Chapter 304. Summonings I

Chapter 304: 304. Summonings I

Maisie

Licking my lips, I closed my eyes. The fine hairs on my skin rose as I whispered Gruer’s full name for the third time, feeling the slow irritation settle in when nothing happened.

Again.

I checked the circle again. I’d done everything right. The bastard was ignoring me.

My left eye twitched and I punctured my palm again and snarled, "Philip Matthias Gruer."

I fell into myself as a feeling of being watched clouded my senses. Goosebumps erupted along my skin as thoughts that didn’t belong to me curled through my mind.

"I’m a little busy, you little twat," came an irritated thought. "Leave a message on the damned landline like a normal person and I’ll try not to kill you when I get back."

Within Gruer was a clutter of annoyance, aggravation, and an otherworldly hunger that was too deep to ever reach the bottom of. On any other day, I would have taken the warning, especially as I felt him start to dismiss me and cut off the connection.

But I’d been dealing with the idiot for nearly a year. He was avoiding me.

"Oh, Philip," I thought back, lacing my mind with malice. "I’m well aware of how much you lovvvveeeeeee your penis. So, if you do not want me to cut it off, roast it over a grill until it is real toasty, cut it into tiny pieces and mix it in with fish food, you will get your stinking mark off Juliette."

There was a pause in my mind. It felt like he was worried. If a little scared.

Then he yawned sleepily. "Go away, Maisie."

The connection snapped and the circle broke.

Annoyed enough to follow through with my threat, I punctured my palm again, redrawing the circle until the crimson line closed. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

I opened my mouth to growl his name again when the bulb above my head flickered. Erratically.

I glanced up just as the light died completely, plunging the dorm room into pitch-black darkness.

A sudden, freezing draught swept through the room, making my breaths gather in white clouds in front of me. I gagged on the stench of rot. It was so unlike Gruer’s usual scent that my stomach lurched.

The shadows in the corner of my room began to darken and take shape, forming tendrils that pooled onto the floor like thick black, syrup, and they snaked around the circle, wrapping around it and shuddering.

Oh goddess. Oh nononono.

My skin frosted as the temperature took a drastic plunge, my heart slamming violently against my ribs as I took a slow step back.

An unseen wind knocked me off my feet, and I yelped as I went down hard, smacking into the floor.

I scrambled back onto my hands, panting, eyes wild with pure horror as something began to blur into existence inside the circle.

When the darkness stopped swirling long enough for me to look past the circle, I froze.

It took me several seconds to recover from just what--who--I was looking at, during which I watched her. It.

Slender and gracefully built, it stood barefoot in my bedroom between the small dresser and the bathroom door, looking confused.

The moonlight caught on dark, long red hair, and a shock of violet blue eyes that ran over the walls of the bare dormroom, searching, before it landed on me.

I’d seen that face earlier, when Gruer had taken its shape. I’d seen it on Soren’s desk, closer to his files like he needed it close to remember what family looked like. I’d also seen it at the castle, on the walls of castle black, regal, with the ruby crown seated on her brow, surrounded by her mates.

Oh God. It was Soren’s mom!

It took a step forward in my direction and bumped into the edge of the circle, rebounding.

Its brows furrowed in confusion, and it lifted a thin, elegant hand to the circle. And pushed.

I gasped as the blood circle trembled. The lines on the floor began to wasp and wobble as the air shrieked like tearing metal.

Not even Gruer had been able to do that.

A distant memory of the forbidden texts flashed in my mind.

"The circle has to be perfect. Any break and whatever you summon within its confines can escape, take possession of you or find its way into the world."

Panic seized me.

I’m going to die. She’s going to tear my soul out and wear me like a jacket.

I scrambled forward as the circle weakened, fingers trembling and I tore my palm.

Ignoring the pain in my hand, I dug my bleeding palm directly into the floorboards, dragging fresh blood over the failing line and reinforcing it with a second circle.

"Stay back!" I shrieked, my hand trembling so hard I could barely draw the curve.

I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but it seemed to be working, because the demon shaped as Soren’s mother frowned, dropping her hand from the circle.

Her head cocked left. "Who taught you to do that?"

I panted, scared out of my mind. "I didn’t summon you."

It lowered herself into a crouch, mirroring my movements, and soon, it was on her hands and knees, its face so close to the edge of the circle. When I blinked, its striking violet eyes blinked. When I inhaled, it inhaled. It watched me through every measure with which I watched it.

And then it sniffed deeply. "You’ve seen my boy, haven’t you?" Its face melted into annoyance and its voice grew distant. "It comes and goes. Where is it?"

"Where is what?"

It wore a troubled look and its brow furrowed harder. "I don’t remember." Its fingers curled into stone. "She makes me forget. I don’t know..." She tracked off, her eyes going distant again, and for a moment, it seemed like she had forgotten I was there. "Black hair... He has black hair. Like Trenton. He has my eyes. He’s the most beautiful thing in this world. Have you seen my son? Won’t you take me to him?"