Angel's Ink (A 1) by Drake Jocelynn

Author:Drake, Jocelynn [Drake, Jocelynn]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780062117861
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2012-10-16T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Exhaustion gnawed on my bones and tore at my muscles as I finished casting the first protection spell on the door. The only person who could lay a hand on the doorknob was Trixie or me. Otherwise, anyone else would be thrown from the small balcony and knocked unconscious before landing below in a useless heap. As I reached the ground, I grabbed a piece of broken brick from the parking lot and scratched some symbols in the first few wooden steps leading up to the apartment. I layered on a second spell, protecting the staircase from any intruders.

Heaving a deep sigh, I turned my attention to the small open area behind the shop that led to a narrow alley running between the buildings on this block. The night was quiet. The only cars traveling on the street could be heard in the distance, while there was no sound of people walking on the sidewalks to the local bars. A stray breeze caused an old aluminum can to rattle down the alley before hitting a building. I stood in the silence, trying to convince myself that there was no reason for me to feel this growing unease.

My eyes were skimming over the region one last time when they finally tripped over a lean figure standing on the opposite side of the alley. I hadn’t seen him there moments ago, but I knew he had only just appeared. There had been no surge of magical power on his arrival, but Simon knew how to appear and disappear without causing a ripple in the energy that filled the air.

Adrenaline surged through my exhausted frame, reviving me. He wouldn’t be allowed to threaten my companions. I hadn’t expected him to seek me out again so quickly. I thought he would take more time strategizing. But then, I wasn’t fully aware of what was at stake for him. There was something going on in the background that I wasn’t privy to, and he was determined to take my life.

“You’re not welcome here,” I called out while mentally reaching for the energy swirling around me. This contest was only going to be won by the strongest and the fastest. My wand was still tucked in my sock, but I couldn’t bend over to get it without exposing myself to Simon’s attack. I had managed to keep Trixie preoccupied enough that I didn’t think she’d noticed it when I got undressed or put my clothes back on. She didn’t need such an obvious reminder of my otherness.

“I can’t recall any time when I was welcome in your life,” Simon replied. The warlock stepped closer, crossing the alley to enter the back area of the shop. The concrete that separated us was cracked and weeds were growing up through the fissures. Bits of trash speckled the open area, seeming to stand out in the moonlight.

I was suddenly aware of the glass ampoule around my neck, as if part of his soul was calling out for the rest of him.

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