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I didn’t immediately say anything, instead studying Ashworth through narrowed eyes. His face was bloody and bruised—evidence that he had not gone quietly—and the plaster on his arm had been smashed and had no doubt caused further damage to his broken arm. His pain and fear was so sharp his aura sang with it.
Then I saw what I was looking for—magic in the form of a leash around his neck. I’d seen its like before—it was a rebound spell, which meant any attack we made on the heretic would hit Ashworth twofold.
But even so, I had a feeling that wasn’t the reason for the fear and concern I could see in him.
And you’d be right, Belle said. The heretic’s familiar is also here—it’s a demon.
Oh, fuck.
It’ll attack us the minute we attack him.
Which won’t matter if you can reach his thoughts and freeze him.
I can’t. There’s a barrier between us.
Magic?
Electronic. It has the same feel as the barrier I felt around Hart and Blume when they came to investigate the vampire kills.
Can you get past it?
Probably, but it’ll take a little time. She paused. The demon might just attack the minute I try.
I doubt he’d set the demon onto either of us until he has control of the wellspring. I’ll distract him—you start pulling that barrier down.
Her mental energy surged as I stepped in front of her. If he did attack, then at least I’d be in the immediate firing line rather than Belle. “You’re wasting your time here, George. Or should that be Jonathan? The wellspring has already been claimed.”
“What has been done can be undone.” His voice held little in the way of concern. “Now, remove that spell of yours.”
“Not until you release Ashworth from that nasty little rebound spell.”
Jonathan raised an eyebrow, amusement evident in his scarred features. “And why would I do that when we both know you don’t have the power to in any way hurt me?”
“If you truly believed that, I’d have been attacked by now,” I replied. “At the very least, you would have set your pet demon onto me. That neither has happened suggests you’re uncertain about my magic and control of this place. So, release Ashworth, let him walk free, and we’ll talk.”
Magic stirred around me, a distant thunder that sent a tremor racing across my skin and my heart into overdrive. He didn’t release the gathering energy, however, and after a moment, said, “Deal.”
The leash around Ashworth’s neck snapped free and he dropped to his knees with a pain-filled grunt.
“Are there any other leashes or spells on you, Ashworth?” I asked, my gaze not moving from the heretic’s.
“No.” It was little more than a hiss.
“Then get up and get out of this clearing.”
“But I can’t leave—”
“You can and you will. Trust me, we’ve got this covered.”
The heretic snorted but didn’t otherwise comment.
Ashworth studied me for a moment then nodded once and pushed to his feet. After a huge intake of air, he gripped his broken arm with his battered left hand and staggered away.
“Let him through the barrier,” I said.
The heretic’s mouth twitched. Energy surged again and, after a moment, Belle said, He’s on the other side and safe.
At least one of us was. Are you making any progress past that electronic barrier?
