four candle flames at the cardinal points of my circle flared high. The black cloud retreated and the pressure on my mind faded.

I drew a deep breath. That had been close. Malachai was good. He had reacted quickly to the banishing, and it had almost worked. Fortunately, I cast a good circle, and it had held his power at bay just long enough. I made a mental note not to underestimate him if we met in the future. A powerful warlock linked to vampiric power was a formidable opponent.

Now that he knew the compulsions had been banished, would Stephen still show up for our meeting? Did Malachai have a way to contact his agent during the day? I guessed I’d find out.

I started to release the circle but decided to wait a few more minutes in case the black cloud returned.

It didn’t...

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