Page 54 of Wraith

I wiped the sweat from my brow and stepped carefully into the center of my makeshift circle. No mistakes this time. I had triple-checked the Latin, rewritten the sigils, and even borrowed a quartz crystal from some Wiccan girl down the hall who probably thought I was just trying to manifest better grades.

I took a slow breath, forcing the shaking in my hands to still. This was it. If this didn’t work, I was out of options.

I swallowed hard, throat dry as I began to chant.

“By the light of—of—” I squinted at the text, struggling to decipher the faded ink. “Uh—by the light of the celestial fire, by the power of the old gods?—”

A cold breeze ghosted through the room, blowing out two of the candles.

I froze.

No. No, no, no.

I hadn’t finished. That wasn’t supposed to happen.

My pulse hammered against my ribs, but I forced myself to continue, voice unsteady. “I-I cast thee out! From this plane, from this earth, from my?—”

A breathy giggle.

Right against my ear.

I yelled, jerking away, nearly toppling over the salt circle. My hands flew up instinctively, as if I could push her away—as if she was something physical.

“Lilith,” I hissed through clenched teeth, “you’re not supposed to be able to come in here!”

Another giggle, and then?—

“Oh, Aeron,” her voice purred, silky smooth and dripping with amusement. “Did you really think this would work?”

The temperature in the room dropped. The candles snuffed out completely.

I barely had time to react before an unseen force slammed into my chest, knocking me flat on my back. The book skidded across the floor, pages fluttering, useless. My breath caught as weight settled over me—not crushing, but there.

Real.

“Look at you,” Lilith murmured, mocking. “Doing your little rituals. Playing with forces you don’t understand.”

My breath hitched as her fingers—cold but solid—traced down my chest.

“I—I did everything right,” I whispered. “The circle, the incantation?—”

“The incantation?” she laughed. “Oh, baby, you got that from a forum run by a man who thinks his cat is the reincarnation of King Arthur.”

My stomach dropped.

Lilith leaned in, her weight pressing me into the floor. “You think you can banish me?” she murmured, lips brushing against my jaw. “I live in your bones, Aeron. In your blood.”

She nipped at my ear, and I shuddered.

“You can’t get rid of me.”

I clenched my jaw, fighting against the tremor in my limbs. “I can try.”

Lilith hummed, pleased. “I do love a fighter.”

I gritted my teeth, willing every ounce of focus I had left into one final push. My hand shot out, grabbing for the book, fingers scraping across its rough leather cover. I flipped to the last page—the one I had highlighted, the one that promised power. Desperation bled into my voice as I spoke the final words.

A sudden burst of heat erupted in the room. The candles flared again, their flames unnaturally high. The weight on my chest lifted, and for the first time in weeks, the air around me felt normal.

---