Page 78 of Two Who Live On

“Picky much?” Chanelle rolled her eyes yet grouped her own students similarly, ignoring their pleas to work with friends.

“They’ve grown too accustomed to each other and need to learn to collaborate with others.”

Chanelle scoffed. “Not according to recent trends. Sticking with the familiar seems the new norm.”

Another reminder of how saving Caleb, stopping Theodore Whitlock, and revealing the skeletons in Whitlock Industries had created ripples forever affecting Chicago. It couldn’t be helped, and the world was better without Tobias and Theodore feuding with an entire state as their chessboard. Still, I partnered my students away from their preferences, hopefully encouraging new collaborative teamwork.

I assigned Kenzo, Katherine, and Gael together. Plus, King Clucks. Then Caleb, Tara, and Gael. It wasn’t that their grouping was unhealthy, but Katherine and Caleb had begun latching onto each other as much as Kenzo and Gael. Tara seemed to actively avoid almost everyone except for her irritating bestie.

I wouldn’t let them fall into the same bad habits I’d developed, which involved me lacking the ability or willingness to collaborate with others day to day. So maybe I was projecting. I didn’t care. They could go one after-school program without making googly eyes.

Begrudgingly, Kenzo dragged Katherine and Gael with him—much to each of their protests alongside a crowing rooster—so they could banish the most demonic energy this outing. It didn’t matter that there was no more showcase to compete for; Kenzo wanted to outperform Caleb and worried that soon, Caleb’s perfected banishment would outperform him.

Meanwhile, Caleb reluctantly went with Gael and Tara, continuing his training, but worried he had no understanding of his roots. He’d achieved the impossible, the highly coveted, and had absolutely no idea how he’d done it. I’d assist in any way I could, but I barely considered my roots proficient after months of toning and retraining, let alone perfected.

Tara, Gael, and Caleb levitated down the street, turning the corner, while I trailed off with Jamie’s group. Since he’d taken it upon himself to continue attending Chanelle’s volunteering program, I decided it best to keep a close eye on him—and as far from Tara or Caleb as possible. Any student, preferably.

The wisps had thinned in the neighborhoods we covered from weeks past. Perhaps a sign of the vigilance of guild witches desperate to clear demonic energy everywhere they’d encountered it since the presence of demons had swelled in Chicago.

The clouds did little to alleviate the heat of the humid breeze. I practically gagged on the hot air as Jamie chased two wisps.

“Let someone else catch them,” I said since he’d let them trail further than someone with his proficiency should’ve. The wisps were heading in the direction of Tara’s group, and Jamie would likely let them go a few blocks as an excuse to accidentally encounter Tara.His thoughts had become fuzzy, muddled, and difficult to read. “Are you listening to me?”

“I can catch them.” Jamie floated after the wisps, which resisted the wind blowing against them, ignoring Jamie’s flux of magic, too.

I cocked my head. Why?

“And now the real fun begins, Dorian.”

My chest tightened. That was the gorgon’s voice.

Stretching my telepathy, unraveling, and amplifying my branch, I searched for the demon whose thoughts had vanished as quickly as they’d surfaced.

Frantically, I scanned the street. Where’d he gone? When had he arrived? What was he doing here? Who was he targeting? How’d I lose his trace so fast?

Steadying my breathing, I focused. Demonic energy was harder for branches to pinpoint, but I could track his location through my sensory root.

Casting waves of magic in all directions, I ignored the tiny fragments of wisps in the air and followed the powerful radiating energy luring those wisps. My eyes snapped open. Tara’s group. Was he after her arcane branch?

I flew past Jamie, snatching him by the shoulder.

“What the hell?”

“Go back to the bus.”

“I don’t know what your—”

“Now, Jamie.” I glared. “There’s a demon nearby.”

He trembled, then quickly ran back, avoiding using any magic to make his presence noticeable.

I continued flying toward the radiating magic and used my telepathy to search for as many minds of students as I could. “Everyone needs to return to the bus immediately. There is a demon in the area.”

“A demon?”“The news said they weren’t a big deal.”

“Where the fuck are they? If that demon so much as touches them…”

“Dad said his guild had it handled.”

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