She stepped back. He tightened his grip and pulled back as hard as he could, wrenching the lock away from the box.
Her eyes widened. But Emmett's been dead for close to a hundred years! He can't possibly be this
She swallowed convulsively. How could Weylin have maintained the spell all these years?
There was no sign of a pentagram, but then, it would be easy enough to draw one in the dirt. But maybe he didn't need one. The old legends about vampires not being able to enter holy ground had some basis in truth— because some evil couldn't enter. The devil spawn was here only because it had been summoned by someone within the confines of the church. For the most part, evil tended to avoid churches.
She nodded. That's where Emmett died. That's were he must be brought back to life. Or so Seline
He cut the words off as an odd sort of hissing filled the silence. His gut clenched, and he knew without looking what that hissing would be. Grabbing Nikki's arm, he ignored the flame that jumped from her flesh to his, but didn't burn. He yanked her behind him as he slowly turned around.
Yellow-tinged smoke billowed into existence in the corner of the small room, curling through the darkness with unnatural heaviness.
The second devil spawn. He should have known it would be down here somewhere.
He pressed his hand against Nikki's stomach, keeping her behind him but forcing her backwards.
Her fear crowded his mind, becoming his own. Though in his case, it was fear more for her than himself.
It'll come after us the minute we make any sudden movement, and we don't have anything to protect ourselves here.
Nothing stops a spawn. Not until it hits something to consume.
Water can repel it, and water can also contain it.
Her voice was so matter-of-fact he glanced over his shoulder at her. How do you know?
She grimaced . Um… I didn't tell you about my encounter with the second spawn in Jackson Hole,
The spawn was finding shape, gathering substance. They didn't have much time left to decide what to do. On the shelves, no. But the pew I threw at the door is lying to our right. That might do the
That thing is going to attack the minute you move.
It certainly was. Right now, it was simply hanging there, a twisting boiling mass of smoky evil waiting for something to happen. I don't suppose there's any water on that shelf?
There are bottles. Could be booze, though.
In a church?
Hey, they do use wine in ceremonies, don't they?
The shelf rattled, and the spawn's mass became agitated.
If I go any faster that thing will attack.
Her tension and fear simmered through the link, sharper than before. Glass clinked, and the spawn zipped sideways, as if trying to see where the sound was coming from. In the warm light still leaping from Nikki's hands, its eyes gleamed like soulless diamonds.
He dove for the pew. The spawn screamed and zipped towards him, its vaporous curtains reaching out, ready to smother and consume.
He hit the ground, sliding through the dirt as he grabbed the pew. The spawn screamed again, teeth gleaming as it tried to wrap vaporous arms around him. Water slewed through the air, glittering brightly in the fire of Nikki's flames. The droplets lashed across the spawn's mass, and it hissed, snapping its skirts away. Michael lifted the pew and threw it toward the coffin. The spawn howled in fury and lurched forward, wrapping its gowns around the pew in midair. There was a retort, a bright flash, then the pew and the spawn were gone.
He blew out a relieved breath and climbed to his feet.
He nodded. By throwing the pew at the coffin, I made the spawn attack the pew rather than us.
But why would Dunleavy have a spawn here, when he's protecting the coffin with magic?
I doubt that we can. I don't know enough about magic, and I'm sure the magic protecting Weylin's brother is pretty powerful.
He cupped his hands, and she stepped into them. He boosted her up, ensuring she'd climbed safely onto the second step before following her up.
'Where next?' she asked, dusting her hands on her skirt. 'The Standard Mine?'
'Yeah. I don't think we have any other choice.' It was either that or sit back and wait for Weylin to come to them, and he'd never been one to do that.
'Neither have I.' A smile teased her lips. 'Which is why I'm always so surprised that you're so surprised when I do something rather than wait, as ordered.'