“Uh, is that necessary?” Chase asked, eyeing the lock.
I shot him a grave look. “You are possessed by a powerful demon, Chase. A locked door is the least of your concerns.”
As he swallowed, I couldn’t help but notice the masculine curve of his throat illuminated by the warm candlelight.
I yanked my gaze away.
I pointed to the old chair in the center of the chamber. “Go sit there.”
“Er... okay.” Chase pulled a face. “You’re not gonna like, strap me down, are you?”
“I wasn’t before, but now I’m considering it.”
“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”
“Sit. Down,” I ground out.
He put up his hands in a compliant gesture, then awkwardly approached the chair. It was sturdy and severe, fashioned of pure black iron. Chase scrunched his nose as he sat down.
“This hurts my butt,” he complained. “Can I get a cushion or something?”
I closed my eyes and took a breath before I lost my marbles. I repealed everything I’d thought about him being cute. He was aggravating.
Most lesser demons were easy to exorcise with my bow and holy arrows alone, but Faust was a different story. He required a ritual, at the very least.
As I gathered the materials, my mind raced. Faust was a strong demon, but he wasn’tthestrongest. He was no demon king, or worse, a demon lord. From what Fairfax taught us, Faust was just a free agent, unbound by demon hierarchy, sowing chaos as he saw fit.
No wonder he was banished from Hell. Even they had some standards.
So since Faust wasn’t a higher rank demon, a basic exorcism ritual was enough to dispel him.
Yet I felt a flicker of doubt deep in my chest.
This will work,I told myself.I have not failed. Ever.
I began by drawing a salt circle around Chase’s chair. The salt prevented the demon from escaping the ring, otherwise Iwouldhave to strap Chase down.
Flanking the iron chair were two ceramic incense holders in the shape of koi fish. I lit both sticks, watching curls of aromatic smoke stream into the air. Once the basic preparations were finished, I stepped back and held my bow in front of me.
“This will all be over soon,” I promised.
Chase’s blue eyes widened in fear. “Hang on, you’re not going tokillme, are you?”
“What?” I blurted. “No! How many times do I have to tell you that I’m saving your idiotic life?”
Chase slumped back in the seat like a scolded dog. “Okay, well, it sounded threatening,” he mumbled. “And this room is creepy.”
I dismissed his jab about the chamber. “It won’t be fun. But I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”
A serious expression settled over Chase’s face. Then his brows knitted together, as if concentrating on something I couldn’t hear.
“Hey, uh... Faust says your exorcism isn’t gonna work,” Chase relayed.
This stupid blond was going to be the death of me.
“Stop listening to it,” I snapped. “You’re giving the demon more power.”
“I know, I know, I read the pamphlet... but he’s powerful already, right? He’s small, but he has a name, and he can take over my body to dodge arrows and shit.”
