“Once created, a dimension doesn’t fade like a spell,” she finally says, speaking slowly. “I was not there when Asaroth was vanquished, but I do know of the demon you speak of. He targeted witches, taking their strongest power by ritual.”
I nod. “Yeah. That’s the one.”
“There’s no way the demon could have escaped, unless.” She pauses and shakes her head. “Unless someone let him out.”
Chapter
Nine
“Why would anyone let a demon out?” I ask and then remember Claire, who was tricked into helping a demon escape into our world. She was just a regular human with no powers but was able to give the demon just enough for him to get power. “Well, I guess there are a lot of reasons and demons are quite manipulative.”
“Exactly,” Tabatha says with a nod. “Rest assured it is something I am going to look into. Though, the demon is dead. If a non was tricked into releasing him, they have nothing to gain now.”
“True. And he is dead. So are the Pricolici and the creepy Harvester demons. Hunter took out quite a few.”
“How did you survive?” Ruby asks, resting her elbows on her knees. “You said this happened in the F all, but you also said you’ve only known you were a witch for a few months.”
“That’s, uh, how I discovered everything. The binding spell broke and Asaroth was able to sense me because of magic or something. He sent Pricolici after me and then wanted to do the same ritual to me that he did to the other victims to get my powers.” It’s weird and kind of exhilarating to be able to tell this story not only to people who don’t think I’m crazy, but know what I’m talking about.
“You survived not only a demon but demonic bounty hunters as well?” Ruby eyes me. “I need to hear the rest of the story.”
“I’m going to chalk a lot of it up to luck, random memories coming back at the right time, and having a demon-hunter for a boyfriend.”
“You’re dating a hunter?” Tabatha asks, eyes widening with shock. “And he knows you’re a witch?”
“Yeah, he does,” I answer and see Tabatha and Ruby exchange looks. “I know they don’t really trust witches, but I’m sensing there’s more to it?”
“There’s no way you could know, is there?” Tabatha slowly shakes her head. “Typically, hunters won’t date witches. They don’t like us or quite see us as human either. There are exceptions, of course, and there are no official rules from the Grand Coven forbidding it, like vampires, but I would warn any witch to proceed with great caution.”
I swallow hard, suddenly understanding why Ruby warned me to be careful while looking at Ethan. She saw his tattoo and knows who he is, knows what organization he belongs to.
“Oh. I had no idea. Uh, my boyfriend and his family know about the whole witch thing and they’re fine with it,” I say and feel like I’m lying. Because something has felt off since the day I woke up on the couch next to the fireplace at Ethan’s after he pulled me out of the freezing cold pond. Not with him, though he was suspicious of me at first, but with the rest of his family.
His dad insists we don’t let other hunters find out that I’m a witch. Hell, he told me he didn’t think many witches even existed anymore, which was clearly a lie. And Sam still makes not so subtle digs at me because I’m a witch. Stephanie saw me use magic to kill a ghoul. That had to be what she was upset at Ethan about.
But why would they keep it from me like that? It’s not like I wouldn’t find out…unless they never expected me to actually find other witches.
The smell of vegetable pot pie fills the air along with happy chatter from the students of Grim Gate Academy. Ruby is taking me to her office, where she has a few introductory books on magic she says I should read. They’re geared for first year students, below my academic level, but are probably advanced for my magical knowledge. Though, after demonstrating what I’ve been able to do, the High Priestess was impressed.
“Magic comes easier for some than it does for others,” she had told me, and other than being a horse-person, magic is only the second thing that comes easily for me. Magic is the reason I was able to communicate with the dead without even trying. Still, I have a lot to learn, but some common witch knowledge—like how we should be wary to trust a hunter—can’t be read in a textbook.
“Why exactly aren’t witches and vampires allowed to be together?” I ask, peering into the dining hall as we pass it by. It’s full of students and familiars alike with a few professors seated at a table in the front of the room.