“ Illuminate!” The pentagram circle sprang to life around me and Kane, locking us in and everyone else out.
The illusionist came to a full stop and hovered in the air near the circle’s edge, but didn’t try to cross over. It was then I knew for sure she was something other than an entertainer. There was no cable. She was literally flying through the air.
Her lips curved up into an evil smile. “See all my followers? They’re kindly feeding my power. One word from me and they’ll tear this place apart. Drop the circle, or the club is getting a makeover.”
“Don’t do it, Jade,” Kane said, anger radiating off him in waves.
“Wasn’t even considering it.” I glanced at the patrons. They were all enthralled, totally under the dancer’s spell. She’d said they were feeding her power, but really she was stealing their strength in order to maintain her magic. And she’d trapped them in her web in less than five minutes, the time I’d been in Kane’s office.
The evil dancer hissed at us and then lowered herself until she was just above the crowd. Her emerald eyes crinkled with menace. “Hear me, you lovelies,” she called, holding her arms out. A wave of their collective lust flew through the air and into the palms of her hands. “Lose your inhibitions and fulfill your heart’s desires. Tap into your darkest— Oomph!”
My magic hit her squarely in the chest, cutting off the enchantment she was trying to inflict on the patrons gathered beneath her.
Her gaze snapped back to me. “You’ll pay for that.”
“You first,” I spat. I didn’t know what she was, but she’d clearly been spinning the audience into a frenzy in order to use their lust to build her power. Glaring at her, I sent another bolt of magical lightning in her direction.
She dodged, keeping the attention of the patrons below her. They didn’t seem to be able to tear their eyes from her.
“Who are you?” Kane asked her, the muscle in his jaw pulsing with tension.
“Not who, incubus, but what.” She twirled above us, enjoying the taunt.
“She’s a demon,” I said to Kane, not entirely sure I was correct, but I was going to work under the assumption she was.
“One that flies?” he asked, raising one eyebrow.
“Why not?”
“I’m not a demon,” she snapped.
“No? What are you then? A black magic witch? A rogue angel?”
“I’m your worst nightmare.” She bared her teeth to me and dove straight for us again.
Kane stepped forward, trying to shield me.
“Out of the way.” I shoved him, my magic already streaming from my fingertips. This bitch wasn’t going to stop until she breached the barrier. My only option was to neutralize her. The magic poured from my palms, bolting straight through my already weakened circle. The flash of light hit her in the chest, barely causing her to flinch. A second later, the evil being twirled and vanished right before our eyes. “Dammit!”
“What?” Kane asked glancing around. “She’s gone.”
“No, she isn’t. She’s just hiding out.” I scanned the confused crowd. Many of them were fleeing toward the front door, but many more sank into chairs to recover from however long they’d been watching the dancer.
“Do you feel her?” Kane pulled me through the club, scanning for any sign of her.
I shook my head. “There are too many people here. We have to shut down. Send them home before someone gets hurt.”
Kane gave me a short nod and led us to the front door.
Jeff was standing outside, his feet shoulder width apart, his arms crossed over his chest, taking up as much space as he could to keep the rowdy crowd on their side of the velvet rope.
“We’re shutting it down,” Kane told Jeff. “Send them home. We’ll be inside clearing out the club.”
Jeff raised an eyebrow in question. “Seriously? That’s some major cash you’re throwing away.”
“Doesn’t matter. Just do what you have to.”
“You got it, boss.” Jeff spoke into a hand-held
The illusionist came to a full stop and hovered in the air near the circle’s edge, but didn’t try to cross over. It was then I knew for sure she was something other than an entertainer. There was no cable. She was literally flying through the air.
Her lips curved up into an evil smile. “See all my followers? They’re kindly feeding my power. One word from me and they’ll tear this place apart. Drop the circle, or the club is getting a makeover.”
“Don’t do it, Jade,” Kane said, anger radiating off him in waves.
“Wasn’t even considering it.” I glanced at the patrons. They were all enthralled, totally under the dancer’s spell. She’d said they were feeding her power, but really she was stealing their strength in order to maintain her magic. And she’d trapped them in her web in less than five minutes, the time I’d been in Kane’s office.
The evil dancer hissed at us and then lowered herself until she was just above the crowd. Her emerald eyes crinkled with menace. “Hear me, you lovelies,” she called, holding her arms out. A wave of their collective lust flew through the air and into the palms of her hands. “Lose your inhibitions and fulfill your heart’s desires. Tap into your darkest— Oomph!”
My magic hit her squarely in the chest, cutting off the enchantment she was trying to inflict on the patrons gathered beneath her.
Her gaze snapped back to me. “You’ll pay for that.”
“You first,” I spat. I didn’t know what she was, but she’d clearly been spinning the audience into a frenzy in order to use their lust to build her power. Glaring at her, I sent another bolt of magical lightning in her direction.
She dodged, keeping the attention of the patrons below her. They didn’t seem to be able to tear their eyes from her.
“Who are you?” Kane asked her, the muscle in his jaw pulsing with tension.
“Not who, incubus, but what.” She twirled above us, enjoying the taunt.
“She’s a demon,” I said to Kane, not entirely sure I was correct, but I was going to work under the assumption she was.
“One that flies?” he asked, raising one eyebrow.
“Why not?”
“I’m not a demon,” she snapped.
“No? What are you then? A black magic witch? A rogue angel?”
“I’m your worst nightmare.” She bared her teeth to me and dove straight for us again.
Kane stepped forward, trying to shield me.
“Out of the way.” I shoved him, my magic already streaming from my fingertips. This bitch wasn’t going to stop until she breached the barrier. My only option was to neutralize her. The magic poured from my palms, bolting straight through my already weakened circle. The flash of light hit her in the chest, barely causing her to flinch. A second later, the evil being twirled and vanished right before our eyes. “Dammit!”
“What?” Kane asked glancing around. “She’s gone.”
“No, she isn’t. She’s just hiding out.” I scanned the confused crowd. Many of them were fleeing toward the front door, but many more sank into chairs to recover from however long they’d been watching the dancer.
“Do you feel her?” Kane pulled me through the club, scanning for any sign of her.
I shook my head. “There are too many people here. We have to shut down. Send them home before someone gets hurt.”
Kane gave me a short nod and led us to the front door.
Jeff was standing outside, his feet shoulder width apart, his arms crossed over his chest, taking up as much space as he could to keep the rowdy crowd on their side of the velvet rope.
“We’re shutting it down,” Kane told Jeff. “Send them home. We’ll be inside clearing out the club.”
Jeff raised an eyebrow in question. “Seriously? That’s some major cash you’re throwing away.”
“Doesn’t matter. Just do what you have to.”
“You got it, boss.” Jeff spoke into a hand-held
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