Page 20 of My Demon Teacher

I hold my breath again.

Where is my tail? Where are my wings? Why aren’t they coming out? Is the creature asleep inside me? I didn’t think that’s how it worked.

Ryan looks around him and rubs his hands.

“How? That’s easy. The door was open. It’s always open.”

I look at the apartment door and wince.

How? There’s no way he walked through the door. The whole store and the apartment above are covered with a security spell. No one can enter without permission. That was the one thing Kevin made sure to spend his money on to ensure no one could steal from him and “his” business.

“What are you talking about? What do you want from me?”

I arch my shoulders back, searching for that sensation inside me, but the wings aren’t there. The eldritch creature isn’t there.

“From you? Nothing much. Just your power.”

I grab the pillow from behind me, throw it at him, and run.

The bed and the floor underneath it turn into a slide. A big, never-ending slide that I go down on. It turns my stomach. What is happening? What is he doing to me?

I close my eyes and the tumbling stops. When I open them again, the bed is a bed. But everything around it is…just light. Just a bright, white room.

“You can’t steal my power!”

“Are you sure?” He laughs.

“You saw what happened last time you tried to enslave the creature. Do you think he won’t stop you again? In fact, don’t be surprised if he’s already on his way. Yeah, he’s going to burst through that window any time now?—”

“No, he won’t. Because he’s not here.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Ryan crosses his arms and circles me. He chuckles.

“You still don’t get it, do you? He’s not coming because you’re sleeping. And in here, I’m the master. Get it now?”

He turns to me, looking more unhinged than ever.

“You’re dreaming and you’re my prisoner. And you’re never ever waking up again.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

LUCIAN

The fucking bastard.

I should have known he would run. Of course he would. He’d hurt another student, my student, my everything. The consequences would be too dire to face. And Ryan Byron was nothing but a rich coward with visions of grandeur thanks to his parents.

“I do understand Mr. Byron’s alleged actions were deplorable,” the dean says, “but without him here or any proof, there isn’t much we can do, Mr.…Lucian.”

I narrow my eyes and scowl at the man. He has perfectly trimmed silver hair and a matching beard, but his light-blue eyes look empty. His face is so punchable with this kind of fuckery coming out of his mouth.

“Alleged? Do you mean to tell me you don’t believe me?—”

“I do, Lucian. However, Mr. Byron hasn’t demonstrated any such behavior in the past, so I’m sure there must be an explanation for his actions.”

“I’ll give you an explanation. He’s a power-hungry little shit who needs to pay for what he did to my…to Mr. Jung.”

---