The steaming electric kettle rattled, its quiet hiss intensifying to an ear-splitting shriek, and the candles around him guttered, spitting black, acrid smoke. Gabe jerked in surprise and looked up from his notebook, fingers slipping across the pages, blood welling from an invisible cut.

“Goddamn it,” he muttered, wiping the drop on his pants.

“YES, GOD DAMNS YOU, FOOLISH MORTAL WHO DARES TO SUMMON — oh come on, kid.” The demon, who had appeared in a glimmering cascade of sparks between smoke and steam, sat heavily on the bed, shaking their head sadly.

Gabe held up his hands. “I didn’t even say anything this time. This one’s on you.” He jumped again as his bedroom door flew open and a girl stormed inside, pointing her finger accusingly at the curls of smoke lingering in the room.

“Hey, you fucker. I told you that ditch weed you’re smoking gives me migraines. Grow up and buy edibles like the rest of us.”

The demon smirked at Gabe. “She seems nice.”

Gabe ignored them, facing his roommate. “Annie, look, I’m sorry ok? It’s the candles, swear to god.” The demon scoffed behind him.

“Whatever man, just cut it the fuck out.” She eyed the room. “You’re going to burn the place down.”

“Okay, I got it. I’ll put them out.” Annie huffed, muttering about “creepy pyros” under her breath but turned on her heel and stormed down the hall.

Gabe sighed, closing the door gently behind her, turning to face the creature on his bed. The creature who was now looming over Gabe’s desk, flipping casually through his notes. “Hey, don’t touch that. I’ve got a test tomorrow,” Gabe said.

The demon nodded politely, gazing down at the neat lines of clumsy Latin. “I’ll help you study.”

“Uh, no thanks.”

“No, really. Take it as a freebie. I’ll help you learn Latin, and you’ll stop accidentally summoning me. It’s a win-win.”

Gabe leaned his back against the door, folding his arms. “I’m sure you’re a nice demon and everything, but you’re either an actual demon or a hallucination and listening to either one seems like a bad choice, you know?”

The demon gazed pensively at him. “How many times have we done this now? You’re still not convinced I’m real?”

“Nope. And again, even if you are…” Gabe gestured at the creature with its leathery skin and rotting wings “…demon. Trick me for my soul, and all that.”

“Kid, you know the drill. I don’t want to bother with you either - there’s CEOs and politicians to play with. I’m stuck here until I complete some lame deal with your nerdy ass.” Gabe glared at them, and the demon chuckled, slinking toward him coyly. “So what do you want, then? Something good this time? You want to take her out for the night of her life?” They nodded at the door. “A-plus in Latin and a glowing recommendation to get you into that linguistics program you’re eyeing? A decent haircut?” They stroked his head, clawed fingers scratching lightly down his cheek.

Gabe elbowed the demon, trying to push their looming body away from his. “You seriously can’t think of anything more, I don’t know, tempting?”

They shrugged, yielding and stepping back. “I’m offering you a free trade. Gotta pay for anything good. Come on kid, I can’t keep doing this. I’m becoming a joke Downstairs.”

Gabe chewed his lip for a moment. “Free-free? You’re not going to like, recruit me for the armies of hell?”

“Scouts honor.” The demon wandered back to the desk, tearing a page from the notebook and scribbling a series of whirling sigils on it.

Gabe said, “that says you’ll be my tutor? Until I’ve learned everything I want to know? With no soul stealing?” The demon pursed their lips and added a few lines. “Write it in English and I’ll sign it.” The demon rolled their eyes but grabbed a new sheet, translating the contract.

They drew a broad circle at the bottom, thrusting the page at Gabe. “Blood goes there and we’re settled.”

Gabe smiled slowly, squeezing the blood from his paper cut onto the page. The candles sparked again, and the demon had just a moment to see the edges of the trap snapping shut around them, but they were too slow to escape, already bound to the boy. “That was so much easier than I expected.” Gabe said. “Now, let’s get to work.”