activities silent.
Clancy hesitated at the SUV. “Are you fit to drive?”
Mark stared at her. His eyes were a clear blue, his face tired. He threw the keys to her and climbed into the passenger’s seat.
The powerful ward of the SUV closing around them was blissful. A tremor of relief shivered through Clancy and she finally released the geo-power that had surged in response to her fear. It slipped back into its usual flow beneath California and off into the seabed of the Pacific Ocean.
Jeremy would rant at her for the disturbance.
She started the SUV’s engine and drove home. Her phone rang within thirty seconds. She fished it out of a pocket, then swore and dropped it as an idiot in a red sports car pulled out in front of her. “Insane LA drivers.” She picked up the phone and passed it to Mark. “Can you check if it’s Grandma?”
Mark checked the display. “Yes.” He felt a bit like he was walking underwater; breathing water, too. His lungs hurt.
“Can you answer it, please?”
He did even as Clancy kept talking.
“She probably felt the earth magic I used.”
Doris probably had. She certainly sounded worried. “Clancy, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Grandma,” Clancy raised her voice.
“Why are you shouting?”
Mark stirred himself to answer. “Because I’m holding the phone. Clancy’s driving.”
“Mark.” Silence for a moment. “What’s happened?”
He glanced at Clancy, who kept her gaze on the road. She’d fought a demon for him. Well, for her own survival, too, but she could have run. Instead, she’d blasted open a circle of summoning and the demon had fled from her.
“Mark?” Doris demanded.
How long had he been silent, thinking. “We’re okay. We’re on our way home.”
“Come straight to the cottage.” Doris hung up.
He wasn’t sure if she meant Clancy or both of them. It didn’t matter. At a minimum he owed Clancy the courtesy of standing with her when she told Doris about their encounter with Faust. Damn . He closed his eyes. He’d brought Clancy into danger. He had believed Rivera when she’d said she could handle Faust.
Had the demon been lying or was Faust a demon lord?
Chapter 6
Clancy drove through the ward around the Yarren Estate and felt even safer than on entering the warded SUV. Her foot lightened on the accelerator, and she no longer had to wonder if other drivers on the public roads were possessed by Faust.
She just had to worry about Mark. He looked terrible. Then again, how else would you expect someone who’d been drained by a demon lord and almost taken to Hell to look? She drove to Doris’s cottage and parked behind her own little white car.
The power in the chamber beneath the cottage crested in a huge wave and gathered her in.
She was safe. She was home. But now, she had to calm the geo-forces she’d stirred up.
Jeremy was probably trying to do the same thing. If he hadn’t been, he’d have already phoned her to yell about her reckless use of geo-power in his territory.
What else could I have done? She couldn’t have stood by and let Mark die; or stood by and let the demon consume her and Rivera, next.
Doris met them on the front porch. She wore slippers with her good “going shopping” clothes: a green corduroy jacket with a yellow turtleneck sweater over a denim skirt. She reached for Clancy. “Mark will explain. You go on down to the chamber.”
“I didn’t mean to disturb things,” Clancy said.
“I’m not blaming you for anything, honey. I think you need the chamber as much as it needs you.”
Clancy thought of entering into the silence that would cradle her like a baby. “Maybe I do.” She turned to Mark. “Will you be okay?”
“Absolutely.” Lines of exhaustion bracketed his mouth. He appeared ten years older.
Clancy glanced at Doris, who gave a small nod. She’d look after him. Clancy walked in, straight through to the laundry room, and opened the trapdoor to the chamber. She didn’t
Clancy hesitated at the SUV. “Are you fit to drive?”
Mark stared at her. His eyes were a clear blue, his face tired. He threw the keys to her and climbed into the passenger’s seat.
The powerful ward of the SUV closing around them was blissful. A tremor of relief shivered through Clancy and she finally released the geo-power that had surged in response to her fear. It slipped back into its usual flow beneath California and off into the seabed of the Pacific Ocean.
Jeremy would rant at her for the disturbance.
She started the SUV’s engine and drove home. Her phone rang within thirty seconds. She fished it out of a pocket, then swore and dropped it as an idiot in a red sports car pulled out in front of her. “Insane LA drivers.” She picked up the phone and passed it to Mark. “Can you check if it’s Grandma?”
Mark checked the display. “Yes.” He felt a bit like he was walking underwater; breathing water, too. His lungs hurt.
“Can you answer it, please?”
He did even as Clancy kept talking.
“She probably felt the earth magic I used.”
Doris probably had. She certainly sounded worried. “Clancy, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Grandma,” Clancy raised her voice.
“Why are you shouting?”
Mark stirred himself to answer. “Because I’m holding the phone. Clancy’s driving.”
“Mark.” Silence for a moment. “What’s happened?”
He glanced at Clancy, who kept her gaze on the road. She’d fought a demon for him. Well, for her own survival, too, but she could have run. Instead, she’d blasted open a circle of summoning and the demon had fled from her.
“Mark?” Doris demanded.
How long had he been silent, thinking. “We’re okay. We’re on our way home.”
“Come straight to the cottage.” Doris hung up.
He wasn’t sure if she meant Clancy or both of them. It didn’t matter. At a minimum he owed Clancy the courtesy of standing with her when she told Doris about their encounter with Faust. Damn . He closed his eyes. He’d brought Clancy into danger. He had believed Rivera when she’d said she could handle Faust.
Had the demon been lying or was Faust a demon lord?
Chapter 6
Clancy drove through the ward around the Yarren Estate and felt even safer than on entering the warded SUV. Her foot lightened on the accelerator, and she no longer had to wonder if other drivers on the public roads were possessed by Faust.
She just had to worry about Mark. He looked terrible. Then again, how else would you expect someone who’d been drained by a demon lord and almost taken to Hell to look? She drove to Doris’s cottage and parked behind her own little white car.
The power in the chamber beneath the cottage crested in a huge wave and gathered her in.
She was safe. She was home. But now, she had to calm the geo-forces she’d stirred up.
Jeremy was probably trying to do the same thing. If he hadn’t been, he’d have already phoned her to yell about her reckless use of geo-power in his territory.
What else could I have done? She couldn’t have stood by and let Mark die; or stood by and let the demon consume her and Rivera, next.
Doris met them on the front porch. She wore slippers with her good “going shopping” clothes: a green corduroy jacket with a yellow turtleneck sweater over a denim skirt. She reached for Clancy. “Mark will explain. You go on down to the chamber.”
“I didn’t mean to disturb things,” Clancy said.
“I’m not blaming you for anything, honey. I think you need the chamber as much as it needs you.”
Clancy thought of entering into the silence that would cradle her like a baby. “Maybe I do.” She turned to Mark. “Will you be okay?”
“Absolutely.” Lines of exhaustion bracketed his mouth. He appeared ten years older.
Clancy glanced at Doris, who gave a small nod. She’d look after him. Clancy walked in, straight through to the laundry room, and opened the trapdoor to the chamber. She didn’t
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