exited the first room he came across before she turned and headed to the right. Her footsteps sounded as loud as gunshots as she walked, sparing only cursory glances at the rooms she passed. She came to an intersection in the hallway and turned to the left.
Katie’s essence lingered in the air almost like perfume, guiding Samantha. She’d worked for years not to notice the impressions people left behind them when they passed through places. Now she was grateful she hadn’t lost the skill entirely. The closer she got to Katie, the more her own fear increased.
A ripple like a shock wave suddenly passed through her, forcing a gasp through her clenched teeth. Someone else had entered the building.
She began to run, praying as she did so. At the end of the corridor she took a left and then plunged into the open room on her right.
Moonlight streamed through the large windows, painting everything in a silvery sheen. Lab desks sat silent, and jars of preserved frogs and fetal pigs awaiting dissection sat on the counter that ran along the wall next to her. Katie was at the far end, on her knees, a piece of chalk clutched in her hands as she finished drawing around herself.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Samantha demanded.
“It’s a protection circle,” Katie said between sobs. “They’re coming for me and I need to be safe.”
“Idiot. You think some chalk on the ground is going to protect you from anything?” Samantha hissed.
“But—it’s a circle, and I’m going to ask the goddess to bless it.”
“Have you ever asked the goddess for anything, ever? Or any deity, for that matter?”
“Well, I have—”
And then the hair on the back of Samantha’s neck stood on end. “Ssh,” she said, holding up a hand. She turned and closed her eyes, and then she heard the merest whisper of movement.
Samantha pulled her Swiss Army knife out of her pocket and tossed it to Katie. “Form the circle using your blood,” she whispered as she took a step forward and drew her gun. She squared herself so she was facing the door but turned her head so that she could see the opening only out of the corner of her right eye. She focused on her breathing, slowing it down. She stretched her other senses, straining to see, hear, smell everything that she could.
Katie was crying quietly, but Samantha could smell the faintest hint of blood. So the girl was at least doing as she had said. Not that the circle would protect her from a human assailant, but if the thing that had gutted her ex-boyfriend was coming after her, it would slow the creature down.
A breath of wind touched her cheek.
She tensed all her muscles, preparing to move in a moment.
Samantha,
a voice seemed to whisper inside her head.
It was coming.
In the distance she heard a shot ring out, then another. Bile rose in her throat as she thought about Ed. Had the witch found him first? By sending him in the opposite direction had she sent him to his death?
Her chest felt constricted, like a giant hand was crushing her rib cage. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears, and her fingers wrapped around the gun were slick with sweat.
I can’t do this,
she thought, panicking.
She shifted her gun to her left hand and raised her right, energy crackling along her fingertips as the adrenaline rushed through her body.
Samantha!
the voice repeated.
The witch knows who I am. It will kill Katie and me and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
Waves of despair and hopelessness rushed over her. It was no use fighting—she would lose. Even if she used magic and broke every vow she had made to herself and God, they would still die.
“Samantha!”
The voice was louder, more insistent, and suddenly she realized it was actually coming from behind her.
She twisted her head so she could see Katie, who stood swaying on her feet, her eyes frozen in terror on a cloud of green mist that was hovering just outside the window. And then it was seeping through the gaps in
Katie’s essence lingered in the air almost like perfume, guiding Samantha. She’d worked for years not to notice the impressions people left behind them when they passed through places. Now she was grateful she hadn’t lost the skill entirely. The closer she got to Katie, the more her own fear increased.
A ripple like a shock wave suddenly passed through her, forcing a gasp through her clenched teeth. Someone else had entered the building.
She began to run, praying as she did so. At the end of the corridor she took a left and then plunged into the open room on her right.
Moonlight streamed through the large windows, painting everything in a silvery sheen. Lab desks sat silent, and jars of preserved frogs and fetal pigs awaiting dissection sat on the counter that ran along the wall next to her. Katie was at the far end, on her knees, a piece of chalk clutched in her hands as she finished drawing around herself.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Samantha demanded.
“It’s a protection circle,” Katie said between sobs. “They’re coming for me and I need to be safe.”
“Idiot. You think some chalk on the ground is going to protect you from anything?” Samantha hissed.
“But—it’s a circle, and I’m going to ask the goddess to bless it.”
“Have you ever asked the goddess for anything, ever? Or any deity, for that matter?”
“Well, I have—”
And then the hair on the back of Samantha’s neck stood on end. “Ssh,” she said, holding up a hand. She turned and closed her eyes, and then she heard the merest whisper of movement.
Samantha pulled her Swiss Army knife out of her pocket and tossed it to Katie. “Form the circle using your blood,” she whispered as she took a step forward and drew her gun. She squared herself so she was facing the door but turned her head so that she could see the opening only out of the corner of her right eye. She focused on her breathing, slowing it down. She stretched her other senses, straining to see, hear, smell everything that she could.
Katie was crying quietly, but Samantha could smell the faintest hint of blood. So the girl was at least doing as she had said. Not that the circle would protect her from a human assailant, but if the thing that had gutted her ex-boyfriend was coming after her, it would slow the creature down.
A breath of wind touched her cheek.
She tensed all her muscles, preparing to move in a moment.
Samantha,
a voice seemed to whisper inside her head.
It was coming.
In the distance she heard a shot ring out, then another. Bile rose in her throat as she thought about Ed. Had the witch found him first? By sending him in the opposite direction had she sent him to his death?
Her chest felt constricted, like a giant hand was crushing her rib cage. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears, and her fingers wrapped around the gun were slick with sweat.
I can’t do this,
she thought, panicking.
She shifted her gun to her left hand and raised her right, energy crackling along her fingertips as the adrenaline rushed through her body.
Samantha!
the voice repeated.
The witch knows who I am. It will kill Katie and me and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
Waves of despair and hopelessness rushed over her. It was no use fighting—she would lose. Even if she used magic and broke every vow she had made to herself and God, they would still die.
“Samantha!”
The voice was louder, more insistent, and suddenly she realized it was actually coming from behind her.
She twisted her head so she could see Katie, who stood swaying on her feet, her eyes frozen in terror on a cloud of green mist that was hovering just outside the window. And then it was seeping through the gaps in
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