"You can stay in the back, at the museum we saw earlier," Cer tells her.

Thea's eyes positively sparkle with joy.

"That is perfect," she gushes, probably already thinking which pieces she's going to steal. I sneak a look at Cer, noting the light curl of his lips. He did it on purpose! He remembered she liked the museum, and instead of making her feel useless on the mission, he gave her something else to think about so she wouldn't place herself in danger. Smart.

He notices my gaze and raises a brow. I smile.

Yet as I look away, it's to find Ze glaring at me. Of course, that seems to be his favorite pastime.

Once our roles have been decided, we head to the auditorium. As I take my place on the stage, Ze comes toward me, withdrawing a small pouch from his clothes. He doesn't say a word as he pours some black dust onto the floor in a circle around me.

"What's this?" I frown.

"A barrier. It will protect you. But don't step outside of it until the demon is caught."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks."

After he finishes, he places his pouch back in his clothes and turns to leave.

"I'm not as weak as you think I am," I call out after him. I don't know what makes me say that, but I hate that he sees me as a lowly human. "I can do this."

"See that you do," he replies, his back still toward me as he walks down the stage.

Thea is already in the back while Cer takes his position on the left flank of the auditorium.

Soon, everyone is out of sight, and I'm left alone in the middle of the stage, my movements restricted by the circle Ze has drawn around me.

Silence descends in the auditorium and time passes. After about half an hour of waiting, my legs are starting to cramp up, so I stretch a little, jogging on the spot.

My stomach emits a low growl of hunger, and I pat my pants for the protein bar I sneaked earlier. Considering it's been too many hours since I last ate, and the fact that I don't know how long I'll be stuck here, I had to make sure I won't starve.

I peel off the packaging and take a big bite out of the bar. It's chocolate flavor, and the sugar is already doing wonders for my mood. I close my eyes, letting out a soft sigh as I nibble at the chocolate crust.

Despite playing bait for a dangerous demon, I'm in quite high spirits. My husband's ghost is somewhere around, attached to me. I'm competing for a chance to bring him back to life, and I actually stand a chance to make that reality.

Maybe my luck hasn't completely run out.