To Summon Nightmares Read Free Page A

obviously lovers."
    Niall felt his face blanch. No one had guessed that. No one. They'd kept it such a good secret. And now this man had figured it out within a few minutes. "Never mind that, we have a proposition for you."
    "Oh, and here I thought you'd just invited me round for tea."
    "The—" Jacky swallowed. "The books say you call yourself Champion of the Oppressed."
    The demon turned his head to look at Jacky, and Niall suddenly realized why the demon's appearance was so off-putting. His eyes were a bright, sunflower yellow. He raised his eyebrows at Jacky. "And you fancy yourself oppressed, do you? Yes, you do, I can see it in your eyes. Well, of course, I would love to help. In exchange for something else, of course."
    "Right, yes," cut in Niall, feeling that the conversation was slipping out of his control in an uncomfortable way. "We'd like to offer you a year off each of our lives, in exchange for your help."
    The demon turned those yellow eyes on Niall. "And what on earth would I do with that?" he asked.
    Niall stuttered. "Th-the book said—"
    "Yes, I'm not quite sure how I feel about your book, boy."
    "My father," said Jacky. "I want him gone."
    "Yes?" said the demon, still staring down Niall. "And is that your offer or your request?"
    "W-what?" gasped Niall.
    "Are you," said the demon, "offering me the boy's father, in exchange for something from me."
    "No!" said Niall, but at the same time, Jacky cut in.
    "What could you give us?" he asked. "In exchange for my father?"
    "Are you mad?" cried Niall, but the demon had already turned to Jacky.
    "In return for the body and soul of a wretched man?" He smiled. "So very, very much."
    "No, J—" Niall gritted his teeth. He had to get Jacky's attention. "You can't!"
    "Could you give me magic?" asked Jacky. "Like, powerful magic, like you have?"
    "But of course," said the demon. "If that is what you want."
    "It's not what we want!" said Niall. His heart was racing, his fists clenched. Jacky was about to make another one of his stupid decisions, and he had to stop him. "Our bodies aren't designed for that kind of power, it'd kill us!" He didn't know if that was true or not, but he needed Jacky to listen to him.
    "On the contrary," said the demon. "It would take some practice, but the right person, I think, could wield such power fabulously."
    Jacky had a strange look in his eye. Niall grabbed him, forced him to look at him. He wanted desperately to say his name, had to stop himself. "You can't do this. Your father—"
    "My father deserves whatever he gets," said Jacky, his voice calm but full of vitriol at the same time, his eyes wide and terrible. "Niall, we have to do this!"
    Niall could hardly comprehend what Jacky was suggesting. How could someone he loved even be considering ...
    Jacky turned back to the demon. "All right, I'll do it."
    "No!" said Niall.
    "Niall," Jacky turned to him. "Shut up."
    The demon was standing, his arms crossed and a finger on his chin. "And who do I listen to?"
    "Me!" said Niall. "I'm in charge here!"
    "Really?" said the demon. "It doesn't seem that way."
    "I accept your terms," said Jacky. "My father is sleeping in the bedroom on the top floor. You can have him in exchange for the power you spoke of. For me and Niall."
    "I don't want it!" Niall gripped Jacky's arm, tried to pull him away from the demon, but Jacky retaliated, pulling Niall back with a surprisingly firm grip and then knocking him away with a swift blow. Niall fell backwards, too surprised to react.
    "You'll thank me for it, later," said Jacky. He turned to the demon. "Do it."
    The demon smiled, and nodded at the knife, discarded on the ground. Niall lunged for it, but Jacky got there first. "Blood," said the demon, and Jacky put the knife to his palm, slicing it open. Niall was crying, begging Jacky over and over, but Jacky wielded the knife at him when he tried to approach. He reached out for Jacky once more, and Jacky sliced at him, drawing blood from his arm.
    Jacky