Chapter 27 #2
He huffs out a chuckle. “You say that until you start grabbing them topside. They’re a feisty bunch. Plus, ya know, the dissolving bit. Don’t know where they go, but ya can’t get ’em back.”
“So, once I’ve found my witch, what do I do?”
“Sacrifice them. Bleed them of their magic, discard the excess. They have to be willing, so you might have to coerce them. Convince them this is the only way they’ll gain power.
Now, it might not work the first couple times.
You have to follow a specific ritual. There’s a book and there’s only one.
Get your hands on that and you’ll be onto the next step. ”
It takes everything in me to stay still.
Stealing witches? Sacrificing them? Draining their magic?
It sounds like a cult ritual thought up by some science fiction author.
How Ludovic discovered this or thinks it’ll grant him entrance into the deities’ dimension is beyond me.
He’ll probably end up at the bottom of an acid pit.
I wish I could just let him hang himself.
He’s got enough rope to do it. Allowing more witches to be hurt, though, isn’t something I’ll let happen.
“You’ve already drained a witch, then?” I ask, keeping my voice even.
He nods, though his grin seems forced. “Close enough. I’m almost there, but I need the book first. Which is where you come in.”
“Thought you were going to kill me?”
He waves his hand as if he never threatened me. “This is easier. Killing you, luring Omen out, snatching his witch, forcing her to give me the book…it’s just a lot of work.”
“We all know how much you hate work,” I mutter sarcastically.
He booms out a laugh, and I struggle to keep my lip from curling.
He’s laughed and grinned more in this short interaction than I’ve ever seen him do before.
And I’ve known him for centuries. We might not have come up in the ranks together, but close enough.
He’s always been quick to anger and a stickler for the rules.
I wonder how long he’s been living this double life.
“No, this is definitely easier. You can get Omen’s witch and the book, then we’ll do the ritual together. I hadn’t planned on bringing anyone else along on this journey, but I can share.” The glint in his eye says otherwise.
“How’d you find out about Cl—Omen’s witch?
” Omen was pretty close-lipped about it.
He didn’t even want to tell me about it.
I didn’t understand it at the time. He must know Ludo had this planned or at least that it was a possibility.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t care whether or not I know about her whereabouts.
It’s not like I’d steal her from him. Since they’re soulbound, I doubt I could even if I wanted to.
Ludo shoves to his feet. “Enough talk. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it now.”
“Wait.” I hold up my hand and he pauses, annoyance flashing across his face. “If you’re going to drain Omen’s witch, then who am I supposed to use? You said we’d do this together, but if it took you this long to find a witch, I doubt I’ll have much luck.”
“Oh, no. I’ll use the one in the cages. You can use Omen’s witch. Don’t worry about retaliation. Once she’s gone, he’ll spiral. Being soulbound sounds like a fucking nightmare. Works in your favor, though. Doubt you’ll even have to eliminate him.”
I nod and push to my feet slowly. Ludo must have been the one to kidnap Lark. He stuck her in the cage and has been keeping her there until he can get the book. It’s great to know what his plan is, but I have no idea how to stop him.
Frying him with a bolt of lightning is great in theory, not so great in execution with a demon.
He’d slough off the sparks without a second thought.
Clouds will only hold him for so long. Not nearly enough time for me to wade through the void for help.
I don’t have much more at my disposal other than typical demon powers, all of which he has as well.
None of that takes into account his own personal brand of magic.
I wrack my brain, trying to remember what flows in his veins.
Sorting papers? Barking orders at demons?
I don’t know if he’s ever shown a propensity toward something other.
He either hid it well or I wasn’t paying attention. It’s not like I can outright ask him.
“Ludo, what happens if they don’t let you in?”
He swings around and his gaze narrows. “They will.”
“What if—”
“They will,” he screams, and I step back, immediately regretting it. He paces back and forth, his hands trembling as he mutters to himself.
“Ludovic,” I say sharply, hoping to snap him out of it.
“You don’t get it. You’ll never get it. In the way. No. No way around it.” He stops suddenly and swings to face me, a wicked shadow in his red eyes. “Time to die, Dimitrius.”
The sudden flip catches me off guard and I frantically hoard my magic, feeding it as much terror and rage as I can.
I’ll only have one shot to get this right.
I send out a silent plea to Omen to take care of Mari.
The chances of it reaching him are minuscule, but I can’t leave her unprotected.
I whisper an apology to her, knowing she’ll never understand what happened.
Electricity crackles on my palms, and sparks shoot from my fingertips.
The air around us charges as Ludo lunges toward me.
A portal opens behind him as I release a bolt of lightning at his chest. Time slows as Mari jumps out and swings something heavy at Ludo’s head.
A loud crack echoes around us, and he crumples to the ground.
Despite him being down, my magic doesn’t dissipate.
Instead, it hits her squarely in the heart.
She stiffens, shock flashing in her eyes, and the world goes dark.