Read The Demon Pool for Free Online

that gave the complex a park-like
setting. With the Viper’s convertible top lowered, the heat from the morning
sun pressed down on them. He parked the Viper in front of her apartment. Kat
turned toward him and saw the anticipation on his face. Today, Bruce would be
disappointed.
    “I’d invite you in, Bruce, but my brother is
staying with me right now and it’s only a one-bedroom apartment.”
    She lied. She did not have a brother. She wanted
Bruce to wait. To keep him on the hook a little longer before she added her
body to the deal. She wanted to be sure the return on her investment would be
worth it. His lips turn down slightly, for just a moment. Something that
resembled a penciled-in smile replaced the momentary frown. His voice was
hesitant when he spoke.
    “Maybe we can have dinner sometime. When you’re
not working.”
    “That would be nice, Bruce,” she said.
    Kat leaned forward and kissed him. It started as
a lingering kiss, full of promise, but she broke it off, turned away, and
opened the passenger door of the Viper. She stepped out and closed the door.
Still smiling, she blew Bruce a goodbye kiss.
    “Call me, okay?”
    Bruce’s answer was barely audible, “Okay.”
    Kat did her best club stroll to the stairs. She
turned and waved. Bruce put the Viper in gear and drove away. Kat smiled again.
The hook was set just a little deeper.
    She made her way up the stairs, dug her key out
of her purse, and opened the apartment door. She entered the apartment and
punched her code into the alarm panel. She tossed her purse on the sofa and
went into the bedroom. She was tired, but she had one more thing to do this
morning.
    She opened the top drawer of her dresser — a
heavy and expensive Early American replica. It opened smoothly and quietly. For
the first time in her life, when Kat wanted something nice, she could afford
it.
    Reaching into the drawer, she removed two taper
candles — one purple, one green. Virgin candles. Never used.
    She also removed a small glass bottle of sacred
lotus oil. She opened the bottle and poured a small amount of the oil into her
right hand. The oil’s rich scent, a mixture of lotus, jasmine, and damask rose,
with a touch of vanilla and almond, both soothed and empowered.
    She put the bottle down and picked up the purple
candle. She gently rubbed the sacred oil onto its eight-inch length. She took
her time, covering the entire length of the candle with a light coat of oil.
After placing the purple candle in one of two candleholders on the dresser, Kat
repeated the process with the green candle. Each candle had a specific purpose.
Purple for spiritual power. Green for money.
    With both candles secured in their holders, Kat
crossed the room to a matching, cherry veneer computer armoire. She sat and
reached for a pen and note pad. On the paper, she wrote “Bruce York.” She
folded the paper into a small square and set it aside. Taking up the pen again,
she wrote “incredible riches” on the next sheet and folded it. She took both
notes to the dresser and placed the square with Bruce York’s name in front of
the purple candle, and the incredible riches note in front of the green one.
    She reached back into the drawer and took out a
small matchbox. She removed a single match and struck it against the box’s
side. The tip of the match flared up, releasing its sulphuric odor. She lit
both candles, first the purple, then the green. She always lit the purple
candle first.
    According to her understanding of candle magick
rules, lighting the candles in the correct order was one of the keys to getting
what she wanted. Kat blew out the match and placed it in an empty ashtray. The
flames of both candles danced in unison.
    Kat picked up the note in front of the purple
candle and touched one corner to the flame. As the flame absorbed the paper,
she placed the burning note into the ashtray and she began to chant. No words.
Only beautiful, unintelligible syllables. Kat had learned to let the