Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

said, shutting the drawer. "It's too dark to walk the hallways now."
    It was warmer in Rafferty's room, Corin thought, and he wouldn't have to listen to Mavir's snores. He was still wary of Rafferty's intentions, but he doubted Rafferty would kill him before whatever it was he needed Corin's help for.
    "The demons can't get in here, so you'll be fine," Rafferty continued, sitting down on the other end of the bed. "What else did you want to know?"
    "How can the demons not get in here?" Corin asked, though in retrospect, that was probably obvious. Magic. It did explain why the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach had disappeared when he'd walked through the doorway.
    "It's another spell. It takes a lot of time and energy to set, which is why it can't be done everywhere," Rafferty said, offering a faint smile that was barely visible in the candlelight from across the room. "If we don't end up arrested, I can show you some of the spells. You should be able to use them with the amount of energy you have."
    "Why don't the other priests here know the spells you do?" Corin asked, curious. "I mean, you learned in the city, but why don't they ask you to show them? Especially the one where you can see energy. That seems like it would be a lot easier than an apple."
    "They don't care," Rafferty said flatly. "If they cared about casting better spells, they'd do what I suggested without me having to sneak around and do it behind their backs."
    "Oh." That made a certain amount of sense, Corin supposed. He ate some of the dried fruit slowly, trying not to scarf it down rudely. He was hungry for the first time in a while. Maybe having the demons trapped outside the room helped his appetite?
    "I'm sorry," Rafferty said, abruptly breaking the silence. Corin froze, wondering what Rafferty was apologizing for—and if he was apologizing in advance. "About yesterday. I shouldn't have brought your sister into it."
    "If it's true, it's true," Corin said, shrugging. He snuck a glance at Rafferty, flushing when he realized Rafferty was staring at him. "I could've handled it better."
    "You handled it pretty well, considering everything I dumped on you," Rafferty said, and Corin's heart twisted at the melancholy look that stole across Rafferty's face. "I wish I could do it without your help."
    "At least you're asking," Corin said, shrugging awkwardly. "They weren't going to ask before they sacrificed me." He ate another bit of dried fruit before he could say anything as stupid as that.
    "True enough," Rafferty said, but his voice was hollow, as though he didn't quite believe what he was saying. "Did you want to know anything else?"
    "Um." Corin frowned in thought, trying to remember what else he'd wanted to know that morning. "Oh, right. When I can feel the demons, that's them pulling out my energy?"
    "Yes and no," Rafferty said, sliding down the bed closer to where Corin was sitting. "Hold out your hand."
    Corin did so with only a small amount of hesitation, his cheeks heating when he remembered what happened the last time Rafferty had taken his hand. Rafferty didn't touch him but held his hand out over Corin's so that there was about an inch of space separating them. He frowned in concentration, his brow furrowing, and Corin almost jumped as the uneasy, unsettled feeling flooded through him.
    "Your energy reacts when there's a demon nearby," Rafferty said, his voice quiet and almost lyrical when he spoke. "It's pulled to the surface, and the sensation you feel is that reaction. They're not pulling your energy out of you, but they're pulling it to the surface, so to speak."
    "So they can't take it?" Corin asked, dropping his voice to match Rafferty's.
    "Not as they are now," Rafferty said, sitting up straight and dropping his hand to his lap. "In a few more days they might be strong enough. We'll do the binding spell before then."
    "When?" Corin asked, ignoring the way his voice wavered on the question. A few days? That didn't sound good, and what if Rafferty underestimated? Corin didn't really want to know what it would be like when the demons could actually take his energy instead of only attracting it.
    "Tomorrow night, if I can manage it," Rafferty said, running a hand through his hair. "The following morning, if not."
    Corin nodded, hoping that was soon enough. He set aside the bag of dried fruit, not hungry any longer. "What happens when you cast the spell? What do I have to do for it?"
    Rafferty hesitated then stood. He unfastened