Demons (Darkness #4)(45)

“Fantastic,” Toa said as he sat gracefully next to Sasha. “Now, I wondered if you might call the…” Toa raised his eyebrows in silent question.

“Corners,” Birdie helped, preferring to stay standing. Probably wanted to scout out the shadows in the room to make sure there were no na**d men hiding.

“Yes, of course. Please,” Toa gestured her toward a seat, “at your leisure.”

“He kind of looks like a vampire,” one of the twins muttered to the other, her smile taking up her whole face. “Like one of the cast members in Twilight.”

“He’s definitely hotter than Edward,” the other answered, giggling.

“Ladies,” Birdie admonished, finally settling directly onto the carpet in the middle of the room. “Join the circle and let’s call the corners.”

“Can I sit with you?” Sasha asked shyly.

“Of course, dear, come over. And your friend, too, if he likes.”

“I can observe from here,” Toa answered with a respectful nod. “Please, just go about your normal routine.”

The women settled in their circle, heads bowed and eyes closed. Except Sasha, who was looking around at the others, probably trying to feel what they were doing. After a few sighs, and some deep breathing, suddenly Sasha’s tired and haggard face bloomed with a smile. She closed her eyes in contentment.

“Unity, yes,” Toa noted, leaning forward in his seat.

Charles could feel the fan of Sasha, urging his magic higher. Urging him to fill his body and pull in just a little bit more. He let it, and then sat forward with Toa.

Electricity filled the air, calling to his magic, swirling around him. He connected with it, feeling a floral essence, as if rose petals fell softly across his body.

“That’s so neat,” Delilah said, her eyes opening and going right to him. “Is that you? Can you do this, too? It seems male.”

“You have linked with me, actually,” Toa said calmly. “It is not male. Magic is not relegated to sex. It is two poles, coming together. Think of it like a magnet. I had always wondered how it would feel. So natural—easier than with two like powers—but a delicate balance. If I pull just a bit…”

Delilah leaned forward, the wonder on her face clouding.

“Interesting,” Toa reflected. “Once linked, you can pull the focus of the magic. If you are not strong enough, or not knowledgeable enough, you will remain a pawn. I could use your magic, pulling through you. If I wasn’t worried about your welfare, I could drain your energy easily. It is similar to a like-magic link, but with more trust. Less control. It is easier to maintain, but as such, easier to exploit.”

Delilah leaned away, as if released, confusion and fear crossing her face.

Toa glanced at Sasha. “But your magic isn’t exactly like theirs, Sasha. For you, a blood link is still better.”

“Barking up the wrong tree, Toa. We’ve talked about that,” Sasha said, face screwed up in concentration.

“Without a blood link, you can only rely on Stefan,” Toa countered. “And let’s not forget, links can be forced, blood or otherwise. You are exposed. All of you are exposed. We should pair everyone off, protect as much as we can here before we meet more of my kind. Not all are as gentle as this clan—they are not always as fair to humans.”

Sasha snorted. “Goodie. And I do rely on Stefan. With my whole being. So stop asking.”

“Who’ve I got?” Charles asked in wonder, wanting to reach forward and touch someone. He latched onto the link and pulled it toward him. Birdie leaned in, right before her face darkened and her eyebrows lowered. Before he knew what had happened, he was on his feet, the essence of flowers now a petal claw, grabbing his chest and yanking him. His energy sapped, his magic started to drain and close off.

Charles yanked back, magical tug-of-war, making Birdie grunt.

“She’s an orange,” Sasha said softly. “And bold. She’s probably not afraid to club you, magically or otherwise.”

Suddenly, the link was infused with a shot of magic. All four elements blasted into his body, slamming him back in his chair. His hands flew up, trying to shield him from something he couldn’t see. Birdie gasped, her face alight with joy and terror.

As fast as it began, it stopped. Sasha slumped. “Same thing that happens with you, Toa,” she said sadly. “My magic tries to fry everyone. Even my own kind.”

Toa tapped his chin, his gaze losing focus. “You have all the elements, the polar opposite as me, but you are not controlling the flow. You fight the flow within you, not control it. You work with it in your own way, but you don’t take ownership of it.”

“Well, then, she needs a teacher, doesn’t she?” Birdie stated. Her hands found her h*ps again, even though she was sitting. “If that’s you, then you better figure it out. I’ve never seen such potential in my life.”

“This is all really real?” one of the twins asked, staring at Jonas. “You feel like…”

“A crisp autumn day,” the other twin helped, also looking at Jonas. “So beautiful and mild.”

“You got the twins?” Charles whined. He always wanted to try twins. His kind didn’t produce any that he knew of, and humans weren’t much fun when they were all dopey-eyed.