Air whipped against my face as I flew through the air.
Dastien screamed my name, his fear ripping through our bond.
I landed with a thud, but something soft was between the ground and me. The scent of pine told me who it was. Dastien had softened my landing.
Thanks. You okay? I asked.
Yeah. I’ve taken worse hits.
The others?
We weren’t close enough to get hit by the blast. I barely had time to catch you.
Next time maybe catch me before I hit the ground. I groaned as I rolled off him. Even with him there, it still hurt to hit that hard.
His soft laugh ran through our bond. Why don’t we just try to not have a next time? Okay?
“Teeereeeessa.” The way Claudia drew my name out lifted all the hairs on my arms.
I slowly turned to the doors.
Raphael was scrambling down the stairs. Beyond him, a figure moved back and forth, just out of the reach of the sun.
A major demon.
This one looked like a teenage girl dressed in skinny jeans and a black T-shirt, but the way it moved its head wasn’t natural. And the red eyes were unmistakable. My side had healed, but I’d gotten lucky the last time. I couldn’t get that close again.
“It won’t come outside while the sun’s high,” Raphael said. “I don’t understand how it’s even here.”
“She must’ve summoned it last night,” Shane said. “It’s been trapped there all day.”
“This one’s more powerful than the last.” Cosette yanked off her glove and tossed it. A shining new sword appeared in her hands.
“They’re dead…” Claudia’s soft voice drew my attention to the church beyond. The pews were set at a diagonal, leaving a wide center aisle. Lumps filled that space. Some bigger. Some smaller. A foot stuck into the aisle near the back.
Bodies. She’d drained the New Mexico coven. That was why I hadn’t heard from the witch again.
The demon whirled, heading into the darkness of the sanctuary.
“Help!” The call sounded again.
It wasn’t too late to help at least one of them. “Stop!” I threw my magic at the demon, putting all my will behind the word, but it barely froze for a second. We needed more firepower. “Everyone got your vials?”
Raphael ran back to the car, but the rest of us were ready. I grabbed a few vials from my bag and left the flap open for easy grabbing. The other brujos came to stand beside me, potions in hand.
Raphael came back with a metal bat.
“You sure about that?” I asked.
“Yeah. You guys have it handled on the potion front.” He gripped the bat with both hands. “I want to try this way.”
“Van.” Cosette nodded toward Raphael. “Supe that up for him.”
Without missing a beat, Van touched the bat, mouthing a spell. When he lifted his hand, the metal glowed.
“That’ll work,” I said. The Weres had all shifted and agreed on a formation. Lucas, Donovan, and Dastien were closest to the door, while the others fanned out behind. We’d talked potion strategies, but I said it aloud one more time. “I’ll
take the lead, and you throw behind me. Cosette and Van will jump in when there’s an opening.” Everyone nodded.