Free Key of Solomon: Relic Defender, Book 1 by Cassiel Knight

his third finger, a circle of pale gold shimmered. The clear scarlet center stone, cut with the five-lines of the pentalpha, caught utu-shamshi’s glow and reflected the light. This fragile band, with its single sigil, and the man’s faith, such that it remained, were the only protections he had against the malignant forces he called. He slipped the ring from his finger and, while he continued to chant, held the small oval before his face.
    Without warning, shrieks and wails shattered the peace of the light-laden morning. A cacophony of noise throbbed through her head and was followed by a crackling, dry-reed sound, like that of thousand of locusts. Insubstantial shapes whirled and spun about her head, their forms little more than wispy shades, yet they held back utu-shamshi’s light. The sour odor of spoiled eggs came with them. The foul scent so strong she fought the urge to retch.
    The man fell silent. Behind the silence, dread and uncertainty curled around her. Moisture pooled along her spine and traveled down the length of her back. Under her helm, long curls of hair stuck to clammy skin. Her gaze swung upward and focused on the man’s lifted hand. Brown-spotted and twisted fingers showed the marked signs of many seasons past. And trembled with the effort to constantly battle the powerful spirits he sought to imprison.
    She shifted, impatience chasing away the doubt. It had to be now. Now, before the stability of the man’s once great mind failed along with his body. Before she could intervene, the man’s shoulders pulled back and stiffened. For a brief moment, the breeze subsided. Nothing moved. Even the insects that thirsted for human blood were frozen in mid-flight. The only sound was that of his labored breathing as he fought to command the spirits he’d summoned.
    We offer enough wealth to fill the deepest water and a kingdom that stretches far into the desert. She jerked at the sly voices whispered into the man’s mind. How did she hear them? Beautiful women who will spread their legs at your command. Slaves to toil over your fields, in your house and in your temples.
    Power and wisdom to rival your Lord.
    We can give you all of this and more. All you have to do is let us go.
    Beautus dei , did he have the strength to resist? She curled her fingers into fists, her nails digging into her palms. The spirits tempted him with all that he desired. Traveling that path meant death and an eternity in the oppressive dark and coldness of the Abyss. If he gave in, all was lost. Yet, she could not take this on for him. This task was not for her.
    As seconds stretched into minutes, she began to fear the spirits had won. Suddenly, he shook his head and sucked in a rasping breath. Shutting out the spirits’ offerings, he began again.
    She heard the effect of his struggle in the roughness of his voice. Then she heard nothing except the roar that howled across the vast desert as notus, a great wind entity, captured the battling Fallen and whirled them into a violent funnel of energy. Sand kicked up and pelted her exposed skin. Pulling her cloak around her face, she shielded her flesh from the worst of the scouring. Despite the torment, she stood motionless even though every fiber of her soul wanted to run.
    With the bound Fallen in its raging center, notus spun toward the bronze vessel where the force of the wind thrust the demons into the jar. Blessed silence fell over the desert when the lid slammed shut.
    With her fingertips, she brushed the fine grit from her face. Service completed, notus returned to his abode in the south. He finished the binding magic and inscribed the seal to imprison the demons for all eternity.
    It is done. Little by little, warmth crept back into her body.
    The jar pulsed, the swollen sides rising and falling like the bellows of the forge. Again, the sigils briefly flamed golden. After carefully closing the great book containing the spells and incantations he’d used to control the spirits, the