Page 13 of My Demon Teacher

It doesn’t matter.

I just need to find a way to sever Ryan’s bond with the creature. My creature. My power.

I turn the pages, skim-reading the titles until I reach a bookmarked page: To Enslave a Creature.

I look up at Ryan. He’s still distracted. So are Lucian and the creature.

I read through and, sure enough, it gives a step-by-step on how to do it. First, he had to cast a circle in chalk. Check. Then he had to cut an eldritch witch. Check. Then he had to speak aloud the incantation that would invoke the creature and another that would separate it from the host witch. Check and check.

That bastard left nothing to chance.

I need to figure out how to undo it. This book is large. There must be instructions.

To Reverse the Bondage

Bingo.

The summoner can sever the bond by standing in a circle of protection with the eldritch creature outside. Sacrifice the summoner’s blood and repeat the following incantation three times.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

I close the distance between Ryan and me, pick up the knife from the floor, and attempt to put my hand through the fire burning around him. It’s hot. Too hot. I hiss and pull away.

I inspect my burn. My palm is slightly red, but it’s fine. I can take care of it after. I look up.

Ryan looks back at me.

Shit.

He smirks and the screech of the eldritch creature echoes through the empty gym. I look behind Ryan at it. It punches Lucian away and turns its aim to me, flying toward me at a dizzying speed.

Lucian is hot on its tail, but it won’t do any good if the creature gets to me first. Unlike when I’m possessed by one, I’m not indestructible. I can be beaten. I can be knocked down. I can bleed.

Ryan smiles and looks down at my chest. I don’t know if he’s given the creature a target to strike my heart or whatever. I put my hand up as if it will protect it.

Something hard presses against my palm.

The spell.

Oh.

“Put the fire out!” I shout at Lucian.

My mind goes a hundred miles an hour, but I have a plan. It might be the stupidest plan or completely crazy, but I don’t have any other options. And I need Ryan’s connection severed.

“Lucian! Now!” I repeat when he hasn’t heard me.

My demon boyfriend catches up to the creature and pulls it by the tail as the ring of fire around Ryan disappears.

“What do you think you’re going to—” Ryan starts.

He doesn’t finish as I slam into him, pull the necklace off, and hug him real tight.

“Protect me, protect me. Nothing can hurt me,” I mumble, focusing all my energy on the crystal in my hand.

Please work. Please fucking work.

The crystal explodes into dust. Dust that dances in the air for a moment before forming a globe around Ryan and me.

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