Page 100 of Wicked Deeds

“Free? How?” Anger burned in Jack’s eyes but he didn’t move, holding his chalk in place.

Right. So he couldn’t move or he’d ruin his spell.

“Do not know. But we brought them here. No time to waste.” The lesserkind sounded annoyed.

The one holding Gwen turned an assessing gaze on the circle. The expression reminded me lesserkind weren’t stupid like imps.

“Almost ready,” it said to Jack. “Time to bind her or break her and be done.”

Jack’s face twisted. “Fine. Give me a minute.”

He went back to drawing, his hand moving more rapidly. His forehead glistened with the faintest sheen of sweat.

Given the room was even colder than the rest of the building, perhaps Jack wasn’t quite so sure of himself after all.

Or else the magic was taking more from him than he might have expected.

So strong. I had no idea how to break it. Gwen’s eyes were open, but she was staring at Jack. She didn’t know enough magic to help.

Think.

After a minute or so, Jack made a final decisive stroke and lifted the chalk. The glowing ring of light became a column, the magic stretching from floor to ceiling, a ward against whatever he was going to do inside the circle. It was still translucent, so I had a perfect view of the smug smile on Jack’s face as he slowly rose to his feet.

My hands flexed with the urge to punch him as he took a deep breath and wiped his forehead, tucking the chalk into a pocket

“All right.” He moved to the edge of the circle and pushed a hand through the ward. “Give her here.”

“No!” I yelled as the lesserkind with Gwen shoved her toward Jack. He caught her hand and yanked her into the circle. How had he pulled her through the ward? It was strong. Stronger than any ward I’d felt. Was it keyed to her already? What had Usuriel said? Something about blood? Fear fogged the memory, and I couldn’t bring it back. Not with Gwen now inside the ward with Jack. Helpless.

She stayed still for a moment, as though dazed, before her attention snapped to Jack.

His smile widened. My hands twitched again. I wanted to rip his heart from his body. Rage burned back the fear a little. But there was still nothing that I could do.

“Now then, daughter. You can do this the easy way or the way that neither you nor I will enjoy so much. The demon won’t care. They don’t mind pain. But I don’t want to hurt you, Gwen. I just need your magic,” Jack said.

“No!” She stepped away from him, moving closer to the center of the circle. His hand clamped over her wrist, pulling her back to him.

“Uh-uh,” he said, wagging a finger at her. “You don’t want to stand there. Especially not once we get started. If you help me, you’ll live. You’ll benefit, even. You can stand at my side when Ihave everything. I’ll make up for all the years we’ve lost. But that spot in the center? Nothing will survive there once it opens.”

Opens? I stared at the ward, trying to understand the magic. There was a kernel of witch power to it, but the demon magic twisted everything. I had no more chance of pulling it down than I did of flying across the room to save Gwen.

Where the fuck were Callum and Usuriel?

Gwen, to my surprise, hauled back with her free hand and slapped Jack across the face. Hard. Hard enough that his head rocked back and she cried out from the impact. “Why the fuck would I help you?” she snarled.

I grinned viciously, unable to stop myself.

“Little bitch.” His own hand swung, but before I could react—try to warn Gwen—Usuriel stepped out of a patch of nothing, a long black sword at the ready. It glowed with something like icy fire and he cut the lesserkind that had held Gwen in half as easily as slicing through butter. Black blood sprayed everywhere as the two halves fell, a streak of it spattering across his face, shockingly dark against his skin.

The lesserkind holding me screeched in outrage. Acting on instinct, I rammed my elbow behind me and then launched myself toward the circle when the lesserkind let me go. Usuriel pivoted, then launched past me, sword swinging. There was another screech, a flare of magic and then another wet thunk, just as someone grabbed me around the waist, stopping me from hitting the ward, swinging me back.

“Stop,” Callum growled.

I struggled, arms stretching toward Gwen. “Let mego.”

“You can’t get through it,” he snarled. “It will kill you.”

I stared up at him and then twisted back to Gwen. My sister was crumpled at Jack’s feet, one hand on her cheek. The bastard had knocked her down.

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