Wolves at the Door - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,64

radio for backup and more cops didn’t box us in. But getting hauled in for evading an officer might still be better than getting murdered by witches and thrown into that dark water.

The Rolls Royce slowed down a little. The witches weren’t going to stop, were they?

They did.

Maybe they’re going to enchant him and keep going.

So this was my chance to pull away. I was driving dangerously, just praying to anyone who would listen as I whipped out of their view. I hit the road that led to Greenwood Manor.

The Rolls Royce pulled in behind me just as I could see the beginnings of the long driveway. Shit. Now the witch leaned out and shot my tire to bits.

The BMW’s back left hit the street with a horrible whump. And I had sort of arrived at my destination, but even my GPS wasn’t excited yet. The driveway of Greenwood was a road in itself. I was still a mile away.

The witches got out of the car and surrounded me, and there were four of them, all on the younger side of middle aged. They were all dressed in knee-length, long sleeved dresses that actually reminded of Helena’s wardrobe although she always stuck to black and other neutrals, and these witches wore bright colors. I guess this was the style for witches—sort of blending in with humans, but not quite, especially since all of them also wore hats, of the small decorative variety like old movie stars.

“Silence, incubus.” The one in front pointed her wand at me through my car window and I felt some invisible force hit my throat. “No one will hear you call. You were warned about coming back here. Get out of the vehicle.”

I realized that the one thing that had changed was the air. It was charged, somehow. I could almost see the sparkle of magic in it like when you see tiny dust motes in a sunbeam. I was in the parallel, my magic stirring.

I threw open the car door and immediately burst into my demon form. Then I spread my wings and flew.

Sort of.

My body knew it could fly. I felt it in every aching muscle of my newfound wings. But it was possible that some practice was required. So I sort of leapt over the witches with a very brief, off-kilter flight that ended in my left wing scraping the ground, followed by the entire left side of my body, as I tumbled against grass. The force of the fall probably would have been fine, if I was fine. Unfortunately, I wasn’t, and every bruise and tender spot throughout flared with pain.

The witches were laughing and when I opened my mouth, I couldn’t even groan, much less curse. I forced myself to my feet and felt my anger building into power. I didn’t know what my powers could do, but I just let it out anyway. The witches seemed struck by it, reeling back a step.

“My goodness, what a beast,” said the blonde one, not entirely disapproving. She held out a hand. “We don’t want to hurt you.”

The oldest witch slapped her hand back. “We told the warlock council we could handle incubi and you’re already falling for tricks. Don’t swoon over the demon who is trying to destroy us! It’s time we kill him.”

She glanced at the other three, and they all held up their wands. Beams of thin light shot toward me and swirled around my body, holding me fixed in place. Now the eldest one began to chant.

I felt a dark, sick feeling seep into me. I tried to escape it, but their bonds held me, and that chanting voice was merciless.

Hoofbeats came charging down the road. Billie came charging in on horseback and shot a bolt of magic at the witches. “Shit!” she said. “You’re here, Graham! And you brought company, huh?”

A man was just behind her, holding a rifle, and he pointed it at them too. “Get back in your car and turn around,” he said.

The lead witch growled at him and shot him off his horse with a magic blast. This spooked the horse and it ran back toward the house, but the man still had a foot caught in a stirrup and was dragged several feet before he fell to the ground.

“Gaston! You okay?” Billie looked at me anxiously. “Graham, Helena’s at the house working on the kitchen! Go tell her that trouble’s arrived. Gaston and I just rode out to take a look around after