Ritual Magic Read Free Page B

more
slightly.
    "Why, would you be calling me Babbo, little girl?" Leo's voice was menacing, dripping with
hostility. "NO one calls me that!" He flicked his hands at his
sides, releasing the claws that were hidden underneath the surface
to accentuate the fact that he was going to lay down the law. Leo's
eyes flicked as he noticed the shadow that Cora was now sitting
within and his mouth drew up in a wicked grin.
    For some reason I wanted to roll my eyes in
their sockets just so that he could see that he was being
ridiculous. Unfortunately, it wouldn't have helped even if he had registered it, because he was a man. Men just had to
figure things out on their own.
    Cora grinned right back at him as she
watched him take one footstep cautiously into the shadows closest
to him, hugging the wall. "Oh! Hide-and-seek! We haven't played
this in forever!"
    In the blink of an eye both Leo and Cora
were gone from the room, or at least they weren't physically
present. I could hear the gushes of wind in the corners of the room
and I could feel the push and pull of the energy that surrounded
everything around me. My mind was swimming with fierce concern as
the gravity of this experience struck me. What if Leo killed
Cora? What if Cora killed Leo? What if one of them killed me? It would suck either way because the future would be
devastated.
    Slowly and cautiously, I sat back down on
the loveseat as I listened to the shadows whine in the constant
movement. In the darkness there was a sudden giggle and Cora's
laughter rang through the air, possibly giving away her location to
Leo, but it seemed she didn't care. Cora was clearly enjoying the
game of hide-and-seek with her Babbo. It was kind of sweet. A sigh
escaped my lips before I realized that the air in front of me had
shifted again.
    Immediately Leo was in front of me, glaring
down with anger and confusion. "Where in the world is the little
minx?" His voice sounded just a tad impressed and I could tell that
he was fighting the desire to like Cora.
    "Here, Babbo!" Cora answered him as she slid
her blade directly underneath his chin, "Tag! You're it!" She
giggled.
    Leo's eyes shone bright and he took a moment
to stand quietly, clearly assessing the situation. I looked up at
him innocently as he retracted his claws and placed his hands
slowly up in the air in front of his chest, conceding the loss of
whatever challenge he considered this to be.
    "I give, I surrender." His voice was
cautious but rich.
    Don't trust the devil, Cora. He will say
and do anything to take down the weak. Where had that
thought come from?
    "Ahhh, tsk, tsk, tsk. Babbo, you raised me
better than that!" Cora pulled her blade even closer to his throat,
placing pressure against his back and flexing her arm enough for
him to see the strength that lay there. She leaned into him and
allowed her cheek to rub his as she stood directly behind him,
clearly comfortable with the contact of his skin. They were the
same height, I noticed. "Say what you know you have to say." She
leaned over and kissed his cheek sweetly, causing him to shudder
angrily underneath the touch of her lips as he glanced down at me
with an eerie red glow pulsing from his eyes.
    "This is your fault, woman. You will explain...everything."
    Cora pushed on his back lightly and he shook
his head slowly.
    "I would rather die than concede to
you, you demon woman." He looked me up and down since he clearly
couldn't do it to her. Cora laughed at his irate response.
    "Yes, I guess you can say that I am...a
demon woman." She smiled broadly at me, a twinkle in her eye again.
That mischievous little sparkle was clearly mine. "Say it to
Celeste then." She winked at me knowingly before shoving her
shoulder into his.
    Sighing deeply, Leo placed his fist across
his chest, lowering his chin slightly, still avoiding the blade
pointed at his throat. "I, Leo Emilio Castillion..."
    "Your FULL name." Cora chuckled and shook
her head at me, rolling her eyes and tilting her head