Page 138 of Conjure

I think I’m trembling with nerves, but I don’t know, because James is watching me with that dark twinkle in his eyes that has seen plenty of girls set fire to their reputation. I’m smarter than this. I don’t fall for bad boys’ charm or peer pressure.

“We’re not going to wake anything dormant.”

“How can you be so sure?” I ask.

His gaze never wavers. “It’s been twenty years since Camryn Kriger and her friends died here. Don’t you think the demon would have shown its face by now if it was still around?”

“Maybe it’s dormant?—”

“It’s a demon. Not an infectious disease. A spirit board from Walmart isn’t going to awaken Sleeping Beauty. I promise you.”

I want to believe him, I do, but I have a bad feeling about this.

“I’ll ask you one more time,” he says, his voice deepening. “Are you in, or are you out?”

I roll my lip between my teeth.

What’s the worst that can happen? Do I believe in the demon story? That we live on cursed land?

I join them at the island. “What about the Kriger murders?” I lock eyes with Timothy. “You seem to believe in the demon theory. What if they were killed by one, and we call it here somehow?”

His lips tug to the side. “Babe, I’ve watched enough of that really old showSupernaturalto know how to beat a demon’s ass and send it back to Hell. I’m a real-life Dean.” He gestures to James. “And that’s Sam.”

Brielle giggles, rolling a lock of hair around her finger. She looks at Timothy like he hung the moon and the stars and the galaxies. “I can’t believe you watch that old show.”

“It’s basically a classic.”

“Fine…” I inhale a steadying breath, feigning confidence. “Let’s do this.”

James’s teeth gleam in the candlelight when he smiles at me. He puts his finger on the dial, and I follow suit. Brielle and Timothy don’t hesitate, unlike me.

“Close your eyes,” James orders. “Let’s focus.”

My heart is beating out of my chest. This is reckless. Everyone knows not to play with the occult.

“We welcome you, spirit, to our circle. We invite you to enter us and communicate through us.”

A cold sweat breaks out across my neck.

“Is there anyone here with us?”

I gasp and open my eyes when the dial moves toward the ‘Yes.’

James’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “It wants to communicate with us.”

The dial moves before he can ask another question, and silence settles over our group as we watch it move from letter to letter.

“R,” I whisper. “U.”

“N,” Brielle finishes, slowly lifting her gaze. I’m sure I’m as pale as she is in the flickering candlelight.

“Guys…” Her voice shakes. We straighten up, watching the candles go out one by one. “Something is wrong.”

To our left, the windows blow open, and a gust of wind whips my hair around my face. At the same time, the spirit board shoots across the room, crashing into the wall. I let out a scream, but it’s drowned out by my terror.

We run out of the house like we’re on fire, almost tripping down the slippery porch steps. James throws open the car door and shouts at us to hurry. I’ve never run so fast in my life. The moment, I stumble into the passenger side, we’re out of there, skidding on wet dirt. I haven’t even closed my door yet.

We barely make it halfway down the road before the car sputters and dies, rolling to a slow stop, smoke pouring from the hood.