“I’m an unusual demon.”
“So I see.” Kensington’s eyes dropped down until they fell on Zach’s chest.
Zach stared at him in a silent challenge, but Kensington let it drop.
“So, Mr Phillips, how is it that you came to associate with one such as Zach here?”
“Well, it was an accident, really. I was making soup and he suddenly just appeared.”
Kensington set aside his teacup, the porcelain clinking against the saucer. “Soup?” he asked in disbelief.
Drew nodded. “Chicken noodle, if that makes any difference.”
Beside him, Zach snorted. “Drew, perhaps you should tell him which recipe you were following, or better yet, show him the book. It’ll make more sense then.”
“Oh, yes. I can do that!” He rummaged in his backpack and pulled out Grammy’s recipe book, glad he’d thought to bring it along. He handed it over and watched as the sorcerer examined it.
“Interesting,” Kensington mused. “There is much power in this spell book.”
“So Zach said. I never knew Grammy was a witch,” Drew admitted.
“The kid has power,” Zach told Kensington, crossing his arms over his chest. “Lots of it. It’s been a long time since anyone was strong enough to summon me and he did it by accident.” He threw Drew a fond look. “But he’s untrained, and had no clue about the existence of magic until now.”
Kensington stood and crossed the room to them. “May I?” he asked Zach, and something seemed to pass between them. Eventually, Zach nodded, and Kensington reached out, one hand hoveringover the demon’s head, the other against his chest, not quite touching. He muttered a few words which sounded like complete gobbledygook to Drew and there was a flash of golden light. He repeated the words again, then again, but both times nothing happened apart from the flash of light. Finally, he stepped back, looking perplexed. “It would appear that even the Grand Master would not be powerful enough to summon you.” His eyes turned to Drew. “May I?” he asked once more.
“Um, what are you going to do?” Drew asked warily.
“I simply wish to get a reading of your power.”
“I really don’t think I have any power. I’m just an ordinary person,” he argued.
A warm hand landed on his thigh, squeezing briefly. “You’re anything but ordinary, Drew,” Zach told him.
“Do you think it’s safe?” he asked him, knowing he was probably being rude but doing it anyway.
“I won’t let Grand Master Kensington or anyone else harm you, Drew. You have my word,” Zach promised.
If Kensington found it odd that Drew had sought out a demon’s assurances, he didn’t show it. Instead, at Drew’s nod to him, he simply stepped forward and did much the same to Drew as he’d done to Zach. Other than a tingling feeling all over, Drew felt nothing at all, but Kensington was pale and shaking when his hands dropped, and he almost staggered as he turned back to his chair. He sank into it, breathing hard.
“What did you find?” Zach demanded.
“Raw, untapped power,” Kensington uttered.
“Strong?” Zach asked.
Kensington nodded once. “Oh, yes.” He swallowed, and in the sudden silence, Drew heard his throat bob.
“How strong?” Zach demanded.
Kensington glanced over at Drew, and he was surprised to see fear in those green eyes. “Stronger than I’ve ever seen in all my years,” he whispered. “Strong enough to destroy the very world.”
The silence that fell over the room was charged, and Drew looked between the two men in disbelief. “No fucking way!”
Zach glanced over at Drew as they made their way down the front steps and back onto the sidewalk. He’d hardly said a word for the last half an hour and was still quiet and pensive, but Zach couldn’t figure out if it was in a good or a bad way. Was Drew just processing the fact he had powerful magic in his lineage that had manifested intensely within him? Or was he beginning to question his sanity? Was he on the verge of bolting? Was he having regrets that this had ever happened? Zach found it immensely frustrating that he couldn’t get a read on the situation, especially as that little flicker of hope had bloomed into a much larger flame.
Drew was powerful . . .extremelypowerful. This meant there was a very good chance he’d be able to break the bonds of the gem, the bonds that kept Zach a prisoner to Oberon. Kensington didn’t know the spell needed to return Zach, however, he was confident that with some training, Drew would master his powers enough to be able to send him back without needing the actual spell itself. Few magic users were strong enough to manage that, but Kensington had no doubts Drew would be one of them.
Zach just had to convince Drew to free him instead of returning him.
