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“So, the bigger the animal, the nastier the demon summoned?”
“Generally.” Monty stopped several meters away from the pentagram and motioned toward what looked to be two circular scorch marks surrounding the sacrifice site, one inside the other. “He or she also used multiple protection circles, which is another indicator.”
Aiden frowned. “What sort of protection circle leaves that sort of residue?”
“Black salt, which is a mix of salt and purified ash. It’s fallen out of favor these days, but was often used in conjunction with spell stones as an additional layer of protection.”
“Because demons can’t cross salt lines?”
Monty nodded. “In this case, however, I doubt the ash used was purified wood. It’s probably been sourced from the burned flesh and bones of the dead.”
“Meaning I need to order a graveyard search for missing bodies?” Aiden asked.
“It couldn’t hurt, though it takes a lot of heat to cinder bones, and someone would surely have reported it. We are in fire season, after all.”
“Except,” I said, “there’s plenty of old mines around this area you could use and be in no danger of anyone seeing a column of smoke.”
I followed the line of the outer ash circle to the opposite side of the ring and spotted an odd smudging across a foot-wide section. Smudging—or otherwise breaking—the continuation of a salt circle was one way of nulling its power. Given even the demon couldn’t have broken past two rings, our sorceress must have done so from the safety of the other side of the circle—and probably from within the walls of a spell stone protection circle. When it came to demons, you could never be too careful.
I dropped onto my haunches to study the smudge, and it was then I noticed the faint track in the dust leading from the center of the pentagram, past the two circles, and into the scrub at the other side of the clearing.
It wasn’t the type of trail caused by any kind of human or other mammal, but rather one by a reptile.
A snake, to be precise.
A fuckinglargesnake.
I glanced up as Monty and Aidan approached.
“What have you found?” Aiden squatted opposite me. “That looks like a snake trail, but there’re no snakes that large in the state, let alone in the reservation.”
“Given it’s coming out of the pentagram’s center, it’s not likely to be a native snake.” I glanced at Monty. “I know there’s more than a few demon snakes, but the first one that comes to mind is—”
“A basilisk,” he finished heavily. “God, I hope it’s not—especially when it appears to be such a big mother.”
Aiden frowned. “Why would anyone call a basilisk into being? It’s not like we’re lacking for big poisonous snakes in Australia.”
Monty turned and followed the faint trail across to the tree line. “Yes, but this is an acid-spittingdemonsnake whose actions can be controlled.”
“Acid rather than poison seems a little over the top,” Aiden said.
“It’s a rather over-the-top demon,” I said.
“Meaning acid is not their only weapon?”
“No,” Monty said. “Aside from the fact that if they’re big enough, they can eat you, meeting their gaze is deadly, and their breath is so putrid it can wither vegetation.” He waved a hand toward the undergrowth. “Which is what has happened here.”
I pushed to my feet and walked across. The undergrowth a meter or so on either side of the faint path into the trees was beginning to wilt, but the die-off ended abruptly where the basilisk had entered the water.
“If this thing was called here by our sorceress intent on revenge,” I said, “isn’t it a rather odd demon to choose? There are plenty of other demons more capable of causing bloody havoc.”
“That’s presuming bloody havoc is what she intends,” he said. “For all we know, Maelle might have a phobia about big, dangerous snakes.”
“Maelle?” Aiden said sharply. “She’s back?”
I glanced around. “We discovered her presence tonight. The council didn’t tell you?”
He snorted. “The council are dragging their feet on a lot of matters right now.”
