Page 10 of My Professor is a Demon

"A test?" She looked up, curiosity bright in her eyes.

"Some ancient entities test potential allies before revealing themselves," I explained carefully. "Creating controlled challenges to evaluate capabilities and intentions."

Charlotte considered this, absently tucking an errant curl behind her ear. "So they might be watching us try to solve the problem they created? That's... morally questionable."

"Dimensional entities operate according to different ethical frameworks," I said, more familiar with such beings than I could admit. "They prioritize long-term balance over immediate harmony."

"That's still manipulative," she insisted, her inherent sense of fairness asserting itself. "Playing with people's lives to see who measures up."

I found myself smiling at her indignation. "Your moral compass remains admirably consistent, even when confronting potentially cosmic forces."

"Someone has to hold supernatural entities accountable," she replied with a small grin. "Might as well be me."

Her confidence, her essential brightness even when facing overwhelming mysteries, continued to astonish me. In all my life, I'd rarely encountered anyone who approached the supernatural world with such a perfect balance of academic curiosity and moral certainty.

"The question remains," I said, returning to the research, "why now? Boundary entities have been notably absent from supernatural affairs for centuries. Why resurface with cryptic messages in Midnight Creek's ley lines?"

Charlotte's expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe because something is genuinely threatening the boundaries between realms. The blood magic ritual last month nearly opened a portal between dimensions. What if that was just the beginning of something bigger?"

The possibility had occurred to me as well. Hell had long coveted greater influence in the human realm, seeking ways to extend their power beyond traditional constraints. If boundary entities were stirring, it suggested the threat was significant enough to warrant intervention from forces that typically remained neutral.

"Your connection to the ley lines could be important," I said, studying her carefully. "You perceive patterns most trained sensitives miss. That suggests an unusual affinity with exactly the energies these boundary entities manipulate."

"You think I'm somehow connected to them?" she asked, surprisingly calm about the possibility.

"I think there's more to your abilities than either of us currently understands," I answered honestly. "And possibly more to your heritage as well."

She absorbed this without the shock or denial most would display. "That would explain a lot, actually. Why I can sensemagical patterns intuitively, and why our energies connect the way they do."

The casual mention of our energy connection sent a jolt through me. We hadn't discussed that phenomenon since the night in the eastern quadrant, though I'd felt it every time we were near each other—a harmonic resonance that grew stronger rather than diminishing with repeated exposure.

"About that connection," I began, then hesitated, uncharacteristically uncertain of my words.

Charlotte's expression softened. "It's okay. You don't have to explain what you are. I've done my research since that night."

Ice formed in my veins. "What research?"

"Supernatural entities whose energy signatures disrupt normal magnetic fields. Beings who can alter their appearance at will. Ancient presences who understand magical theory across centuries of development. And I did get a glimpse of your true form the other night." She ticked the points off on her fingers. "Not many options fit all criteria."

"And your conclusion?" I asked carefully, bracing for her response.

She met my gaze directly, fearless as always. "You're a demon. Or at least, you have demonic heritage. But you're not evil." She stated this last part with absolute certainty, as if classifying a botanical specimen.

I stared at her, momentarily speechless. In all my long existence, I had never been so efficiently and accurately assessed—nor had my demonic nature been so casually accepted.

"That doesn't concern you?" I finally managed.

"Should it?" She tilted her head, genuine curiosity in her expression. "You've had countless opportunities to harm me or others at the college. Instead, you've worked to protect the ley lines and helped stop the blood ritual."

"Appearances can be deceiving," I warned, needing her to understand the seriousness of what she'd uncovered. "Demons are manipulative by nature."

"So are most of my professors," she countered with a smile. "At least you're interesting about it."

A laugh escaped me—perhaps the first truly unguarded response I'd had in centuries. "Your ability to normalize the supernatural is remarkable."

"I grew up in Midnight Creek," she reminded me. "My best friend is a witch mated to a werewolf. I talk to books and they answer. 'Normal' is relative."

She reached across the desk, hesitating just before touching my hand. "May I?"

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