Needing is One Thing

Chapter 25. Something in the night is dangerous.

Sam!!!

Mika ran to the barrier, stopping just before she touched it. The runes scorched into the floor warned her away. They seemed to writhe as she looked down at them, making her shudder. Sam was lying on the ground. A broad band of moonlight stretched across the room, falling from the tall windows to shine down on him. He was curled in on himself, unmoving.

Mika crouched down, tapping the handle of the letter opener on the floor, desperately hoping he was okay, that he could hear it. She didn't want to draw too much attention. She saw Sam pull his arms away from his head; heard him let out a small moan as the light hit his face. He turned to look over his shoulder towards her, blinking.

Mika paused, stepping back. Sam... It was dark in the room but with the moonlight, she could still see how thin he looked. His face was haggard, dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. The brilliant green was gone. Pale gray, the stormy color of clouds, looked blearily back at her.

"Mika?" Sam managed to keep his voice down as he stared at her in shock.

Sam. She could only mouth the word. Confused, he pulled himself shakily to his feet. Mika scrubbed at the tears and blood on her face with her sleeve as she stood as well. She fought to catch her breath.

"What did that son of a bitch do to you?" Sam gently asked her as he put his hands up against the red wall of light between them. She shook her head, unable to explain and there wasn't a lot of time. She checked back over her shoulder to make sure Andrew wasn't coming.

"I swear I'm going to kill him," Sam muttered.

Mika stepped back and looked up. The runes were far out of her reach. She saw the blend of violet and red power twining through them in an intricate pattern, with Sam's green energy woven into it. Sam's and Andrew's. It made her sick to her stomach. Andrew did this. Not only had he tried to...tried to... She remembered the swirl of red just before Andrew had enthralled her and glanced back at the circle beside her. Red. Hell-borne magic. The words came into her mind. It felt like ice water down her back.

"Mika, you should get out of here; go get James and the others," Sam urged her to leave him but she furiously shook her head. She had to break the circle, get Sam and her both out before Andrew did anything worse. What do I know about this? The notes from her grandfather's journal were blurry in her mind; she couldn't recall them mentioning anything about this and didn't want to hurt Sam.

Mika looked down at the letter opener in her hands, looked up at the red glow. Just like the doorway back in the apartment. Mika raised the blade. Maybe...

"Ah-ah-ah, sweet thing. I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Mika jumped, turning to see a blond man in sunglasses, jeans, and a t-shirt, stepping out of the shadows. He chuckled as she stepped back and brandished the blade at him, amused as he walked towards her.

Sam saw Mika jump and quickly looked around himself. He couldn't see who she was facing, but he was certain he knew. Dread filled him. "Show yourself, fucker!" he called out into the room, trying to get the devil's attention.

Delial ignored him. "I'm a little late, but sometimes it's just better to watch," the devil grinned, his teeth unnaturally white. "Besides, you're handling it all quite well on your own. I'm impressed." He stopped, just at the opposite edge of the circle.

"Leave her alone!" Sam tried to figure out where the devil was. He watched Mika's eyes as she turned, stepping back along the barrier to try and keep it between her and the stranger. "Mika, watch out. That's no minor devil," Sam warned her.