Sommerset had a few things to tell Madelina about Inky. A few, rather concerning things.

"That thing can turn into an anaconda! Why are you spending time with him?"

Madelina felt that Sommerset was being overprotective. "I understand you're my best friend and loyal bodyguard, but Inky hasn't shown himself to be a threat."

Sommerset growled, his ears pinning back. "Are you prepared for the time when he is a threat?"

"I have a lot of magic tricks up my sleeves."

Sommerset's whiskers twitched."You don't know how powerful Inky is. There's no way you can know his limits for sure."

"What do you want me to do? Should I just give the amulet away? Do you realize how dangerous that would be?"

"Is keeping the amulet the best solution, Madelina? I'm sure Alex could use it more than you."

Madelina's patience had run out.

"Alex could be dead for all we know! Did you consider that, you dog!?"

Somerset didn't like being called a dog, but there was nothing he could say to make Madelina change her mind. Few could. Sommerset slinked away, worrying that Madelina would find herself in a situation that she couldn't escape from.

Madelina studied in her book, Demons: A Practical Guide, hoping to find a mention of an amacualli. There was none.

Madelina was shocked and frustrated. How? How can something as easily identifyable as Inky not be found yet?!

Well, at least I know what I'm going to write my doctorate in Demonology about.

Madelina next got a phone reminder that Roxanne's birthday party was that afternoon. She had forgotten.

Inky was still asleep, so Madelina woke them up by poking him.

Inky didn't react well to that.

"Inky, stop biting my wrist!"

Inky did not. In fact, he clamped down harder.

Madelina started to prepare a fire spell.

"INKY, STOP THIS!"

Inky unlatched. Madelina examined his bite mark and treated it. If probably wouldn't clear up time for the party. But that's what gloves are for.

The e-invitation didn't specify what to wear other than "something nice." So, she took it as it being semi-formal, at most. Madelina wore a black leather jacket with studs, fur trim, and an orca on the back. She wore a Prussian blue ruffle skirt and thigh-high bright red socks. She wore black ballet flats with a bow at the front. She put a headband with a red bow on her head. She covered her bite mark with black biker gloves. She wore the Amulet of Wrath around her neck, it going well with her outfit.

Madelina and Roxanne were best friends in the tail end of elementary school but haven't really talked to each other since. Madelina felt that she might not recognize Roxanne anymore.

She was partly right. She had grown up a lot since then, but kept her perky attitude. She certainly didn't recognize Roxanne's friends.

Roxanne was a year younger than Madelina and nowhere near as serious. She had long, pink, hair with a couple of black streaks.It was often seen in low pigtails. Her bangs were swept behind her left ear. Roxanne had an hourglass figure and her skin was a light brown.

She was still as girly as Madelina remembered her, but now Roxanne was wearing a low-cut pastel pink Sailor Moon crop top and black shorts with purple-and-black striped stockings with garters. She had high heels that were white with pink tops, eyeball earrings, and a plush bat backpack. Her nails were painted hot pink.

Roxanne was overjoyed to see Madelina, hugging her on sight. Madelina felt trapped, and politely asked to be released.

"Sorry, Maddy, but I just haven't seen you in so long!"

"I'm just surprised that you've remembered me. I can't say the same about myself, Roxanne. I haven't thought about you for a while."

"Please, call me Roxy."

"You still let people call you that?"

Roxanne looked a bit forlorn. "Yes, I still do." Roxanne paused, "Do you let people call you Maddy?"

"Not at all. I'm far too old for pet names."

"Too old?"

"My parents stopped calling me that once I turned 13."

Roxanne glanced away, disappointed. Madelina had changed a lot since fifth grade. She remembered her being much warmer than this. But it's only natural for people to change in four years.

"I look forward to catching up with you, Madelina. But, first, I must introduce you to my friends."

Inky was in the amulet and telepathically said, "Your friend is hot."

Madelina was taken aback.

But then she remembered that similar magical amulets allow the owner and the trapped spirit to communicate telepathically.

Unfortunately, this allows the demon to read the owner's thoughts and blocks the owner from reading the demon's thoughts. Not that Madelina would like to know what Inky's thoughts were.

"How old are you?" Madelina asked Inky.

Inky couldn't give Madelina an exact age.

"My people keep time differently from yours."

"Roxanne is 14." Madeline thought. "I'm willing to bet you a million dollars that you're older—much, much older—than 14."

"I think I might be over a thousand. I said I think, don't fucking ask me for the exactments!"

Roxanne introduced Madeline to a short girl with bat features and flowers in her blond, braided hair, and a t-shirt with a picture of a garden and khaki shorts.

"This is Daisy, Madelina. I've known her for a while."

Madelina and Daisy shook hands. If she weren't wearing gloves, Daisy would've likely scratched her with her claws.

"What's your favorite flower?" Daisy asked. She was a soft-spoken bat girl.

Madelina thought for a bit. "I like scentimental roses."

"Good choice."

Madelina and Daisy began to converse a bit, but Roxanne interrupted them, grabbing Madelina's wrist.

"How about we go and find the other guests?"

Daisy seemed concerned, but said nothing.

Inky muttered something in a language Madelina couldn't understand. It was an insult about Daisy and Roxanne.

Roxanne found 2 girls lounging about on the sofa, talking amongst themselves.

"Miku and Allegra, I would like you to meet an old friend of mine."

Miku was a willowy girl that was half Japanese human and half air elemental. Her hair was long and light gray, and her eyes were clouded bright purple color. She was wearing a Pikachu shirt and sailor shorts.

Allegra had a chubby, pear shaped build. She had light brown skin and medium brown hair with teal tips. She wore an AC/DC shirt underneath her sky-blue musical note hoodie and seafoam green shorts.

"Me and Roxanne knew each other in 4th and 5th grade. I'm Madelina." She offered a handshake, but neither girl took it.

"She was a lot different then." Roxanne added.

Allegra said, "I think I remember you from back then. Were you the girl who insulted a teacher for wearing an Adidas tracksuit with a flat cap?"

"It was not my proudest moment. My dad said that people who dressed like that were poor."

Miku, the girl in the Pikachu shirt, said, "Did he use the term 'gopnik'?"

Madelina blinked, shocked. Yes...Where'd you hear that?"

"The Internet is a bottomless fountain of knowledge." Miku said that as if it were an ancient proverb.

Allegra, the girl in teal, snickered.

Inky was taking a  short nap at this moment. These guests were doing his job already making fun of Madelina.

Madelina asked Roxanne when the cake was coming. She didn't want to linger there for much longer than she needed to, not exactly welcome.

"It'll be a while, but how about we have a... private conversation? I get the feeling you're not gonna make any new friends today."

"Private conversation? I guess that would be nice."

Roxanne and Madelina went to the front porch. Roxanne's mother served them both homemade lemonade.

Roxanne asked her "What have you been up to in these past years?"

"I've been going to school and writing poems."

"Oh, me too! What books have you been reading?"

"I stole a copy of Roadside Picnic from my brother."

"Is that a romance novel?"

Madelina looked disgusted at the mention of the possibility. "No. Not at all."

"You seem less relaxed these days." Roxanne touched Madelina's shoulder, clearly concerned. "Are you OK? Is there something you're hiding from me?"

Madelina was hiding something. Inky awoke, knowing what Madelina was thinking.

"You can't fucking tell her! I don't want to be known." Inky telepathically said to Madelina.

Why don't you?

"I have many, many, many enemies."

That's no shock. You should consider being nice sometime.

"Did you forget who're talkin' to? Inky, King of Wrath and Greatest Warrior who ever lived?"

Madelina held back a smile. That's a stretch.

"What do you know?"

Madelina said to Roxanne that she was just a little stressed by the upcoming school year.

"Don't think about that now, it's a month away. By the way, where'd you get that necklace?"

Inky yelled, "Madelina, you'd better be a good fucking liar!"

Madelina lied to Roxanne. "Well, I found this in a thrift shop—it's one of a kind."

Roxanne was fooled.

"It's very pretty. It matches your socks."

The rest of the party was pleasant enough, save for Inky's attitude.

"Madelina, you'd better save some of that strawberry ice cream cake, OR ELSE!"

Madelina replied sarcastically. Or else what, O great one?

"Or, you'll have more than a couple of tooth marks on your hand. In fact, you won't even have fucking hands when I'm done with you."

Inky got his strawberry ice cream cake, and Madelina got to keep her hands.

That day, after much experimentation with a napping Inky, Madelina understood how the amulet worked. (His tantrums wear him out.) In the interior of the amulet is bare—this is no genie bottle!

The top one gives Inky a very painful electrical shock (it woke Inky up, but Madelina put a sleeping spell on him).

The bottom one allows Madelina to release Inky from the Amulet with one press, and put him back there within the two presses.

When Inky is three feet away from the amulet, it gives them an electric shock. Madelina learned this the hard way. She make sure to remember that.