When I looked outside again, the bike was gone. I was almost disappointed, but no doubt she had gone back to her actual rider.

The fact that I could call one, though? I’d have to ask Thruor about it. Maybe she’d have a clue what was going on there.

Maybe she would come back. I watched the snowy street for a moment, then turned back into the house and headed upstairs. I had some rather neglected homework I needed to get done. Not that I didn’t have a good excuse, but now I was out of the drop out zone I rather wanted to stay that way if at all possible. I still needed good grades.

In between modeling and demon hunting, I still had to try and be an ordinary girl. It was a good thing I didn’t need much sleep.

Kanesha showed up, took one look at me, then grabbed her own books and flopped on the bed with them. “Hey.”

“Hey. Clara’s out.”

“Good. Did she get…?”

“Attacked by lust imps.”

Kanesha dropped her pen and started giggling. “Oh, oh dear, oh dear.”

“It’s all dealt with.” It was starting to look funny in hindsight, though. “And hopefully we’ll have them in jail for sexual assault and corrupting a minor soon enough. At least the high priestess.”

“But lust imps?” She looked at me. “Did you send them all back?”

I blushed. “Yes!”

“Shame. They might be fun to be around.”

I pretended to hit her.

“See, you’re back to normal.”

“We have homework,” I said firmly, and turned my back on her.

She was still giggling, a hopeless distraction, but I managed eventually to get some focus, and she did stop after a bit. But maybe I should have kept a lust imp.

Nah. I didn’t think we really needed them, anyway. That kind of thing was for making somebody want you who didn’t.

Which I would not do, I decided. But what if I had to…well…we’d work that out, I supposed.

Without lust imps. And, stealing a glance at the dark form now chewing her pen, not any time soon. Please not any time soon.