“The powerful one is coming. He will torture you until you show him where you are keeping it. You must give it to me to keep safe.”
The doorbell downstairs rang.
The Ibwa’s eyes darted around as if he was looking for someplace to hide. “Too late,” he whispered, his voice quaking. “He has arrived.”
Chapter Fourteen
Seeing the demon in my room raised the fine hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,”I replied. “I told you before, I don’t know anything about a book.” My mind was reeling. I knew the demon couldn’t be trusted. But what if he’s telling the truth? What if the powerful one is about to come up here and torture me? My eyes moved briefly to the old CPU under my desk.
“Megan!” My mother’s voice rang out from downstairs. “There’s someone here to see you.”
The Ibwa rushed to me, wrapping his arms around my legs. “Do not go!”
“Stop that!” I said, pushing him away. He tumbled onto the floor. “Coming!” I called out.
The Ibwa jumped to his feet. “He will kill her,” he croaked. “Then he will torture you, and when you give him the book—and you will give it to him—he will kill you, too.”
Chattering voices downstairs drifted up to me. My mother was talking with a girl. “That’s not the powerful one down there talking with my mom,” I said, the fear tumbling out of me. “It’s my friend, Maudrina.”
I stepped out into the corridor. “Don’t touch anything,” I said shooting the Ibwa a serious look.“I’ll be right back.”
“I hope that is so,” the Ibwa replied. The words quaked from his lips.
When I got downstairs, I was surprised to see Ashley Scott chatting amiably with my mother by the door. When she saw me coming toward her, she smiled. There was something off about her smile, something unnatural. Again, the hackles on the back of my neck stood at attention.
“Megan, your friend here wants to discuss your French assignments with you. It’s sweet of her to stop by.” The anger and vitriol that I had been experiencing since school this morning were all gone. On the surface, she was back to her old, sweet self.
“Yes. It is.” I said, trying to hang onto my composure. But a member of the Poplarati had just shown up at my house. There was no way I could hide my surprise. “Hi, Ashley.”
“Megan, how are you?” Her face lit up with phony cheer.
“I’m good.” I was still reeling.
“Well, I’ll let you two go over assignments,” my mother said.
“Thanks, Suze. Nice meeting you.”
The short time that Ashley had been in our home my mother had already gotten her to dispense with the Ms. Barnett thing. Tiny spires of anger wound their way through my gut as I thought of how she’d treated Guy.
“Same here. And thanks for coming,” she called back.
As soon as she moved into the kitchen, Ashley said: “Can we talk outside?” Her voice was low, urgent.
I was beginning to get an uneasy feeling. The Ibwa had said the powerful one was downstairs. Demons can take human form, or even invade a human’s body. And there was something not right about this Ashley.
“Sure,” I replied.
She opened the door and we stepped out into the night. A warm breeze drifted in from the south. Tomorrow would be a hot one. There was a dusty fragrance in the air this time of year. It was the smell of the desert coming back to life.
“I heard what happened,” Ashley said, her words dripping with fake concern. Standing in the doorway, bathed in the yellow glow of the porch light, Ashley seemed older. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I can handle it.”
“So…what are you going to do?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“What can I do? I’m going to get expelled.”
“I understand Principal Lockhart gave you a choice,” she probed.
I snorted out a derisive laugh. “Some choice!”
Ashley clapped me on the shoulder. Her hand was ice cold. “Remember, you have
The doorbell downstairs rang.
The Ibwa’s eyes darted around as if he was looking for someplace to hide. “Too late,” he whispered, his voice quaking. “He has arrived.”
Chapter Fourteen
Seeing the demon in my room raised the fine hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,”I replied. “I told you before, I don’t know anything about a book.” My mind was reeling. I knew the demon couldn’t be trusted. But what if he’s telling the truth? What if the powerful one is about to come up here and torture me? My eyes moved briefly to the old CPU under my desk.
“Megan!” My mother’s voice rang out from downstairs. “There’s someone here to see you.”
The Ibwa rushed to me, wrapping his arms around my legs. “Do not go!”
“Stop that!” I said, pushing him away. He tumbled onto the floor. “Coming!” I called out.
The Ibwa jumped to his feet. “He will kill her,” he croaked. “Then he will torture you, and when you give him the book—and you will give it to him—he will kill you, too.”
Chattering voices downstairs drifted up to me. My mother was talking with a girl. “That’s not the powerful one down there talking with my mom,” I said, the fear tumbling out of me. “It’s my friend, Maudrina.”
I stepped out into the corridor. “Don’t touch anything,” I said shooting the Ibwa a serious look.“I’ll be right back.”
“I hope that is so,” the Ibwa replied. The words quaked from his lips.
When I got downstairs, I was surprised to see Ashley Scott chatting amiably with my mother by the door. When she saw me coming toward her, she smiled. There was something off about her smile, something unnatural. Again, the hackles on the back of my neck stood at attention.
“Megan, your friend here wants to discuss your French assignments with you. It’s sweet of her to stop by.” The anger and vitriol that I had been experiencing since school this morning were all gone. On the surface, she was back to her old, sweet self.
“Yes. It is.” I said, trying to hang onto my composure. But a member of the Poplarati had just shown up at my house. There was no way I could hide my surprise. “Hi, Ashley.”
“Megan, how are you?” Her face lit up with phony cheer.
“I’m good.” I was still reeling.
“Well, I’ll let you two go over assignments,” my mother said.
“Thanks, Suze. Nice meeting you.”
The short time that Ashley had been in our home my mother had already gotten her to dispense with the Ms. Barnett thing. Tiny spires of anger wound their way through my gut as I thought of how she’d treated Guy.
“Same here. And thanks for coming,” she called back.
As soon as she moved into the kitchen, Ashley said: “Can we talk outside?” Her voice was low, urgent.
I was beginning to get an uneasy feeling. The Ibwa had said the powerful one was downstairs. Demons can take human form, or even invade a human’s body. And there was something not right about this Ashley.
“Sure,” I replied.
She opened the door and we stepped out into the night. A warm breeze drifted in from the south. Tomorrow would be a hot one. There was a dusty fragrance in the air this time of year. It was the smell of the desert coming back to life.
“I heard what happened,” Ashley said, her words dripping with fake concern. Standing in the doorway, bathed in the yellow glow of the porch light, Ashley seemed older. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I can handle it.”
“So…what are you going to do?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“What can I do? I’m going to get expelled.”
“I understand Principal Lockhart gave you a choice,” she probed.
I snorted out a derisive laugh. “Some choice!”
Ashley clapped me on the shoulder. Her hand was ice cold. “Remember, you have
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