Fall into Fire (Shamans of the Divide, Book 2)

Chapter Nineteen

  In the big-screen movie version of my life, I would have had some great comeback ready for Red-Woman. Witty and sarcastic and awesome. But in the real-life version, my mouth was useless and might as well have been full of marbles.

This horrifying, beautiful demoness floated in front of me without much sense of urgency, and me with all my sense of self-preservation, I just stood there like an idiot. It wasn't like she'd rooted me in place with some sort of magic, but the fear I felt was immobilizing and I was so afraid that if I moved, I would spark her into action and my death would come even quicker.

The air around me was suddenly hot and dry, like the flames Red-Woman carried with her destroyed the oxygen and moisture wherever she went.

"I'm disappointed," Red-Woman said, still communicating with me without moving her lips. My mind felt...violated. She'd pushed past my weak defenses like they were nothing and she was proving to me how easy breaking into my own inner voice was. "I expected more of you. He'd said so much about your potential. About your power."

He? He who?

What does one say to a demon who insults them? I still had nothing to offer the conversation and my tongue was thick and heavy in my mouth. Enunciating words would have been impossible. Had I been able to talk, I probably would have told Red-Woman how impressive she was—she was a thousand times more terrifying in person than I'd imagined.

Red-Woman moved forward a step and we were suddenly inches away from each other—standing face to face. Behind me, I heard one of the horses let out a shrill warning and soon after, I heard the sound of retreating hooves.

"He said you'd give me what I need," she said, leaning forward, putting our faces even closer. "He said you'd be enough, but you're nothing but a puny little runt. You can't get me across."

He who?

Realizing that she wasn't interested in having a back-and-forth conversation, I took a step to the side while my feet still worked. I didn't get much space between us before she flicked her hand and a wall of fire shot up beside me. She'd made a column of white-hot fire, forcing me to step back.

"I thought you'd be more afraid," she said, continuing. "It's always more fun when they're afraid. Your souls taste better when you're afraid."

Good lord.

She was evil and creepy and psychotic all wrapped into one. I started thinking that I should have paid more attention to the talking breezes earlier this summer when it warned me she was coming. And just for the record, I was very, very afraid.

Red-Woman moved her arms to her side and suddenly, I was in the middle of an inferno. The burning sensation to my arms and legs was unbearable and without meaning to, I let out a cry of pain.

"There it is," she purred. "That's what I was looking for."

"It's not fear," I gritted through my teeth. "It's pain. Big difference."

Her eyes widened a bit at my tone. She'd obviously been hoping for terror.

I paid for it, though, when she turned up the settings on the roaster that was about to cook me alive. Bile rose in my throat and I knew the burning sensation was so painful that I was going to throw up soon. Hopefully, I'd pass out quickly and not have to suffer too long. I felt tears of frustration, and pain, welling in my eyes and the image of the fire demon in front of me wavered as I squeezed my eyes.

"Open them," she said and I complied against my will. She was gaining more control over me the more emotional and frantic I became. Now I see how easily she caused Leonard's wreck and Coyote's outburst—fear and anger made us more vulnerable and she obviously had plenty of tricks up her sleeve.