Page 11 (1/2)
Chapter Eleven
"U step back into a cloud of pixies now seeking shelter with me "Tellthe panic inwhat that black bubble had been about asot to her feet Trent was next, and alked backward to the car, the pixies retreating with us as they continued to shout insults at the bird The sun was up It couldn’t be a demon But it wasn’t a bird, either, and I didn’t know if that scaredpeople , demon or not My instincts screamed demon, but the sun was up This isn’t possible Maybe it’s a really bad witch Trent thinks is a de, too fast forabout Ku’Sox and fables and the past co to life "Kill it!" the head pixy shouted, and the snick of Jenks pulling his sword rang inbehind ht it as if it is!"
Mycloser Crap, it was getting bigger, too My thoughts went to the petroglyph of the bird with a figure in its beak, and I paled as theit down "Uh, guys," I sta there, scared pixies wreathing the, I followed Trent and Ivy down the hill to the car, hitting the rocks and ju over loalls to make a beeline for it rather than the safer, serpentine route I could make only one circle We all had to be in it, Vivian included Behind me, the bird squawked, and the pixies scattered with shrill sounds of panic as heavy wings beat the air
"Make a circle!" I shouted as I saw Vivian, awake and standing next to the open trunk, aped behind us
"Make a friggin’ circle!" I shouted as the path became level and I ran on pavement instead of asphalt The heat ballooned up, alainst it to turn and stare I didn’t look as I skidded to a halt beside the my pockets for chalk that I didn’t have I had been hunting pixies, not a friggin’ day-walking demon!
It couldn’t be But I’d seen its eyes It had made a circle
Behind me, the bird croaked out a weird call It echoed in the heat-beaten stillness as if co, and digging through it formirror in Vivian’s hands Did Trent swipe rimly, and I pulled myself out of the car, chalk in hand Vivian was beside Ivy, and pixies circled, darting about in an eye-hurting mass
"It’s the Ku’Sox Sha-Ku’Ru," one shouted "You brought the left hand of the sun upon us!"
"Chalk," I said triu "Oh, crap," I whispered It was flying And it had gotten even bigger-the size of a sled for
I screamed as I felt talons rakeunder the car My cheek burned from the pavement, and I held one, and I looked up to see it swooping around Holy crap, I had to do so
"Is it a demon?" Jenks shrilled, inches froot to rit from my palms Trent looked shaken as he crouched beside the car, and Ivy was helping Vivian off the ground Pixies were a cloud over them, drawn to the very person who had caused their kinsain
"I don’t know" Dazed, I looked at the frightened pixies seeking shelter with us A day-walking demon? It couldn’t be But as I looked at Trent, I had a bad feeling that it was Just trying to help, eh? Thanks a hell of a lot
"What is that thing?" Vivian asked
"I think it’s a de to wave the pixies away
"You think!" I exclaiaveher pal in the hot air over the car And as Trent slid his gaze to Vivian, then back to me,If the coven knew he’d summoned a demon, even to help us, his words inDamn it! Damn it all to the Turn and back!
"It can’t be," Vivian scoffed, ht!"
"It’s co back!" the pixy leader exclaiet them closer!" Then immediately wished I hadn’t as he laboriously flew from the car to try to corral them
So Trent had summoned a demon to help us God save h to do, I thought as I leaned against the car and tried to ie for , either, but if I did it right, it would give me time totheir leader, now flying away, and Jenks, al three tie bird ca the time I’d been a mouse
"An undrawn circle won’t hold," Trent said softly, his eyes wide as he stood beside me, two of the pixy leaders at his shoulder Stupid-ass elf et hurt, but the demon couldn’t snatch him, and he knew it
"You need to shut up," I snarled, starting to shake "I think you’ve helped out enough for one day, okay?"
He dropped his head and rocked back, looking not nearly chagrined enough Turning to the approaching bird, I touched the line, pulling it intocircle I could think of Oh God The yellos looked as big as tree roots, and they were getting bigger
"Now!" Jenks shouted
"Rhoive th
I went down on one knee as I pushed the energy out ofit flow naturally With a clap of sound that reverberated like thunder, , the bird tried to backwing, head flung high and claws yanked tight to its body
"Hold," I whispered, hands in fists as it hit "Oh God Please hold"
The bird hit, and I shook, bowing h , I looked up The bird had glanced off the top of the bubble, pulling up enough to avoid a full, neck-snapping strike Tu s lot and smacked into a rock
"Did you kill it?" Trent said "Rachel, did you kill it!"
He sounded frightened, and I gave hily look For all the smooth callousness he showed the world, perhaps he wasn’t as immune to death as he wanted everyone to think
"We should be so lucky," I said sourly, crab-walking a quick circle around the car with the chalk to make a more secure barrier Ivy looked frustrated, pixies perched around her for security since Trent had driven them from hi at the base of the rock wasn’tin the hot sun, waiting
"Are you going to go look at it?" Vivian asked and Jenks landed onheavily in exhaustion "You don’t poke the etting out of this circle," I said "Give it an hour or two, and if he still doesn’tto believe that it was one
Trent edged closer, stopping when I gave hi look But whether we should poke the downed bird or simply drive away becahtenedshafts of obsidian gray falling froray pants and shirt underneath and the soft gray slippers His slate gray hair was silver where the light hit it, and when he turned, he smiled as if pleased that I’d hurt hilanced at Trent, thinking I’d rather have hi Trent’s head was down, and it ticked me off that I was the reason he was safe and the rest of us weren’t God! I was a fool Al had been right
Vivian was staring, slack-jawed, at the approaching fore of the bubble, hands on his hips as he assessed the new threat Ivy was scared but trying not to show it as the deer and , even with the silver hair, and I squiroat-slitted eyes ht!" Vivian whispered, and Ku’Sox s me to touch upon Trent and slide away Can’t touch this His look at me had been one of casual disinterest Bet it wouldn’t stay that way
"It’s the Ku’Sox!" the pixies shouted froo away as they swarmed her "The Ku’Sox Sha-Ku’Ru!"
"I’m the eater," the narrow-faced ray as he was Silver and gray, with a weird accent I’d heard only once It was Newt’s
Ku’Sox squinted atme evenits size and the black haze of de over it I blanched when I realized the sregating where he was, looking like it was trying to get to hi I could back up even more "I don’t think I can hold a drawn circle this size against hi on me "Aren’t you an odd sort of witch" He breathed deep, surprise cascading through his expression "Wearing ato a pale blue "How curious You’re feing,htly around led Somehow he had yanked ht It was too large for ainst him, and he’d taken it
Frouessed that Vivian had reset the circle She wouldn’t have a chance of holding it, either, except Ku’Sox didn’t see demon candy It must be the red hair
"Wait!" I choked out, still able to breathe and feeling his fingers firm around h still slitted like a goat’s, had becoes His lips were thin, and his chin was narrow Al had once said he could change his eyes if he made the effort Had Ku’Sox made the effort, or were his eyes naturally blue?
Fear was a cascade of sparkles through me, and I shuddered as ed, and the man smiled wider His teeth were flat and blocky, like Al’s, and very white
"Can we talk?" he echoed softly, looking at me in a not-so-nice way "Perhaps Hel-l-lo-o-o," he drawled "Nice to meet you, little red-haired witch"
"Let me out, Vivian!" Jenks shrilled, and I tried to see theed, then looked back to Ku’Sox as the grip around my throat shifted to my shoulders and ain, and aze was fixed on the mandemonKu’Sox Washed-out, pale blue eyes flicked behind me, then back
"I don’t knoho you are," I said boldly, his long, narrow fingers pinching my shoulder, "but you need to leave"
"Brave," he said, and I punched hiut when he tried to tuck me under his arm
I didn’t knohat asp of breath in, and then the pavement hit me hard The chalk was still in my hand, and I refused to open it Ku’Sox’s slippers were inches fro, scraped open when I fell I still had my chalk Da at Vivian, and I prayed she’d keep her circle closed "Letmy head up to see Ivy ready to throw Vivian into her own circle and risk all their lives "Please," I begged Ivy, and with a pained expression, she let Vivian go The coven witch hit the car and slid to the pavement, shaken Trent was a silent observer, and Jenks
I looked away Jenks was beside hihed, but he looked cross as he felt his ribs "You’ll bedown to look atin particular you’re not fond of?"
"Shove it up your ass," I panted