Page 42 of The Fallen
“Don’t tell me you were jacking off on me while I slept.” Ben rolls his eyes at me, before shifting his attention back to Dean Hayes.
“Anything that would cause a mix of DNA. But the smaller the amount, the closer to the binding it will need to be,” Asenath answers instead, rubbing his cheek in thought. “At least for ademon like me. Something as simple as a kiss could be enough to corrupt the spell. There are usually safeguards in the spell work that would prevent it, but if the spell was done incorrectly then anything is possible.”
Ben ducks his head and his ears turn red in embarrassment. “Oh my god, you did jack off on me.”
“What? No! I used your toothbrush,” Ben exclaims, eyes wide. Can’t say disappointment isn’t the first thing that goes through my mind.
“Why did you use my toothbrush?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Dean Hayes interrupts. “What matters is not only figuring out how to deal with this situation, but to also ensure your safety until we can get Jacob back.”
Her phone chimes and she picks it up just long enough to look at whatever notification she got before pinning the three of us with an intent stare. “What do you know of the history of this academy?”
“Just what we were told in orientation,” I say, glancing over at Ben who nods in agreement. “Also, why aren’t you freaking out about Asenath?”
Dean Hayes glances at Asenath, her shoulders drooping as she takes a deep breath. She closes her eyes, her brow furrowing, and I get the distinct impression she’s arguing with herself on what to tell us. Whatever decision she makes has her straightening her shoulders, her brown eyes taking on a flinty determination. I can’t help but swallow nervously at what that decision might be.
“Demon summoning and even demon bindings weren’t always forbidden,” she starts off. “In fact, this Academy was originally founded by such a bound pairing. Blackstar is the anglicized combination of their names. For thousands of years, humans had a pact with the demon realm and it was fairlycommon place for demons and humans to form partnerships and even become fully bound.”
My mouth drops open. It goes against everything us students are taught upon enrollment.
“The Academy made demon summoning forbidden when it became apparent something else was interfering with the spells.” She gives Asenath an apologetic look. “I am sorry we had to cut ties, but it was for the best.”
“The Rift,” Asenath says softly.
My focus swings to the demon beside me.
Dean Hays nods sadly.
But aren’t demons from the Rift? That’s what we are told, especially those of us whose course of study is specifically focusing on summoning.
Asenath twists so that he can look at me directly. “The Rift is a nightmare realm, full of entities that are basically indescribably horrors. They are the true demons, but we don’t know what to even call them. They are the ones that can make Saints go blind from just looking at them. They can possess humans if they can corrupt a summoning enough to slip through. They are world destroyers if left unchecked.”
My heart rate skyrockets at the implications of what Jacob attempted to pull off. I have an enemy –archnemesis– who wants to destroy the world and I’m bound to a demon along with my best friend. With benefits? Are we labeling anything yet? My brain spirals from everything I’m learning. I swear I’m probably going to stroke out sometime soon.
“And your world is on the other side of the Rift?” I ask. Curiosity is the safer option right now. Beter than panicking again. Or passing out. Both of which are still on the table, of course.
“Yes. My home world is called Tékuatol. Very similar to your world, but less modern. Not as many cities.” Asenath smiles, hiscrimson eyes softening at the mention of his home. My heart clenches at the expression on his face and I lay a hand on his arm, squeezing the muscle gently.
I open my mouth to tell him. . . something. Maybe something sympathetic or a promise to get him home. But I don’t get the chance. He tenses, his head snapping over to the front door seconds before there’s pounding on the door.
I jump, Ben yelping out an expletive as we both turn to look at the door. Without a word Dean Hayes makes her way to the door and swings it open, revealing a hugely muscular guy in torn jeans and a dirty gray shirt. Runes run up his arms and encircle his neck, shimmering and flickering like they are lit from within.
He also looks like he got the crap beat out of him and maybe lost a fight with a bear or two.
Dean Hayes speaks quietly with him before abruptly turning to us, her face expressionless. “You haven’t completed the bond, correct?”
“No. Too busy almost dying or getting my ass ruined by my best friend-with-benefits,” I bite out, embarrassment making me a bit more snippy than normal.
Her lips thin and I have a momentary burst of guilt for being sarcastic, but I brush is off. It’s perfectly reasonable for me to be off my game with the week I’ve had.
“We have a change of plans. Get your shit and follow me,” Mr. Muscles growls out. Literally. Growls.
My first instinct is to flip him the bird and do the opposite, but something about the way Dean Hayes looks at us has me getting to my feet apprehensively.
Ben’s hand finds mine, warm and slightly clammy. He’s as nervous as I am, and I squeeze encouragingly. Reaching back, I find Asenath’s forearm and slide my hand down until I can thread my fingers through his. I don’t know why I do it, but when I look over my shoulder at him, he’s looking down atour clasped palms with wide eyes, emotions flashing over his features too fast for me to make out.
“Why are we being rushed out of here?” Ben asks shakily as we quickly follow Mr. Muscles and Dean Hayes down the hallway and out of the dorm building.
