Page 5 of Oracles Always Win

Iopened a portal to a spot in the woods by the inn’s gate but didn’t step through immediately.Ilet my magic push through first, needing to know it was safe before we walked over there.Isaac, already in his centaur form, charged through beforeIcould stop him.Fuckingidiot.Assoon as he was through, he pranced and kicked at the ground with his hooves.

“Wow, you need to feel this,”Isaacenthused as he trotted up to the portal and peered through it atNelsonand me.Hegrinned and waved exuberantly for us to follow.

Hiswords put me on alert.Hedidn’t sound scared, soIwaited for him to explain.Hedidn’t.Hewas too busy frolicking in the trees.

“Feelwhat?”Inarrowed my eyes and scanned the area for threats.Thewoods seemed normal enough, but magic could hide a lot of things, even from a demon.IfIsaacsensed something,Ineeded to know.

“Theenergy...It’samazing.”Arosy-cheekedIsaacgrinned.

Besideme,Nelsondrew on his magic.Hisbody faded around the edges into the shadowy smoke of his shifted form, getting ready to either attack or defend.

“Whatare you waiting for?”Isaacwaved us forward. “Getover here.Youneed to feel it.It’strippy.”

“Sono threats?”Iasked to be clear.

“Idon’t think so.Why?Doyou sense something?”Isaacglanced around the area as if the thought hadn’t occurred to him.

Ihad invitedIsaacto join my team.Ijust needed to remind myself why sometimes, like when he made impulsive decisions and charged into unknown situations without evaluating things first.Hehad skillsIvalued, and he brought a youthful perspective to the team, but he had a lot to learn.Nelsonsnorted, as if he read my thoughts, and let his magic fade.

Assoon asIstepped through the portal, the hairs on the back of my neck tingled.Unfamiliarmagic rushed over me like a warm tropical breeze.

“Whatthe—?”Igrunted.

Iscanned for threats again but didn’t see anything.Afew animals, both mundane and supernatural ones, were close, but nothing powerful enough to pose a serious threat to us.Ibrought my magic closer to the surface and cautiously stepped forward.

Anenchanting array of otherworldly sparks exploded in the air as my magic entwined with that ofWillowLake.SinceneitherIsaacnorNelsonreacted, the sparkly light show must have just been for me.I’dnever thought of my demonic magic as an enthusiastic and joyful entity.Ever.Butthat was how it felt as it surged forward to greet this foreign essence.

Giventhe strange mix of supernatural beingsIknew lived inWillowLake,I’dbeen prepared to feel a chaotic mix of latent magic, butInever anticipated this.Whenwe’d driven through the town last night,Ihadn’t felt any of this through the ward on thePinkLady.

Itwasn’t a welcome surprise.Itwas too strange.Toounexpected.

Myevery muscle tensed, ready to fight, but nothing appeared.Isucked in a breath, drawing the strange air into my lungs before exhaling.Isavored the taste of the magics, drawing out each distinct thread one by one.ThemoreIdissected the eclectic blend, the moreIcalmed.Themagic wasn’t overtly threatening.Itwas justpotent, for lack of a better word.

I’dnever tasted anything so sweet.

Butit wasn’t just the typical magic generated by a blend of supernatural beings.No, the strongest magic came from deep in the earth under my feet.Therehad to be a nexus of ley lines through here for the magic to vibrate so forcefully.

Itwas intoxicating.

Asif it was encouraging me to let myself go, to wallow in it, to bask in its vibrating energy like a dragon shifter on a sun-heated rock.

Andthat was dangerous.

Thelast timeI’dbeen close toWillowLake,Ihadn’t crossed the town boundary.Imet the localChiefofPolice,VanClark, by the town sign, soIdidn’t realize this was here.NowIwondered ifVandecided to meet me outside town for a reason.Hadhe anticipated how it would affect me?Hadhe kept me out of here on purpose?

ForcenturiesI’dwandered the earth searching for a place to call my own.Howdare he keepWillowLakehidden from me?

Then, as quickly as my ire rose, it ebbed.Duringthat brief interaction with the hellhound,I’dfelt his strong sense of duty.Evenif most people didn’t know a lot about my kind, he would at least have known having a demon tethered to the place he called home, acting as a guardian, would be advantageous.

Ofcourse, that arrangement was even more advantageous for the demon.

Butas this foreign magic danced around me, a fragile hopeIhadn’t realized still lived inside my heart unfurled.Itwhispered to me.Couldthis be the placeI’vebeen searching for?Iswallowed hard and shoved that hope back down.Sure, this was the first timeI’dexperienced such an intense reaction to a place, butIneeded more information beforeIgot too excited.

Asif sensing my reluctance, those invisible fingers of magic pulled at me, inviting me to sink into the earth and never leave.Theytugged at my psyche, luring me into their embrace with seductive promises:Thisis the place.Welcome.Youare here.Youare home.We’vebeen waiting for you.We’rethrilled to have you.Sohappy you finally found us.

Itwas too much.Tootempting.Asiren’s temptation.

Wasit a trick?Somethingmeant to trap me here?