15. Pandora

Blinking away the remnants of sleep, I woke to the comforting scent of sweet chocolate. I hadn’t slept that soundly ever before. Not even at Daryl’s.

As my gaze swept the room, I met Hunter’s, and a shiver jolted down my spine.

He was staring at me while I slept, his white eyes fixated on me as though he could see straight into my soul.

Maybe he could.

My heart pounded in my throat, but I couldn”t tear my gaze away. There was something primal and possessive in the way he looked at me, as if he would do anything to protect me, like he wanted to fight for me.

I liked the idea that someone would go to such lengths for me. Maybe it was delusional to believe that he was thinking such things, but it made my heart flutter with happiness at the prospect of it, and that was enough.

As I pushed up off the plush sofa, a faint smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “Hi.”

Hunter”s expression softened slightly, but the intensity remained. “Hi, starlight.”

“What time is it?” I asked, screwing off the lid of the enchanted bottle and taking a few icy sips of water. I loved the way the water trickled down my throat and soothed it like a balm.

It was the most thoughtful gift I’d gotten.

“I was about to wake you up,” he assured me, rubbing the back of his neck. “Your next class is in ten minutes. I wanted you to rest as long as you could. If you’d like to sleep longer, I can get you excused from class.”

My chest warmed at the thought. I didn’t ever feel safe before Daryl and Hunter found me, but I felt safe with both of them. It made sense that I felt safe with Daryl since he was my dad, but I didn’t know why I felt so safe with Hunter.

“That’s okay.” I toyed with a lock of my hair that was in my lap. “I don’t want to miss class.”

“Are you sure?” His brows dipped into a frown. “Hemlock, Grimshaw, and Shadowheart have Demonic Curses with you. Dusk is a good professor and actually fair, so I’m not concerned they’ll bother you, but if you’d rather not see them, you can stay here.”

I moved my hair behind my shoulders with both hands. “How do you know that?”

“I checked,” he said, the words rumbling in his chest.

He cared.

“Thank you for worrying about me, but I’ll be okay.” I smiled before stuffing my water into my bag, wishing once again that I had brought Nebula today.

I’d never been away from him for this long, and I missed him terribly. Maybe I could get a bag with a pouch specifically for him so he didn’t jostle too much.

“If you’re sure.” He let out a soft sigh, and his dark blond hair fell into his face. “I won’t push.”

I pushed to my feet and started to walk toward the door. If I didn’t leave now, I would opt to skip the class. I didn’t want to skip classes in general, but I definitely didn’t want to miss the first day, even if Hunter was tempting me. “Thank you again for the enchanted water bottle.”

The corners of his lips curved into a smile as he got up and opened the door for me. “Make sure you stay hydrated with it.”

Warmth spread over my cheeks as I nodded. I had a feeling I’d be drinking out of that water bottle constantly. It was by far the coolest invention I’d ever heard of, and to think it was mine made my heart swell with gratitude. My throat would be far less achy now.

My life had done a complete 180. From being isolated and at Mother’s mercy to being cared for by Daryl and Hunter while attending an academy with other demons was a big change—but it was a welcomed one.

I liked not being alone.

“I’m only a message or call away. If you need anything, you can talk to me,” he reminded me.

Dark magic!My brain screamed at me, and I realized I had forgotten all about what I remembered in class about my mother’s shadows. It was something I probably needed to tell Daryl first, but I found myself wanting to trust Hunter with everything.

Then again, my only true confidant was Nebula all of these years. I should talk to him before both Daryl and Hunter.

He’d witnessed it all with me. Maybe he’d have insight on it.

“I know. Thank you,” I murmured as I ducked my head and left his office with thoughts about dark magic and Mother’s dripping shadows.

I madeit to room 214 with little time to spare. The room was dimly lit but not as dark as the classroom for Ceremonial Magic since there were small rectangular windows scattered near the top of the outer wall. Shadows danced across the room as if they were magic, and I tensed before forcing out a breath.

It wasn’t shadow magic. It was just regular shadows.

Dex, Grimshaw, and Hemlock were already there, lounging in their seats with their feet propped up on the desks like they were too cool for this class. Their presence was somehow even more ominous in the subdued light.

My gaze bounced over each of them.

Grimshaw’s bloodshot eyes gleamed with an eerie sense of excitement, and I could tell that he was high again. Dex’s eyes glowed in sync with the scar that encircled his throat, and his magic pulsated around him. Hemlock’s eyes exuded irritation, and his sneer sent a shiver down my spine.

Their focus was on me, whether I liked it or not.

For some reason, the three of them had decided I wasn’t worthy of their company, but at the same time, they wanted to take the time to emphasize that point. It made little sense. When I first saw them, I felt a connection sizzle to life, and I still felt it. Maybe I’d mixed up the meaning, and it was pure hatred that I had sensed.

If they wanted to be enemies so badly, so be it.

I straightened my flowing skirt with a sweep of my hand and made sure my thigh wrap was in place before forcing my legs forward.

All of the seats were taken except for the row they sat in the middle of. It was as if nobody dared to sit close to them. I snagged the aisle seat, grateful that there were at least a few empty seats serving as a buffer between us.

I kept my head facing the front of the classroom to avoid them, and a woman stood in front of the rock desk with long grayed hair that cascaded over her shoulders and piercing red eyes like a hawk’s. She must’ve been the professor, and I had a feeling she always knew what happened in her classroom. The faint scent of apple pie enveloped the room, offering me a strange sense of comfort to the tension from their hostility.

With a wave of her hand, she beckoned the classroom to silence. “Glad you all could make it,” she said, her voice both commanding and soothing as it cut through the tension in the air. “I’m Dusk, your professor for Demonic Curses, and I am a vengeance demon. Does anyone here know what demonic curses are and why they are important?”

A student in the front raised their hand, and she nodded for them to answer.

“Demonic curses are spells cast by demons.”

“Yes.” She nodded. “Do you know why demons do not cast them very often?”

They shook their head.

“Does anyone?”

Nobody answered.

“I shouldn’t be surprised. You are at a reform academy, after all.” She pinched her brows together with a sigh.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Professor.

“Demonic curses have origins shrouded in darkness,” she continued. “Unlike the hexes cast by witches and warlocks, demonic curses are imbued with a potent malevolence, fueled by the very essence of demonic energy.”

“What kind of demonic curses are there?” Grimshaw asked, bringing his pipe to his lips and inhaling deeply.

She thinned her lips in disapproval. “Several kinds. It depends on your demon classification. Does anyone know?”

Nobody answered, but everyone did seem to be paying attention. That was a feat of its own.

“I need everyone to read up to chapter five by the next class.” She scowled. “Chaos demons can cast a curse by manifesting chaos in a specific way to cause harm or misfortune to a target. It’s usually in the form of an illness, bad luck, or psychological distress. In some cases, death.”

Hemlock leaned forward, his lips twitching into a smirk as he flicked his gaze toward me. ”What about cursing someone for fun?”

My blood ran cold, and I broke eye contact to see that my ring was black. I refused to look at him again and brought my attention to Dusk.

Her expression darkened, eyes narrowing as she speared Hemlock with a withering glare. ”Cursing is not a game. It is a practice drenched in darkness with consequences far beyond your comprehension. To wield such power recklessly is to invite destruction upon yourself and those around you.”

Hemlock scoffed. “Isn’t that just chaos?”

“No, Bram Hemlock, it isn’t,” she snapped.

My heart twisted uncomfortably in my chest.

His name was Bram?Fitting.

“Demonic curses are thought to be a harbinger of dark magic; though there is no solid evidence, there are stories of the possibilities. I will not allow you to talk so casually about it. Understand?”

He grumbled under his breath.

A strike of magic scorched his desk, right beside his foot, with a loud crack, and I could practically taste Dusk’s magic. “Understand, Hemlock?”

“Yeah, whatever.” He straightened, moving his feet off the desk, glaring at our professor.

“Then let’s continue.” She pursed her lips, meeting his glare with her own. “Dream demons curse by possession. It’s not strictly a curse; it involves a dream demon’s soul taking control of a person’s body or mind while they sleep. It results in erratic behavior, loss of control, and psychological distress.”

“What about drudes?” another student asked, and I was pretty sure she was a drude because I remembered her from being grouped up in Demonic Feeding.

Fates, that was a rough class. I was not looking forward to it again.

“Drudes curse by maleficium,” she explained. “It’s a type of curse inflicted upon a sleeping individual during a nightmare. They can invoke physical or psychological harm with the intent of suffering or death. It all happens within the nightmare and can extend into several different sleep sessions for the target.”

“Fear demons?” Grimshaw purred the question, earning a seething glare.

“Curse of the Fated eyes,” she stated, and he flinched. “Fear demons have the ability to curse others simply by looking at them with malicious intent. It’s known to literally bring their fears to life, and it can and will hurt them. Some instances, death is inevitable.”

Grimshaw took another few hits off the pipe and reached up to run a finger over the scar that covered his eye, and he seemed out of touch with reality again.

Why did I even notice that?

“Incubi and succubi use a demonic pact that is consensual, interestingly enough,” she muttered the last part before brushing her palms together. “This curse involves the incubi or succubi and individuals who knowingly agree to perform certain tasks or sacrifices in return for the incubus or succubus’s assistance. Breaking such pacts on either side can result in a poisonous death for either pact member.”

“Damn,” someone cursed from the back.

“How about shadow demons?” Dex asked, grinning wildly at her. “Let me guess…a dark ritual?”

She blinked at him a couple of times before shaking her head. “It’s called a shadow ritual, Shadowheart. A dark ritual is very similar, but I’ve only heard rumors of that.”

“I bet,” he chuckled, shoving his fingers through his hair.

“A shadow ritual is performed by a shadow demon to invoke their shadows.” She placed her hands on her hips and sighed like she was bored. “They use a piece of their target and essentially sacrifice it to the shadows. The shadows carry out the curse until the target is seriously maimed or dead.”

That particular demonic curse was also theorized to be able to summon dark magic,according to a passage I’d read specifically about demonic curses and dark magic.

“Soul eaters are capable of the demonic curse of slow death.” Her gaze found mine, and she smiled softly. “It’s when they begin to eat a fraction of a soul, but they don’t devour it whole. Instead, they invoke a curse that slowly eats away at the soul until there’s nothing left. It’s irreversible and always ends in death.”

I felt the glances sent my way, but I ignored them and kept my gaze trained on Dusk.

“Finally, vengeance demons are capable of a generational curse. Their magic essentially latched onto a target and causes them misfortune, illness, or other hardships. It doesn’t kill them, though. It passes onto their children, and only then can the curse turn fatal.” She paused and scanned the room. “Now that you know all of the types of curses, we can dive into why they could be used…”

As Dusk dove further into the basic knowledge of Demonic Curses, I couldn”t shake the feeling of being watched.

I knew they were watching me, and I knew they were holding back on taunting me because of Dusk. That was a lady nobody would’ve wanted to mess with. Apparently, even three demons with bad reputations.

I sighed, grabbing the water bottle Hunter had given me and taking a few drinks before putting it back into the bag.

It was only day two of classes, but it felt like it had been so much longer than that. I’d come to the reform academy to learn, but I felt like meeting Hunter, Reed, and even the other three demons haunting my thoughts had overshadowed my purpose of being here. I had to stay focused and learn to be a functioning member of demon society.

It was what I had always wanted, and now I had the chance to do it.

I had narrowly escaped Dex,Grimshaw, and Bram—I mean Hemlock—after Demonic Curses. Something told me I hadn’t actually escaped, but rather, they just didn’t pursue me like I’d thought they would after staring at me for so long during class.

It was unnerving.

The door to Bound Dormitory slammed shut as the desert wind caught it, and I stumbled into the cooler air. A few other students mingling in the common area regarded me with curious glances, and my cheeks heated.

I glanced down at my ring, and it was white. With a relieved breath, I dropped my hand to my side and made my way to my room.

When I unlocked and pushed open the door to Dreadful’s and my dorm, white-hot rage rolled through me so thunderously that I felt my eyes tingle, and the small amount of magic I had leftover in my reserves came to the forefront.

Dreadful was pacing back and forth on her side of the room, tossing Nebula up into the air as she talked to someone on her tablet.

“Don’t touch him!” I snarled, storming over to her and catching Nebula mid-air. My vision dimmed, throbbing around the edges.

His kitten skull was small—breakable. And she had been throwing him into the air for who knew how long with no concern about his well-being.

“Uh, chill, Gravesend.” She paused and blinked at me, but there was fear lingering in her gaze. “It’s just a weird skull of a cat.”

“He is more than that!” The air around us crackled, and from my peripherals, I could see black smoke escaping my lips. “And you are throwing him around like a ball!”

“I-it’s just a skull—” Her voice cracked, and her shoulders shook. “Your eyes are black.”

“You had no right to touch him!” My voice took on a darker tone, and I inhaled sharply, sucking back the smoke.

I felt the magic leave my body as fast as it came, and I brought Nebula to my chest protectively, padding over to my bed and sitting on the edge of it. I dropped my bag next to me.

“Annie? What was that?” the tablet voiced, reminding us both that she had been on a call before this.

I moved Nebula to my lap in my cupped hand and glided my finger over the lines of his skull.

“You’re such a freak…” Her fists balled at her side before she snatched her tablet up and stomped to the door, tossing it open and glaring at me over her shoulder. “I totally feel bad for Death. I can’t imagine such a reputable councilman having such a loser as a daughter.” She slammed the door behind her so hard that it shook the frame.

“Are you okay?” I murmured to Nebula, kicking my shoes off and curling into a fetal position on the bed with him placed between my knees and chest.

Black goo spilled out of his eyes and puddled underneath him on the comforter. “I’m okay, Pandora. Your roommate is terrible, though.”

Tears rolled down my face as I tried to stifle my sobs, but a burst of laughter spilled from my lips. “Yeah, she’s terrible.”

“What happened today?” His disembodied voice filled the room comfortingly.

“How do you know something happened?” I sniffled.

“I know you,” he said.

I gazed into the dark eye sockets of his skull and smiled, swiping my tongue over my lip and catching a salty tear. “I made a connection to dark magic and Mother’s shadows during class. I remember how they used to drip. Shadow magic doesn’t drip, does it?”

He didn’t answer as my eyes fluttered shut. The weight of the exhaustion from today caught up to me all at once, and I tumbled headfirst into a dream.