phone away and got to her feet to close the distance between us.
“I’m glad you made it home okay,” she said as she wrapped me in a hug. I squeezed her close for a few seconds and felt the warmth of her press against my aura. Ever since I’d given the Goddess’s gift to her, she’d felt like that, like a ray of sunlight that warmed the soul. She pulled back and turned her smile on Gage. “Hi, I’m Wanda. You must be Chance’s proctor.”
He took her proffered hand in his and tilted it so that her fingers were draped over his, then inclined his head slightly.
“Winthrop Gage,” he said. “I’m delighted to meet you. Chance speaks highly of you.”
Her smile warmed up a few notches from merely radiant to something just shy of needing welding goggles to protect my eyes.
“Come on, guys,” I said. “Let’s get moving. Those miles aren’t gonna run themselves.” I set an easy pace, just fast enough to start a burn in my legs and make me sweat. Our morning runs weren’t about training for a marathon, they were mostly to build endurance and keep me in good shape. Dr. Corwyn had insisted that I start running when he first started training me, and lately, Lucas and Wanda had joined me. I didn’t bother checking on Gage. Lucas and Wanda kept pace with me with ease, and Junkyard ran along beside me like it was nothing.
We rounded a curve near a wooded area, and I slowed when I felt something at the edge of my mystic senses. Wanda and Lucas slowed too, both of them looking around as if they felt something off as well. Lucas had some Talent, and Wanda’s communion with the Goddess on the Equinox had left her a little more perceptive to some things than normal people. It was Wanda’s reaction that worried me more, since her sensitivity was more in tune with the Celestial and Infernal than to magick.
“You guys feel that?” she asked as she came to a stop. Lucas and I stopped as well and nodded. Gage jogged up behind us, then blinked as he came to a stop and scanned left and right.
“Feels … nasty,” Lucas offered. “Kinda like that thing we ran into on the way home, but …”
“Weaker,” Gage finished. “Much weaker, like an old summoning circle.” Wanda turned toward the opening of a trail and pointed.
“That way,” she said, and plunged ahead. We followed and twenty yards later came out in the middle of an old clearing. An outline of chalk sketched a rough circle near the middle, and a pile of ash marked a fire that had been lit in the center.
“I was right,” Gage said as he pointed to his right. “You can see the summoner’s circle of protection over there, and that must have been the portal itself in the center.”
I walked over to the smaller circle and knelt down to take a closer look. What Gage had described as the summoner’s circle intersected the main circle, so that part of it was inside. The ash pile was only a few steps away, and I nudged it with the toe of my sneaker. The overturned ash floated like a small cloud and revealed black squares of charred wood.
“Clearly someone summoned a demon here,” Gage was saying. “There’s no telling what Infernal errand they sent it upon.” He stopped when he heard me laugh. “Is there something about summoning demons that you find amusing?”
“Oh, no, I’d take this very seriously,” I said. “If this was a summoning circle instead of a conjure circle.”
“A distinction without a difference,” Gage said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m clearly the senior mage here, plebe. Shut your mouth and open your ears and you might actually learn something.”
“Sure,” I said with a grin. “What year do they teach demon summoning?” I waited while he sputtered for an answer, then shook my head. “A conjure circle pulls a demon’s presence without calling their form. The summoner’s circle intersects the containment circle, and the fire creates a sort of medium for the demon’s presence to take shape in.
“I’m glad you made it home okay,” she said as she wrapped me in a hug. I squeezed her close for a few seconds and felt the warmth of her press against my aura. Ever since I’d given the Goddess’s gift to her, she’d felt like that, like a ray of sunlight that warmed the soul. She pulled back and turned her smile on Gage. “Hi, I’m Wanda. You must be Chance’s proctor.”
He took her proffered hand in his and tilted it so that her fingers were draped over his, then inclined his head slightly.
“Winthrop Gage,” he said. “I’m delighted to meet you. Chance speaks highly of you.”
Her smile warmed up a few notches from merely radiant to something just shy of needing welding goggles to protect my eyes.
“Come on, guys,” I said. “Let’s get moving. Those miles aren’t gonna run themselves.” I set an easy pace, just fast enough to start a burn in my legs and make me sweat. Our morning runs weren’t about training for a marathon, they were mostly to build endurance and keep me in good shape. Dr. Corwyn had insisted that I start running when he first started training me, and lately, Lucas and Wanda had joined me. I didn’t bother checking on Gage. Lucas and Wanda kept pace with me with ease, and Junkyard ran along beside me like it was nothing.
We rounded a curve near a wooded area, and I slowed when I felt something at the edge of my mystic senses. Wanda and Lucas slowed too, both of them looking around as if they felt something off as well. Lucas had some Talent, and Wanda’s communion with the Goddess on the Equinox had left her a little more perceptive to some things than normal people. It was Wanda’s reaction that worried me more, since her sensitivity was more in tune with the Celestial and Infernal than to magick.
“You guys feel that?” she asked as she came to a stop. Lucas and I stopped as well and nodded. Gage jogged up behind us, then blinked as he came to a stop and scanned left and right.
“Feels … nasty,” Lucas offered. “Kinda like that thing we ran into on the way home, but …”
“Weaker,” Gage finished. “Much weaker, like an old summoning circle.” Wanda turned toward the opening of a trail and pointed.
“That way,” she said, and plunged ahead. We followed and twenty yards later came out in the middle of an old clearing. An outline of chalk sketched a rough circle near the middle, and a pile of ash marked a fire that had been lit in the center.
“I was right,” Gage said as he pointed to his right. “You can see the summoner’s circle of protection over there, and that must have been the portal itself in the center.”
I walked over to the smaller circle and knelt down to take a closer look. What Gage had described as the summoner’s circle intersected the main circle, so that part of it was inside. The ash pile was only a few steps away, and I nudged it with the toe of my sneaker. The overturned ash floated like a small cloud and revealed black squares of charred wood.
“Clearly someone summoned a demon here,” Gage was saying. “There’s no telling what Infernal errand they sent it upon.” He stopped when he heard me laugh. “Is there something about summoning demons that you find amusing?”
“Oh, no, I’d take this very seriously,” I said. “If this was a summoning circle instead of a conjure circle.”
“A distinction without a difference,” Gage said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m clearly the senior mage here, plebe. Shut your mouth and open your ears and you might actually learn something.”
“Sure,” I said with a grin. “What year do they teach demon summoning?” I waited while he sputtered for an answer, then shook my head. “A conjure circle pulls a demon’s presence without calling their form. The summoner’s circle intersects the containment circle, and the fire creates a sort of medium for the demon’s presence to take shape in.
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