The words of binding, spoken freely.
A witness to anchor the transfer.
She opened her contacts. Scrolled to Mia’s name.
Her thumb hovered over the call button.
She thought about what she was about to ask. What she was about to do to her best friend. The betrayal dressed up as a favor.
Then she pressed it.
Mia arrived forty minutes later,still in her rehearsal clothes, hair escaping from a messy bun. She’d clearly come straight from the theater; there was still stage makeup at her temples, not quite blended into her natural skin tone.
“Your text said urgent.” She dropped her bag by the door, looking around Victor’s penthouse with suspicious eyes. “Also, you look like you haven’t slept in a week. And you’re wearing Victor’s shirt. And something smells burned. What’s going on?”
“I need your help with something.”
“Obviously.” Mia didn’t sit down. Didn’t move further into the apartment. Her arms crossed over her chest, the defensive posture she used when she sensed she was about to be asked for something she didn’t want to give. “What kind of help? Because I’m getting a weird vibe here, Aves. A really weird vibe.”
“It’s a protection ritual. For my parents.”
“The debt thing.” Mia’s gaze sharpened. “The demon contracts. I thought Victor was handling that. Wasn’t that the whole point of the archives heist? The tablet?”
“He’s trying. But there’s no guarantee it’ll work.” Ava moved toward the living room, hoping Mia would follow. She didn’t. “I found something else. An old ritual that can protect my family from the binding. Sever the connection completely.”
“Found it where?”
“In the archives. When we were getting the tablet.”
“And you didn’t mention it to Victor?”
Ava felt her prepared lies crumbling at the edges.
“It’s complicated.”
“Uncomplicate it.” Mia still hadn’t moved from the entryway. “You’re asking me to help with some kind of supernatural ritual that you’re hiding from your demon boyfriend. That’s not a small ask. That’s a huge red flag.”
“The ritual requires a witness. Someone to speak certain words while I complete the protection. That’s all.”
“That’s all.” Mia’s tone was flat. “Just words.”
“Ancient Sumerian. The language anchors the protection.”
“And Victor can’t do this because…?”
“Because he’d try to stop me.” The truth slipped out before Ava could catch it. She saw Mia’s expression change, saw the suspicion sharpen into something closer to alarm.
“Stop you from doing what, exactly?”
“From protecting my parents.”
“That’s not an answer.” Mia finally moved, but toward the door, not toward Ava. “Something’s wrong here. I can feel it. You’re not telling me everything.”
“Mia, please.” Ava heard the desperation in her own voice. Hated it. “My family. My parents. They didn’t ask for any of this. They signed contracts they didn’t understand, made deals they don’t remember, and now their souls are collateral for a demon’sfifteen-year revenge scheme. I can fix it. I can save them. But I need your help.”
Mia’s hand was on the door handle.
“What happens to you?” Mia wasn’t moving toward the door anymore. “During this ritual. What happens to you?”
