“Hold up. Your dreams? You let a demon into your dreams? Are you insane?”
“I’m not—”
“Your dreams, Erin! You let him into your mind!”
“It’s not like that—”
“Look, I know you’re having a hard time, but—”
“You don’t understand,” said Erin. “He’s very sweet.”
“Sure, until he corrupts you and tarnishes your soul.”
“He’s the only person who’s been nice to me since the divorce.”
“News flash, Erin: he’s not a person. And isn’t that exactly how a demon would take advantage of you? When you’re vulnerable? Needy?”
“I’m not needy,” said Erin.
“Sure you are. You just got a divorce, for God’s sake. You’re allowed to be needy. Vulnerable. Whatever. Just not with a demon!”
“I’ll be careful.” said Erin. “I promise. Just bring him back. Please?”
Raya sighed. “I can’t bring your demon back.”
“What do you mean, you can’t? You’re the one who blasted him in the first place!”
“Yeah, it’s not like a two-way street. I don’t specialize in conjuring demons. I just know how to get rid of ‘em.”
“But—he’s gone? Just like that?” Erin felt sick.
Raya looked down. “I’m sorry.”
Erin’s mind raced. “Maybe if I cursed Mark again—”
“You cursed your ex-husband? Is that how this started?”
“It was an accident. The next thing you know, there’s some odd guy in a red bow tie in my kitchen, asking me how I like my coffee and exactly what kind of revenge I want to take on Mark.”
Raya gave her an appraising look. “Has anything like this ever happened to you before?”
“Never,” said Erin.
“No funny dreams? No seeing things other people can’t see?”
“No, why?”
“What was your demon’s name, again?”
“Andy.”
“That’s not a very demonic name.”
“It’s short for Andromalius.”
“Interesting,” said Raya. She got up and moved the picnic basket to the table, then flipped open the lid.
“Can you please try to bring him back? He really was helping me.”
