Taming Demons for Beginners (The Guild Codex: Demonized #1)(81)

Demonized and Spellbound can each be read on their own, but together they combine into an epic tale that will intertwine even more with each new installment. Enjoy!





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SLAYING MONSTERS FOR THE FEEBLE

The Guild Codex: Demonized / Two





I’m bound to a demon.





For my entire life, I avoided magic at all costs. Now, I’m responsible for a demon who wields magic more powerful than the toughest mage or sorcerer.





Demons are evil.





That’s what my textbooks say. That’s what I see. He’s ruthless, he’s temperamental, he’s cold. But he protects me without fail. I wonder if he’s hiding a heart behind his hostility.





My demon is a monster.





Whether he’s heartless or not, my contract with him is illegal and beyond dangerous. Together, we must find a way to return him to his own world before anyone discovers our secret. If that wasn’t bad enough, I’ve come to realize something else:





My demon isn’t the only monster I should be worried about.





- Keep reading for a sneak peek at the first chapter! -





CHAPTER ONE





I was in heaven.

The musty scent of paper and old leather filled my nose, and my fingers tingled with the urge to touch the embossed spines surrounding me. I ambled between the tall bookshelves, my gaze caressing the tomes. Giving in, I slid my fingertips across a set of encyclopedias.

Not just any encyclopedias. The complete Encyclopaedia Alchemia—sixteen thick leather spines detailing every alchemic ingredient known to mythics.

Elation bubbled through me and I allowed myself one happy bounce before focusing. As much as I wanted to peek inside One Hundred Transmutations for Everyday Life or slip Defensive Alchemy: An Apprentice’s Compendium off its shelf, I wasn’t here to sate my endless curiosity. I was on a mission.

Leaving the alchemy section, I checked the signs hanging above the entrance to each aisle. I walked past Arcana – Language Studies, Arcana – Spells & Casting, Arcana – Artifacts & Artifact Engineering, and Arcana – History. That last section occupied three aisles on its own.

Elementaria came next. I skipped over Psychica, then turned down a Spiritalis aisle. I couldn’t help but pause to read a few titles, including A Young Witch's Guide to Familiars, Power Corrupts: A Case Study of Darkfae Subversion, and Is Druidry an Aberration? A Dissertation by the North American Partnership of Covens. I shook my head at the third one. The fervent loathing between witches and druids was legendary among mythics.

I emerged into another corridor, the butt ends of the shelving units marching on either side like wooden soldiers. Deeper into the library, I found the sign I was looking for: Demonica.

Was it my imagination, or did a cool shadow fall across me when I stepped into the aisle?

I squinted back the way I’d come. Ah, a privacy wall around a study area blocked the windows at the library’s front end. I had walked into shadow. Had the librarians deliberately picked this dim corner for the section on hellish fiends and soul-binding contracts?

Nudging my glasses up my nose, I skimmed titles. The first shelf held a row of identical, and familiar, copies of Legal Demonica: The Summoner’s Handbook. Useful, but not what I needed. I continued scanning. Contractor Control – Advanced Demon Wielding, The Ultimate Weapon: Demonica Guilds in Modern Society, A History of Summoning, The Casual Contractor’s Guide to Self-Defense.

A book for casual contractors? What person would casually give up their soul to a demon? I slid it off the shelf and examined the glossy, modern cover with bold red typography and a cartoon demon on the front. Eyebrows climbing higher, I flipped the cover open and read the introduction. As promised, it was a how-to book for contractors who wanted to learn the bare basics and nothing more.

I turned the page. Chapter One, “Getting Started.” Large, jaunty text with colorful headings in a sans serif font filled the page beside another cartoon demon, this one making a ghoulish “boo” face.

Congratulations! You’re a contractor!

You now belong to the small community of mythics who command demons. Never fear for your safety again. Never take second place to a flashy mage or cocky combat sorcerer. You’re a member of the most powerful class now!

But first, you need to learn the basics of controlling your demon.

Wondering where to start? Let’s begin with calling out your demon.