Page 28 of How To Summon A Memory
“I’ll drop the barrier, but you can’t touch the demon.”
“What demon?” I ask innocently.
She grinds her teeth. “You know the one. Somehow you remember him. I know it.”
“Except I don’t, and I think this has something to do with it.” I pull out my pendant. “I want it off. Take away the memory spell, now.”
“No.”
“Then I’ll have to force it off.” I yank, but the necklace doesn’t budge.
“You need that for your own protection and the protection of everyone around you.”
“I may need the part where it represses my magic, but I don’t need the memory spell and never have. Take. It. Off.”
“No.” She crosses her arms over her chest and leans back as if she’s already won.
“Cordia.”
She sucks in a breath and looks like I struck her. I never use her name, always grandmother or memaw. But never Cordia. “We’re both adults and you’ve overstepped with your meddling in my life. I demand to have control over myself, memories, and magic. Release me.”
“I can’t. It was demon forged. Only a demon can remove it. But I advise you from taking it off. You may get your memories back, but at what cost?”
I push to my feet and slam my hands on her desk. “You tell me.”
She looks away before sighing and rummaging through her desk for something. She holds up another necklace, this one emerald. “If you insist on removing that one for memories of a pathetic crossroads demon, then you need to be wearing this one. It’s not as powerful, though, so I won’t guarantee that it’ll work as well.”
I take the offered necklace. “Because you didn’t use my magic to create it? Yes. I know you’re using my own magic against me to keep me trapped. Otherwise, there’s no way you’d be able to keep me behind these stupid barriers. Let me live my life. What are you so afraid of?” I sink back into the chair across from her. “I’ve done so much of what you’ve asked of me,” I whisper. “Please, let me go.”
When she blinks, tears roll down her cheeks. “I love you. Everything I’ve done is to keep you safe after I fucked up. I didn’t know how my deal would affect you.”
“You have to let me make my own choices. Florence doesn’t deserve to be bound to me because of you. They don’t deserve tobe forced into a life they don’t want because a bunch of covens want power. What is power if you don’t have freedom with it? I don’t want to lead. I want to teach and love and enjoy life. Right now, Florence and I live a half life because of all the choices made for us. Yes, I get to teach, but Florry doesn’t want that and never has. They’re even worse off than I am.”
My grandmother openly sobs, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. “I’m sorry, my sweet Ethan. My hands are tied. If we call off the wedding, the other covens will call for a change of leadership.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” I ask.
“Spellers have ruled since the beginning. I won’t be the one to let us fall. You must?—”
“I won’t take up the mantle of coven head or leader of Hex. I want a much quieter life. Perhaps it’s time for the covens to bring the demons back into leadership and shifters and vampires and?—”
“No one else has the ability to rule like witches.”
“That’s totally not elitist.” I roll my eyes. “I want the barrier down. I will touch my demon if I so choose?—”
“No, you won’t. The moment you touch, you’ll be sent right back to your bedroom in my house.”
“Remove whatever spell that does that.”
Grandmother waves to me. “The pendant serves multiple purposes.”
It takes everything in me not to shout. “Then it’s a good thing I know some demons.” I push to my feet. “I’m not joking. Remove the barrier or I’ll tell the covens why I’m so powerful.”
“I still have time.”
“Midnight or I’m calling the meeting.” Again, I slam the door. This time I mean it.
I pull my phone from my pocket.
