Read Online Hammer of Witches by Shana Mlawski - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shana Mlawski
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girl-demon raised herself up on tiptoes. Soon I realized her feet were no longer touching the floor. Now the girl was floating above the floorboards, her violet eyes calm and inquiring. Finally she alighted in a graceful squat on the edge of the mattress, sending me scrambling toward the foot of the bed so quickly that I nearly fell off.
With a delicate finger the girl cracked open the window so she could peep down at the marina below. Her bat ears perked up at the sight. “Oh, good, good, good!” the girl said. “At least we’re still in Palos.”
Were we? At the moment it seemed like I had been transported into one of my uncle’s old stories — one where a mischievous spirit tries to steal a young man’s soul.
My own mischievous spirit cocked her head at me. “Who are you, anyway? How do you know Amir?”
This time I at least tried to answer, but my voice came out in little crackles that disintegrated in my mouth. The demon’sears twitched happily as she raised her chin toward the room’s only exit.
“Is Amir down there?” she asked. She hopped off the bed and flounced toward the attic door.
I threw myself in front of her. “Don’t go out there!”
Again the girl cocked her head at me. The way she hung there, her bare feet pointed vaguely inward, she looked like a young child waiting for a parent’s return. “Why?” she asked me in that way only a child can. When I couldn’t answer she reached out to open the attic door.
Again I jumped in front of her. “No, I mean it! You cannot go out there!”
The girl floated slowly to the floor. “Why?” she asked me again, but this time her voice was heavy with suspicion. The black bonfire that was her hair was growing larger now, swirling closer and closer to the ceiling. Little black sparks, I noticed, were springing onto the girl’s bony bare shoulders.
“Why do you keep telling me what to do?” The girl flew in close to me so her flat chest was an inch away from my own. “You can’t do that. Only Amir can do that!”
“I’m sorry,” I said, backing away from her toward the bed. “But there’s no reason to go downstairs. Amir isn’t down there. Really!”
The girl flew toward me faster now, at such a steep angle that her bare feet were nearly over her head. “Then where is he? Huh?” The girl poked me hard in the chest, sending mefalling into a sitting position on the bed. “Huh? Tell me! Where is Amir?”
Rubbing my chest, I scooted away from her toward the pillow. “Ouch! Look, I swear to you! I have no idea where Amir is. No one does!”
The girl’s hair erupted in a black fireball. “Liar!” she cried. “You’re a liar, liar, liar!”
By this point there was nowhere left for me to run. I had backed all the way into the corner of the bed, with a wall on one side of me and the window on the other. The girl flew in closer, her hair roiling. I shrunk back so my skin wouldn’t be burned off by the flames.
Because the flames were growing larger now — much larger. In fact, they were cascading down the girl’s entire body. “Liar!” the girl shouted, and the black flames lapped down her neck. “Liar! Liar!” And they swallowed her arms and stomach. I cowered at the sight of her. This girl was a demon, no doubt about it — a white-eyed demon of pure black flame.
I had to do something. At this rate, she was going to set the whole inn on fire! That’s when I noticed something in the corner of my vision. Of course — the pitcher! The ceramic pitcher the innkeeper had given me! I covered my eyes with a forearm and, in one wild motion, snatched up the container and flung the liquid inside at the girl.
I heard a splash, which I expected, and a fizz, which I expected too. But what I didn’t expect was the horrible, strangledyelp that came out of the demon’s mouth when I splashed her. I heard a couple of thumps and then silence. The girl had crashed onto the floor.
My God.
I had killed her! My heart gasped at the
With a delicate finger the girl cracked open the window so she could peep down at the marina below. Her bat ears perked up at the sight. “Oh, good, good, good!” the girl said. “At least we’re still in Palos.”
Were we? At the moment it seemed like I had been transported into one of my uncle’s old stories — one where a mischievous spirit tries to steal a young man’s soul.
My own mischievous spirit cocked her head at me. “Who are you, anyway? How do you know Amir?”
This time I at least tried to answer, but my voice came out in little crackles that disintegrated in my mouth. The demon’sears twitched happily as she raised her chin toward the room’s only exit.
“Is Amir down there?” she asked. She hopped off the bed and flounced toward the attic door.
I threw myself in front of her. “Don’t go out there!”
Again the girl cocked her head at me. The way she hung there, her bare feet pointed vaguely inward, she looked like a young child waiting for a parent’s return. “Why?” she asked me in that way only a child can. When I couldn’t answer she reached out to open the attic door.
Again I jumped in front of her. “No, I mean it! You cannot go out there!”
The girl floated slowly to the floor. “Why?” she asked me again, but this time her voice was heavy with suspicion. The black bonfire that was her hair was growing larger now, swirling closer and closer to the ceiling. Little black sparks, I noticed, were springing onto the girl’s bony bare shoulders.
“Why do you keep telling me what to do?” The girl flew in close to me so her flat chest was an inch away from my own. “You can’t do that. Only Amir can do that!”
“I’m sorry,” I said, backing away from her toward the bed. “But there’s no reason to go downstairs. Amir isn’t down there. Really!”
The girl flew toward me faster now, at such a steep angle that her bare feet were nearly over her head. “Then where is he? Huh?” The girl poked me hard in the chest, sending mefalling into a sitting position on the bed. “Huh? Tell me! Where is Amir?”
Rubbing my chest, I scooted away from her toward the pillow. “Ouch! Look, I swear to you! I have no idea where Amir is. No one does!”
The girl’s hair erupted in a black fireball. “Liar!” she cried. “You’re a liar, liar, liar!”
By this point there was nowhere left for me to run. I had backed all the way into the corner of the bed, with a wall on one side of me and the window on the other. The girl flew in closer, her hair roiling. I shrunk back so my skin wouldn’t be burned off by the flames.
Because the flames were growing larger now — much larger. In fact, they were cascading down the girl’s entire body. “Liar!” the girl shouted, and the black flames lapped down her neck. “Liar! Liar!” And they swallowed her arms and stomach. I cowered at the sight of her. This girl was a demon, no doubt about it — a white-eyed demon of pure black flame.
I had to do something. At this rate, she was going to set the whole inn on fire! That’s when I noticed something in the corner of my vision. Of course — the pitcher! The ceramic pitcher the innkeeper had given me! I covered my eyes with a forearm and, in one wild motion, snatched up the container and flung the liquid inside at the girl.
I heard a splash, which I expected, and a fizz, which I expected too. But what I didn’t expect was the horrible, strangledyelp that came out of the demon’s mouth when I splashed her. I heard a couple of thumps and then silence. The girl had crashed onto the floor.
My God.
I had killed her! My heart gasped at the
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