How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde

sure it was all a fetid crock of crap, but if Sasha believed it, maybe Michael did, too. It could be something that she and Caspian could use against him.
    “There was a prophecy about the Baba Yaga power. I don’t know the specifics, only that it had been narrowed down to two witches. Nadja and Seraphim. And rather than fight the Nazis with her power, she aligned with them and had Seraphim arrested. She believed that if Seraphim died in a camp, it would take the stain of her death off Nadja’s hands and she would ascend. But it didn’t work out that way.”
    “She never spoke about that time with me. But it makes no sense. Nadja isn’t old enough to—”
    “You’re from a family of magick users. There are ways to prolong youth and life.”
    “I’m sorry, Sasha. This sounds so surreal.”
    “And summoning a demon sounds more reasonable than an immortal witch? Look, you have to believe me. You’re in serious danger from more than just Michael Grigorovich. Nadja’s shadow is everywhere.”
    “Nadja is dead, just like my grandmother.”
    “No.” The big man shook his head. “She’s waiting for me and I’m going to save her. Even if it’s from herself. I’ve done some terrible things, but it’s been to survive. Even without a father, you’ve never had that burden. It changes you at your core.”
    “And Michael? What has he had to do to survive? No, this is pure selfish greed on his part inspired by his mother. We make our own choices, no matter what we go through.”
    “You’re so rigid, Grace. How can you see the world in black and white when nothing is ever so simple?”
    “You need the shades of gray, because you loved a woman who was evil to the tips of her pedicured toes. If everything you said was true, then Nadja tried to kill my grandmother and wants her son to kill me. She conspired with her bastard son to give me pain and suffering like no parent should ever endure and you’re talking to me about saving her? Why should I care what happens to the witch?”
    “I don’t suppose you should, malenkaya .” He patted her hand and withdrew from her grasp.
    Grace shrugged her shoulders. “This all too much. It’s unreal. Unbelievable.”
    “Ask your demon for the answer. He’ll give it to you,” Petru interjected.
    “Oh, yeah. I’ll just ask a demon for the truth and he’ll give it to me?” Grace stared at him. “Wait, how does anyone know I summoned a demon?”
    “Bone dust. I can see it on the floor in your bedroom. That only proves what Michael suspects. Now, I’ve helped you, Grace. Are you going to help me?” Sasha asked.
    “This is too much, Sasha. More to the point, I wouldn’t even know where to begin to help you.”
    “Just ask your demon what he knows. Decide whether to trust us. We’ll be back.”
    Sasha grabbed Petru and shoved him out the door.
    Was he trying to drive her crazy? He must be really pissed that she’d summoned a demon to thwart him. It made sense, especially considering that she’d refused to summon a demon for him. There was no way that her son, the child of her body, was not real. It had been four years since she’d seen him, but the memories were as fresh as ever. She’d sung to him as he grew beneath her heart, as they’d shared dreams, made promises.
    Yet, the look in Sasha’s dark eyes had been so sincere.
    Grace really just wanted to take another bath and go to bed. That would be ideal. It probably wasn’t the best idea, though, considering that she’d just knocked brain juice out of her ears when she’d hit her head on that damn coffee table. Was it possible that her grandmother was still alive? Was the Baba Yaga myth a reality?
    All of these questions were making her head hurt even worse. She couldn’t be expected to process everything at once; she needed some downtime where she didn’t have to think about anything. Not her grandmother, not Michael, not what Sasha had told her, certainly. Not even Caspian. Definitely not Caspian.
    She