Page 83 of The Spell Caster

Calamus slammed the door closed.

Costi barked a laugh. “He thinks I’m that dangerous, and he just shut you in here with me?”

I felt tears begin to track down my cheeks.

“Layla,” he said in alarm, pushing his hands into the barrier with a flash. He stalked around the confines of the spell, unable to get closer. “Fate, you know I’d never hurt you. I was pissed, but I’m calm now. Please don’t be scared of me.”

I shook my head, unable to speak.

“Talk to me,” the demon creature with Costi’s voice begged. “Tell me what’s wrong. Do you know how to break this thing? Let me out.”

I trembled. I knew exactly how to get him out.

“Not mine,” the demon Adriel had said. Because I was someone else’s.

I banished my familiar, then invoked him again.

Costi appeared by my side.

***

“Oh,” I breathed. The tears came harder, but Costi made no move to touch me. When I looked up at him, his face was frozen in a shocked expression—he had just put the terrible puzzle together as well.

“How…?” He swallowed. “How’s this even possible? How could I not have known?” He wrapped his arms around himself.

I scrubbed my eyes with my sleeve. “You were only seven—”

“Natural summoning,” he murmured.

It fit. “From… from Hell?”

“Fucking fate!” Costi slammed a hand over the top of his head, feeling around.

“You don’t have horns,” I said hoarsely. “But… the ears…”

He clamped his fingers over the side of his face, then yanked his phone out of a pocket, using the camera to peer at himself through the cracked screen.

“You look normal now,” I said. My voice sounded distant.

“What kind of magic…?”

The sounds of people walking up the stairway came from the hall. “We have to get out of here.”

Costi swore. “There’s no other exit.”

“What are we going to do?”

“Tell them it’s not your fault. You didn’t know about this.”

“What about you?”

He pushed his hand through his hair. “I’m screwed. They’re never gonna let me—” He straightened as the door opened.

Calamus took us in coldly. Cedar Grey, looking less intimidating without his council robes, stood with Daire, who was glaring angrily. Behind them strode Ewan and the other guardian Grey seemed to be using as personal security.

“You let him out?” Calamus accused me with a pointed finger. “You invoked him out.”

Calamus tried to fall back, but his father and Daire advanced into the room. Costi and I stepped back in one motion. There wasn’t any question whose side I was on.

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