Page 7 of How To Summon A Memory
“Okay, then I’ll be hereevery dayuntil you let up.” He dusts off his bottom and picks up his tote bag.
I can’t help the chuckle. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
He nods. “Believe it. Every day. Right here. Promise.” He points to the circle.
“Don’t make promises to demons. We might make you keep them.” I wave as I blink out back behind the veil and watch as he carefully cleans up the summoning circle.
Chapter 3
Ethan
Someone dabs at my forehead,and I fight my way to consciousness. The fast beat of wings buzzes in my ears. Sofamiliar. Sharp pain rattles around in my head like I’m a pinball machine. A moan escapes my lips and I chew on my cheek, trying to keep the sounds at bay. My eyes refuse to open, the dream still too tempting.
That beautiful demon, with horns gleaming in the sunlight, grins at me. Their mouth moves, but I can’t hear them. Why can’t I hear them? They’re telling me something and smirks, then turns and disappears.
“Don’t go!” I gasp awake, reaching for the demon.
“Oh, thank fuck,” Florence says beside me. They keep dabbing at my forehead with a cool cloth. Tears fill their big blue eyes. “I thought we lost you a few times.”
Vi, my hummingbird familiar, buzzes into my vision, wings flapping frantically. Waves of sadness flow from her tiny body. Even her iridescent violet chest feathers are dull compared to usual. I’d done that to her. Our connection had to have been weak as I fought off the magic trying to drag me down and destroy me.
I grab Flo’s hand and press a kiss to their knuckles. “Sorry I scared you both.”
Vi titters and her tiny head wiggles as she sasses me in her own way. I’m glad I had her off on a task and not in the classroom at the time of the disaster.
Flo laughs and shakes their head. “We should have known better. You’re too stubborn to let memories steal you away.”
“I’m not so sure.” I squeeze their hand and let them go. “This demon from my dreams. I need to find them. Theyknowsomething.” And until this moment, I truly thought they could have been a figment of my imagination. But since they came while I was under the influence of cavenlock hallowroot, I know they’re real.
Cavenlock hallowroot digs in and tries to tear you apart with your memories and negative thoughts. This time all I had was dreams of that demon, but I wanted to follow them into darkness where it’s just the two of us. I wasn’t dosed enough to cause real damage, just try to scare me and it didn’t work this time.
“Sounds like a birthday mission.” Flo wiggles their brows.
I push up to my elbows. “I’ve been working on the next version of?—”
“Lie down.” Florence gently pushes me back into the pillow. “You’ll probably still have nightmares for a few nights.”
“I don’t think I hadany. They were all dreams of the demon.”
“All of them?” Flo’s eyes grow big. “How? Last time you got dosed, you had nightmares for three weeks.”
I suck in a breath. “How long was I out this time?”
Flo nibbles their bottom lip. “Finals are tomorrow.”
I stare at the ceiling and pick at the sheet below me. “I was out that long?”
“Yeah, and get this. Cordia expelled Lettie and Kayla, then bound their magic for five years. They wouldn’t say who hiredthem to rig Tanner’s potion, and that was the best she could do without bringing in the council. She doesn’t want anyone to know what happened. She even sealed their tongues to keep them from speaking about it.”
I sigh and scrub at my face. “What a shit show everything is this year.”
“Understatement of the month.” Florence’s lips tip to a smirk.
October has been a mess. The closer it gets to our wedding at the end of November, the more unhinged the other covens get. They’re desperate for me to marry into either the Belladonna or Levona covens. They’re trying to scare us into breaking the arrangement. But if we’re forced to marry, we’d rather marry each other. Florence knows I’ll never touch them.
Florence smooths a hand over my forehead with a warm, wet cloth and I lean into their soft touch. Vi titters on the headboard as Squid, Florence’s squirrel familiar, dashes into the room from the hallway and scuttles up their shoulder. Squid is a plump gray squirrel with the bushiest tail I’ve ever seen.
We’re our own little family, just the four of us, Florence, Squid, Vi, and me.
