Page 42 of Reckless Witch

“Shall I return tomorrow before five?” he asks.

I shake my head and start to reply when the rapid click of small hooves on wooden floors approaches from the foyer. I know that sound. The man’s eyes shift past me and I cry out in delight as Stony trots into the room, snout high as she sniffs the air.

The man’s eyes shift to me, brows lifted. “A pig as a familiar?

“You don’t want to see her true shape, so I suggest you leave without causing any trouble,” I say, and suddenly wonder why Stony hadn’t sensed his presence in the house. Had she just arrived? I hadn’t heard the click of her hooves on the front porch.

Stony continues to the man, then sniffs his pants leg. His brows lift, but when she turns and waddles away, he relaxes. “She likes me,” he says. “That should count for something.”

“Stony’s easier going than I am.” That’s a complete lie, but she isn’t going wonky, so I relax a bit.

A breeze wafts the curtain to the left of the fireplace. I keep my eyes on the man. Grams never left windows open. Did someone leave it open during the investigation or is that how the man got in?

“Enough chitchat,” I say. “It’s been a hard day and it’s late.”

He rubs the arm of the chair. “Does the hard day have anything to do with your shop being closed?”

So, he does know.

Somewhere in the house, a door slams.

Dammit.

“Who the hell are you?” Before he can answer, I add, “If you brought friends, I’ll—”

Stony squeals and rams the back of my legs. I fall to the floor. Something green and iridescent grazes the sleeve of my jacket. The man dives for the floor. The green goo burns a hole through the chair back and continues out the other side. Not the armoire. Yes, it continues through Grams’ armoire. I push to my knees. I have no idea what the hell that was, so have no idea how to stop it. How far will the goo go before losing momentum?

The man jumps to his feet. “There will be more.”

Stony growls.

“You said she liked you,” I snap.

“She isn’t growling at me.”

A shudder shakes the house. The man weaves toward me. I scramble to my feet and take a step toward the foyer, but Stony bumps my legs, again. The man reaches my side as a green, eight-foot-tall demon ducks through the archway. Green demon. Green goo. Of course.

The man yanks me into a bear hug and dives for the back of the couch. The demon bellows. Stony squeals. The man and I hit the carpet. He releases me and we both peer over the back of the couch. Stony has shifted to her full seven-foot height.

She charges the demon. The creature emits an ear-splitting scream. How the hell did a demon of this magnitude get past Grams’ warding spell? I didn’t think it was possible for any amount of real evil to enter this house. The demon flings another green goo ball at us. We dive left, me landing on top of the stranger.

He grabs my shoulders. “Maybe another time, eh, sweet?” He sets me aside and leaps to his feet.

Fuck this. I jump to my feet and see Stony swipe at the demon. Her claws slice down the creature’s left side and she ducks when the thing dives for her. Thankfully, this green thing must be some kind of lower demon—slow and very stupid. But deadly. The creature begins to whirl toward Stony, but not before Stony sinks her fangs into its rump.

Green goo splatters Stony’s face, but she holds on for dear life. The demon throws its head back and claws the air above its back. My heart nearly stops when one long talon sweeps perilously close to Stony’s side. I throw my hands out to my sides and pool all my focus. The sigil burns like a bitch, but balls of thick, swirling black energy rise from my palms.

“Jump, Stony,” I shout.

I throw first the right, then the left shadow ball. Stony drops to the floor, bites the demon’s leg, then rolls into the foyer before the demon’s talons swipe the empty spot on the floor. The demon whirls toward us and the first ball hits its stomach, the second, its chest. It manages two steps, then explodes in a rainfall of green goo.

Chapter Nineteen

BLADE

Missing Witches and Green Demons

I enter Raith’s office. It’s almost midnight but, as usual, he’s still working. With Ciarah back, none of us are getting much rest.