Pretty When They Collide (Pretty When She Dies 0.5)(15)

Aimee sprang to her feet and rushed the first attacker. Without any more spells, she had to pull on her internal well of power. She would have to act fast before she was drained.

Flinging one hand at the attacker, she cast out a ball of concentrated magic. It hit the shadowy casing surrounding the attacker and burst into flame. In a split second it ate through the spell and engulfed the being inside. An ear-splitting wail filled the air, echoing around Aimee when it hit the barrier spell. The creature fell to the ground, burning to ashes in seconds.

A vampire.

The black magic witch was still alive.

Limbs burning with the heat of her magic, Aimee sped around the front of the car and caught the second attacker just as it was about to toss another spell. Hurling an orb of energy at it, she willed the magic to expand and encompass the attacker. The sparkling white magic wrapped around the figure, dissolving the obfuscating spell.

Aimee hesitated, realizing it was a demon. Tethered to the black magic witch, it was corporeal, and therefore vulnerable, but it would be difficult to abolish. Again Aimee cursed the stupid dress and the fancy jewelry she had been forced to wear. Her amulets would be a great help right now, but she was without them.

The demon was a humanoid shape made of darkness that seemed to suck in the light around it, creating an aura of grasping blackness along its form. Glowing red eyes rested on Aimee seconds before it attacked. Long, spindly fingers tipped with obsidian claws slashed at the witch as the demon flew at her. Ducking under its attack, Aimee tripped over her long dress and fell onto the tarmac. Twisting around, she swung her arm out, sending an arc of white light at the demon. Though the creature dove to one side to avoid the attack, the dagger of light struck its side. Oozing yellow ichor flowed from the wound and the smell of rotten eggs wafted on the desert wind.

Pushing herself up with her hands, Aimee sent a wave of magic at another attacker trying to sneak up behind her. It smashed into the shrouded entity, flinging the attacker into the side of the limousine. Shrieking in agony, the assailant writhed in the tentacle of the black magic spell.

“Human,” Aimee breathed, then sent another bolt at the demon.

The inky blot in the shape of a human bolted to one side, avoiding the magical barrage while the suffocating human thrashed against the car. The heavy body armor rang against the metal and glass. Aimee ignored the dying mortal and concentrated on avoiding the demon’s next attack. It darted at her, slashing with its claws. She cast another wave of magic at it, the diamonds in her bracelet flashing in the headlights of the SUV idling behind the limousine.

“Of course,” she whispered.

A black magic spell hurtled into her and knocked her off her feet. Her flip-flops skittered across the asphalt and vanished under the car. The spell slid over her skin like icy water. It tried to sink through her protection spell, but was thwarted when Aimee pumped more power into her shield. She was draining herself too fast and she knew it. Whip-like tendrils of black magic lashed at her face and chest. The purple and black magic again tried to burrow into her protection spell. Aimee worried that the demon was about to spring and she had no idea where the black magic witch was hiding. Gripping the aggressive spell in both hands, she jerked it away from her body, holding the squirming mass in a tight grip. Again, she cursed Frank’s ridiculous fashion standards. She had a bracelet with just the amulet for this type of aggressive spell. Instead she had to take a big risk in order to save all of them.

Rolling onto her knees, Aimee observed the demon retreating to the other side of the car. The dark magic spell viciously attacking the limousine was almost through her protection spell. The witch and demon had distracted her in order to get closer to Frank. Now she was about to make things even worse.

“Dammit!”

Encapsulating the writhing tendrils in a thin sheen of white magic, she hurled the black magic spell at the limousine. It splashed into the other spell, its tentacles whipping out to grip onto the bigger mass before sinking into it. Even bigger and stronger than before, the black magic spell jerked at the limousine like a predator ripping into flesh.

“You’re stupider than I thought,” a male voice called out, amused.

Ripping the diamond bracelet off her wrist, Aimee whispered under her breath. The demon added its power to the assaulting spell. Another blast of black magic hurtled towards her. She leaped out of the way and sent a countering wave in the general direction of the attack.

“Blood calls to death!” she shouted, and hurled the diamond bracelet at the car.

The demon’s glowing red eyes gleamed brightly just as the diamond bracelet clipped the car and bounced into its face. It howled in agony as the banishment spell Aimee had infused the bracelet with gripped it and dragged it into the depths of the sparkling diamonds, entrapping it. The reek of sulfur filled the air as the black magic spell ripping at the limousine vanished instantly. Somewhere nearby a man screamed in pain and terror.

“That’s the problem with black magic witches,” Aimee called out. “Once the demon you’ve made a deal with is vanquished, you’re a powerless piece of shit.”

Retreating footsteps pounded into the darkness. The doors to the limousine banged open and the two guards pursued the fleeing black witch. Aimee smiled triumphantly, swaying slightly on her feet. The adrenaline surge was the only thing keeping her standing. Weakened by the heavy expenditure of her magic, Aimee limped toward the car.

Frank slid out of the backseat, his cellphone clutched in one hand. “Why didn’t you kill the witch?”