Taming Demons for Beginners (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #1)

by Annette Marie

If not for the pain, I might’ve doubted my memory. A demon had thrown a cookie at my face? Hands down the strangest thing that had ever happened to me.

Two days had passed since my … adventure … in the library, and Uncle Jack hadn’t stormed into my room to demand how his demon had gotten hold of freshly baked projectiles.

A new feeling had awoken inside me. My archnemesis: curiosity.

Angel food cake. The most perfectly ironic bribe for a demon.

“Why did you show yourself to me this time? You didn’t have to.” “To see you properly. Wasted question, payilas.” “See me? You mean you can’t see me through the darkness in there?” “No eyes can see without light,” he replied dismissively.

“Get on with it!” Karlson commanded. Travis let out a sharp breath. “Please, Robin.” Did I have a choice? I cleared my throat. “Uh, demon? Would you say something … please?” Silence. Of course. Why would Zylas respond? He probably hadn’t been this entertained since being summoned.

“He protects me in exchange for baked goods. That’s … that’s the whole contract.”

At night, Amalia insisted he return to the infernus. I was glad she’d taken that stance because I hadn’t wanted to tell Zylas that neither of us could sleep with his crimson eyes glowing in the corner. He’d be delighted to learn he was extra terrifying in the dark.

“Small and weak ones like us, payilas, we can still kill the strong.”

“Vh’renith!” he shouted, pumping his fist. “I killed the Dīnen et Lūsh’vēr! I killed Tahēsh of the First House!” Eyes glowing and a broad grin stretching his lips, he spun on the spot like he couldn’t contain his exuberant energy. “That was lalūdris, kirritavh’ dahgan rūs hh’istaran,” he spouted, slipping into his native language. “I will be …” He trailed off, his victorious outburst fading into a scowl, then he groaned and flopped backward, landing on the grass. “Zylas?” I yelped. “What’s wrong?” Flat on his back, he glared at me. “No one will ever know.” “Huh?” “I am the first of my House to kill a Lūsh’vēr and no one will ever know!” Heaving a sigh, he sat up and glowered at Tahēsh’s body like it was all the winged demon’s fault. “No glory for me.”

I drew several steps ahead before Zylas caught up and matched my pace. Noticing the undemonlike bounce in his step, I had to suppress a laugh. “Still feeling good about defeating Tahēsh?” He smirked down at me. “You do not understand. He is First House. I am Twelfth House. The best I have killed before is Fifth House.”

The First House is the most powerful, but the Twelfth House …” His gaze swept over Zylas, collapsed across my lap. “The Twelfth House is truly special.” “Special how?” I whispered. “I’m not entirely sure. The answers lie in your mother’s invaluable grimoire.”

“He saved my life. He’s not enslaved to me, but he—he’s my partner.

“By the way, Robin,” he murmured. “The expression on your demon’s face when you called him your partner was fascinating.”

Zylas spun on his chair to face me. “Payilas. I will not harm your allies.” I resisted an unexpected sting of tears. “Thank you, Zylas.” “If you were not so weak, you would not need any allies but me.” My sappy gratitude evaporated. “Every time you say something nice, you ruin it.”