Fluff and Puff, in their protective circle, hovered by him.
“Thank you for your offer, Derwood, but this is between Amira and me,” she said.
“Do you think you can best her?” he asked hopefully.
“I don’t know.” There were times she had to be honest even if it hurt. She wiped her damp palms down her jeans. She popped back into the bedroom again to rummage through her bag of supplies and returned holding a smooth stone. “It holds a powerful protection.” She placed it in his hand.
He looked puzzled by her offering. “But I thought magick didn’t work here.”
“I think earth and stone magick will. It needs to be something clean and pure. I’m hoping with the house constructed from stone, that this will counteract the negative effects she’s been using. Or at least slow things down.”
“But wouldn’t this stone pick up on whatever is in the house?” he asked, tucking the stone in his jacket pocket.
“It’s not infused with her blood. That’s a point for our side.” She mentally ran through her knowledge of earth magick. She really should have listened more during those classes in the Witches Academy! “And if her blood heightened the spell—maybe, her blood can negate it,” she said to herself.
“Are you talking about killing her?” Derwood asked.
Jazz looked back at Nick. Any trepidation at facing down a sorceress who was much older than her and definitely more powerful disappeared in a flash.
“Yes,” she said simply.
Chapter 11
“This is a very bad idea,” Jazz muttered, starting down the hallway. Except she seemed to walk forever. Her first inclination was to slam her palm against the wall to see what would happen. But a mirror that suddenly appeared over a small table showed she’d aged a good thirty years. More silver in her hair and, was that a wattle ?
The three of you will complete me. Oh Griet, you are like a fine chocolate. Amira’s voice purred inside her head. I had no idea witches carried so much power. You have gifts you haven’t even tapped into yet. Never fear. I will make use of all you’ve ignored.
Jazz ground her molars. “You’ve turned really annoying.”
She yelped when blood flowed down the walls.
“Is that all you’ve got? The effects were better in The Shining .” She sidestepped the red flood and headed for the back stairs. She was determined to find that mystery door in the attic.
“I can’t let you go up there, Miss Jazz,” Zorak stood guard at the narrow door to the stairs. The zombie looked properly apologetic as he blocked the way. His roving eye rolled even more, threatening to fall out of the socket.
“Which means I do need to go up there,” she told him. “Zorak, you know things are very wrong here. I need to make them right before the rest of us die.”
He shifted from one boat-sized foot to the other. “Amira’s powerful and you don’t got no magick now.”
“I still have a brain.” Says the scarecrow.
“Smarts don’t help with her. Only magick. Hers is black as midnight,” he said.
Jazz shook her head and pushed past him. “I know you won’t hurt me, Zorak,” she said over her shoulder, as she climbed the steep stairs. The candle sconces were unlit but she had a faint light from the opening that guided her steps. She still ascended carefully. The last thing she wanted was to fall backwards down these stairs and break something important.
Within a couple steps she felt a suffocating closeness as the air seemed to be sucked out of the stairway.
I admire your bravery, Griet . Amira’s voice sounded overhead again. That is the only reason I am allowing you to make your very short journey. You amuse me.
“Yeah, well, you can just kiss my Religion Jeans ass,” she muttered, breathing shallowly even as her head spun from the thinning air.
I am going to like the modern world. It is so colorful.
A warm dry breeze moved through the air, bringing to mind distant deserts and
“Thank you for your offer, Derwood, but this is between Amira and me,” she said.
“Do you think you can best her?” he asked hopefully.
“I don’t know.” There were times she had to be honest even if it hurt. She wiped her damp palms down her jeans. She popped back into the bedroom again to rummage through her bag of supplies and returned holding a smooth stone. “It holds a powerful protection.” She placed it in his hand.
He looked puzzled by her offering. “But I thought magick didn’t work here.”
“I think earth and stone magick will. It needs to be something clean and pure. I’m hoping with the house constructed from stone, that this will counteract the negative effects she’s been using. Or at least slow things down.”
“But wouldn’t this stone pick up on whatever is in the house?” he asked, tucking the stone in his jacket pocket.
“It’s not infused with her blood. That’s a point for our side.” She mentally ran through her knowledge of earth magick. She really should have listened more during those classes in the Witches Academy! “And if her blood heightened the spell—maybe, her blood can negate it,” she said to herself.
“Are you talking about killing her?” Derwood asked.
Jazz looked back at Nick. Any trepidation at facing down a sorceress who was much older than her and definitely more powerful disappeared in a flash.
“Yes,” she said simply.
Chapter 11
“This is a very bad idea,” Jazz muttered, starting down the hallway. Except she seemed to walk forever. Her first inclination was to slam her palm against the wall to see what would happen. But a mirror that suddenly appeared over a small table showed she’d aged a good thirty years. More silver in her hair and, was that a wattle ?
The three of you will complete me. Oh Griet, you are like a fine chocolate. Amira’s voice purred inside her head. I had no idea witches carried so much power. You have gifts you haven’t even tapped into yet. Never fear. I will make use of all you’ve ignored.
Jazz ground her molars. “You’ve turned really annoying.”
She yelped when blood flowed down the walls.
“Is that all you’ve got? The effects were better in The Shining .” She sidestepped the red flood and headed for the back stairs. She was determined to find that mystery door in the attic.
“I can’t let you go up there, Miss Jazz,” Zorak stood guard at the narrow door to the stairs. The zombie looked properly apologetic as he blocked the way. His roving eye rolled even more, threatening to fall out of the socket.
“Which means I do need to go up there,” she told him. “Zorak, you know things are very wrong here. I need to make them right before the rest of us die.”
He shifted from one boat-sized foot to the other. “Amira’s powerful and you don’t got no magick now.”
“I still have a brain.” Says the scarecrow.
“Smarts don’t help with her. Only magick. Hers is black as midnight,” he said.
Jazz shook her head and pushed past him. “I know you won’t hurt me, Zorak,” she said over her shoulder, as she climbed the steep stairs. The candle sconces were unlit but she had a faint light from the opening that guided her steps. She still ascended carefully. The last thing she wanted was to fall backwards down these stairs and break something important.
Within a couple steps she felt a suffocating closeness as the air seemed to be sucked out of the stairway.
I admire your bravery, Griet . Amira’s voice sounded overhead again. That is the only reason I am allowing you to make your very short journey. You amuse me.
“Yeah, well, you can just kiss my Religion Jeans ass,” she muttered, breathing shallowly even as her head spun from the thinning air.
I am going to like the modern world. It is so colorful.
A warm dry breeze moved through the air, bringing to mind distant deserts and
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