Chapter 10

Brooklyn

Rowen blinked his faded eyes at me as if I was speaking in tongues. Anger bobbled up fast and hot from his blank expression, but I had to push it down, so I didn't do something foolish, like kill the witch. I guess he was aware that he was in danger because the sigils on his skin were turning into a light show, the frequency of how fast they glowed increasing by the second.

"What did you do to her?" I repeated through clenched teeth, gripping the seams of my pants so I don't wrap them around his neck.

"Ummm…" Rowen's gaze dropped to his feet as he shuffled his them, before darting all around the room. Nervous energy was coming off of him in waves blasting all of my senses.

Clusters of half-melted candles sat all over the room, the wax forming abstract shapes on the floor around them. Crystals were sprinkled strategically in the four corners to represent each element closing a circle. What truly worried me, and I did my best to pretend I didn't see it, was the pinkish stuff over the salt, which was used to paint the pentagram under Alice.

Oh, yeah. My friend was not resting on the soft mattress and fluffy pillows like I left her. She was sprawled on the floor on top of the said pentagram like some satanic virgin sacrifice, her hands neatly folded over her sternum and her chestnut hair fanned around her head like a halo. Even her glasses were perched on her freckled nose so tidily, that if she wasn't on the ground I would've thought she was dead. Alice was never one to have everything set up perfectly about her, especially not those glasses.

"Answer my mate." Dominic growled menacingly from behind me, the heat of his body warming my entire back. "I told you not to mess with the human, Rowen. I will shred you to pieces if you have harmed her."

Samir had no desire to talk or ask questions at all. When his attempt to reach Alice failed and he comically bounced off of whatever protection the witch had placed, he simply walked around the four of us crowding the doorway and upon reaching Rowen, he lifted him by the neck.

"Break the circle." The ancient Atua shook the witch like he was a ragdoll, not a grown male. "Now!" After baring his fangs, he also hissed in case anyone missed how furious he was.

"No." Rowen croaked, clawing at Samir's fingers and gasping for air. "It's working. I can't breathe."

"Of course, it's working, you insolent worm. I'm choking you." The elder snarled, spittle flying from his mouth. "Break the magic this instant."

As much as I wanted to join Samir and help him kill Rowen, I had to stifle my anger for my friend's sake. As for Dominic. I could feel the shifter vibrating behind me, and I had no doubt he was on the brink of changing shape and was barely holding back.

Instead of feeding into their anger, I closed my eyes and blocked everyone out. Focusing on Alice, I tried to check how my friend was doing. What reached my ears was something totally unexpected. A steady, strong heartbeat was rhythmically distributing blood through her body. Excited to share what I heard, my eyes snapped open and a gasp of horror was ripped from my chest.

"Samir, release him!"

For the second time that day, I used the power of my voice to force someone to do something, and it didn't sit well with me. Bile rose, filling my mouth with a bitter taste. I could justify it by saying Rowen was turning purplish blue in the face, and his heartbeat was barely there, but I didn't have to use the damn curse. I could've slapped Samir away from the witch. Dominic would've happily helped, I'm sure.

The shifter was itching to hit something at that point, too.

"Have you lost your ever-loving mind!" Samir turned his rage on me. Not that I could blame him. "First you bring demons that try to kill me in my own house, now you want to test who is more powerful between the two of us? You are crossing every line, Child."

Rowen, however, was giving me grateful glances from the floor where he was dropped while he was rubbing his neck. Bruises in the shape of Samir's long fingers were appearing darker and darker by the second.

"We can do whatever you want, Samir." Not taking the bait to get into an argument, I pointed at my friend lying motionless in the magic circle. "For a moment stop talking and listen to her heartbeat. Whatever he did," jutting my chin toward Rowen, I didn't return his tentative smile. "It works. Listen."

"I managed to stabilize her." Rowen shakily pushed himself off the floor as Samir kneeled as close to Alice as he could without touching the circle.

Dominic and I looked at each other.

"She was even awake to speak with me for a short while. Unfortunately, we got excited too fast, and I dropped the circle so we could both come and tell you the spell worked, and your friend is well." Confusion clouded Rowen's features, and much to my surprise, the witch stepped close to where Samir was listening to Alice's heartbeat with his eyes closed and pure relief was etched across his face. "The second the circle broke, she dropped lifeless on the floor. I panicked and opened the circle back up immediately."

"Was she awake after you opened it?" It was the first time Echo spoke shocking me to hear her voice, because I totally forgot the two demons were in the room with us.

She was watching the area where Alice was sleeping through a slanted gaze, as if she could see something the rest of us couldn't. Placing a hand on Dominic's forearm, I stepped aside taking him with me, giving her more room in case she had an insight that could help.

"That's the thing." Tone full of frustration, Rowen started slapping his robe to clean it from whatever dirt, dried herbs, and dust it had collected from the floor. "As soon as the circle was back up, her body was turned, straightened, and placed at the center as we see her now, but I never touched her. And before you try to kill me again." He glared at Samir with courage I had no idea he possessed. "I'm one hundred percent sure there is nothing else there with her. It was the magic of the circle that did it…I think." The witch scratched at his forehead and turned the washed-out green eyes on me, hopelessness clear in them.

My mind was reeling trying to come up with answers I had no way of knowing. On principle, I stayed away from the witches while I was under the roof of the Council. Magic was a foreign concept to me. ‘But not to Alice.' A tiny, barely audible whisper spoke in the back of my mind.

How much did they know about my friend? Was Samir aware she is the Mmico they are waiting for their prophecy? I had a suspicion Dominic suspected there was something special about our human friend, plus he started caring for her much to his displeasure. So, I was not worried that he may see her as a tool to be used. Rowen and the demons were a wild card. I had to be careful what I said in front of them.

Echo saved me from guessing.

"How very peculiar." The male demon inched closer to the circle while giving Dominic a wide berth, side-eyeing him warily. "The whole gadget's usage, candles, crystals and herbs is different, but this is how we normally heal if we are gravely injured. In a circle though, because we are in our most vulnerable state."

"Shut up, Chester." Echo hissed at him, balling her hands into fists at her sides. I had no doubt she was imagining she was holding Chester's throat. "What is the matter with you telling our weaknesses, you idiot."

"Can you stop talking to me like I'm some simpleton." Lifting to his full height, he glowered at the much shorter demon. "Were you not present in that foyer when we fought? We don't need to be at our weakest for them to kill us." Waving a hand frantically in the direction of Alice, he shook his head. "Maybe if we help with this one, they'll return the favor." After a long staring match with Echo, he blew out a heavy sigh muttering under his breath. "If we stay alive long enough."

They continued bickering amongst each other, but a brand-new hope bloomed in my chest. Digging my nails into Dominic's forearm, which I was still clinging to, and I didn't notice, I turned to Rowen, urgency making me sound breathless and meek.

"Rowen, when did this happen?" Waiting for his answer, I held my breath.

A line formed between the eyebrows on the witch's face, and a weird sequence of glowing lights passed over the sigils on his face. "I'm sorry, what?"

"When did you reopen the circle and had Alice placed like this in it?" My voice broke a few times, but I managed to get the words out.

"Umm…" Rowen's eyes darted around the room as he attempted to remember and finally, he limply shrugged one shoulder. "About twenty? Maybe thirty minutes ago." After blowing out a long breath, his eyes lit up. "Around the time I heard your voice in the foyer. I'm sure of it because that's why Alice wanted to break the circle so she could come show you she's better."

"I do not understand." Annoyed for being ignored, Samir rose from his crouch. "Someone better explain what is going on."

"Do you trust me?" ignoring the arrogant Atua, I turned to face Dominic.

"Yes." There was no hesitation, no doubt or second guessing. Only firm confidence and belief in me shone through those emerald eyes as they watched me steadily.

Warmth spread through my chest, thawing the frost crusting my heart after the bloodbaths I left all over Chicago. On a whim, I popped up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips on his hoping it relayed all my gratitude for his support. I had to fix all the hurt I'd caused him since we met, but it was neither the time nor the place.

Strong arms wrapped around my back pressing me to his chest as if he was too afraid, I might disappear if he doesn't hold me hard enough. The desperation I felt in his touch broke me anew, and I stood there a bit longer, offering the intimacy he needed and deserved.

"I will explain everything later." I told him a little breathlessly after we broke the kiss. "I need to speak to Echo and Chester alone, in this room." I pointedly turned my eyes to Samir and Rowen too.

Samir had his mouth open to start arguing when Rowen, for the first time, acted out of character and grabbed him by the shoulders. The Atua was taken by surprise hard enough that he was out the door gaping like a fish at the witch before his brain got online again and he started shouting and threatening. Dominic was already closing the door behind him at that point so I knew he would keep them out.

My heart skipped a beat when he gave me a quick wink before the lock clicked shut.

"Well?" Chester asked warily. "Talk about what?"

"How long do you guys heal when you are in a sleep like this?" I cut to the chase pointing at Alice.

"From a few hours to a few days depending on the injury." Echo frowned, probably wondering if I'd lost my mind.

"Well, we need to figure out how to keep Samir and Rowen out of this room by then." Slapping my hands on my hips, I looked around the room hoping to find…what? An armoire that will block the door?

"Brooklyn!" Samir's voice came through the wooden door loud and clear. "Open this door immediately!"

Chester was watching me too thoughtfully for my liking, but finally he said what I needed to hear. "Do you really want to keep them out of this room?"

"Yes."

"Not even a witch can break demon magic." With a gloating grin, he tugged the sleeves of his ripped shirt in places, and raised his hands toward the door. After a second, Echo joined him too, the same troublesome smile on her lips.

Red glowing lights surrounded the door and the frame holding it.

"Brooklyn!" Samir's roar was followed by Dominic's guffaw.

Despite the situation, I had to smile and shake my head.