“I need to go, Matt. I have somewhere to be. Let’s not turn this into a fight.” I had zero faith that we’d get out of here without at least some kind of a fight, but I had to try. This was a waste of time. A very dangerous waste of time.

Matt spat on the ground. “If you won’t give me what I want, I’ll take it from you. In case you missed it, you’re outnumbered.”

I focused on the bond that linked Lucas and me together, and felt for his pack again. The wolves were closer. Minutes away. If I kept him talking a little bit longer, then maybe they’d get here before—

Everything happened all at once.

Matt moved his fingers.

Lucas shifted.

Father Valentine started muttering a spell.

I made quick knot in the air, matching the ends. The magic heated against my skin. With the protection spell in place, I felt better, but there wasn’t any time to waste.

Lucas knocked against me as a flash zipped by, narrowly missing me.

Fire.

What was with today and fire?

The smell of sulfur burned my nose.

Dread crawled up my spine, and I focused on drawing as much magic as I could through Lucas.

The priests had formed a circle. Lucas ran at it, but hit an invisible barrier. He flew back a few feet and skidded across the ground.

Matt ran at me. His lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying.

I pulled on the pack magic to fuel what little I had of my own. “I block your spell. I bind you well. It’s you I’ll quell.”

He was still running at me.

No. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. The spell should’ve worked by now.

I dropped to the ground, wrapping my arms around my head as I braced for impact, but it never came. Instead, I felt a breeze against my back as something flew over me.

I looked up to see a wolf I didn’t know standing on top of Matt. His muzzle nearly touched Matt’s face as he snarled.

Matt tried to move, but the wolf snapped his teeth a hair’s breadth above Matt’s neck.

The smell of sulfur grew stronger as the brujos’ chanting got louder.

The pack was starting to arrive, but in time for what? If the brujos raised a demon, we were dead.

I’d only just found the white mages. There hadn’t been enough time to figure out how to banish or kill demons yet.

Something started burning my leg.

I yelped, as I tried to figure out what it was. Nothing was touching me.

My pocket.

I dropped the athame and upended my pocket. The burn disappeared as the crystal fell to the ground, glowing blindingly bright.

What on earth…