The Trouble with Demons

by Spear, Terry

  Did the demons teach calculus in the village where Samson was from? Somehow she hadn’t really envisioned him as the studious type.

  He interrupted the teacher with so many pointed questions, indicating he was way ahead of probably most of the students in math, if not all, that Mrs. Cogsworth finally asked him to hold his questions until the end of the class. But Alana could tell that her teacher was pleased that someone was interested in her lecture.

  When she turned her back to him and began writing some more equations on the board, Samson smiled at Alana as if to show her just how smart he was. Was she impressed?

  She mouthed, “Show off.”

  He grinned and watched the teacher some more, turning his head only slightly to see the unsmiley face on the board. Samson said to Alana in a whisper, “Indigo?”

  She nodded.

  Samson shook his head. Since Alana had returned to Baltimore, the ghosts that the Matusa had stirred up were wreaking havoc at a much more acceptable level. Her mother was back to taking care of the hauntings that arose on her own. Although Alana would rather ghost bust or fight the evil demons and free the enslaved ones any day over the drudgery of school.

  She noticed that several of the students were playing games on cell phones on their laps, others drawing pictures, or writing notes. Not the math kind. Indigo had slipped out of the room, probably annoyed he wasn’t getting any really great response from anyone over his unsmiley face or chilling everyone by thirty degrees or more.

  Only Samson seemed intrigued with the teacher’s lecture. That’s when Alana noticed an older girl who seemed inordinately interested in Samson. She looked like she must have been held back a couple of years.

  Maybe she was one of those math whizzes and liked him because he was also and that he wasn’t afraid to show it. Or maybe she was so bad in math, she was looking at Samson as a tutor after hours. Alana would give anything if Samson could find someone else to… well, maybe date, so he’d quit telling her she was his intended mate.

  Maybe in the demon world it would have been the case. But she wasn’t all demon. And so that meant whatever he thought the protocol was for demon gate guardians and bodyguards who watched over them didn’t count in this case. Right?

  Alana prayed he wouldn’t tell anyone at school that she was his intended mate!

  The girl was beautiful and had a sophisticated look, unlike Alana who thought of herself more in a sporty way. The girl was wearing a black dress, more suited to going to an evening dressy kind of party and didn’t fit in with the jeans crowd.

  The more she observed the girl, the more the hair prickled on the nape of Alana’s neck. She didn’t know what it was about her, but something wasn’t quite right.

  Samson was totally unaware that anyone else was watching him. He was too engrossed with the teacher’s lecture that Alana imagined if she walked out of the class right now, he wouldn’t even notice.

  She used her witch’s ability to ensure the teacher didn’t realize she was leaving the class and left. She was headed for the water fountain at the other end of the hall when she heard footsteps behind her and turned.

  Samson. So he was watching her after all. “Why are you out here? You’re missing all those notes you should be taking,” she said, teasing him.

  “Why are you out here? You’re missing the teacher’s lecture. It’s your school, your class.” He was serious, as usual.

  “You can teach me all you know later.”

  He shook his head. “This is the easy stuff like adding one and one and getting two.”

  “I know that, Samson. I mean, when the math gets harder and if I don’t understand it, you can help me then. Why are you taking notes, if you already know all this stuff?”

  He shrugged. “Someone ought to look like the teacher’s effort is worthwhile.”

  She smiled. He was still a big mystery to her, but she loved how considerate he could be of others at times. “You must be a genius.”

  He looked inordinately pleased that she’d compliment him. She didn’t mean it that way. She had to be careful with any praise she offered him as he immediately concluded she was rethinking the mate scenario.

  Indigo hurried to join them and Samson quickly chided, “Did you have to invite him?”

  Their breaths were frosty, and she assumed that’s why Samson knew Indigo had suddenly arrived. “When do I ever invite him? He does his own thing. By the way, did you notice the girl who was admiring you in class?”

  “I only have eyes for you,” he insisted, his green eyes growing dark with interest.

  She groaned and headed back to class. “I think she likes that you’re so smart in math,” she tried again. Maybe that some other cute girl found his abilities noteworthy would make him lighten up some with Alana.

  That’s when she felt the compelling surge of a portal opening somewhere in Baltimore, and her heartbeat sped up. She grabbed Samson’s hand to keep herself upright, and said between gritted teeth, hating that this was happening now but having no choice to avoid its pull, “Portal opening. Astral transporting time.”

  “Evil demon or good?” he hurriedly asked, his expression more worried than she’d ever seen it.

  She was gone before she could reply.

  Next:

  Demon Hunter, Book 3, (TBA)