Page 35 of I Accidentally Summoned a Demon Boyfriend

“You saw one, didn’t you?” He looked at me like a parent ready to scold a disobedient child.

“Yes.” I dropped my eyes. “Back at the market. It chased me.”

“What? And you’re just now telling me this?”

“It wasn’t a big deal. Piko saved me. Look, I got away and made it back to you.” I tried to justify my omission. “There was no need to worry you about it.”

“Do you know how dangerous that could have been? What if it was a tracker?” He chastised me, and it actually made me feel worse.

“A what?”

“A tracker. There are some demons here who can lay a mark on its prey, and wherever you go, it can find you.” He sighed. “Rayna, you’re in a world you don’t understand with beings who have abilities unlike anything you can fathom. You must be more careful.”

“A tracker.” The reality set in: he was right. I didn’t know what I was up against. It never crossed my mind that something like that could happen. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Just don’t do that again.” He looked away from me and out of the window. “If something like that happens, please tell me. You said you were okay. Why would you lie?”

“Metice, I didn’t lie about that. I am okay.” I placed my hand on his knee. “Okay? I’m really sorry.”

“Right just, don’t do that again,” he repeated before he got out the carriage.

A moment later, he opened my door.

“Piko stays here.” Metice pointed to the little blue demon. “No unannounced guests.”

My new pet looked up with sad eyes and whimpered.

“I said stay,” Metice spoke to him and not me.

I climbed out of the carriage but turned to comfort Piko. “It’s okay, I’ll be right back. Don’t worry.”

Stepping outside the carriage revealed the hills on the side where Metice sat. As far as the eye could see, there was a mixture of small and large formations. Where we stopped, there was a quick path that led to the mouth of a large cave set in the side of one of the larger formations.

“That’s where we’re going.” He pointed to the opening.

“Somehow, I knew that.” My stomach groaned, and it wasn’t because I was hungry.

“Don’t be nervous. Just follow my lead.”

“The witch who’s supposed to help us is living in that cave, and you’re telling me not to be nervous?” I pointed to the opening. “Only creepy shit happens in caves.”

“Yes, you need to be calm, because if she realizes you’re nervous, she’ll use the energy against you. I’m not saying it will be easy to do, but I will be by your side, and we’ll make it out of this.”

“You know, you give me whiplash sometimes.” I huffed as I put one hand on my hip and shielded my eyes from the sun with the other, looking up at him.

“What do you mean?” His eyes squinted in confusion.

“Sometimes, you can be a real jerk, and then other times, you’re nice to me. You say things about being by my side and making it out together,” I explained.

“I say what works in the moment.” He shut the door to the carriage, and it felt like a dismissal of my vulnerability.

“Well, there’s the jerk side again. Thanks.” I sucked my teeth. That’s what I get for being open with him.

“Come on, let’s go. We need to get this over with before the sun goes down.”

“Something happens when the sun goes down?” I glanced up at the sky again.

“Yeah, the real demons come out.” He walked toward the cave. “We’ll want to be out of here by then.”

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