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Samantha unlocked the door at the top. “It’s not much, but I can’t afford to rent a space of my own. Angie uses this for clients who want a reading with an audience. She’s cool with me using it whenever I need to, and I help her out when I can.” She flipped on a floor lamp. “Not a lot of lighting in here. Angie likes to keep the mood, you know?”
Thin wood planks made up the floor with a perfect circle painted in black in the center of the room. Wax remnants of candles long burned out dotted the circle. Some were white, others were red, black, or blue. It didn’t have a super welcoming feel, but it didn’t feel evil like Luciana’s circle. So, I was calling this place a win.
“Is this Angie lady the real deal or fake?” Adrian asked.
“Fake mostly. Every once in a while she has a moment, but the people who come in here want a pat on the back or to hear that everything is going to get better.” She snorted. “But that’s not accurate. For most people, shit just sucks.”
“You really think that?” Chris asked.
“That’s what my experience has shown me so far.”
“Damn. I hope things get better for you soon. We’ll owe you one, so if you need anything, you can call me.” Chris ran a hand along his beard as he looked her up and down. “But I won’t be going to you for my fortune anytime soon.”
“Thanks,” she said. “And that’s probably for the best, but let me know if you change your mind. Things are looking up for you.” She gave him a wink. I didn’t want to read anything into it, but I was starting to wonder if there was a connection between them.
“Are you being serious?” Chris said. “Because—”
Samantha laughed and I looked at Dastien. Are they flirting?
When is Chris ever not flirting?
True. But maybe there’s chemistry here…
I thought you thought he was going to end up with Cosette.
No. I said I thought they’d be good together, but I have no idea what’s going on with her and—
“Oh man. All this constant buzzing.” Samantha rubbed her forehead. “I can’t hear what you’re saying, but the psychic chatter along both mate bonds is out of control.”
“Sorry. We’ll stop. All conversation will be out loud.” I stared down at the circle on the floor. After what Claudia had said, I was a little terrified to even be in the same room as a circle let alone sitting in one. “So, what’s the plan?”
“Chris, Dastien, Adrian, and Lucas are going to light the candles while you and Claudia sit in the center with me.”
“Are you going to activate it?” Claudia asked.
“Yeesssss.” Samantha drew out the word, like Claudia was being slow.
Claudia started backing away. “No. I cannot get in another circle, and I don’t even want to think what could happen if Tessa entered one.”
“Don’t worry,” Samantha said. “If he comes through, we split. We’ve got the car out there.”
Was she high or just insane? “But he’ll chase us. We won’t get away,” I said.
“This is dangerous, but from what you told me, there isn’t another option. Right?”
I gave Claudia a look and she nodded slowly. “Right.”
“Here’s what’s important to know. Yes, he can come through an active circle with an anchor like either of you.” She looked at me and Claudia. “But without having a host, he can’t stay in our plane for long. He doesn’t belong here.”
This was more info than I’d had before. If we could hold him off for a while, maybe we wouldn’t have to defeat him. Maybe he’d just get sucked back to his plane. “How long can he last here?”
She shrugged. “Hours at the most.”
I laughed, but not because it was funny. “That’s more than enough time for him to slaughter us all.”
“Not if we run. The farther away we are from the circle, the weaker he’ll get, until he’s forced to come back here and recharge. He probably has a radius of about a mile. Maybe two-ish because he’s so strong. And he could hang out here in the circle for a while waiting for us to come back, but a few hours later, he’ll have to go back through the portal. Otherwise, he’d be too drained to do what he really wants to do. It takes work for him to exist here. He’s got power, but it’s not endless. And he’s not going to sit here and grow weaker and weaker. He likes his power. Once we get away, he’s going back through the portal to wait for his next chance. I’ll feel him if he’s getting close, and we’ll run to the car. The driver is out there with the engine on. As long as we don’t sit around, we should make it out of here alive.”
“Sounds like you know a lot about Astaroth,” Adrian said.
