Page 2 of Exorcise Me
The Kensingtons looked cautiously hopeful.
“So you’re leaving?” I asked, suspicious of this sudden capitulation.
Lucien’s smile was dazzling and terrifying. “Oh yes. I’m leaving with you.”
And before I could process what was happening, the demon vanished in a swirl of shadow—only to reappear beside me, slinging a casual arm around my shoulders.
“Excellent work, Exorcist Callahan,” he announced to the bewildered homeowners. “I am thoroughly banished from your home. Forever. Never to return. You’re welcome.”
He steered me toward the door while I was still sputtering in confusion.
“Wait—you can’t—this isn’t how—”
“Send your bill by mail,” Lucien called over his shoulder to the Kensingtons. “He accepts Venmo too!”
And somehow, that’s how I ended up walking to my car with a demon’s arm around me, his touch burning through my thin cotton shirt like a brand.
“You can’t come with me,” I finally managed as we reached my beat-up Honda Civic.
Lucien looked at the car with undisguised horror. “Is this your transportation? It looks like it runs on prayers and duct tape.”
“It’s practical,” I defended, finally shrugging off his arm. “And you’re not coming home with me.”
He tilted his head, studying me with those impossible eyes. “But I am, Noah Callahan. You see, I’ve been watching you for weeks. You’re far more interesting than those dull people with their ridiculous collection of porcelain cats.”
A chill ran down my spine. “Watching me?”
“Don’t look so alarmed. It’s a compliment.” His smile softened into something almost genuine. “You’re different from the others. You actually care about people. Plus—” his gaze trailed down my body again “—you’re much prettier than that dusty old priest you work for.”
I opened my car door, placing it between us like a shield. “I am an exorcist. You are a demon. We’re natural enemies.”
“Are we?” Lucien leaned against my car, somehow making the mundane parking space look like a fashion photoshoot backdrop. “Or are we just two beings who’ve been told we should be enemies? Have you ever actually asked a demon what we want?”
“To corrupt souls and spread evil,” I answered promptly.
He laughed again. “Such a narrow view of existence. No wonder you humans are always so stressed.” He straightened up suddenly. “I’ll meet you at your apartment. I hope you have better food than the Kensingtons. Their refrigerator was depressing.”
“You are NOT coming to my—”
But he was already gone, leaving nothing but the faint scent of cinnamon and smoke in his wake.
I collapsed into my driver’s seat, head falling against the steering wheel. Three years of seminary. Two years of apprenticeship. Countless hours of study.
And I’d just become the first exorcist in the history of the Seminary of Divine Protection to have a demon invite himself over for dinner.
Father Finnegan was going to kill me.
Chapter 1
I spent the entire drive home talking myself down from panic. Surely the demon—Lucien—was just toying with me. He couldn’t actually know where I lived. That would be impossible, right?
The moment I unlocked my apartment door, I knew I was wrong.
“Your spice cabinet is abysmal,” called a voice from my kitchen. “How do you cook anything with just salt, pepper, and something labeled ‘Italian seasoning’ that expired two years ago?”
I dropped my keys, my prayer book, and nearly my jaw as I stumbled into my small apartment. Lucien was standing in my kitchen, wearing a black apron over his silk shirt and slacks. My apron. The one my sister had given me as a joke when I moved out, with “Hot Stuff Coming Through” emblazoned across the chest.
It looked ridiculous on him. And by ridiculous, I mean ridiculously good.
