Starfire (Grim Gate 2)

“To be sure,” Ethan goes on, knowing exactly what I’m thinking. “Are you going to attempt anything that could jeopardize Anora’s well-being and safety?”

“No. She was important to Estelle and in turn is important to me. And I wouldn’t bring harm to anyone. Would you?”

Ethan doesn’t answer. “Okay. I believe that you’re not going hurt Anora. You won’t sell her out later, will you?”

“No, and I don’t know who I’d sell her to.”

“You’re not on trial anymore,” I interject. “I believe you and I trust you.” I take a big sip of my wine. “I do have questions about my aunt, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not.” Nikolai smiles warmly again. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything.” I laugh. “Grim Gate Academy…I was supposed to go. I remember sitting in an office with another professor, maybe, and she thought I should go to. If I could get in there and talk to her, maybe she can undo the memory spell.”

“Alas, my dear, I don’t know the location of your Covenstead. Showing anyone who wasn’t a member of the coven is forbidden.”

“Covenstead?” I repeat and Nikolai looks at me with surprise again.

“You really know nothing.”

“I’m basically Jon Snow.” I push my hair back. “My memories are slowly coming back with emphasis on the slow. I lost a friend a few months ago because demons went after me to get revenge against Aunt Estelle for locking them away. If it wasn’t for Ethan, I probably would have died.”

Nikolai looks at Ethan. “How do you know about the supernatural world? You’re just a human.”

Ethan’s face tightens. “This just a human has hunted and killed more demon for over twenty years.”

“Ahhh, you’re a hunter.” Nikolai makes a face. “Every hunter I’ve come across has been a self-righteous asshole.”

“Ethan isn’t like that,” I rush out, quick to defend him. “He’s been the only thing that has made sense to me in the last few months.”

Nikolai’s face warms. “I can tell how much he loves you.”

And now I’m feeling stupidly emotional. “Good, because I’m kinda crazy about him too.”

Ethan rests his hand on my thigh and kisses my cheek. “I’m going to play video games while you two have a chance to catch up, if you can call talking to someone you haven’t seen in years and don’t really remember catching up.”

We all laugh, and I catch Ethan’s hand, pulling him to me for a kiss before he walks out of the room. The truth potion will wear off soon enough, but I don’t want Nikolai to feel like we’re still testing him.

“Are you hungry for anything more than cookies?” I ask, knowing I like to eat when I’m nervous. Nikolai doesn’t make me nervous in the sense that I find him threatening, but more so in the sense that I’m fully aware I might not like what I’m about to find out.

“I don’t want you to have to go to any trouble. Though now that you’ve unhexed me, I feel safe to use your kitchen if you’d like anything.”

“I’m good.” I break a cookie in half but don’t take a bite. “I wish I could remember my aunt.”

“I wish you could too. She really was a remarkable woman. Oh, and you said she hunted demons, which leads me to believe you don’t know anything about that, either.”

“Nope.”

“You don’t remember anything about her at all?”

“Not really. I know she had red hair, making her the only other family member I know of who’s a redhead. I have glimpses of us doing magic together, and I remember walking in on her doing an exorcism or something.”

“Ahh, and I remember her telling me about that. She wasn’t so much of a hunter but more of a locator. Your aunt was very gifted in divination. She was able to locate the monsters and demons moments before they showed up in said locations, making it possible for those with more defensive magic to take them out.” He smiles at the memory. “If it weren’t for her incredibly accurate locator spells, many demons would be walking free today.”

“Which makes sense to why a demon came after me for revenge. Aunt Estelle is responsible for making sure they were caught and dealt with.”

“Precisely.” He leans back, eating a cookie before speaking again. “What weird things have been going on?”

I hesitate for a second, recalling Ethan’s words of warning not to be too trusting. “I’ve um, seeing things, things that aren’t really there. I’m fine for a few days and then suddenly, I’m driving to a graveyard with no memory of actually going there.” My eyes fall shut and I let out a sigh. “I feel like I’m going crazy. You don’t happen to recall my aunt dealing with anything like that, do you?”

“No, and I am sorry about that. I wish I could help, and I hope you know how much I deeply regret losing touch with your aunt.”