“Bind him, Britney,” he shouted, swinging his sword.
Braiden went to weave around Kyle’s attack, but the rain falling about him caught him, wrapping around his body, Britney’s katar shining with blue light as she controlled the water. Braiden’s silted eyes widened as he thrashed in the rain’s grip.
His sword cut Braiden in half.
Fire roared from inside the house, exploding windows, black smoke pouring out.
“Your sister is getting carried away,” Britney said, already loping to the house.
“Yeah, she does that,” he agreed, running after her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fatima roasted the monstrosity that had been Frankie, her fire consuming the creature and catching the wall on fire. Greasy smoke filled the air. She didn’t care if the house burned down. Her mom was in trouble.
“Let’s go!” she shouted, racing up the stairs.
“Let me deal with the fire!” Fumi shouted. “It’s distorting the air. I can’t see.”
“I’m with you, Fatima,” Christy shouted, her footsteps echoing behind her.
Fatima still had mixed thoughts about Christy. But she was following her into danger, so that counted for something. She reached the top of the stairs and turned into her mother’s room. The door was smashed open and a pile of dust from one of Aaliyah’s homunculi lay before it.
A man stood inside her mom’s room, his arm held tight about her mom’s throat. Fatima gaped at the placid look in her mom’s eyes. She didn’t struggle at all in the man’s arms. Her eyes narrowed at the stranger dressed in a black robes, a pendant carved of some clear crystal flashing about his throat, a staff carved of a black wood in the other.
“Let her go!” she snarled, dashing forward. The man turned, placing her mother between them and Fatima stopped her charge, keeping her yari leveled at him.
“We will exchange your mother for the Djinn,” the man said, his voice booming loud, a grin crossing his craggy face. He looked ancient, with tufts of white-gray hair circling the bald crown of his head.
“Fuck that! You let mom go or I’ll gut you.”
“Be careful,” Christy said. “He’s got a celestite aura. He has power.”
“Doesn’t matter. There’s only one way out and that’s through us.” Fatima fixed her fiery gaze on the man. “So do the smart thing and let my mom go.”
“You think this is the only way out of here? How limited your imagination is.”
“Ishtar,” Christy chanted, “protect your servant and put to sleep those that threaten her!”
The man’s pendant grew brighter. “You need more power than that to bewitch me, child.”
“Your time’s running out. Fumi’s putting out the fire and Kyle and Britney will be up here soon. You can’t fight us all.”
“True. You children have dangerous toys.” His flinty eyes narrowed. “But so do I.”
His staff crackled with black energy. The air warped around the man and her mother, bending and distorting like Fatima was looking at them through a the bottom of a coke bottle. Then the air sprang back to normal and they were gone.
“Fuck! Christy, what the hell was that?”
“I don’t know,” she answered. “It was that staff. It must be an artifact like your weapon.”
“Well, fuck, where’d he go?”
Foot steps crashed nearer and Kyle burst into the room, his katana held before him. “Where’s mom?”
“Some guy just took her.”
“Aaliyah!” he cried out.
The Genie popped into view in a swirl of dust. “Yes?” she asked, looking around.
“I wish my mom is back here.”
“I cannot affect her, remember,” she said, placing her arm on him. “Not without her permission.”
“Right,” Kyle muttered. “Fucking Burke. Then where is she? I wish to know.”
Aaliyah closed her eyes. “The principal’s office at your school.”
“Then let’s go. The police will be here any minute. The neighbors are already gawking.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aaliyah could feel the cold anger in Kyle as she pressed up against him in the back of SUV. His hard muscles were all tensed, his knuckles white as he gripped the hilt of his sword. Fatima let out a constant hiss of curses, each more vile than the last.
“Did everyone place their dildos?” Kyle asked. “Is the magic circle complete?”
The concubines all nodded their head. “We did, Master,” Teleisia answered.
“Then we can still do the plan.”
“We do not have the element of surprise,” Britney said. “The enemy has retreated to a stronghold. Burke must have defenses at this school that—”
“He has my mother.” Kyle’s voice was a low rumble. “I will tear that school brick by brick if I have to. We are going with the plan. The witches will power the circle, drawing on Aaliyah’s power funneled through Zaritha. Burke will be cut off from Hecate and we’ll destroy him! Aaliyah, I wish Zaritha was here.”
The Ifrit appeared in the center of the SUV, her dark eyes flashing with anger. “Why have you summoned me early?”
“We’re attacking now,” Kyle answered.
“Now? What has gone wrong? Has Burke learned of the plan?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need a new plan. We can’t attack now. This is stupid!”
Insolence danced in the Ifrit’s eyes and Aaliyah narrowed her eyes. “You forget your place, Ifrit,” she said, jutting her chin out. “You are one of Kyle’s concubines. It is not your place to question your husband and master.”
The Ifrit opened her mouth, a fiery retort on her lips, then her eyes bulged. She had sworn the oath to be his and that was a powerful act for a Djinn. “Sorry, Master,” she muttered, her face twisting as she spat out the words. “We will attack. Are there any changes to the plan?”
“We have three witches to power the circle.”
“Three…” Zaritha worked her lips, her eyes narrowing. “Very well.”
Aaliyah peered at the Ifrit. Why does that displease her?
“We’re approaching the school!” Shannon shouted.
“Once we get out, you keep driving. I don’t want you or any of the concubines caught up in this. Park in that empty lot we met with Zaritha this morning.”
“Yes, Master.”
“But…” Mindy objected. “What if someone is hurt. You’ll need my first aid bag.”
Kyle reached out, cupping the nurse’s face and peering into her green eyes. “I do not want any of you hurt.”
“Yes, Master,” she whispered, a tear spilling down her cheek.
The SUV screeched to a stop. Britney was the first out, followed by Kyle. Aaliyah went out last. The rain hammered down on the red brick buildings of the school. The three witches stopped at the entrance to the parking lot and a silver line flared up, reaching out in a curving arc—the magic circle they had drawn around the school.
“Good luck,” Christy said, hugging Kyle. “Get your mother back.”
Britney was hugging Phillipa as Aaliyah walked up. She embraced and kissed Kyle, Fatima, and Fumi. “You will be triumphant,” she declared, fighting at her fear. “And we will be waiting for your safe return.”
“We’ll come back,” Kyle nodded. “I finally have all four of you. I’m not losing you now.”
Aaliyah watched as Kyle, Fatima, Britney, and Fumi strode towards the school, their weapons in hand. She clutched herself, the rain beading down the slick material of her jacket and hiding her tears.
“Let’s begin,” Zaritha said, seizing Aaliyah’s hand. “Open yourself up to me, Jann.”
“Mistress,” she reminded the Ifrit. “And your future Sultana.”