Page 13 of Spookily Yours

But this black cat glaring at me with red eyes made me burst out laughing. “I’m sorry. I just can’t take you seriously. You’re socute.”Iboopedhis nose in demonstration, watching as he wiggled his whiskers.

“Willow.” His eyes narrowed into slits. “I’m serious.”

“So—” I couldn’t stop giggling. “—am I.”

He climbed up, putting one paw in the center of my chest so he could put the other one over my mouth.

“Listen to me, little witch. I need your help to reverse this damn curse so I can go back to my proper form. Mylife.”

I moved his paw off my face, dangling his cat-self out in front of me. “And you expect me to do this out of the goodness of my heart?”

“Well, a little, yes. But also… Youhaveheard of making a deal with a demon, haven’t you?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Enough to know I shouldn’t make one.”

Damien sighed, flicking his tail again in annoyance. “I can give you anything you want in return for helping me. Whatever your heart desires.”

“But I—” I blinked. There wasn’t anything I needed, but whatdidmy heart desire? It was something I’d been thinking about. Not that I was going to tell him that.

“Everybody wants something, Willow.” He licked his paw. “Even good little witches like you.”

Ignoring his comment, and how it made me feel, I frowned. “So, how do I turn you back? Is it some spell, or potion I need to make, or…”

His eyes focused on mine. Unblinking. “I don’t know. If I did, don’t you think I would have undone it myself by now?”

Oh.Well. I guessed that would make sense.

“Yeah.” I muttered under my breath. “But I have little experience with curses. None of the witches here would ever use them. They’re banned in the community. Our coven hardly even discusses them, even though I think Cait would love to hex her ex-boyfriend for good measure. Although…”

My thoughts wandered to the library my parents had spent years amassing. I’d read so many of them, but maybe there was something in there that would tell me how I could break this curse.

“Maybe I have an idea.”

I didn’t need anything from him, but the sooner I could get him out of my house, out of my life, the better. Because Demons were not to be trifled with.

FOUR

damien

Do normal people take their familiars to the library?” I asked Willow, following behind her as we walked the path to town.

I could have teleported us if I’d had full use of my magic. But then again, if I’d had full use of my magic, I wouldn’t have been here, walking behind the witch.

“No.”

Somehow, that wasn’t as annoying as it had been before. Especially now that I could actually talk to Willow. I had startled her yesterday, but she seemed to have gotten used to me talking now.

I’d been on this path before, but everything felt new walking beside her. The little bell on my collar jingled when I moved, something I’d been steadily ignoring for weeks.

“So… How exactly did you end up stuck as a cat?”

“I told you. A witch cursed me.”

“Mhm.” She bit her lip, a motion I’d noticed she seemed to do often when she was deep in thought. “And what did you do, exactly?”

“Who said I did anything?” I walked faster in front of her so I could jump up onto a short wall, sitting on it and staring at her.

Willow rolled her eyes, continuing to walk down the path. “No witch would curse an innocent man.”

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