The Girl and the Gargoyle: Book Two of The Girl and the Raven Series (25 page)

It comes to me suddenly. “Knock him off his feet, break his focus on me.”

Jude nods encouragingly. “And how do we do that?”

“Someone charges him from the side while his attention is on me.”

“He’ll throw a fireball, toast that second person, and in the blink of an eye you’re back in his sights. Next?” Jude bellows like a drill sergeant, but instead of frustrating me, it’s exhilarating.

“You and I bombard him with fireballs, toast him like you did Daphne.”

“I’m the strongest demon around, and I wasn’t able to take him out. With you helping me, no offense, we don’t stand a chance. Next!” Jude clasps his hands behind his back as he continues to pace. His tension-filled expression sweeps between Dylan and me.

Fireballs won’t do it. Breaking his limbs won’t do it. A diversion won’t do it. What else is there?

“If only there was a way to do to him what he was trying to do to Lucy,” Dylan says, scratching his jaw.

Jude’s face breaks into a self-satisfied smile. “Correct. A reflection spell.”

Dylan mirrors Jude’s smile.
Suck up
. Are the two of them best buds now?

“How do we do that?” I ask.

Jude rests his hands on his hips and nods over my shoulder. I turn around. Henry and Aiden cross the lawn toward us.

“A reflection spell is not a demon spell,” Jude says.

“Witchcraft,” I say.

He nods. “Henry,” Jude says. The two men shake hands.

I resist the urge to hug Henry. Since I don’t hug Jude, I suspect he would take offense at the preferential greeting.

Aiden surveys Jude warily. He glances over at Dylan, but says nothing.

“You’re here to teach me a reflection spell?” I grin at Henry. “Cool.”

Henry pushes his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose, and I catch the look of discomfort on his face. I’m guessing he’s not too happy to be at Jude’s house. Having him and Aiden here assures me that nothing will get out of hand today.

“It’s the perfect defensive tactic against a demon.” I shoot a quick glance at Jude, surprised that he’s sharing this information. “Or any aggressor.”

“The key,” Aiden says as he moves to stand beside Dylan, “is not to tip your hand.”

“But he’ll hear my spell. My hands will be aimed at him,” I say.

“Whisper the words, so he can’t hear you,” Henry says.

I flush with embarrassment as soon as he says this. I’ve witnessed Persephone whisper spells on numerous occasions, but it never occurred to me to wonder why she whispered.

“The spell will need to be precise, and your focus has to be one hundred percent on target. Use your eyes, the subtle jut of your chin, nod your head, point your feet. One distraction and your opponent will best you.”

“Will that really work?” Dylan asks.

“It will. Let’s run through it,” Henry says. “For this example, Lucy will come up with a spell, and we’ll pit her against Jude.”

Great
! I thrust my chest out as I step forward. “Poor Dylan. Left out again. If only you could conjure magic.”

Henry frowns at me. I swallow and turn away.

“If you knew what she ate for lunch, you’d stay up wind of her,” Dylan warns, then breaks into a fit of laughter.

“I’m going to lock the two of you in the basement if you keep this up,” Jude warns as he and I face off thirty feet from each other.

Jude moves his lips, his eyes watching me intently. With a quick flick of his hand, which remains low against his thigh, I’m thrown off my feet and I slam onto the ground.

I grit my teeth as pain blasts through my hip and tailbone. “A little warning would be nice.”

Dylan bursts out laughing. “That was graceful.”

Jerk.

“You’re not going to get any warning from Seamus,” Henry says as he strolls between Jude and me. “And you won’t have time to get creative and rhyme. You’re basically going to form instructions. Then you will repeat them over and over. Focus on your intent.”

“Like a chant?”

He nods. “Have you put something together yet?”

That fast? I frantically shake my head as I start to think. If Jude’s trying to throw me off balance and knock me off my feet—

My feet fly out from beneath me. I slam onto the ground.

“Give me a minute!” I climb to my feet, rubbing my throbbing tailbone.

Dylan laughs so hard he stumbles and nearly falls. Aiden crosses his arms over his chest, a smirk on his face.

“Work faster,” Jude says dryly. “If I were Seamus, you’d be dead by now.”

Pain radiates in my lower back and butt. As I shoot a dirty look at Jude, I notice his lips moving again.

Crap!

“Take his words and send them back. Take his words and send the back. Take his words and send them back. Take his words—”

Flat on my back, black dots dance across my vision. I gasp for air, squeaking with each inhale. Dylan’s laughter fills my head. Without comment, I flip over and crawl onto all fours. I ignore the pain and stagger to my feet.

“Think like a mirror, Lucy,” Henry advises, eyeing me nervously. “Or remember that children’s rhyme.”

I consider his words for a second. Then it hits me.

“I’m rubber, you’re glue, bounces off me, sticks to you,” I whisper furiously. Jude’s lips are moving, his eyes fixed on me. I return the stare, visualizing Jude slamming onto the ground. “I’m rubber, you’re glue, bounces off me, sticks to you.”

Jude’s feet fly out from beneath him, and he lands on his butt. My mouth falls open. It takes a minute to sink in that I made that happen.
Me. All by myself.
Without thinking, I raise my hand to Henry, and we high-five each other.

The sky is no longer above me as I’m thrown off my feet. I slam onto the ground. I raise my head a few inches.

“Ouch!” Dylan cackles. “Gloat a little more, Lucy.”

“Poor sport.” Henry glares at Jude as he grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. “You okay?”

I wipe the dirt off my jeans, buying time as I catch my breath. “Yeah.”

Jude and I lock on each other. His lips move, but so do mine. As I whisper the spell, I visualize him falling. Over and over. He flicks his wrist and I leap aside, dodging the spell as I focus harder.

Jude lands on his butt again.

Ha! See how
his
tailbone likes it.

“Again!” Henry calls out.

Jude hops to his feet. Is he immune to pain?

We run through the drill five more times, and all but once, my modified childhood rhyme works.

“Now, we’re going to work on fireballs,” Henry says.

“I’m growing mold over here,” Dylan grumbles from the sideline. “Give me something to do.”

All fired up over beating Jude, I conjure a fireball, balance it on my hand for a second, then pitch it at Dylan. I’m rewarded when his eyes nearly pop out of his head and he lunges to the left to avoid being hit.

“Still bored?” I tease.

“Play nice.” Jude aims for a strict tone, but there’s no missing the twinkle in his eyes. Demon pride?

Henry, on the other hand, glowers at me. “Dylan can’t use spells yet or conjure fireballs. He can’t defend himself. I expect better from you.”

I thrust my chin in defiance. “I’m not apologizing. He’s been a jerk to me all day.”

“Cry me a river,” Dylan balls his fists under his eyes, mimicking a sobbing baby.

I’m tempted to throw another fireball at him, but Henry stares me down. After a moment, he turns to Aiden. “Was there a problem with the spell last night?”

“According to Persephone, this is a possible outcome. It’s temporary,” Aiden says tightly.

“How temporary?” Jude asks.

“I assumed the four of you could handle this,” Henry says.

“It was
your
bright idea to bring Marcus and Dylan together—with
her
—under one roof.” Aiden stares Henry down. “You were needed here, not running around saving a worthless criminal.”

Thank God, Aiden doesn’t mention Max by name. Since Jude knows him, our plan would be blown wide open.

Henry glances my way, guilt flitting across his face. “We can fix—”

“Do I need to separate the two of you as well?” Jude’s cold tone pulls my attention from Henry and Aiden.

So, there was a problem with the spell? Is it possible Dylan and I can go back to being friends without the crazy demon attraction and without the urge to strangle each other? And what about Max? Now that he’s in town, what’s the plan? I’m not so keen about saving Jude right now, not after what he did to Dylan, but I’d rather not bite the dust at sixteen.

Henry shifts his attention back to training. “Once again, we’ll start with Jude initiating. Lucy, you have to physically respond to the attack this time. You’re going to need to combat Jude’s fireball. To do that, you have two options. You can ricochet it off your own power or throw a fireball at his fireball. They will collide and destroy each other.”

“I don’t understand the ricochet part. Can you show me?”

Henry moves to stand beside me. He beckons to Jude, who conjures a fireball instantly. Without delay, Jude hurls the fireball at Henry. I notice it’s not at the speed he threw at Daphne that night on his roof. Henry holds up his hand as if to stop the fireball. “I’m visualizing a shield,” he says, without taking his eyes off the ball of flame. “My hand represents the shield. If you lose focus, you’d better dodge it or you’ll be hit.”

The fireball pauses two inches from Henry’s hand. He whacks the air and the fireball bounces back to Jude, who smacks the fireball to the side without touching it. It lands on the ground, sizzles and pops then dies out. Jude immediately lobs another one at Henry, this time with more force. Henry moves faster, throwing his hand up and whacking it back to Jude. It’s like watching a game of table tennis, but with fire. They go at it for several rounds, picking up speed each time, dodging and lunging to avoid being burned. Finally, Henry nods at Jude and steps back.

“Remember, Lucy, visualize the shield. Focus.”

Oh, great
. How am I going to explain third degree burns to my uncles?

Jude holds out his palm and a fireball appears. He bounces it on his palm a few times then hurls it at me. I immediately put up my hand as if to stop it. I visualize a shield, more like a bulletproof vest, like the kind they wear on cop shows.

“Lucy, watch out!”

I drop to the ground. “Ouch!”

Dylan cackles from the sidelines. Before I do something I’ll get in trouble for, I turn my attention back to Henry and Jude.

“Your focus is weak,” Henry points out. “Let’s do it again. No distractions.”

Easy for him to say. I nod and take my position.

Jude balances a fresh fireball in the palm of his hand. He lobs it at me, and I hold my hand up. I envision my hand as a brick wall. Big, strong, impenetrable. I imagine it swelling, doubling in size and strength. As the fireball comes within six inches of my hand, I step toward it and lob it back to Jude. The fireball moves toward Jude, but sputters out before it reaches him.

“Pretty lame if you ask me,” Dylan calls out.

“Funny thing, no one asked you!” I snap.

“Again,” Jude calls out. “This time put some power behind it.”

We repeat it again. I struggle to ignore Dylan’s taunts.
Idiot
. What is it with him? Why won’t Jude and Henry reprimand him?

I wait until the fireball is two inches from me then whack it back to Jude
hard
. He lunges to the left to avoid being hit.

“Nice job, Lucy,” Henry says.

“For a girl,” Dylan adds.

I spin around and throw a fireball at him. It slams against his shoulder. He tamps out the flames and flashes a big grin my way. “Is that all you’ve got?”

I take a step toward him. “Keep it up. There’s more where that came from.”

Dylan laughs. “You’ve got nothing. Without Daddy to protect you—and everyone else—you’re nothing.”

Every inch of my body trembles. Heat surges through my limbs. My hands throb painfully. I raise both palms, awed by the twin fireballs seething and swirling in them. My chest swells with pride at the large, angry balls of flame I created.
What if?

I bring my hands together and gasp as the fireballs merge, creating one larger fireball. The red and orange flames lick and hiss. Sparks shoot off and sizzle against the fabric of my clothes. A tingly feeling spreads through me as I rest my gaze on Dylan. A smile pulls at my lips as I step toward him and take aim.

“This is going to hurt,” I tell him.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Marcus pushes himself off the three-flat porch as Henry and I climb out of the car.

“We’ll continue this conversation later. If I have any say in this, you’ll be grounded from your powers,” Henry says.

Grounded from my powers? Like Jude would let that happen. And why am I the one who always gets in trouble? Why doesn’t Henry talk to Dylan, tell him to stop harassing me?