Page 10 of Wicked Angel
I managed a small, grateful smile, the warmth of their support easing some of the tension in my chest. “Thanks, both of you. I really appreciate it.”
They disappeared back through the portal, and it winked out behind them, leaving the warehouse feeling strangely empty again. I stared at the spot where they’d stood, trying to keep my mind from racing ahead to all the ways this could go wrong.
The door at the far end of the warehouse creaked open, and Burgin stepped in. The demon was a stocky male with a serious expression. I had seen him before a couple of times and neither of those times had I liked him very much. Granted, our interaction had been brief, and back then I hated Levi.
At least, I thought I did.
Burgin stopped a good way from us and stared at Levi. “My lord, you summoned?”
Levi didn’t waste any time. “There’s talk of an old demon that can absorb magic from supernaturals. I need you to reach out to our contacts, find out if there’s any truth to it. Locations, lore, anything.”
Burgin inclined his head, his voice a low rumble. “As you command, my lord. I will return with whatever I discover.”
With a final nod, Burgin turned and exited through the door, his heavy footsteps echoing through the space as he left.
I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair. “And now we wait?”
Levi leaned against the edge of the containment circle, folding his arms across his chest. “Seems like waiting is all we do these days.”
I huffed out a breath, feeling the frustration twist in my gut. “I hate it, Levi. I hate sitting here, feeling like I’m wasting time while everything’s falling apart. Elysium, Sarki, my family—I’m stuck in this damn circle while everyone else is out there, doing something.”
His expression softened, but his voice remained firm. “You’re not useless, sweetheart. And you know that if there was a way to get you out of here safely, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
I met his gaze, the sincerity in his eyes cutting through some of the bitterness. “I know. I just… I can’t help feeling like we’re running out of time.”
Just then, my phone buzzed, and I glanced down at the screen. “It’s Erin.”
I put the call on speaker, and I heard Erin’s familiar voice crackle through the line. “Hey, sorry it took us a bit to get back to you. What’s this about a magic-absorbing demon?”
Levi quickly filled her in, explaining the potential lead. There was a pause on the other end before Erin sighed. “Honestly, this is new to us. Rey’s never come across anything like it in the Blackthorn Hunters’ records either. But we’ll start digging, see if we can find anything. It might take a while.”
I squeezed my hands into fists, trying not to let my disappointment show. “Thanks, Erin. Anything you can find would be a huge help.”
“We’ll get back to you as soon as we have something,” she promised before hanging up.
Levi looked at me, a half-smile tugging at his lips. “So, now we wait. Again.”
I let out a small, wry laugh, shaking my head. “Story of our lives, isn’t it?”
6
Three days passed,and every one of them was a slow descent into madness. The warehouse air felt like it was thickening, the witch circle becoming a prison I couldn’t escape. The air inside it always seemed a little warmer, a little heavier, making every breath feel like I was inhaling smoke. My skin prickled constantly, the wild magic inside me pressing against the boundary, looking for any chance to break free.
But at least I wasn’t alone in this empty warehouse anymore. Lacey, Abbie, and even Maggie and Gwen had set up a research station around the edge of the containment circle. They’d dragged in tables and chairs, piling them high with books and scrolls. Abbie and her sisters had even brought several table lamps to give us more light.
The scent of old paper mixed with the ever-present tang of magic, making the air feel both comforting and stifling.
Inside the circle, they’d set up a small table and chair for me, so I could join in the research, even if I couldn’t move around freely. It was better than pacing the circle like a restless ghost, but every hour that ticked by without progress made the weight on my shoulders grow heavier.
We combed through book after book, looking for anything that could help—spells to absorb or control magic, mentions of demons that could steal power, stories of artifacts that might give us an edge. But every time we thought we had something, it turned out to be another dead end. More stories of supernaturals who could absorb magic, sure, but always all of it. Nothing precise enough to help me.
I tried calling Kaz again, but the calls went directly to his voicemail. Of course, I left him messages, but I doubted he would ever listen to those. He was either really averse to technology and ignored his phone most of the time, or he was trying to protect the little dragons. Either way, I couldn’t blame him.
“Come on, there’s got to be something in here,” I muttered one afternoon, flipping through a dusty tome that crumbled around the edges. My fingers ached from turning pages, my head buzzing with exhaustion.
Lacey shot me a sympathetic look from across her table. “We’ll find it, Ariella. Just keep going.”
I nodded, but it was hard to keep believing that when this foreign magic thrashed beneath my skin, reminding me that time wasn’t on our side.
