With an unearthly grace, the demon stood. The vision of a British gentleman took a moment to adjust the lace about its throat and then its cuffs. Motions slow and deliberate, it pushed the chair back under the table. It inclined its head to me, its red eyes watching from over its glasses. “Congratulations on binding your familiar, Rachel Mariana Morgan,” it said. “Summon me with the name Algaliarept. Tell anyone my name, and you’re mine by default. And don’t think that because you don’t have to be in a circle to summon me that you’re safe. You are mine. Not even your soul is worth your freedom.”

And with that it vanished in a smear of red ever-after, leaving the scent of grease and fried potatoes.

Seventeen

I sat at the lab stool and tapped my ankle against the rungs. “How much longer do you think she can drag this out?” I asked Janine as I tossed my head to Dr. Anders. The woman was at her desk before the blackboard, testing one of the students.

Janine popped her gum and twirled a finger in her enviably straight hair. Her previous fear of my demon mark had turned into a rebellious daring after I told her I got it through my past work with the I.S. Yes, it was ninety percent a lie, but I couldn’t bear her distrust of me.

“Familiar evaluations take forever,” the young woman agreed. The fingers of her free hand were gentling the fur between her cat’s ears. The white Manx had his eyes closed, clearly enjoying the attention. My gaze slid to Bob. I had put him in one of those big peanut butter tubs with a lid to get him there. Janine had “oooohed” over him, but I knew it was a sympathy oooh. Most everyone had cats. One had a ferret. I thought that was cool, and the man to whom it belonged said they made the best familiars.

Bob and I were the only two left to be evaluated, and the room was almost empty, but Janine was waiting for Paula, the student with Dr. Anders. I nervously pulled Bob’s bucket closer and glanced out the window to the lights just now flickering on over the parking lot.

I was hoping to see Ivy that night. We still hadn’t crossed paths since Nick knocked her out. I knew she’d been around. There was coffee in the pot that afternoon, and the messages were cleared. She had gotten herself up and out before I woke up. That wasn’t like her at all, but I knew better than to force a conversation before she was ready.

“Hey,” Janine said, jerking my attention back. “Paula and I are going out to Piscary’s for some lunch before the sun goes down and the place fills up with undead vamps. Do you want to come? We’ll wait for you.”