Monstrous Love Bites Back - Short Story Anthology

CAUGHT IN HER SPELL

written by astrophile

watch/listen to the audiobook chapter on YouTube

I should've known better than to enter an abandoned library alone with a demon, but whenever I looked into her eyes, I couldn't help but get caught in her spell. The more I spent time with her, the more I knew that there was no other place I'd rather be than right in her arms, holding her close.

"The coast is clear," Calliope called, and I went in after her.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting of an abandoned library, but nothing could have prepared me for the darkness. If it wasn't for the windows high up on the wall allowing a sliver of moonlight to sneak into the empty hallways, I'd be unable to find even Calliope a few feet away.

Fortunately, I could see her and really take in her beauty. Her long flowing pink hair framed her face perfectly. Those blue eyes of her could make me do anything with just a look. And those lips, those oh-so-pouty-pink lips, how I wish I could kiss them.

Focus, Ophelia, focus. Remember what we came here for.

Endless rows of bookcases started a few feet away from us and kept going on and on and on for as far as I could see. If the book we needed was in one of those, we'd be stuck searching for hours. The more I thought about it, the more I was starting to feel like I underestimated this whole thing.

All we knew between the two of us was that there could be some ancient literature about demon summoning and it could possibly be in this library. Calliope didn't tell me much more than that someone had summoned her to the mortal plane and it had gone terribly wrong.

Maybe I should have asked for more details before rushing over here.

I looked at Calliope again, and I could feel the part of my brain that said this was a terrible idea growing quieter and quieter. Forget the fact that we might not find what we're looking for. Forget the fact that this abandoned library was exactly the kind of place my professors said to never enter. Forget the fact I was alone with a demon I barely met a few weeks ago.

All that mattered now was our mission, and maybe afterwards, a little celebration?

I turned around and used my magic to lock the door as we planned. Calliope and I knew that our search would take some time. Anyone who had ever visited a library before knew that finding the right book took a lot of searching and reading and researching and more reading.

Finding a book in an abandoned library would be even harder, especially if you didn't have any librarians around, and especially when you kept getting distracted.

"Did you lock the door behind you?" Calliope whispered in my ear, making me all too aware of her body so close to mine. There was nothing I wanted more than to kiss her on the lips, but I knew it was too soon for that. If I dared to make a move this early, there was a chance I'd scare her off.

"I- uh-" I slowly nodded, unable to form a coherent sentence without stumbling over my thoughts. It wasn't fair that she was this pretty.

"Good," she said. "Let's go. We've got no time to waste." She reached for my hand and I let her hold it, my brain short-circuiting by the contact. She pulled me deeper into the library, but I could hardly focus on where we were going. All I could think about was the fact she was holding my hand.