Page 5 of A Promise of Ashes

“That’s why you want to burn the house? He’s still here as well and you want him gone?”

She nodded again.

Her head whipped around. “He’s coming!”

Zinnia’s hands tightened on mine as the door flew open again and a second soul rushed in. It was Stetson. There was a gaping hole in his chest where Elizabeth’s father had shot him.

He ignored us, a smile curling his lips. “There you are, Lizzy. You can’t hide from me, girl.”

She was trapped here by our spell and now so was Stetson. Elizabeth crumpled into a ball in the corner, shaking in terror. He’d been hurting her even now. The power of his emotion had trapped her here with him, even in death.

“Stetson!” I yelled, trying to get his attention off Elizabeth, but he was focused on his target.

“Blood,” Zinnia yelled to me. “We’ll call up Hadeon.”

I nodded and sliced my palm. Hadeon didn’t like being called, but this was an emergency. We could destroy Stetson’s soul, but this monster deserved to suffer.

We joined hands again, and Zinny began the chant. “Hell, take this soul so dark, remove it from the mortal realm, never to return.” I followed, oldest to youngest, always, so there was a chorus of voices, repeating the spell one over the other, an unbreakable loop of words and magic flowing from us.

We spelled faster, louder. The floor beneath Stetson shook.

The ground shuddered, and he stopped in his tracks, a look of confusion on his face. The floor glowed bright, heat and an orange-red light filled the small space. A loud rumble echoed beneath us, then the ground opened.

A second later, Hadeon, a demon and one of Hell’s reapers, appeared. Seeing a reaper “on the job” was impossible unless the reaper chose it, and most didn’t. Hadeon always showed himself, at least to us, although he did keep his face concealed. He looked to us, and although I couldn’t see his features, I felt his displeasure. “He’s one of yours,” Zinnia said. “Take him.”

His head tilted to the side. “Not your lapdog, witch. Being Death’s consort means nothing to me,” he said in a low rumbling voice.

“My association to him has nothing to do with this. I’ve called on you many times over the years.”

He growled. “Didn’t like it then, like it even fucking less now.” Still, he turned to the souls, both of which stood frozen in place. Hadeon moved to Stetson and lifted a hand, power radiating from him, ascertaining if Hell was where the soul was destined to go. He growled again and both souls unfroze, then he grabbed Stetson, who screamed as soon as the demon’s hand curled around his wrist in an unyielding grip, and dragged him to the glowing hole in the ground. Then, without looking at us again, they were gone.

Elizabeth stood to the side, her eyes wide as a white light, warm and welcoming, shone down beside her.

“No one can hurt you ever again,” Zinnia said.

“Your father’s waiting, Elizabeth.”

She dropped her doll and stepped into the light.