Chapter 12: Off to See the Wizard

Marcus secreted the vial of binding spell ingredients in an inner jacket pocket and released the torque on his captive’s wrist.  The man gasped and rubbed his injury, glaring balefully at him.  The luminous portal back into the physical realm winked closed, plunging them into the dim moonlit night atop a grassy hill. It would briefly reopen at 3:00 A.M., […]

Chapter 19: Undercurrents of Evil

Detective Blackhorse resumed his efforts to revive Smokey, fearing that the thready pulse would cease altogether without his rescue breaths. The bell over the front door rang and Blackhorse heard footsteps. Relief washed over him. Without looking up, he barked at Chet, “Call 911!” “Huh,” came the baffled response from Officer Schneider, who peered down at them over the display […]

Chapter 63: Trapped

Mukesh was still laughing when his spell sparked inside the ritual circle.  Instinctively, the group backed away from the flash, huddling together tense and watchful.  The bright spot ignited and flared into a yellow flame sprouting wings of fire and the glowing, flickering body of a bumblebee.  Everyone except Marko relaxed and snickered. The sisters elbowed one another, exchanging amused […]

Chapter 18: Victim or Villan?

Detective Blackhorse called the precinct and asked for the sheriff. The receptionist put him on hold and returned a moment later, with instructions for him to call Officer Schneider with his questions and requests. Blackhorse asked to speak with Schneider and the receptionist put him on hold. Blackhorse cursed under his breath. After what felt like an eternity, Schneider picked […]

Chapter 65: The Other Sister

Rachel strolled into the living room, hips swaying with her back ever so slightly arched, smiling to acknowledge Officer Foster’s admiring look. He watched her glide across the room in a form fitting hot pink dress which warmed up her caramel skin. She walked past him and brushed back long, naturally curly sandy brown locks over one shoulder to look […]

Chapter 13: Door Number One

Deidre felt riveted to the spot, wanting to move but unable to tear her eyes away from the shambling freak of nature. The bat-like brutes which had crawled across the ceiling of the dungeon her first night of captivity had been sleek and powerfully built. This pathetic malformed thing with its sickly pallor and unsteady gait managed to seem both […]

Chapter 13: The Nightmare Begins

Dylan stood staring dumbfounded at the corpse bleeding on his kitchen floor. He instantly recognized it as his neighbor Rhonda from across the hall. How the hell had she even gotten into his apartment? Dylan was dumbfounded. Searching his foggy memory conjured up a flurry of disjointed, violent images. Feeling overwhelmed, he tried to block out the flashbacks and the […]

Chapter 13: Hits and Misses

Detective Hernandez retrieved a brown paper evidence bag from his car and slipped the grimoire inside, under the baleful glare of auction house proprietor Paul Schauman. Hernandez steeled himself for vehement protests and threats which never came.  Instead, there was only resigned acceptance from Paul. His shoulders slowly sagged as the fight drained out of him. “I hate to admit […]

Chapter 11: Bad Company

Marcus stood in line, awaiting his turn to give the gatekeeper of the midnight market portal his offering. A mesmerized hush fell over the group, at the sight of the first sparks from the gatekeeper’s spell. They blazed brightly, dancing about like fireflies in the darkness beyond the feeble reach of the streetlights. The newcomers were thrilled at the sight […]

Chapter 62: Eye of the Storm

Marko and the others felt themselves violently pulled downward through the ruined floor of the antiquities vault, past the basement and subbasement of the Doorkeeper compound. Their shouts could barely be heard over the roar of the cyclonic force buffeting their bodies. They desperately contorted their bodies to avoid the spinning chunks of rubble torn from the building above their […]

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