Our Demonic Hearts - The Craven Pact Book 1

Chapter 15: Incorporeal

The stormy clouds parted just enough for the afternoon sun to shine in Ana's eyes and she winced, squeezing her eyes shut. No aspirin, no electrolyte drinks, nothing to make this hangover feel better. She would just have to deal.

She was supposed to work today, but called in sick at the last moment after waking up feeling like a horse kicked her in the face. She didn't feel like dealing with Deacon, anyhow. He tried to call her three times this morning before she ended up blocking his number. What he said to her still made her feel sour inside, and she wasn't ready to speak to him or hear any apology he might have in store. This wasn't there first fight, and probably wouldn't be their last. In a week or two, things would be normal with them again, as they always do.

Ana sat on a large, flat rock, drawing a circle with elaborate markings around the edge. She was in the forest, thirty minutes away from her house and surrounded by pine trees on all sides. She was most calm when she was surrounded by nature, no human in sight to bug or harass her. Except for Beau.

He appeared from the trees to her left, in the direction of her house. He was wearing the same jacket and gloves as before, but now wore black cargo pants. His hair was no longer tied behind him but was let loose around his shoulders. Despite the gentle breeze blowing against him, not a single strand of his black hair moved.

"I assumed you saw my note?" Ana called out from the rock. She didn't realize how high off the ground she was until he came close to the rock. The natural platform was just over his head. He had to place his hands on the rock and pull himself up to see what I was doing.

"Taped to the front of your porch, for anybody including your father to see? Yeah. I saw it." Beau replied, bluntly. Ana rolled her eyes. He looked at the circle she was drawing. "What exactly are we doing here?"

"You asked me to find another spell, and so I am." She looked down at the drawing in front of her, and to the grimoire she was using for reference. "Arrow pointed to the north..." She glanced down at the compass she brought with her and drew an arrow on the right spot.

"We couldn't do this at the hotel, or barn?" Beau asked.

"Didn't feel like going to your motel, not if Judas is there. This spell requires us to be at a certain elevation, and you can't enter my house." Ana murmured in reply, making a few more markings with her piece of charcoal. "...There. Hop on this rock and sit in the middle. Use the one behind me to get up."

She pointed to the lower, smaller rock behind her and he nodded. She moved to the side as he climbed onto the big rock and sat down, crossing his legs.

Ana flipped the pages and began reading the instructions for the spell. She already memorized the incantation for the spell this morning, which required further online research on how to pronounce Proto-Norse words, a dead language nobody has spoken in hundreds of years. That only left the instructions on the beginning of the spell to be deciphered, but they were in Old English, which she knew better. She blinked as the headache in the back of her eyes persisted, making reading the Old English words more frustrating than they had to be.

"You look ill," Beau commented.

"Huh?" Ana glanced up at him before returning her eyes to the page. "Oh. I drank too much last night. Didn't have anything to get rid of the headaches."

A few minutes of silence followed her statement as she read the instructions. This spell is different than the last one we performed. This spell requires my blood, and lot's of it. It needs to be placed on Beau's forehead. Do I really need to touch him again?

"I know a spell...to get rid of the headache—if you want."

Ana looked up at him. His face looked sincere, but nervous as he waited for her answer.