They were all gathered around Kiara, who was reading the paper. Each of them looked up as I walked in.
“Did you find out anything?” Alexei asked.
I huffed. “Jack and shit. Except Lady Iris told me a riddle about the Court. The gate will open when you discover the door. Whatever the hell that means.”
Odette tapped her chin. “Hm. Interesting.”
“What’s that?” I gestured to the paper. Kiara folded it up.
“Just the latest about your love life,” Delmare said. “Apparently, Emma is the sexy, redheaded temptress who eats men alive, while you’re just boring old news.”
I let out a harsh sound. That was typical, for the news to spin their side of the story in such a way. All Emma had done was kissed another guy. Not something I was happy about, but she was hardly going through men. You gave the press an inch, and they’d take the whole country.
Kiara tossed the paper aside. “But enough about that. It’s ready.”
I straightened. “The exorcism?”
“Yes. Don’t say it so loud,” Alexei hissed. “We have it prepared in the alchemy classroom. Once it turns midnight, we’ll head down there and get this demon out of you for good.”
Hope stirred in my chest. This was it. I might finally be able to cast this demon out… get my mate back.
Don’t count on it, the leshane sneered. I’m not going anywhere.
I’ll get you out of me if it’s the last thing I do. The demon didn’t respond to my taunt but to growl.
Didn’t matter. This demon was leaving. Tonight.
Once it neared midnight, we headed down to the alchemy classroom. When I entered, nervousness caused my hands to shake. In the room was a salt circle, a black candle, and a small knife. The room was dimly lit by the fireplace within the alchemy lab, and by the moonlight outside. Kiara stood at the head of the circle, flipping through a priestess spell book. The rest of my friends stood around the circle, as if preparing for whatever would emerge.
“I warn you, this is going to be very painful,” Kiara said as I entered the classroom. “I’ve put up a sound illusion so you can scream as much as you want. No one will hear us down here.”
“This is the only way.” Pain was something I was used to. I’d endure it, if it meant regaining my freedom.
Long moments passed. My anxiety grew with every passing minute. We couldn’t do this without my mate, and yet, she wasn’t here.
“Where the hell is Emma?” Kiara hissed, checking her watch. “We need her for this ceremony.”
Nausea churned within me. If Emma didn’t show up, we couldn’t do the ceremony. Had I pissed her off so badly the other night, she no longer cared about helping me escape this demon?
Eventually, I smelled Emma’s scent from afar. She entered the classroom, steps small and slight. It was ten minutes until midnight— she sure took her time getting here.
“Where have you been?” Kiara’s voice was short.
“I was out with Finlay.” Emma shrugged casually. “I made it in time.”
So she’d been on a date. Just perfect. Emma’s eyes flashed to me. She narrowed them slightly before she asked, “What do you need me to do?”
“Kneel at the head of the circle in the north,” Kiara said. “Ethan, I need you to light the candle from Vesna, the goddess of wisdom, in the center of the circle. Then lie down with the candle and knife at your feet and your head at Emma’s knees, still within the salt circle.”
I did as Kiara asked, then laid down. I was looking up into Emma’s eyes as she hovered above me, waiting.
Kiara chewed on her lip. “Emma, whatever happens, no matter how much Ethan begs, you have to stick with the exorcism. If you break it, Ethan will remain trapped.”
“I won’t beg,” I swore.
“You will,” Kiara said, and it made my stomach plummet. “Trust me.”
“Just tell me what you need me to do.” Emma’s voice was determined. She wanted this demon out just as badly as I did.
Kiara looked to Delmare and Odette. “I need the two of you on the east and west side. I’ll be taking the south. You’ll be chanting with me.”
“What do you want us to do?” Stefan asked, thumbing at Alexei and Theo.
“Be ready to fight. This demon isn’t going to like this.” Kiara stood at my feet. She held a hand over me as she read from the tome in her other hand.