The Witch's Key

Episode 10: Something Much More Powerful

I hung in the air, my body dangling about four feet off the ground. Something invisible slithered around my neck and tightened its grip. 

I struggled against it, kicking and trying to pull away, but nothing made any difference.

I scanned the woods again. I needed to see who was actually doing this to me.

Whoever they were, they were casting from a distance, and they were completely hidden by the smoke. Their magic was definitely strong, though.

What could I do? I had no idea if they were trying to kidnap me or kill me, but as the invisible rope tightened around my neck, I was leaning toward death. And I just couldn't let that happen. I was not going to go down like this to some unknown creep.

I did my best to calm my mind, despite the panic building inside me.

A lot of the magic available to me as a young witch with just a single key needed reagents, but there were a few things I knew how to do that didn't take any ingredients at all.

I longed for the dagger I brought, but I'd dropped my bag somewhere in the woods.

I thought back to the encounters I'd had with demons in the past. I wasn't one hundred percent sure this was demon magic attacking me now, but it was my best guess from what Kai had told me.

Demons hated salt, but I didn't have access to that right now. I made a mental note to put a handful of salt in my pockets from here on out.

I knew the command to open doors and other things without needing any spell ingredients, and what I wanted right now was for this invisible rope to open and set me free. I had no idea if it would work, but I was running out of time to figure this out. Soon, I wouldn't be able to speak.

"Solvo," I said with all the confidence and authority I could find.

To my complete shock, the spell released me. I fell hard to the ground below and rolled to my side, pushing up with my good arm.

I ran, wanting to put some distance between me and this demon, so that I could buy more time. I hated to leave Kai behind, but it wasn't going to do him any good if we both got caught or killed. I must have rolled my ankle when I fell, though, because each step was agony.

I stopped and ducked behind a large tree to catch my breath and try to wrap my mind around what was happening.

Since this demon was comfortable with fire, I was certain ice would help to slow it down or even harm it, but I didn't have a water source to use to create it. I'd seen my father pull moisture down from the clouds before, but I wasn't high enough to access that magic.

I thought back to some of the jobs I'd gone on with my parents. What had I seen them do in situations like this?

I closed my eyes, pulling up a mental image of my parents at one of the last demon slayings they took me on. With demons, sometimes they cast a circle and used it to trap him before banishing or containing him.

I didn't have the time or tools to cast a circle right now.

But then I remembered something else I'd seen them do before to push a demon back when it had us trapped in an old castle. Mom had forced it to another room with a bright light.

I could remember the incantation my mother used, too. It was a simple spell they'd taught me when I was just a young girl afraid of the dark, but it had been effective against the demon. At least temporarily.

Each girl was taken during the night, so it was possible this demon's powers were more potent in the darkness. Light should repel it. I hoped.

I stepped out from behind the tree and pushed my left palm forward.