I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide there. On Desmond’s expressionless face, I swear, I could sense some irritability and disappointment. His eyes were still on Elaine, trying to figure out if she was a threat or not.The tension between the two was so evident that even Mom had gone silent. It wouldn’t have been this bad if Madame Long hadn’t further ruined the reputation of white witches in my incubus’s eyes. Out of the blue, Desmond’s face eased into a warm expression, and he extended a friendly hand toward Elaine. Elaine’s hand was visibly trembling as she shook his hand.“Dinner time!” Mom announced. “Let’s all gather at the dining table and continue to chat. Mr Demetri, I have a lot to talk to you.”Oh no, my presence had helped Mom feel comfortable, and now she was all set to interrogate Desmond over dinner.“No, Mom. I think Mr Demetri has better things to do than join us for our family dinner. Besides, you must not have had time to cook during today’s traumatic events. We

Although Desmond was the one in the basement, my heart was pounding like I was the one who had gone there to investigate the noise. My eyes were glued to the basement door, and the uneasiness was getting to me.I shifted my weight from one foot to another, incessantly tugging my sleeve. Some time had elapsed, and Desmond was still inside. My incubus had always worked fast and with so much confidence in his abilities that he was sneering the first time he saved me from a demon in the basement. Then why did he look a bit worried this time? Was he alright?My chest muscles tightened at the thought of him getting hurt. He had saved me multiple times, and maybe now he needed me.“It’s been quite a while. Someone needs to go down there and check on him. I’ll go,” I announced. “Are you out of your mind?” yelled Mom, almost ramming into me. “If the devils in our basement have trapped a demonologist, then you are nothing but a fly for them. Why do you want to have yourself killed, Cassidy? Why

Desmond’s tone scared me. It was the first time he had raised his voice at me. Did I cross a line?“I didn’t mean to sound demeaning toward your species. Spirits have a right to their privacy. I’ll make Elaine understand so she doesn’t violate you again.” I gave him my word.His annoyance wholly dissipated. “I appreciate it.” He inched toward me and brought his face close to mine to place a peck on my cheek and lips. “How can I remain mad at a woman this beautiful? Attempt to murder me, and I’ll still end up forgiving you. There are only a few things that can erupt my rage,” he whispered gently.“And what would that be?” I asked.Desmond’s hot breath fanned my face. “I only had one condition in our contract. Don’t forget about that.” How could I forget his strange condition? He made me lose my only chance of getting my teenage crush, Mason. "What consequences would I face if I breached this rule?" I dared to ask.Desmond’s scheming smile promised a world of trouble. “Trust me, you d

Red in anger, I took the painting off the wall and hurled it on the floor. The sound of the crystal hitting the ground was earsplitting, yet the damn cursed object didn’t break! I placed it underneath my shoe and stomped on it as hard as I could, but the object was as stubborn as its master. Madame Long’s face was what I imagined as I attempted to crush it like an angry bull.“It’s pointless to try to break an enchanted object. You must set it on fire and bury it somewhere away from your home, preferably a graveyard,” said Alistair.“Ugh!” I grunted and moved away from that cursed thing as I shouted profanities at it in my head. “Desmond told me not to leave my room, let alone my house. Would it be okay to toss it in the trash can outside my house for now?” “No. Unless you want more demons to perturb you and your family all night, it’s best to do it now,” said Alistair, seizing the crystal from my hands.” He swung the pendulum in the air and tracked its movements carefully. “This

A demon/ spirit war was about to transpire at my house. I didn’t know what to expect. All I could do was pray for my dear father’s house not to become shambles and, more importantly, for my family’s and Desmond’s safety.Desmond stood at the side of my bed, readjusting the collar and cuffs of his mud-colored shirt. He was prepared for a fight. What worried me each time was his lack of fear before facing danger. My human brain still saw my valiant and indestructible incubus as something as fragile as an ordinary human.He was about to leave when I tugged at his shirt and caused him to stop. “Desmond, I’m scared. Will you be okay?” Desmond’s golden orbs gazed into my eyes wordlessly, and his lips spread into a subtle smile that whispered his joy. “Your worry grows for me with each passing day. Have you, by any chance, fallen in love with me?”“Uh, I,” I struggled to utter anything. Love?! Was it the genuine emotion I was feeling for him? Or was my heart worrying for him more because I