“So how exactly is finding the circle going to help us find out who summoned the demon?” I asked, ducking around the bushes and trees. We wound our way through the forest heading toward the spot Michael selected.
Michael answered. “In a lot of rituals, the summoner needs something to help the demon identify who they are, so they bury some kind of identification inside the circle.”
“There’s a small chance that if we dig, we can find the identification,” Egan finished, quickly grabbing a branch before it whipped into my face.
Mikayla stopped when she reached the clearing, “Samuel?”
“Hey,” Samuel grinned.
Michael’s eyes darkened when he saw the man. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I received notification from my spirit guide that you found the circle. Thought I’d meet you here.” Samuel turned to Mikayla. “I thought you went to Egan’s with Andy and Brenden.”
“I did,” she replied. “You seriously think we’re going to take them to the centre of a summoning? I’d rather they didn’t get in the middle of a battle, thanks.”
“True,” Samuel shrugged. “So exactly where is this circle?”
Michael studied a couple of Samuel’s drawings. “It’s hard to tell. It all looks the same.”
“Ailia, can you remember anything?” Egan asked.
I nodded. “Just let me...” I closed my eyes and thought back to the dream. This spot was exactly the same. The smell of the pine, the trickle of the stream. I opened my eyes. I knew exactly what I needed to do. I set off in the direction of the water.
“So, what’s your guide’s name?” Michael asked.
Samuel sounded confused when he answered. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know? Isn’t that the first question you ask your spirit guide?”
Samuel shrugged. “He tells me so much stuff I don’t have time to ask questions.”
I got to the stream and walked along it until I found the path. It was barely visible beneath a layer of pine needles. I followed it slowly, examining it as I went.
“Over here,” I called when I found the crossroads.
Egan was by my side in a second. “Nice,” he muttered, moving slightly to the right. “Not so nice,” he murmured.
“What?” I crouched down beside him.
“Look,” he moved the pine needles to reveal the dirt. “This was already dug up.”
“How long ago?”
“When was the last time it rained?” Egan wondered loudly so the others could hear.
“Yesterday afternoon,” Mikayla replied.
“Sometime between now and yesterday afternoon,” Egan replied. “Whoever summoned the demon knew we were coming.”
“And got rid of the evidence,” I finished for him. “So is our summoner psychic?”
I looked at Michael. “The demon could have contacted them to let them know we’d found the place,” he told me. “Could be anyone.” He sighed.
“It was worth a try,” Mikayla lamented.
“At least we didn’t get attacked by the demon,” Samuel offered.
Mikayla smiled. “We’d better get back before Brenden decides we’ve been killed by the demon.”
“Or before the dog rips up your house,” Michael grinned at Egan.
“Yep. Time to go,” Egan muttered quickly, turning to head back through the forest.
“Egan,” I called. He turned to look at me. “In the dream, there were no pine needles on the path. It was clear.”
Michael looked up. “It could’ve been cleared for the ritual.”
“Yeah, but how long would it take the path to be covered again?”
Egan walked back to the path and swept his hand along it. “It’s pretty thick. Couldn’t have been too long after I met you,” he muttered.
“If this demon was summoned specifically to Ailia, then it would have to be someone who knew her at the time, wouldn’t it?” Michael asked. Egan nodded.
“Which leaves us with the question,” Samuel murmured, “who has a death wish for Ailia?”