My hands shake as I take out my cellphone and press the video camera. The brownish liquid in the cauldron bubbles up a pretty gold color and the smell reminds me of daisies.

“Um… hi, Professor Blossom, it’s me, Amber.” I turn the camera to myself, careful to avoid showing Matthis, who is sniffing a vial of something on her desk. “The transmutation potion is nearly done. Guess I just needed a quiet room to concentrate.” I wince at how pathetic my voice sounds and I hate lying, but I am not going to fail school. “I’ll send you some photos too, and I’ll bottle it up for your assistant to check. Thank you so much for giving me this second chance.”

I tap the end button and Matthis’ claps.

“An excellent performance. You sure you’re a witch and not an actress?”

I place my head in my hands, leaning onto the table. “Please don’t remind me that I lied.”

“Well, fucking could be added to our agreement.” His Irish accent sounds stronger. “It can help alleviate your guilt.”

“No.” I feel the blood drain from my face. Sex with a demon? There are whole books on the dangers of even associating with his kind. Though here I am, having him cheat for me on my finals. I push the thought away. This is fine. It’s not fair that I’m judged so harshly just because my family is powerful. All my life, I’ve been measured against six other sisters and the brother our father dotes on. “I don’t need any more entanglements with you.”

He laughs and instead of freaking me out, I find myself smiling back. “Take your photos. Then you need to order me up a huge raw steak. I’m starving.”

And just like that, there’s a cold fist tightening on my chest, and I say, “Raw?”

“Unless you’d rather me eat the heart of a virgin?” He looks me up and down.

“I-I’m not,” I snap before I can think better of it.

“Neither am I.” His grin widens and heat rushes up my neck.

“Help me tilt the cauldron to show the gold all the way through,” I say, changing the subject. “Then we can get your steak.”

I put away the potion while Matthis sits at a desk, leaning back and stretching out his legs. He looks so much like a regular student that my breath catches. If he were in my class, I would have a hard time paying attention to anything except him. I shake myself because I have to be losing my mind.

He’s a demon, not some hot new guy.

After I clean up the cauldron, I motion to Matthis. “Let’s go back to the dorm.” There’s a whole stack of magic I want him to teach me so I can get this demon out of my life. I feel like I’m walking around with a loaded gun, one that is going to go off at any second, or I’ll get caught with it—either way is bad.

“One more moment.” He traces a finger across the desk and it’s only then that I realize he’s sitting in Vivienne’s seat.

“What are you doing?” I frown, coming up to him.

Black, backward runes cover the desk like he seared them into the wood.

“Are you crazy?” I snatch his hand. “The whole school is going to see that and freak out. They’ll question everyone, including a witch with a sudden, new familiar.”

“Someone needs to get laid, badly.”

“My love life is no concern of yours,” I huff, letting go of his arm.

With a chuckle, he finishes the last loop on one of the designs and then blows across the desk. A sensation like sprinkles of rain dance across my skin.

The dark charred markings vanish.

“What did you do?” I ask, fearful of the answer, but I can’t help my curiosity.

“Nothing nefarious.” He stands and stretches. “Guess you’ll have to wait until after the holidays to find out.”

If it was anyone else but Vivienne, I probably would have demanded he remove whatever spell he’d done. Though, part of me was envious that he could whip something up that easily and quickly.

“You’re sure it won’t… hurt her?” I chew my lower lip. Am I being an idiot for trusting a demon? Yeah.

“She will not be harmed if she doesn’t harm others. It’s a mirror spell. Anything she does, even verbally, will be reflected back on her.” He shrugs. “A harmless bewitchment, I assure you.”

“Doesn’t sound that way to me.” I stare back at the desk, debating what to do. If I leave it, then aren’t I as guilty as her? Not like I have a choice; I wouldn’t even know how to remove it anyway. Vivienne has berated me as much as she could throughout the school year. If it’s truly what Matthis says, then this is recompense for all the hatred she’s put out into the world. Karma!

“As long as she does no intended harm to anyone, it’s perfectly safe.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

He wraps his arm around me, guiding us to the door. “Now, let’s grab some food before I decide you’re a tastier meal.”

I shudder under his touch, but he keeps me locked to his side.

“Who is this?” Vivienne’s voice carries across the hallway. She cuts in front of us from the library.

“No one,” my voice comes out high-pitched and I clear my throat. “He’s just visiting. Not staying. He’ll be gone in a few weeks.”

She bats her eyelashes like she’s got a bug stuck in them. “I’m Vivienne, and you are?”

“Matthis.”

“My cousin.” I smile. “He’s in town visiting.”

“Oh, good.” She puffs out her chest and a spike of jealousy hits me. “With his arm around you like that, I thought you two might be dating.”

My face flames and I want to be anywhere but here talking to her.

“We’re not really cousins.” Matthis pulls me closer to his side. “More like third cousins twice removed… and totally allowed to date.”

I shove against his side. “We are not dating.”

“Whatever.” Vivienne rolls her eyes. “Hit me up whenever you get tired of a loser and want to hook up with me.”

She sashays away and now I’m feeling much better about leaving the curse on her desk.

As though unconcerned, Matthis leads me into the cafeteria. He says something to the cafeteria ladies, but I’m too busy stewing in my anger to pay attention. They giggle like schoolgirls and pile his plate with five bleeding steaks.

“That’s disgusting,” I say, my appetite suddenly vanishing—if I even had one with the way this afternoon is going.

“You’re right. I should add a vegetable.” He tucks a piece of lettuce on the side like it’s garnish. “Shall we?”

I follow him to a table and sit across from him. No way am I going to allow this demon to roam the campus to do as he pleases. Who knows what other hidden curses and spells he might conjure up?

“You sure you’re not going to eat anything?” He motions to his plate, and I hold back the urge to barf.

“Nope. I’m fine,” I lie and stifle a yawn. The high from my chocolate binge and summing a demon have worn me out.

He chomps down the steaks like they’re mini pizzas and licks the blood off his fingers. I should be totally grossed out by the display, but instead, heat uncurls in my belly.

“Want my lettuce?” He waves the bloody leaf at me. “I’m full.”

“No thanks.” My phone buzzes and I pull up a text.

Congratulations, Miss Krieg. Professor Blossom texts me. Looks like you’ve passed your potions semester final. I look forward to you showing me everything you did to perform such perfection.

“No,” I whisper, my chest constricting. Why hadn’t I thought this through? A demon just passed my final, not me, and I have no clue how he did it.

“Boyfriend troubles?” Matthis eyebrows raise. There’s a hint of jealousy in his voice that I’m sure I’m misreading.

“Professor Blossom wants me to show her how I did the potion when she gets back.”

“So?” He leans back in the chair, his head tilted to the side like he can’t understand how my world is a dumpster fire right now.

“Y-you did the potion, not me.” I stand and pace in front of our table. “She’s going to find out it was you, and I’ll be expelled and have my magic taken away. My family won’t ever want to see me again, and I won’t have any friends. Nothing.” A sob hiccups from me and I blink away the tears. My whole life is ruined because I did the unthinkable… I trusted a demon and cheated.

“Why does this bother you? It’s what we agreed on.”

I face him, my hands on my hips. “No.” I pause, glancing around the cafeteria but we are the only ones in here. The lunch line is locked up, but I soften my voice anyway. “I asked you to help me pass my finals, not get us caught. I thought you were hiding out from whoever imprisoned you. And showing off on that potion is not the way to stay low.”

“You’re right.” He rises and walks over to me, taking my hand. “There’s a way we can rectify this.”

“How?”

He traces his thumb over the lines in my hand and shivers race along my arms. “I can teach you everything I know.”

I jerk my hand away. “No thanks. I don’t need to know demon curses. I’m trying to stay in school, not get thrown into prison.”

“Your magic is special, Amber. No one in this school is going to be able to help you tap into like me.”

“You’re lying.” I cross my arms over my chest and take a faltering step backward because his presence is too overpowering this close to him.

“Am I?” His golden eyes glow slightly. “How about when you defended yourself when I was a wolf showing up at your door?”

I open my mouth to protest but snap it closed. There’s no way I could’ve done magic like that any other time. I hadn’t thought about it since my focus was on not dying rather than figuring out the difference between an eye of newt and a frog wart.

“You can memorize every book in this entire school, but it won’t scratch the surface of what you can do… what I can teach you.”

“Why do I feel like you’re trying to get me to sell my soul to the devil? I’ve read all those stories; I know how they turn out.”

“Not this one.” He moves closer and pushes a strand of my hair out of my face. The brief brush of his knuckles on my forehead sends lightning through my body, like he’s hit an erogenous zone I never knew existed.

Everything in me screams to run. To find a banishing potion and send him away to where he can’t confuse me like this. Where I’m not tempted by his smile or sexy voice or his heart-stopping golden eyes.

Without him though, I can’t pass my classes, and I sure as hell can’t whip up a transmutation potion on my own.

I look past him to the cafeteria windows that reflect the parking lot. Dozens of students are outside laughing and talking. Some are leaving early for the ski trip and shoving suitcases in their cars. One guy is on top of his Jeep, strapping down skis.

Even my crush, Darren, with his dirty blond hair and charming smile, is out with the others. He looks so laid-back like he doesn’t have a care in the world. None of them are contemplating working with a demon for who knows how long or failing.

Vivienne strolls up to Darren and places her hand on his arm, and he looks at her expectantly. She throws her head back and laughs at something he says, then she climbs into his Jeep.

Oh my god! They’re going on the ski trip together? I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

“Fine. Let’s do this.”

“Do what?” Matthis says in a bored tone.

“Magic, spells… whatever. I want to pass all my classes and show everyone I can do this.” Prove that I’m not the loser they think I am.

“And what price will you pay, Amber?”

Him saying my name brings my attention away from the parking lot. “Pay? I don’t have any money, and I’m not giving away my soul.”

“There are more ways to pay than your sweet soul, and I’ve no use for money.” He trails a finger along my jawline. “I can make your payment be pleasurable to us both.”

My knees threaten to buckle from his touch, but I lock my legs in place instead of giving in to his attention.

I should knee him in the groin, should push him away and douse myself with holy water. Yet my body yearns for him, for how he can make me crave him with the most innocent of touches. What would happen if I allowed him to do more?

“Sex magic is powerful.” His Irish accent is more pronounced, and I wonder if that’s to seduce me or if he’s caught up in the moment.

“No,” I say, my voice so weak that I doubt he can hear me.

“How about a kiss for payment, then?”

“Last time you kissed me, you cursed me not to be able to speak.” I’m proud that my tone is stronger.

“That wasn’t a kiss.”

“What was it then?” I challenge. Everything about this demon is confusing. How he’s helping me, even though at a cost. We’ve been taught that they would rather suck out a witch’s heart and soul to gain more power than anything else. So why is he offering this? There has to be a hidden motive I’m not seeing.

“A mere touching of lips. When I do kiss you, you’ll know without a shadow of a doubt. Even an incubus can’t give you what I can with my mouth, with my tongue.”

His words have my toes curling into my shoes. “Um…” I lick my lips and his eyes—with his goat-like pupils—follows the movement. “How long… I mean, how long will it take for you to show me how to do the potion and pass all my other finals?”

He scratches his square chin. “A full moon cycle.”

That’s what he said before about needing a place to hide out from whoever imprisoned him. “Can’t you do all this in a day?”

“Sure, if you’re ready for sex magic, we can get naked right now.”

I choke on a cough. “No! How about a week?”

“Two months.”

“What? No. Two weeks,” I counter.

Damn. Even only two weeks would mean missing the ski trip. My shoulders slump because there’s no way around this. Either I take the demon up on his offer, or Professor Blossom will find out I cheated and I’ll be expelled. Vivienne and her followers will have a party with that info, and I’ll be ruined, regardless if they take away my magic or not.

“I need at least five weeks to mold you into a powerful witch, and I’ll throw in a bonus. I’ll teach you how to make yourself irresistible to anyone you wish.”

Might even get Darren away from Vivienne, the bitch. The idea of her flirting with him while I’m stuck here burns through me.

“Deal,” I say before I realize I said anything. I don’t have a choice, though. I’ve already tried doing this whole magic thing using the school’s ways and that got me nowhere.

My first real bout of magic happened when Matthis showed up as a wolf at my door.

I hold out my hand. One way or another, I’m going to squeeze out every bit of knowledge from this demon and ace not only my finals, but all my classes.

His smile has my heart skipping a beat as he takes my hand in his.

A flash of heat sears the skin on my wrist. I jerk away as smoke spirals up from my flesh.

“What the fuck did you do?”