Free Dead Man (Black Magic Outlaw Book 1) by Domino Finn Page B

slipped low, into the shadow, and dashed under the door.
    And ran headlong into a brick wall.
    Not a real brick wall, mind you, but that's what it felt like. The shadow outside had cleared away. Had I trapped myself? Had the sun moved? I figured it was the fire. The licking flames would kill any constancy of shadow that could carry me.
    It started getting hot inside. I could try slipping into shadow and remaining stationary, but that would only work until the fire ate inside the structure. We weren't there yet, but it would be soon. I was lucky they hadn't lined this place with oil, but that would've tipped their hand.
    Okay, so I had time for a shadow manifestation. I was under darkness and the screwiness from the Death Sight was gone.
    I marched right up to the barn door and summoned Opiyel, the Shadow Dog. I needed him to give me everything he had, because this wasn't a normal wooden door. I wasn't adept at hand-to-hand combat, but I didn't need to be with this kind of punch. I drew my fist back and tugged at the black energy surrounding me. My forearm became bathed in a black cushion, like the wake of a meteor meeting the atmosphere on descent. Then I hammered the barn door as hard as I could.
    It shook on its hinges but held firm.
    I narrowed my eyes. These weren't Martine's wards any longer. They were something strong, meant to withstand force, physical and ethereal. They knew I'd have magic. Did they know about the Shadow Dog?
    The heat continued to increase. It hurt, but the smoke would get to me before the fire. I ripped another piece from Martine's blouse to tie over my face, then saw the breathing mask she wore when mixing her powders. It was a thick, burlap rag commonly used in voodoo rituals. I wrapped it around my nose and mouth like a Wild West outlaw. Immediately, my lungs cleared. I took in a breath not unlike a crisp beach breeze. With the amount of smoke building inside, that meant the mask was enchanted. Maybe I had never given Martine enough credit for her skill set. More powerful than a novice, but not powerful enough to save herself.
    I was one to talk. Maybe I should wait until I got out of this mess before passing judgment.
    My boot scraped over orange powder and sent a few sparks in the air. I remembered the stuff from Martine's final moments. She'd been prepping a new batch when Asan interrupted her. Maybe I could use it.
    I withdrew the ceremonial knife and turned to the mutilated bodies against the walls. They wouldn't do. They'd been dead much too long.
    Good thing I had a fresh corpse to work with.
    "Sorry, girl," I said, turning to Martine. "Looks like I need your blood one last time."
    The blade sliced her stomach open cleanly. I salvaged the spilled orange powder from the floor and scooped it into her open belly. Then I swiped some fish hooks from the wall and used them as crude staples to close her wound.
    Many necromantic spells require ritual. Raising Martine as an automaton would've taken much too long—time that I didn't have—but that wasn't my goal here. Whatever brute strength a zombie could muster, my shadow magic should match. No, I needed something stronger than a punch.
    I dragged Martine's body to the barn door. In minutes, the blood and powder mixture would ignite my friend like a bomb and blow everything to kingdom come.
    Me too, if I stuck around for it.
    I moved to the far wall, shifted into the shadow, and planned my next moves. I was safe here. Although magically activated, this would be a physical blast that couldn't touch me. Within seconds I'd be free. But someone had lit the shed on fire. Someone would doubtless be watching from the outside to make sure I succumbed to their trap.
    And I wasn't gonna let that fucker get away.
    I waited patiently. This kind of bomb didn't have a digital timer or a countdown. It could blow in a second or a minute, and when it did, I'd be ready. I allowed the darkness to slip from my eyes and blinked away the tears. I'd be bathed in