Witchlock Read Free Page B

 
    He nodded and turned back to the cable car.  
    “Hold it. This way, buddy,” she called over to him.  
    The words flew right past him as he climbed inside.  
    Just once she’d like a demon, or whatever he was, to cooperate. Evalle pulled out her dagger just to be prepared and walked over calmly, standing in front of the door. “Come on out and let’s go.”  
    The seats in the car lined the walls, wrapping around the inside. He sat on the far side near the front with his body leaning against the window.  
    Was he demented?  
    She’d dealt with a Cresyl demon once that had acted confused, but the Cresyl had been under a spell. A Medb spell come to think of it, from what Evalle had put together since then.  
    She considered using her kinetic power to lift him off the seat and float him out, but he was acting docile at the moment, which was way better than the alternative.  
    Agitating unknown beings often turned out badly.  
    Stepping inside the spacious car, she walked over until she could see his face. He lay hunched over against the window, eyes shut and breathing softly.  
    Asleep?  
    At least now she could use her kinetics to get him out of here, but that would be simpler with both hands free. She slid her dagger into the sheath inside her jacket and raised both arms shoulder high with her hands stretched toward Mr. Khaki Pants.  
    She powered up her kinetics, expecting him to be a lightweight, but she strained to lift him two feet off the floor, then turned to walk him toward the door. If she could get this guy away from the cable car structure and into the woods close by, she could pin him to the ground while they both waited for Sen in a spot where no one would see them.  
    Once she had Khaki Guy contained, she’d call Tzader telepathically and give him the location. Sen hated Evalle and would dismiss any request from her unless he thought there was a chance she’d committed a crime where he could lock her up in VIPER prison.  
    She’d almost reached the opening with her captive when power burst all around her in a blast of lightning bolts, knocking Evalle backwards off her feet.  
    She dropped her guy, who hit hard.  
    He bounced once and landed on his feet as he came alive with eyes glowing bright yellow. The bottom of his face warped down and sideways, growing twice as big as it had been before. Jaws opened to reveal two rows of barracuda-sharp teeth when he roared an ungodly sound.  
    Now that was more like the demons she knew and loved.  
    He dove at her.  
     
    Chapter 3  
     
    Evalle shoved up a kinetic wall in an attempt to block the demon diving at her. He slammed against it and visible cracks splintered across the invisible shield.  
    What the ...  
    She had no way out except past that snarling jaw full of teeth and those inch-long claws. She rolled fast, toward the front of the car before he crashed through her invisible barrier and pinned her. She locked her hands in a fist and swung both arms, batting a kinetic blast at the demon.  
    He flew backwards and landed on the floor. Finally. She kept her kinetic wall in place just in case ...  
    The demon sat up.  
    Are you kidding me?  
    And ... now she could see black ears. A Réisc Dubh demon?  
    She’d read about them, but had never seen one because there hadn’t been any around for something like eighty years.  
    Sparks crackled and zigzagged back and forth through the air, buzzing close enough to singe the skin on her face and hands.  
    Where was that power coming from?  
    A spell maybe, and one that didn’t play nice with her Belador powers, because it was corrupting her kinetics.  She’d pull out her dagger, but killing him had to be her last choice.  
    If her memory was right, Réisc Dubh demons had been created as servants or slaves, and didn’t have a lot of power.  
    Someone had super-juiced this one.  
    If she handed this demon over to Tzader alive, then the Beladors had a chance to find out if the