Page 9 of Cursed

Demons have their secret magic name and their public common use name. Only those with their sacred magic name can summon them. But there are plenty of demons I won’t deal with at all. So I ask, “What’s his common name?”

“Maxum Flannery.”

Well, I’ll be damned. It’s my old acquaintance.

“Let’s go.” I motion for them to follow me, but I don’t head toward my apartment. If anyone wants to capture me to get to Shayla, they would wait to ambush me there.

Instead, I head down to Rourke and Branden’ssecretapartment in the basement of the dorms. They have no idea that I know exactly where they run off to all the time. Unbeknownst to them, I reinforced the wards around their little lair, just in case Shayla needed to retreat there to be safe.

The brownie servants know, but they will also keep that place a secret. From my conversation with them, for some reason they are fond of Rourke and Branden.

“But—” Kat grumbles. “We can’t trust Douglas.”

I spin to stare into the glowing eyes of the fox shifter. She almost collides with me, but she has quick reflexes like her animal. “We have very few allies, Ms. Kincaid. We need his uncle’s help. And his uncle is as trustworthy as any demon,any person, can be. I intend to finally get answers about things that have bothered me for too long. So you can either go hide until I fetch you, or you can deal with your irritation with this young male being in your presence.” I wait for her answer, but all she does is glare at me, fuming over my words. She isn’t arguing because she knows I’m right. “So what will it be? You going to sit this out or grow up?”

Kat curls her lip, showing off her sharp canines, likely without realizing her partial shift. “Fine, professor. I will deal with the presence of a coward, but if he screws up our mission, it’s on you.”

“My dear, it’sallon me anyway,” I growl. Fuck. I need to fix all of this. I need to get my mate back in my arms. I need her to be safe.

Storming down the stairs, I use my master key and break the wards that Branden had magically placed over their apartment. I’ll give him credit. They aren’t half bad. But as he reminded me just moments ago, his adoptive parents trained him to be an assassin and spy. I assume that’s how hisrelationshipwith Rourke started.

“Where are we?” Kat whispers.

“Nevermind that. We need a safe place, and this will do for now.” I usher the two freshmen in. A ping of guilt for getting them involved hits me. But I quickly overcome that and ask Douglas, “You’ve summoned before?”

“Once. But I can do it.”

After rummaging through thedynamic duo’sthings, I find magic chalk and hand it over to him.

I hadn’t realized he was part demon before. But often, children take on one parent’s magical lineage over the other. With a casual use of my gift for sensing affinities, I only pick up simple shifter mage genes and a fire affinity within Douglas. But apparently, there’s more to this guy simmering underneath his conservative exterior.

Douglas draws out the magical sigils to call a demon and potentially contain them if they are hostile. Unless my old acquaintance has changed a lot since I last saw him, then he should be safe enough.

With a whispered chant that holds Maxum’s real name, Douglas cuts a finger and uses the magic in his blood to power the demon portal.

A swirling wind and a spray of red sparks fill the large living room of the apartment. When I blink, I open my eyes to see Maxum glowering at Douglas.

He is a massive beast of a male. Six foot five, not counting his horns. His hair is shorter than I remember, but it only makes him look more fierce. Crimson skin, the color of an intense sunburn, covers his, well… naked body. And let’s just say there is nothing about this guy that’s small and leave it at that.

“What the fuck?” he growls, low and deep. Maxum glances down at the circle, Kat, and finally at me.

“Quade?” His brow crinkles in confusion. “Quade Hollis?What’s going on?”

“Great uncle,” Douglas rushes to explain. “There’s been an attack at the school. And Professor Hollis needed a mind-diver.”

“Professor?” Maxum says with surprise. “I never thought you’d end up babysitting magical brats.”

“Me either.” I step forward, grab a throw blanket from the couch, and hand it to Maxum so he can cover up.

Kat’s eyes seem to be permanently frozen open and gawking at the male. Even if she isn’t innocent, she’s probably not seen a full demon in all his unique…glory. He isn’t an ordinary male in several ways.

I smudge the containment circle to allow Maxum to move freely. “I’m sorry for pulling you away from your… life. But I need someone with your abilities, and I wouldn’t trust just anyone with this.”

Maxum gives me a pat on the shoulder and grins when he feels through my shirt that I’ve kept up my physical training and haven’t gone to mush with my academy job. “How long has it been?”

“Almost fifteen years, but who’s counting?” I chuckle. “I know you aren’t.”

“I thought you’d be a high-ranking, special ops Enforcer or in some fancy security position by now—not teaching.” Maxum walks over to Rourke’s minibar and helps himself to a double pour of scotch.

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