Four
GRAY
The demon could not stop smiling. That should’ve been my first clue that bringing him along was a terrible idea.
But it’d been years since I’d done a ritual, and neither the nudity nor the companionship were optional. I wasn’t an earth witch—my power generally came from my realm—so in order to tap into the earth’s energy, I needed an unobstructed connection. I also needed to know someone had my back in case things went sideways.
My magic was highly unpredictable these days, and I couldn’t afford to take chances. There were too many lives at stake now.
About a quarter mile into the woods that backed up to the house, Asher helped me find a level spot nestled between two large sugar pines, and I set my stuff down and took a deep breath, filling up on the damp, earthy scent of t
