Page 7 of My Professor is a Demon

"Unorthodox but surprisingly effective," I admitted. "Like much about you, Miss Evers."

A slight blush colored her cheeks, but her gaze remained steady on mine. "High praise from someone with such exacting standards."

Something shifted in the atmosphere between us—the professional veneer thinning as unspoken awareness shimmered in the air. I knew I should reinforce boundaries, maintain the academic distance appropriate between professor and student. Instead, I found myself leaning slightly closer.

"Your standards seem equally high, given your persistent questioning of accepted magical theory."

"I question everything," she said softly. "Especially things that don't make sense. Like why a professor with your knowledge would be interested in a small college like Midnight Creek. Or why energy reacts so strangely when we touch."

The directness of her observation left me momentarily speechless. In Hell's hierarchies, such forthrightness would be suicidal. In academic circles, it was considered impolite at best. Yet Charlotte Evers cut through pretense with refreshing clarity, her blue eyes focused on me with undisguised curiosity.

"Some questions are better left unasked, Miss Evers."

"And those are precisely the questions most worth asking, Professor."

I took a breath, trying not to react, and gestured to her notes. "The eastern quadrant requires direct observation. These patterns can't be fully analyzed through theoretical models alone."

Charlotte immediately perked up. "You mean a field trip? To the restricted area?"

I knew this was a bad idea for all the reasons that had nothing to do with research, but I couldn’t seem to help myself where Charlotte Evers was concerned.

"The eastern edge of campus, where it borders the nature preserve, has been off-limits to students since the unexplainedenergy fluctuations last semester." She looked delighted rather than concerned. "A limited investigation," I clarified. "Given the potential dangers, discretion would be advisable."

"You're suggesting we break the rules?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "The intimidating Dr. Katz, advocating academic espionage?"

"I'm suggesting that valuable research sometimes requires unconventional approaches," I corrected, though I couldn't entirely suppress a smile at her characterization.

"When do we go?" She was already gathering her notes, practically vibrating with enthusiasm.

"Tonight. Eight o'clock. The area around it should be deserted then."

"I'll bring snacks," she announced, as if we were planning a picnic rather than investigating potentially dangerous magical anomalies. “Oh, do you want your umbrella back?”

I shook my head. “Keep it.”

After she left, I stood at my window for a long time, watching her cross the campus quad, her step light despite the heavy bag of books she carried. Students and faculty alike seemed drawn to her natural brightness, several stopping to chat as she passed.

Vorthazul 's orders echoed in my mind:Discover what she is. Bring her in.

I had discovered enough to know that Charlotte Evers was extraordinary, her connection to the ley lines unlike anything I'd encountered. That knowledge should have gone directly to Hell's Board, fulfilling my assignment and advancing my redemption.

Instead, I was planning a clandestine research expedition with her, actively working to keep her off Hell's radar. The risk I was taking defied all logic, violated my contract in ways that could result in eternal punishment.

Yet as I watched her disappear into the library, her umbrella—my umbrella—swinging casually at her side, I couldn't bringmyself to regret the choice. Something about her had awakened parts of me I'd thought long dead or dormant—protective instincts untainted by possessiveness and dangerously, emotions I had no right to feel after centuries of infernal service.

I was playing a dangerous game. If Hell discovered my deception, the consequences would be catastrophic for us both. But for the first time in my long life, something mattered more than my own survival or redemption.

Charlotte

The east side of campus was eerily beautiful after dark. Ancient oak trees cast lace-like shadows across overgrown paths, their branches seeming to reach for us as we passed. The air felt different here—heavier somehow, charged with energy that made my skin tingle pleasantly.

Dr. Katz moved silently beside me in the darkness, his tall frame somehow blending with the shadows despite his light-colored shirt. He walked with predatory grace that made me wonder what other movements his body was capable of. I was grateful for the darkness hiding the blush I felt warming my cheeks.

I'd half-expected him to cancel our expedition, to revert to the distant professor persona he usually maintained. Instead, he'd been waiting precisely at eight, equipment bag in hand, a surprising readiness to bend rules evident in his otherwise serious demeanor.

"The energy feels strange," I whispered, though there was no one else around to hear us. "Like it's... vibrating at the wrong frequency."

He nodded, unsurprised by my assessment. "The natural resonance has been artificially altered just as you suspected. Can you sense the pattern?"

---