the pits of hell.
Once it was complete, the ground trembled once more, closing the deep cavern. The circle returned without so much as a scorch mark marring the earth where hellfire had been only moments before.
Everything went eerily quiet; not even a frog could be heard croaking in the distance. I looked toward Mom who smiled back at me, and I knew then the spell was complete. The seven of us held hands, lifted our heads toward the skies, thanking God and the ancestors for banishing a great evil from this plane.
Extraordinary magic was still thrumming through my veins as I watched the ancestors disappear into a brilliant white light. I definitely wasn’t expecting that when we trudged through the Hallow. Liz and Danielle jumped on me, nearly knocking me down for a sisterly group hug.
“We did it! He’s gone!” Liz said. “I can’t believe it and, Abby, I was so scared when he tried to pull you into the circle. Thank God for your new powers and my sword.”
I turned toward Liz and hugged her. “Thanks for saving my ass, Sis. I thought I was a goner and I couldn’t fight back. I felt like I was back in that tomb again. Love you,” I said as a few tears trailed down my cheeks.
“Abbs, you kicked some demon ass tonight,” Danielle said. “When you took him down one last time, I wanted to yell, ‘Take that, asshole!’ but I knew your mom would be pissed. I smiled, though.”
The girls were seriously jumping for joy, high on magic and adrenaline. We all were, but inside I was still a bit upset by the fact that the demon almost killed me, even if I did get the final hit on him. I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind and I relaxed into Danny’s chest. He propped his chin on my head for a second, then leaned down to kiss me. I turned toward him, wrapping my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. He was exactly what I needed right then, PDA be damned.
I heard Mom clear her throat and I reluctantly pulled away, moving to Danny’s side. I deserved that kiss, dammit. “You kids about done?” she asked with a slight smirk. “It’s time to clean up and get out of here.”
“Yes, Mamma,” I said as Danielle giggled behind us. I wanted to step back and kick her.
With seven of us there to clean and pack up, it didn’t take long. Twenty minutes later, we were headed back down the gravel road and ready to go. We said our goodbyes and thanked Catherine and Allison as we piled into my SUV. I let Mom drive again. I was too tired and wanted nothing more than a shower and my bed.
Once we finally arrived back at the house, Danielle was snoring and Liz was drooling. I really needed to start recording this stuff with my phone for later, but it was too late and I wanted to get out. I shook Danielle awake, while Mom nudged Liz telling her to wipe her chin. Danny cracked up laughing because Liz seemed mortified that she was drooling. This coming from someone who ate like a horse and shoveled food in her mouth faster than most men. I had to laugh too.
We grabbed all of our gear and practically ran for the front porch stairs. Unpacking could wait until tomorrow. Danny and I said goodnight to everyone and slogged up the steps to my room.
“I call first dibs on the shower,” I said.
“We could always take one together,” Danny said with a sexy grin.
“You can’t be serious. If we shower together, there will be no hanky panky, no grabby hands, just bathing. Got it?” I warned.
“Uh huh. Cross my heart,” he said and crossed his fingers instead. He was such a guy. How on earth could he have the stamina for sex after the night we’d had?
“Danny, you’re a maniac,” I said, walking toward the bathroom with my pajamas. I was exhausted.
He followed me to the shower, just as I knew he would and watched me while I stripped. Men! I just glanced back at him as I waited for the water to heat up. When I stepped into the shower, he smacked me on the ass and laughed.
“You’re such a shit, you know that,” I said, shaking my head at his antics.
“Yep and I’ll be right in to join you, my sexy love goddess.”
I rolled my eyes and started washing my face, then my hair, working my way down. He was taking his sweet time if he planned on getting in. I thought too soon as the shower door opened and his gorgeous, sculpted body appeared before me. I needed to put shampoo or soap in my eyes so I couldn’t see him. I was tired and this was so not happening.
I didn’t act fast enough, when the first thing he did was pull me to him from behind, clutching my waist while feathering soft kisses along the sensitive part of my neck. He knew exactly what buttons to push to make me come undone. I lost that argument…
