25. Pandora

Hunter made my heart thump hard against my rib cage with a new flutter of safety every time I was alone with him. Safety wasn’t something I was used to, but he and Reed made me feel that way.

The scent of sweet chocolate soaked the air, wrapping around me like a blanket as I shifted back on the plush sofa.

“I just don’t understand it,” I rasped, clutching the enchanted crystal water bottle on my lap. “There isn’t any reason for her to act like this.”

Hunter leaned forward, fingers steepled, and his beautiful white eyes with gray rings filled with understanding. “Nobility among our kind isn’t just about bloodlines.” His voice was like honey as it washed over me. “It’s about power and influence. Dreadful may be...challenging...but her family connections make her untouchable to some extent for some other demons at the academy, but not you, obviously. She’s likely coming at you this way because you’re a threat to her.”

My gaze lingered on his strong jawline. I was so focused on the way his lips moved as he spoke. “I guess I”m just not used to dealing with that kind of pressure. Life’s too short to worry so much about what others are doing.”

“You have a valid point.” His lips twitched into a smile. “Unfortunately, most demons don’t share your sentiment.”

A flush of heat crept up my neck. “Most demons haven’t been locked in a cellar their entire life, either.”

He sucked in a sharp breath, and I felt vengeance magic crackling in the air. His hands curled around each other as he sighed and leaned back in his chair. “No, they haven’t.”

“Not all of the demons I’ve met follow that mindset.” I toyed with the ends of my hair.

“That’s too bad.” I unscrewed the bottle of water and took a sip. The ice water slid down my throat as I drank from it. My throat soothed instantly, and I put the cap back on, letting the bottle rest in my lap.

I knew my throat started to get sore after a lot of talking, but taking drinks had seemed to help with that. Hunter had mentioned that if I had kept my magic reserves filled, then I would probably not have any issues with it being sore because my magic could heal the pain. It was just another reason I had to get a handle on feeding.

Hunter nodded, reaching for his tablet and typing something out on it. “And the others? Grimshaw, Hemlock, Shadowheart? Have they been leaving you alone?”

I lowered my head and twisted my ring on my finger. It was a brilliant white, just like I knew it would be. “Not exactly. They’re no better than Dreadful. They think I’m terrible because I’m a noble, and Skel had told me that I represent death.”

“What?” A growl rumbled in his chest. “That’s not true, starlight. You don’t represent death.”

“Don’t I?” I flicked my gaze to his, and a jolt of electricity shot through me. “I’m a soul eater.”

“Soul eaters don’t just consume souls and kill,” he insisted, sitting up straighter. “They can rip parts of a soul out that hurt. Fragments that agonize and torment them when a supernatural or even human feels like they’re drowning. It’s not a perfect technique by any means, and it’s not permanent since souls regenerate, but it helps. It gives the individual a chance to actually feel that relief and make changes to fight that weighing piece of themselves.”

“Really?” I tilted my head, hair spilling over my shoulder. “I didn’t know that.”

“Now you do,” he said, typing away on his tablet again. “You do not represent death. Don’t let Grimshaw’s fear of death label you.”

“Skel’s afraid of death?” I murmured, running my hand over the fabric of the soft sofa. “That actually makes a lot of sense.”

Hunter flinched, eyes widening as he reached out and drank a few gulps of his coffee. “I don’t know why I said that to you. I’ve never let anything slip about another student before.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” I promised, trying to ease his obvious anger at himself. “I actually tend to tell you things that I don’t tell anyone as well, and I don’t think it’s because you’re my counselor.”

“Just pretend you didn’t hear anything.” He set the coffee cup down, but it wasn’t a coffee smell that wafted over to me. It was caramel and…fae magic? “Since when do you use Grimshaw’s first name?”

“Oh, um, it just kind of slipped, and he said he was going to use my first name, too.” I glanced down again for a brief moment, and the ring was still white.

His jaw muscle ticked. “Oh.”

“Is that bad?”

“No, no.” He shook his head, dark blond locks that fell from his bun swinging back and forth. “It’s good, I guess. It’s just odd. He’s been less than kind to you, right?”

I nodded, shifting again in my seat. “He and Dex popped into the closet when I was trying to activate my powers with the dolls. They triggered something in me. My powers almost went after them…I barely stopped it.” My voice dropped lower. “When I woke up, they’d taken me to Sunstone Revive. It helped.”

“What?” Anger laced his voice, and he went completely still. “You passed out alone with them?”

“They didn’t do anything to hurt me,” I supplied weakly, realizing only now that I said it out loud how angry I should’ve been.

“You weren’t angry?” His eyes burned with anger, but my ring was still white.

“Of course I was upset,” I told him. “Maybe they deserved a much harsher scolding from me for what they had done. But I also tried to eat their souls, so wouldn’t that make us even?”

“I’ll handle it,” he gritted out. “Why did they corner you like that?”

“Because I called Hemlock a drunk bastard,” I muttered bitterly, fidgeting with my ring.

His brows arched up in surprise before a deep chuckle left his lips. “That’s not entirely wrong.”

“No, it’s not.” A giggle flew from my lips before I could bite it back, and I slapped a hand over my mouth.

“What caused that?” His knuckles were white, hands clenched in fists on top of his desk.

“Oh.” The amusement faded. “He called me a slut.”

“I’ll handle it,” he growled, eyes fluttering shut as he visibly battled his vengeance magic.

“I already did,” I murmured. “Apparently, the word bastard hits him where it hurts.”

“Not good enough.” He took a deep breath. “How’s feeding going? I had a talk with Ashenfell, and he assured me that you wouldn’t be around others. It was my idea for the dolls.”

“I like the concept.” Though, the dolls are creepy. “But I just can’t seem to get it right,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “It”s like there”s a block I can”t push through to get to my powers unless something else triggers them.”

“I’ve spoken with your father.” A reassuring smile touched the corners of his lips. “He’s worried about the dark magic issues with the council, but you’re still his priority. He plans to attend your next feeding class to help you through it. There’s no better way to learn how to eat souls than from another soul eater.”

My heart leaped at the thought of Daryl being there. I hadn’t been expecting him to be making visits to my classes, but it would be really helpful with feeding. “Really? That would be great.”

His expression softened. “This is important, starlight. You need to feed, not just for your strength but for your overall health. I’m honestly completely floored how you survived as long as you did without it.”

“I’m scared.” The words tumbled out. “What if I can’t do it, even with Daryl there?”

Hunter stared at me for a long moment before exhaling a steady breath and pushing to his feet. He rounded his desk and came over to sit next to me on the sofa.

My heartbeat roared in my ears at his closeness, and I inhaled his sweet chocolate scent deeply. All of my nerves calmed with him so near, and I wanted to throw my arms around him and squeeze him tightly, but I knew that wasn’t something I should do.

“You’re not alone in this.” He placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “We’ll get through it together. Feeding can be scary for any demon since our magic is so wild, but having the ability to kill when feeding is even scarier. It’s okay to feel that.”

“But I don’t know how to push past that fear.” My voice wobbled, and I took another drink of water to soothe the ache.

His tablet buzzed on his desk, and I noticed the name Joel flashing on the screen, but Hunter ignored it. “Did you know that Joel Craven, the incubus representative on the Demon Council, had issues with feeding?”

“He did?” I screwed the top on the bottle again.

He nodded. “I helped him through it. He’s my best friend, and he refused to feed—that’s what drove me to become a counselor, actually. To make a difference for demons like you and him.”

“That’s really amazing, Hunter,” I gushed, a smile pulling at the corners of my lips.

A blush bloomed across his cheeks. “Thanks. I really want to help you be the best you can be, Pandora. I really do.”

“I know you do.” I reached up and squeezed the hand he had on my shoulder, and a rush of warmth spread through me.

He blinked, pulling his hand away and standing up abruptly before moving back to his chair. “Wow. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I had gotten so close to you.” He tugged at the collar of his shirt with a heavy breath as if it were hot in here, but it was just a comfortable temperature. “If I ever make you uncomfortable, please let me know.”

“You could never make me uncomfortable,” I replied instantly, but he just gave me a tight smile and continued the session with his guard up in a way that looked painful for him.