Spells on Shelves

Chapter 15 || Dark Shapeshifters

Gabriel shook his head. "Stupid jangling jumble of jawbones. Can ya even tell 'part a shifter from an animal, Jaggy?"

"I can!" the skeleton protested. "It comes at night. Always hungry."

"Jaggy," Gabriel said with a groan. "Use some common sense. Ya wanna explain to a shapeshifter that another shapeshifter is going furry in the woods when they're all 'bout discipline and self-mastery?"

Paxton's expression was indiscernible.

"The forest knows," Jaggy said. "Ask a druid."

"I don't talk to tree-huggers," Gabriel muttered. "Who the hell would converse with a plant? Buncha idiots."

"It wouldn't hurt to ask Marietta," I said.

"Ah, I suppose," Gabriel said. "See Sammy? That's how it's done. We need suggestions! Let's see." He flicked a finger and Sammy crumbled to the ground in a pile of bones. Jaggy shrieked.

While we were talking, he'd managed to unravel the last string and pulled. The whole net collapsed into a small, pulsing black ball which he caught and crushed in his hand. "Okay, safe to move around."

Paxton began crossed into the massive pentagram, stopping every now and then to sniff the air and investigate the runes on the ground. A diagram of ten interlocking rings sat at the center.

I did the same but without the sniffing. My nose and stomach had suffered enough for a day.

The runes edged in between gave off a slick, icy feel. Dark magic.

"Need some help 'ere?" Gabriel had appeared at my side, followed by Jaggy.

I jerked away.

Gabriel stepped back, looking dejected. "Ah, ma bad, ma bad. Ma presence can be a bit tough on the faint-hearted. I'll just wait over there and keep ma distance."

His shoulders slumped as he trudged away in exaggeratedly slow, measured steps. I knew all too well what it was like to be shunned by your peers because you were different.

Why me?

A witch, a witch hunter, and a necromancer investigating a dark ritual. That sounded like the beginning of a bad joke.

I exhaled, trying to release the pent-up tension. I could do this. I could converse with a skeleton, partner with a witch hunter, and work with a necromancer as if it were perfectly normal.

"Ah, Gabriel," I called. "W-wait! I could use some help."

He spun around and bounded back to me. "Ah, well, if ya need some input."

I pointed at the runes. "This doesn't look necromantic, even though they used dark magic."

"Ah, yes, yes. Good deduction skills. Necromancy doesn't require mana ya see, so this is definitely witchcraft."

"Paxton said their vampires weren't affected. So, I think whatever they did triggered a curse attacking a specific type of magic."

"Or soul," Gabriel added. "Technically, vampires don't have it, so, of course, they'd be immune."

I gaped at him.

He shrugged. "Death magic isn't exactly healthy ya know."

"Then why..." I trailed off.

Was it really my place to ask why he continued to use death magic?

"Why do people smoke, do drugs, or drink when it's bad for 'em?" he finished and gave me a toothy grin, showing at two gaps between yellowish teeth. "For the thrill of course."