Page 18 of Bewitching Her Monsters

She covers her face in embarrassment. “I can’t believe I agreed to go out with you, and I didn’t even find out your name!”

“Maxum,” I answer truthfully. If she is a spy, she already knows my name. It’s probably why sheforgotto ask me.

“I’m Jade… I mean—” she then mutters, “Uh, never mind me.”

Curious now, I ask, “Do you have more than one name?”

Ironically,Ihave two names, my sacred summoning demon name and my common use name that everyone calls me—Maxum.

“Uh, yeah.” She locks her door behind her.

I grin to myself at her safeguarding measure. She already has her enemy inside her home.

“I’m an author,” she explains. “I’ve been so immersed in that world and marketing that I forget my other name sometimes.”

“Would you like me to use your real name?” I fish.

“Let’s see if you earn it.” She playfully quirks her full lips.

And… my heart flutters.Flutters!

That hasn’t happened to me in… six hundred years, when I was just a teenage spawn. Not even Osen used to make me feel this ebullient attraction.

For the second time today, I am lost for words in front of this witch. This is not something I am accustomed to.

“I like my author name better anyway.” Jade glances up and down the street. “Did you bring your car? And where are we going to eat? Do you have any special dietary restrictions?”

She looks ready to ask me another series of questions when I answer the first. “My car is back at the bar on the corner. I was canvassing the neighborhood,” I lie. “Should we take your car?”

Nervousness plays on her face. She bites her lip. She points to her sensible tennis shoes. “Maybe we can walk down to the place just past the bar? It’s not far.”

“You’re a smart woman.” I nod appreciatively. “You don’t know me. I’m glad you take precautions and don’t give in.”

Why does it please me that she knows how to claim her boundaries?

“I’ve learned that being polite can get a woman in trouble.” She cocks a brow at me. “Areyoutrouble?”

Even if she is ignorant of my true identity, deep down, she must instinctively know that I am dangerous.

“I suppose anyone can be trouble.” Giving a shrug, I take a step toward the sidewalk. “A walk sounds perfect. It gives us time to talk and get to know each other on the way.”

Her eyes travel up and down my body, cautiously appraising me. Does she sense how much potential danger she is in being around me?

If I wanted to, I could scramble her brains right now until she didn’t remember her own name. It wouldn’t be the first time, and I doubt it will be the last. I had to do it for an old acquaintance just the other day.

I take up most of the sidewalk with my bulk, so I move as far toward the street as I can to give the witch some space. I want her to feel safe… for now. Once I determine what her intentions are, I’ll likely have to destroy her.

But until then, she gets the nice, charming Maxum.

“Should you call your friend?” the witch asks as she nods to my pocket, thinking that I have a mobile phone.

“I don’t have a phone.”

She stops in her tracks, eyes widened, and places a hand over her chest. “Someoneyouragedoesn’thave a phone?”

I chuckle. Someonemyage never even dreamed we would have cell phones. Sure, we had magic mirrors to communicate hundreds of years ago, but those are becoming rare and now don’t work over long distances because of the failing magic in our worlds.

“That’s surprising, huh?” I cock my brow and study her.

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