Her surroundings dimmed, and before she could blink she was at her house, her familiar couch and love seat staring back at her. The man dropped her on the floor. She didn't know how long she sat there as waves of dizziness overtook her, leaving her nauseous.
"I don't have time to waste, so summon your bitchy friend and let's get on with this."
Brianna sat on her floor, dazed from what had just transpired. Her head was still spinning from their travel. She'd never experienced anything like that. It was unnatural, and the effects hadn't left her yet. Her thoughts were scattered, but she was cognitive of the fact this man spoke of Kelly. He could be referring to no other.
He let out an exaggerated sigh. "I had forgotten. You humans don't like our style of transportation."
As she tried to recover, she was fervently aware of the man's proximity. He stood only a few feet from her, but she swore she could feel him breathing down her neck. The power emanating from him was dark, and it seemed to envelope her, as if he were deliberately trying to intimidate her.
He was doing a terrific job.
"I brought you something to help with your summoning spell. Not that you need it, but what the hell?"
He tossed a box of tarot cards on the carpet in front of her. They were Kelly's Goddess Tarot cards.
"What do you want with her?" she asked, finding her voice.
"She's deteriorating from her constant use of the Demonic Book of Spells. I warned her of the book, but she wouldn't listen."
He was not here to help Kelly, of that she was certain. The man's aura was dark and terrifying. He was out to help no one but himself. "I will not summon her."
He crouched in front of her, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. "You will."
His eyes were scorching red. The air around the demon crackled to life, and the coldness of his aura seeped under her skin, causing her to shiver. "Why don't you summon her yourself?" she said, knowing full well he couldn't control the energy of the earth.
He released her and stood in one fluid motion. "Dog."
It was a soft spoken command, and out of the hallway came a huge black lab. It had a pink spiked collar around its neck, and its tongue hung out of its mouth. It came to sit by them, looking as though it were ready to play fetch on a warm sunny day.
"I don't feel like getting my hands bloody, so I hope you'll excuse my laziness." The demon pointed at Brianna. "Enemy."
The dog went from a drooling, content-looking pooch, to a snarling hound from hell. It growled, took a breath, and growled more while staring directly into her eyes. The dog's eyes turned to slits as it bared its teeth and snarled.
"One more command and that pretty face of yours is going to resemble ground beef."
She didn't reply, only kept her eyes locked on the dog and prayed for a miracle.
"Summon Kelly." He folded his arms across his chest as if her compliance were a given.
She swallowed and slowly reached out for the tarot cards, hoping she wouldn't alarm the dog, sending it into vicious action. She wrapped her hand around the cards. There was no way in hell she was summoning Kelly, ferocious dog or not.
She didn't know if she should try and stall the demon, or fuck up a summoning spell so it would be ineffective. Then again, deceiving a demon, especially one as dark as this, wasn't going to work.
"What is your name?" She tore her eyes away from the demented hound from hell and looked up at the demon.
"None of your damned business. Commence with your task."
So much for that. She turned the cards over and over in her hand, trying to decide what to do next.
"Perform the goddamned spell!"
She laid the cards on the floor, her hands shaking, figuring if she didn't touch them while she said her summoning spell, the spell wouldn't work. She hadn't been holding the arrowhead that had belonged to Asmodeus when she had effectively summoned him, but that success might have been from the strength of the spell she had used, one that was directly linked to Asmodeus.
She pretended to touch the cards, skimming her fingers just above them, knowing—praying—the spell wouldn't work. She didn't have the power within her to make a summoning spell work without touching a personal item from the individual she was calling on. "Light of the sun, reflecting on the moon at night, locate Kelly, bringing her within sight."
Kelly appeared just behind the demon, her hands in cuffs and her visage a haggard nightmare.
Her cheeks were sunken in, her skin a dull yellow. She looked as though she were fighting for every breath she took. When Kelly's gaze landed on the demon she promptly started laughing.