Page 21 of Rescued By the Dour Demon

A hot flush swept up her neck. “Granny,” she groaned.

“What? Like I don’t know about sex?” Granny sipped her tea. “I’m not at all surprised that things moved quickly between you two. The sparks were certainly flying by the Beanie Babies the other day.”

“Granny.” She banged her head on her arms, regretting ever asking the question that led to this incredibly embarrassing path.

“That demon of yours is very attractive. I’d have a hard time resisting if he looked at me the way he looks at you.” Her gaze grew wistful. “You know, your grandfather looked good in a suit, too. I made sure his pants were tailored to cup his backside the way I liked.”

She had to stop this before Granny went any farther. She didn’t think she could handle hearing about her grandfather’s ass. “Okay, yes. I slept with Leith. Are you happy?”

Granny’s mouth pursed. “Only if you are. And might I add, this is a judgment-free zone. Your sex life, who you choose to partner up with, and how quickly you fall into bed with them is completely your choice. I support you no matter what.”

Her cheeks burning, Rowan managed to croak, “Thanks, Granny. Appreciate your support.”

“Of course, sweetheart.” She forked a piece of strudel-covered cake into her mouth.

Rowan cleared her throat. “Actually, I was talking about falling in love. I think…” She cleared her throat again, swallowing hard. “I think I love Leith.”

She’d come to the realization partway through their surprise weekend together, as Leith determinedly worked to start a fire the way she taught him. When the flames caught, he’d looked up at her with such wonder and excitement, her heart melted into a giant, gooey puddle. Any reservations she’d had about him crumbled.

Her grandmother’s eyes rounded.

“It’s been less than a week since I met him, but I don’t know. It feels right.” She lay a hand over her heart, its beat slow and steady beneath her palm. “It feels like we belong together. We fit.”

Granny took another sip of her tea, savoring the light flavor. “I knew the moment I saw your grandfather that he was the one for me, and he felt the same. Love at first sight.”

This time, Rowan’s eyes rounded. “Really? All the stories about you and Paw-Paw and you never mentioned the love-at-first-sight part.”

“I liked having that small part of our love story all to myself,” she said with a wistful smile. “However, since you’re following in my footsteps, I wanted to share it with you.”

Rowan got up and wrapped her arms around her grandmother. “Love you.”

“Now, now,” Granny said, giving her a light pat. “You go to your young man and tell him you love him.”

Giving Granny a squeeze, she kissed her soft cheek. “Thanks, Granny. For everything.”

“Always, my precious granddaughter.”

Rowan and Leithstepped through the portal he made onto the gravel of a familiar crossroads. She bent over, gagging.

Leith rubbed circles on her back. “Breathe through your nose. Let the crisp night air clear your senses.”

“That was awful,” she groaned, her head spinning. “We could’ve taken my car. That was how I got here last time. So much better than this.” Her stomach heaved, spit gathering in her mouth.

“My way is faster and better for the environment.”

She swallowed hard. “Yeah, but my way doesn’t make me see double or worry that I’m going to be lost in the void.” She stood and did some deep breathing and staring at the stars overhead.

“At least you didn’t throw up.” He pulled items from his bag and set them in front of him at the center of the crossroads. “That’s better than most who first travel through a portal.” He handed her four candles. “Set those at the cardinal points, please.”

“Well, that’s encouraging.” She set stubby white candles at the eastern and southern point and a red candle to the west, then held up the last candle. “Chai latte and cinnamon?”

“I like the smell, okay? It makes me feel cozy,” he said with a sheepish shrug.

She bit back a grin and placed it at the northern point before stepping out of the circle and moving beneath the shelter of a tall oak. Before they stepped through the portal, he’d made her promise to stay back, out of the way, and to run if it looked like things were headed towards violence. He’d looked so worried, she’d reluctantly agreed. But she wouldn’t abandon him. She’d jump on the demon’s back and claw his eyes out before she let him hurt her man.

Leith placed several items, including Seymour Myles’s business card and the DownHome brochure that had Myles’s picture on it, in a shallow bowl on top of an unfamiliar sigil drawn on the gravel in flour.

“So, you’re going to summon him here?” she asked, noting how he walked clockwise and lit the candles before lighting a stick of incense. “And he’s going to come?”

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