Chapter 26.1

“Amara? Amara?!” Tessa shouted, running to the empty space where Amara had previously been standing. Her tattoos flared, and she fell to her knees to investigate the scorch mark on the floor, but she didn’t seem to be finding anything. After a few moments of panic, she jumped up and ran at Vee, jabbing a finger into her shoulder. “What the fuck did you do?!”

“I didn’t do anything!” Vee shouted back. “Why would I get rid of Amara now, when we need her most? Besides, she vanished in a burst of hellfire, that’s not something I can do.” Vee grabbed Tessa’s wrist, throwing the witch back as they kept glaring at each other.

“Okay, okay, let’s just stay calm,” Nick said. He was clearly panicking, pacing back and forth as he nervously wrung out his hands. “Maybe she’s okay! Those flames that surrounded her, they were purple, right? That’s her color!”

“How do we know that’s unique to her?” Tessa asked. “Maybe all hellfire is purple!”

Tessa and Nick both looked at Vee, who immediately shook her head. “Hey, don’t look at me. Amara’s hellfire is the only kind I’ve seen, and I don’t remember anyone saying that it can come in different colors.”

“Fuck!” Tessa shouted again. “Fuck fuck fuck!”

Vee, rather than joining Tessa and Nick in pointlessly pacing around the room, was trying to think of a way forward. Without Amara, it would be nigh impossible for Vee to keep Tessa safe while she worked on reversing the cult's ritual.

“What if the cult has her?” Vee asked. “We know they have ways of summoning demons, and they wouldn’t even need to reach into Hell to get her.”

Tessa paused, turning to look at Vee. “That’s… fuck, that’s probably spot on.”

“But, if that’s the case,” Nick started, “then you should be able to find her, right? You know where the cult’s headquarters are, and you just discovered a back door. If they’re all preoccupied with their ceremony, you might have time to sneak in and free her!”

“Let’s quit standing around then!” Tessa did one last check of her equipment, then moved to the front door. “C’mon Vee, it’s now or never, and I’m itching to stab some bitches.”

Vee took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She couldn’t afford to lose her head, her angelic magic worked best when she was calm and collected. She looked at Nick, swallowing nervously before speaking “Nick, if we can’t—”

“Don’t say it, Vee,” Nick said. “I’ll see you, all three of you, when you get back. Okay?”

When one last look, and a resolute nod, Vee opened the door.

Campus was quiet, which was hardly surprising given that it was Thanksgiving weekend. While most students were back from the short break already, there hadn’t been any parties, and everyone was likely sleeping off their turkey leftovers.

Vee and Tessa ran quickly, making their way to Whitmore Hall as fast as they could. As disastrous as their previous raid had gone, it was hard to deny the good fortune of having a backdoor to the underground tunnels. Tessa was unusually quiet, her determination preventing her from cracking any inappropriate jokes or threatening Vee again. Still, Vee couldn’t help but share the same nervous energy.

Despite all their practice, it was hard to deny they were fighting an uphill battle. Without Amara, their plan had no chance of succeeding. Still, Vee continued racking her brain for ideas, trying to think of other solutions to their current problem.

She continued cycling through all the spells in her book, recalling each page in almost perfect detail. She’d spent the last few days memorizing all the magic inside, hoping to find better spells than what they’d been practicing with, but her options were frustratingly few. The only spells that might be able to clear a room of demons would require far too much time to prepare, which in turn would necessitate Amara keeping her safe, but then Amara would also be caught in the crossfire.

Before long, Vee and Tessa were racing down the stairs in Whitmore Hall, and Tessa was bypassing the illusory wall. They decided to leave the illusion down on the off chance they needed a quick escape later, and dove into the tunnels once more.

Officially in enemy territory now, the girls started moving slower. Vee summoned her sword, and Tessa’s switchblade began circling her body. There was no knowing which hallways might contain cultists, and they also needed time to properly backtrack their steps from last time. In their rush to escape, no one had bothered to chart which paths they had taken.

The flat, gray corridors seemed to stretch on forever, a terrible labyrinth of bland, brutalist monotony. Every turn, every doorway had the potential to hold demons that wanted them dead, but they also needed to

“My my,” Mr. Mendez said. “Mr. Wellington is going to the two of you.”