4. Pandora

Demon Reform Academy was a desert oasis.

Like most architecture in the Demon Capital, the academy buildings were made of sandstone, and the structures were weathered by time and sand. There were four buildings, and their earthy tones contrasted against the bright blue of the sky. In the center of the academy was an altar, a large crystal, and a rock arch.

In the distance, there was an imposing bluff rising against the horizon, its rocky surface towering over what looked to be a lake of some kind.

A soft rustle of wind swept through the sand as my father and I walked forward. With each step, the grains of sand shifted beneath my black flats.

“This will be your home for the next year,” Daryl told me, a hesitant smile on his face. “Of course, I’ll visit often, and you’re always welcome at the manor.”

I returned his smile with a reassuring one. “It’s pretty. I’m not used to being outside, so this is really nice. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.”

His smile dropped to a wince as we headed further into campus. “You can be outside whenever you want now.”

The air was dry, and my hair was down, falling around me like a comforting shield as I tried not to focus on the looks from other students. We seemed to be catching a lot of demons’ eyes. All of them dipped their heads in respect for Daryl, but they just stared at me curiously.

I’d let him pick out my outfit because I had no clue what to expect attending an academy. He’d picked out a cream sleeveless blouse that wrapped around my neck with a black wool pencil skirt that reached the middle of my thighs. I’d wrapped my thigh with the dressing he’d given me last week, and from all of the stares without it on display, I was more than happy I’d hidden those scars.

I inhaled the faint scent of dry earth and sun-warmed stone, and as the breeze came through, I could smell desert flowers, adding sweetness to the air. As I breathed, I could feel a hint of dust on my tongue.

“Now, you can’t eat any souls fully on the first day,” he attempted to joke.

My stomach rolled as nausea fought its way into my throat. I shot him an unimpressed glance.

“Right.” He cleared his throat. “Apparently, that was a bad dad joke I’ve heard so much about.”

“You nailed it,” I commented, pressing a hand to the bag slung over my shoulder that held Nebula’s skull. “Definitely a bad joke, and you’re my dad, so…”

“I am, aren’t I?” He chuckled awkwardly, raking a hand through his hair.

“You are.” I swallowed hard.

It was so bittersweet. I loved having a father who was interested in a stable father-daughter relationship, but I didn’t know him. We had no history, and there wasn’t exactly a formed bond yet. It was another thing I blamed on Mother.

As we passed a nearby building, my gaze collided with an insanely attractive demon’s. The way he was leaned back against the outer wall so casually was sinful.

I froze for a brief moment and roamed my eyes all over him. There was a faint scent of vanilla and smoke wafting from his direction, and it made my body flush with heat.

He had dangerous almond-shaped, emerald green eyes trained on me. There was a scar about two inches thick across his right eye, and I immediately wanted to know how he’d gotten it. Scars were not easy to come by for demons. I knew that firsthand…

He didn’t even blink as he drew in breath from a purple pipe. His face was heart-shaped with a sharp jaw and narrow lips. Lips I knew I wouldn’t be able to forget. He had black hair with white highlights that was parted to one side, hitting the tops of his shoulders. My fingers twitched. I desperately wanted to run my fingers through it.

Moving the pipe down, he blew out a stream of magical smoke, and his eyes rolled up as he tilted his head back slightly. He had a neck tattoo that looked like a scorpion. Snakes were inked into his arms, and there was a spider on the back of his hand that he smoked the pipe with.

They were perfect—he was perfect.

He met my eyes again, and his lips lifted into a sardonic smile.

Goosebumps raised my flesh, and I glanced down at my ring.

It was black.

Fear funneled through my heart along with something else I couldn’t quite pinpoint.

The man tilted his head, and I jerked my gaze away before picking up my pace to catch up to Daryl.

What the Fates was that?

Daryl groaned, steering us toward the building on the left. “Maybe wait on getting to know boys. I just found out I have a daughter, you know.”

“What?” My cheeks heated. “I wasn’t?—”

“Sure, Pandora,” he humored me, opening the door for me to walk through. “This is Reform Hall. The bottom floors are separated into four quadrants: two are lecture halls, academy counselors’ offices, headmaster’s office, and the cafeteria is on the top floor.”

“Woah.” I glanced around the building, nodding my head as he took me down a long hallway. Dull thumps of my shoes hit against the stone. “It’s so big.”

Everything was pretty much the same at the academy as it was in his manor. Sandstone buildings, earthy tones, and the scent of the desert was overwhelming.

“We’re meeting with Headmaster Blackthistle. He’s the Chaos Demon Representative for the Demon Council, so we’re acquaintances,” he explained as he opened the last door down the hall. “But he’s also the headmaster of this academy.”

An odd amber scent hit me as an older man with brown and gray hair stood from his desk and started toward us.

“This is Headmaster Blackthistle,” Daryl informed me with a slight frown as he took in the impatient expression on the man’s face.

I glanced at my ring, and it was white.

Relief swept through me. Whatever the man had been irritated with didn’t seem like it had to do with me.

“Death,” Headmaster Blackthistle greeted us as he paused in front of the door like he was already walking out. “There’s an…” he trailed off, glancing at me before focusing back on Daryl. “There’s an emergency at the academy that needs the Demon Council’s attention. Since I’m also the headmaster, I’m required to be there. I sent all the documents for your daughter to Darkmore, and he is expecting you both. If you wouldn’t mind getting them acquainted then meeting me in the Demon Archives?”

“I’ll be there soon,” Daryl said with a quick nod. “Let’s go to Darkmore.”

My brows bumped together as I tightened my grip on the bag slung over my shoulder. Headmaster Blackthistle hadn’t said one word to me, but then, he was a busy demon.

Daryl guided me away from the headmaster’s office and down the hall until we stood in front of a new one.

Room 508: Counselor Darkmore’s office.

Something primal snaked through my veins as I caught a whiff of sweet chocolate.

Chocolate was something I’d read about, fantasized about, down in the cellar. Daryl had given me my first bar of chocolate the first week I was with him, and it had been everything I had looked forward to. It was so sweet and creamy and chocolatey.

But this smell? It was beyond that, and it was so much sweeter. I couldn’t hold back a low growl.

Daryl shot me a concerned glance. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly—too quickly—smoothing my hair down in preparation for him to head inside.

My heart lurched as he knocked twice, then opened the door, striding in. For some reason, I was a bundle of nerves.

“Darkmore,” he stated respectfully.

“Death,” a smooth, masculine voice greeted my father. “Good to see you again.”

“As always.” Daryl’s voice was lighter than usual when talking to others. It was the only reason I knew Darkmore was trustworthy to my father. I’d heard him speak to others as if they were nothing but inconvenient tumbleweeds. “I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Gravesend.”

I forced my legs forward to enter the room, and the sweet chocolate scent smothered me as I became captivated by the man shaking hands with my father.

His presence was just as commanding as my father’s, but in a different way. He exuded an air of quiet confidence, his demeanor poised and composed. He wore a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up, showing the veins in his tanned arms.

He lifted his eyes to meet mine, and his lips parted in surprise as he dropped his hand to his side. “Gravesend. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Fates, this man’s eyes, hooded and icy white with only a gray circle of color around them, sparkled with a magical intensity, drawing me in. Long, white lashes framed them, and my heart clogged my throat the longer I stared at him.

I reached up and curled my fingers around my throat, trying to will myself to speak—to say anything, but I just kept drinking in his appearance.

Dark blond hair fell in gentle waves to his shoulders, catching the soft light of the candles lit around his office and casting a halo-like glow around his face. The square shape of his face was defined by sharp angles, giving him a chiseled appearance that made heat I couldn’t begin to describe zip down my spine.

Every aspect of Darkmore”s appearance spoke to a meticulous nature—from the way he dressed down to the carefully groomed strands of hair that framed his face. There was an aura of obsession in the way he carried himself, and I craved to know exactly what that meant.

He took in every part of his surroundings with an intensity that bordered on unsettling, but even so, my soul burned with interest.

Staring into the depths of his eyes was like freefalling, and I had no idea where I’d land. But I wanted to find out.

“P-Pandora,” I rasped, swallowing against the spasms in my throat. “You can call me Pandora.”

Daryl leaned his head back with a groan. “Fates, Pandora. It’s improper to just give your first-name so easily.”

“You can call me Hunter, then,” Darkmore replied smoothly, ignoring Daryl. “I don’t mind.”

I glanced down as my cheeks burned, and I noticed that my ring stayed sparkling white.

Daryl’s brows raised as he swung a darkened gaze toward the counselor. “Seriously? Do I have to remind you that she’s my daughter?”

“Of course not,” Hunter scoffed before shooting me a comforting smile. “But if she’s comfortable being on a first-name basis so quickly, so am I.”

“Pandora hasn’t been around many men before, so you better not even think about taking ad?—”

Hunter stepped into my father’s space with a deadly glare. “I don’t appreciate what you’re insinuating.”

“I don’t appreciate you being so friendly with my daughter.” Daryl went toe-to-toe with him.

My brain frazzled as I stepped forward and waved my hands in the air. “Well, I appreciate it! I like the idea of having a friend already. Wasn’t that the main reason you wanted to introduce me to Hunter?”

Hunter’s eyes fluttered, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he took a step back from my father. “Yeah. A friend is exactly right.”

Daryl frowned but nodded.

“Then this is working in your favor,” I urged, feeling oddly protective of Hunter. “It’s what you wanted.”

Daryl checked a message on his tablet and let out a long sigh. “I suppose you’re right. I have pressing matters to attend to with Blackthistle.”

“Is everything alright?” Hunter’s gaze flicked to Daryl.

“Demon Council duties,” Daryl replied smoothly. “Take your time with acclimating Pandora to the academy. We can catch you up after.”

Hunter tilted his head, gaze scrutinizing, but he nodded once. “Okay.”

Daryl turned to me. “Darkmore will be your counselor and the demon I want you to seek out if you have any trouble.”

“Sure,” I agreed.

“That won’t be a problem. I’ll be seeing her twice a week,” Hunter interjected with a respectful nod.

Daryl nodded and went to walk out of the room but paused. “I thought mandated counseling was only once a week?”

“I suggest twice for Pandora due to the circumstances. It’s already in her schedule,” he explained.

They shared an intense glance for a few moments before Daryl’s eyes swung to me and softened. “Darkmore will give you everything you need for class, but he’ll also give you an academy-issued tablet. It’s like the one I gave you that you left at home, but it’s the only electronic allowed at the academy. He made sure my contact information was programmed in, so if you ever need me, all you have to do is message or call.”

“Thanks, Daryl.” Gratitude swelled through me. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“I’m your dad.” He lifted his shoulders slightly. “Just…make sure you check in with me every day, or I’ll get worried.”

“I will,” I promised, and he left, shutting the door softly behind him.

As I turned my attention back to Hunter, I noticed how warm and inviting the office was. The flickering glow of candles casted a soft, comforting light that added to the coziness of the space.

“Please, come sit down. I’ll explain everything you need to know.” He swept his arm toward the seating arrangement across from his desk.

“I appreciate you helping me.” I walked over and sat on the plush cream-colored sofa, and I wanted to stretch out and snuggle into it with how comfortable it was. It took a lot of effort to keep seated at the edge and not sink back into it.

“Honestly, Pandora, think nothing of it.” His lips curved into a smug smirk as he rounded his tidy mahogany desk and claimed his seat. “It’s my job to ensure all students are cared for.”

My heart sank. “Oh, of course.”

Why did that answer bother me? Did I want him to have a different reason for helping me? I’d never had this much help in my life. I should’ve been grateful and not disappointed in the slightest.

And yet…

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked past him toward the large map of the world plastered on the wall. Red circles were marked in various locations across the map—even areas within the human territory. While supernaturals and humans were at peace and welcome in each other’s territory, it wasn’t very common from the newer published books I’d read.

He rifled through his drawer before pulling out a tablet very similar to the one my father had gifted me. It was black with a large screen and the size of a small book. He tapped on the screen a few times before handing it to me over the desk. “I have your schedule programmed in the schedule app. I already brought it up for you to see.”

I stood up long enough to grab it, then sat back down with the tablet snug on my lap.

Demon Reform Academy Term 1 Schedule

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays:

Demon Basics with Respa. 8:00 am - 9:00 am. Reform Hall- Room 103.

Practical Applications of Demonic Feeding with Ashenfell. 10:00 am - 11:00 am. Serpentine Stadium.

Tuesdays Thursdays:

Introduction to Ceremonial Magic with Ironwood. 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Reform Hall- Room 219.

Introduction to Demonic Curses with Dusk. 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Reform Hall- 214.

Mandated Counseling with Darkmore. Tuesday, Thursday at 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Reform Hall- 508.

“Thank you,” I murmured as an overwhelming feeling of anxiety clawed through my gut.

Every subject was beneficial for me, but the one I both dreaded and anticipated was Demonic Feeding. A flash of my mother’s body dropping after I ate her soul flickered in my mind, and I flinched.

“If you go to the home screen, you’ll see a few apps,” Darkmore instructed in the softest tone.

I couldn’t bring myself to look up at him. Instead, I swiped up for the home screen. There were a few different apps.

“Tap on the Bound Dormitory app.”

I clicked on it, and more information popped up.

Bound Dormitory Room Assignment

Room #269

Pandora Gravesend and Annie Dreadful

Within the Bound Dormitory app, there was an option to request a new room or a new roommate and to report maintenance or misconduct. I hoped I wouldn’t have to use those options.

Maybe Annie Dreadful and I could be friends. I’d always wanted to meet a demon like me and become friends with them.

“The app icon with the black sphere is the Information Server. It’s where you’ll find all of the information in the world on any topic. There’s also a News Sector app with a blue triangle icon. It updates with Kalista and Demon Capital-specific news and will alert with anything breaking for this academy.” He paused, glancing at me. “Did Death give you the rundown on those apps?”

I nodded, biting back a smile.

My dad had explained in fascinating detail everything about the tablet and how much access it had to the world on it, and I loved it. The wealth of information on the server alone was insane. I was eating it up. I’d learned so much already, and I even found out that there were cat videos and funny cat photos on the server. I spent a good half of a day solely on cats. Nebula was scoffing the entire time, but I figured it was because he didn’t have fur anymore…or a body.

The added benefit of being able to write messages back and forth with someone, hear their voice in real-time, and to even see them through the screen was incredible. I was a big fan of tablets, that was for sure.

“That’s great.” Hunter smiled at me, but there was something dark lurking in his gaze. “I believe you’re only the second soul eater to ever attend this academy.”

“Really?” I tilted my head, my hair sliding over my shoulder. “Who was the other?”

“A soul eater named Amy,” he said softly. “Your father met her here.”

“He attended too?”

“Not quite.” He pressed his palms against his desk as he stood. “Word is, he was here on council orders, and he was…drawn to her. That was over two centuries ago.”

“You speak as if you witnessed it,” I murmured, slipping my new academy-issued tablet into my bag. I was mindful not to hit Nebula with it. “I thought you were in your early thirties.”

His lips twitched into an amused smirk. “Thirty-one, yes.”

“Daryl told me,” I added so it didn’t seem too invasive of an observation. “He said we were only nine years apart.”

Fates, why did I tell him that?

“That’s very true.” He nodded, still smirking. “We’re quite close in age.”

“Um, what happened to Amy?” I stood up and adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder.

His smile faded, but his gaze on mine never strayed. “Humans. It happened before the war,” he added in a strained voice.

“Oh.” My heart hurt for Daryl. “Were they mates?”

“That’s your father’s story to tell. I’ve said too much.” He winced as if realizing he probably shouldn’t have said anything to me. “Best not bring Amy up unless he does.”

“Of course,” I agreed.

I couldn’t imagine the pain Daryl must’ve been in. To lose a fated mate can drive anyone insane, but Daryl didn’t seem crazy. He did, however, seem sad. I’d caught him staring off into space quite often with a faraway look in his eyes.

“Most of your classes are in Reform Hall, the building we’re in. Let me show you the rooms,” he suggested smoothly.

“That would be great,” I mumbled as he strode forward, leading the way out of his office.

He took me to each classroom in Reform Hall I would attend starting tomorrow, and even though they were all on the first floor, it was an enormous building with four long halls. It should’ve been overwhelming for me, but anything was better than the four confining walls of the cellar.

I shivered at the thought, wrapping my arms around myself as we walked out of the building and into the sweltering heat.

“The academy’s program is a year long,” he explained, slowing his pace for me to keep up. The sand shifted underfoot with each step. “There are four terms in all, and each one lasts three months.”

“Daryl explained that to me,” I said softly. “It seems fast-paced.”

“It is,” he agreed. “But demons have an impeccable adaptation skill.”

There was a dark stone altar rising from the desert floor off closer toward the middle of campus. At the center of the altar was a full red scale, shimmering with an iridescent sheen that shifted and danced as the sun hit it. Magical energy pulsated from it, rippling the air and thrumming over my skin.

“What’s that?” I asked, studying the blood magic circle around the base of it. Symbols and sigils were etched into the sand, glowing faintly in a dark red. “Are those protection symbols?”

“Yes. That’s Cryptic Altar,” he explained. “There’s a drake scale within it. It’s the source of the wards that protect the academy from outside threats.”

“Threats?”

“All academies have a ward.” He ran a hand through his dark blond locks. “It’s not unique to this campus. We’re in no way more likely to be attacked than any other academy. If any academy was more likely to be attacked, it’d be Blezen Academy.”

“Do some still harbor ill feelings for Blezen due to the war?” I asked, sliding my gaze toward him.

His white eyes slid to meet mine. “Blezen has come a long way, apparently, but yes. There are many supernaturals who still blame the dragons and drakes who live there, and there are just as many supernaturals who still fear the territory itself.“

“Is that why Blezen Academy is a possible target?”

He set his lips in a grim line, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “Roak’s remains are underneath it.”

My brows shot up in surprise. The leader of the dragon cult during the war had been buried under an academy?

I rolled my lips together to prevent myself from asking more questions. I found everything about that war fascinating because of the book I’d read, but the history of Kalista’s Second War was enough to keep me interested. But surely, Hunter didn’t want to talk to me about Kalista’s history.

“Rest assured, though,” he said. “This academy is as safe as one can be in the Demon Capital.”

Because of a demon’s predatory nature, I supposed.

We passed a large sunstone crystal in the center of the academy. Electric magic skittered down my spine at the immense amount of magical energy imbued inside of it.

“That’s Sunstone Revive.” He nodded toward it. “It’s a sunstone gemstone that’s been imbued with a magical energy boost enchantment. It increases healing for those hurt or close to death.”

“Can it heal scars?” I rasped, the question more bitter on my tongue than I had expected.

A darkness crossed his expression, and it made me wish that I hadn’t asked. His gaze raked carefully down my body and back, briefly stopping at my thigh wrap as if he were looking for immediate injury. “No. It can’t heal anything existing, but it takes the place of a healer at the academy.”

“Oh.” I glanced at the other building across from the stone. “What’s that?”

“That’s the Demonic Archives. It’s a library full of demonic text. It has a computer lab as well.” He gestured toward the building that had a black demon head with brilliant red eyes on the top of it.

Sunlight bathing a nearby arch with a flat top made of rock layers in a golden hue caught my attention next. The rock was weathered as a testament to the passage of time, and I wondered how long it had been there. Heatwaves danced in my vision as I caught the sight of a man leaning against the arched rock. It looked like he was seeking shelter from the heat.

As we grew closer, my breath caught. The flavor of sand was gritty and dry on my tongue as I drank in the sight of him greedily.

His imposing figure loomed against the rock formation, his presence commanding attention even in the shadows of the arch.

He was tall. I knew he was a lot taller than I was even from this distance. His narrow, bleary red eyes peered out from beneath thick lashes. Black hair fell in tousled waves around his face, framing his features with a wild, untamed quality.

Clad in a simple black T-shirt with jeans, I could see some tattoos inked into his tawny, beige skin. His arms were adorned with tattoos—a pair of hawks on one arm, wings outstretched in flight, and a wolf on the other, its eyes intense and red. A skull graced his neck, and a chill shot down my spine at the odd familiarity.

Gauges occupied his earlobes, while a septum piercing added a touch of rebellion to his rugged appearance. High cheekbones and a chiseled jawline gave his face a sculpted appearance, and my gaze caught on an Adam”s apple protruding prominently from his throat. His nose was straight and proud, leading down to thin lips that were pressed together in a tight line.

“Some students tend to hang out around Occult Arch each year, but try to be mindful of the company you keep,” Hunter murmured. “Some are better than others.”

It was then that I noticed the bottle of liquor, like the kind I’d seen in Daryl’s manor, clutched in one of his hands.

His bleary red eyes narrowed at Hunter before locking with mine as we passed. His stare felt like fire burning me from the inside out.

My heart thumped wildly in my chest as his gaze heated. Fates, I wanted to smell him. I bet he smelled as delicious as he looked.

He lifted the bottle up toward me, and I froze.

Disdain bloomed over his expression as he dropped his gaze to my thigh, and his lips curled into a heart-shattering sneer. He tipped back the bottle and gulped it down. The brown liquid dribbled down his neck in one single rivulet, over his tattoo, and disappeared under his shirt.

A rush of insecurity washed over me, and I tugged my dress down over the wrap on my thigh, wishing I had opted for a pair of trousers instead. I didn’t even bother looking at my ring. I knew it had to be black as night.

I picked up my speed to match Hunter’s once again, but I didn’t dare look back toward the man who had just made me feel the way my mother had—like I was nothing but scum on the bottom of a shoe.

Hunter spared me from any further humiliation since he didn’t bring up the man drinking against the arch again, and I focused on the whispers of the wind as it brushed against the sand.

“Serpentine Stadium is where you’ll have Demonic Feeding and a few other classes this year. It’s spacious and allows room for practicing demonic powers.” He pointed toward another large, tan stone building.

“Great.” I ducked my head down and looked at the ripples in the sand. “I don’t even know how to use mine.”

“You will,” he said, so confidently that I didn’t have the heart to correct him. “Behind Bound Dormitory, where you’ll be staying, is Odyssey Bluff. It’s a cliffside that overlooks the lake. There’s a rickety bridge leading to the top of the cliff. It’s a hangout spot for most students.”

“It’s beautiful,” I murmured, staring past the looming dormitory and toward the small oasis behind it.

“Maybe I’ll take you some time,” he said, and my face heated. “We are friends, right?”

“Yes.” A small smile spread across my lips as I nodded. “I’d like that.”

We stepped into the dormitory and out of the arid, dry atmosphere. I could feel the cooling enchantment on the building ripple across my skin and soothe the burning from the sizzling heat.

I’d once begged Mother for a temperature control enchantment after reading about them. I was swiftly punished.

“This is the common room of the dorm,” he explained.

The common room was splashed in warm golden dapples of light from the large windows, and the pattern it created across the sandy-colored stone walls was pretty.

I glanced up at him, and our gaze connected. He’d been staring directly at me the entire time.

Hunter’s stance was calculating, but I liked it. I liked the way he seemed to study me. I wasn’t sure why, but the way he interacted with me made my heart want to burst.

“The common room is a shared space between the students attending here, and you’re welcome to study and hang out here whenever. Snacks and coffee are provided in the kitchenette over there. That wing is the student wing.” He gestured toward the left set of double doors.

“What’s the right wing?” I furrowed my brows.

“It’s the staff wing,” he told me, shoving a hand into his pocket. “It’s locked by an enchantment, and only staff can enter. We have our own kitchen and bathroom in our rooms, and we get our own rooms, unlike students.”

I inhaled a deep breath. The scent of the dormitory was desert flowers and sandalwood. “So you’ll be there.”

The furnishings were simple but looked comfortable, with plush sofas and oversized bean bags arranged in cozy clusters. Desert-themed tapestries and artwork stuck to the walls, depicting scenes of sand dunes, cacti, and desert wildlife. The room was spacious, with plenty of seating for students to mingle, and the kitchenette was against the wall in the center of the two wings.

Several students were socializing, and fleeting gazes were cast my way until they noticed Hunter. It seemed like he was well respected, just like Daryl was.

“I will,” he confirmed, guiding me through the double doors to the left wing where the students were placed.

“Do you know anything about my roommate?” I mumbled the question, staring at my feet as we walked.

“The Dreadful family is nobility, like you, and your roommate’s family is big on purity,” he told me.

“So, like, she’s abstaining from sex?” I tilted my head. Why would I need to know that? Why does he know that? Was that common knowledge for other demons to know?

Did demons care about sex that much? Or rather, the lack thereof?

He sucked in a choked breath and stopped walking before clearing his throat. “Um, no. I can see how you thought that, though.” He scratched the back of his neck, and his blond hair fell into his face. “Purity as in purebred demon subspecies. Her family is made of succubi and incubi, and they are very pretentious about inter-demon matings.”

“Oh.” I felt a blush bloom over my face. “I guess that means they’re probably not a fan of inter-supernatural species mating, then?”

He forced a chuckle as he shook his head. “Probably not.”

“Do you… How do you…feel about it?” I stumbled over my words. “Inter-species mating, I mean?”

A slow smile crossed his lips as a thoughtful expression took over his face. “I think the Fates are not discriminatory. My mother was a succubus, and my father’s a vengeance demon. They were fated mates,” he whispered. “The Fates wouldn’t pair souls of different species if they weren’t meant to be that way.”

“I agree completely,” I murmured, feeling my heart swell with warmth at the way he spoke of his parents.

“Good.” His sparkling, icy-white eyes sent a warm tingle down my spine as he stared at me. His long white lashes were so pretty, and his sweet chocolate scent embedded into my nostrils.

He cleared his throat again and took a step back from me before we started walking again.

We reached room #269 a few doors down from where we had stopped, and he knocked on the door.

There was rustling behind the door and footsteps before it swung open to reveal my roommate.

“Yes?” Her demeanor radiated an air of superiority. Her dainty hand was decorated with what I was sure was expensive jewelry, and her fingers were curled around the door knob firmly, her manicured nails tapping impatiently against the polished surface.

She wore a vintage ensemble that looked much like the wardrobe my father had created for me. Her attire featured a flowing mid-length cream silk dress with lace detailing. It had a cinched waist and flared skirt that swayed with her movement.

It was pretty, but something about her grated on my nerves. Perhaps I just needed to get to know her.

The scent of birthday cake wafted through the air, sickly sweet and cloying. I hoped my scent would dull hers once I fully moved in.

“Hello, Dreadful.” Hunter’s voice was smooth, and it doused the anxiety blazing within me.

“Oh!” Her bright blue eyes gleamed with intensity as they widened in surprise at Hunter’s presence. “Darkmore.” She bowed her head slightly, and her blonde sleek bob fell forward with the movement. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”

A strange prickling magic spread over my skin, and I could tell it was coming from her but directed at Hunter. Succubi and incubi wielded pheromones, and I had a feeling that was the magic slipping over us.

My chest tightened. I didn’t like that. I didn’t like her using her powers on Hunter at all.

“Likewise.” He gave her a tight smile before placing a hand on my lower back. “This is your roommate, Gravesend. She’s new to the demon world, and I expect another noble to be able to help her adapt.”

“A noble? New to the demon world?” A perfect smile curved her lips, but there was a sharpness to her gaze as she swept it over me that made my spine click straight. “How odd.”

“She’s a Gravesend,” Hunter snapped again.

Her glossy lips formed an O. “A Gravesend? As in Death’s daughter?”

He nodded once.

He’d already introduced me before. Was she not paying attention?

She swung her attention back to me with another sickly sweet smile, and the pheromones she’d been putting off came to an abrupt end. “Oh, Gravesend! We will be the best of friends! Don’t you worry your little head. I’ll make sure you adapt well.” Her words were laced with saccharine sweetness.

I glanced at my ring, and while it wasn’t black—it was dimmer than the white I felt safe with. “Thank you.”

“I’m a big admirer of your dad!” She let out a squeal and clasped her manicured hands around mine and tugged me into the room with her. “Oh, I have so many plans for us this year.” She smirked at Hunter. “Don’t worry, Darkmore. I’ll take good care of this sweet demon.”

Hunter’s expression was one I couldn’t read. It looked warm and kind, but a chill emanated from his demeanor. His smile carried a subtle tension at the corners, and his eyes held a calculated wariness that set me on edge.

“Thank you for showing me the campus and walking me here,” I told him, gratitude saturating my words.

His white eyes flicked to mine, and concern dwelled in them. “Are you comfortable?”

My hand tightened on my bag as I forced a smile. “Yes.”

“If you need anything, you have my information.” He nodded at us both. “I’ll see you around. Have a good day, ladies.”

He turned and walked stiffly down the hall before either of us could reply.

Dreadful swung the door shut, and her fake smile dropped. There was a sharpness to her features that was no longer concealed. She strode to her side of the room and pounced on her canopy bed with flowing chiffon drapes. As she laid on her stomach, she grabbed her tablet and started doing something.

Her side of the dorm room exuded an aura of elegance and feminine allure. Creams and whites dominated the color palette with delicate lace curtains. Soft cushions in pastel hues decorated a plush armchair tucked into her corner while enchanted fae orbs twinkled gently, casting a warm glow over the space.

I tore my gaze from her and took in my side of the room in surprise. Daryl had said he sent everything to my dorm, but I didn’t realize he’d had it all put away and decorated. It was a stark contrast from Dreadful’s style, but it was more like me. Shades of gray, black, and ivory enveloped my space, putting off a gothic allure.

A grand four-poster bed draped in rich black velvet curtains stood as the centerpiece of my side. Antique candlesticks set atop a sleek gray desk, casting flickering shadows against the walls. On floating black shelves held a collection of books that I had been reading back at the manor, and there was even a black rising stand on the end table for Nebula to be placed.

My chest warmed with appreciation for my father. Daryl was a good dad, and I knew that if he’d known about me, I would’ve been really close to him.

I still wanted the chance to have that bond with him.

I kicked off my shoes on my side of the door and padded across the rough stone floor toward the ivory plush rug and sat down on my bed. I sank into the comfy mattress and let out a delighted groan before lying back on the pillows and tugging my bag to my side.

“The Demon Council is so amazing,” Dreadful gushed, setting her tablet down and flicking her blue eyes toward me. “It’s really awesome that your father is Death! He’s been around for so long, and he’s practically the leader of the council since he’s the soul eater representative. Not to mention, he literally eats souls! How strong of a magical reserve do you have to have to do that? Oh, and don’t get me started on the vengeance demon representative. Hunter fucking Darkmore is the hottest vengeance demon ever, and he’s best friends with the newest member of the council, Joel Craven. He’s the incubus representative, and I am desperate to sink my claws into him—if you know what I mean,” she rambled, but every word she said was said with conviction and importance.

I blinked at her as I sat up. Was this gossip? Were we gossiping? I didn’t realize that gossiping would be so…empty. I hated how she spoke about Hunter, too. He was attractive, but he was also…I didn’t know. I just didn’t like her gushing about him.

“That’s great,” I rasped, moving my hair behind my shoulder so it would stay out of my face.

“So what’s with your voice? It’s, like, really weak and raspy. Why is that? I’ve literally never heard a demon speak like that,” she told me as she ran her hand through her hair to smooth out her bob.

“Oh, um…” My palms turned clammy, and I sank my teeth into my bottom lip.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s fine. I mean, I’m sure someone will find it cute. We are stuck at a freaking reform academy. So many delinquent demons, surely one of them would be into that.”

Insecurity bottomed out in my gut, and I reached into my bag and pulled out Nebula before letting my bag drop off the side of the bed. I held his skull tightly against my chest in a desperate attempt to ground myself.

I took lashes from my mother’s shadow magic my entire life. I could handle someone talking about my damaged throat and voice box. Right?

“What is that?” she asked in a gasp.

I glanced over and saw the open disgust on her face as she stared at Nebula. “This is Nebula.”

“Nebula?” Her lip curled in disgust. “It’s an animal skull!”

“He used to be a kitten, and his soul was sealed to his skull,” I explained. “He’s my best friend.”

“That’s…okay.” She hesitated before turning her head and starting to type away on the tablet. “Okay, no. That’s actually gross, Gravesend. Scratchy voice that reminds me of a phantom on their period and a weird attachment to a kitten skull. Surely that’s just a soul eater thing—whatever. I don’t care. I’m not going to spend another second unpacking whatever it is you have going on. So, anyway, my parents sent me here because…” Dreadful fell into a deep rant about her parents sending her to the reform academy to learn to be grateful for what she has and to contribute to society better. Apparently, she had a problem with sleeping with demons that aren’t succubi or incubi. Her parents wanted her to get out of that ‘habit’ and learn to be a rightful noble.

Whatever that meant.

My fingers traced the divots in Nebula’s skull as Dreadful’s rambles faded into the background. My mind wandered to Hunter and the other two men I’d seen on campus today. Something told me the Fates had put them in my path for a reason, but why had my ring turned black when I locked eyes with the demon that smelled like vanilla and smoke, and why did I feel such rage from the one who had been drinking?