7. Pandora

“So, then, the freaking asshole told me that since we weren’t fated, he wouldn’t screw me anymore,” Dreadful rambled on and on about some drude that didn’t want to sleep with her anymore. From what I gathered, she had an addiction to sleeping with pretty much any demon except others of her sub-species. “Which is fine because he was a shitty lay anyway.”

“Uh, huh.” I fumbled with the strap of the bag slung over my shoulder. I’d tossed in my tablet and Nebula before leaving the dorm, and Dreadful had added her two cents about bringing Nebula.

It wasn’t positive.

I didn’t know how her throat could withstand all of the talking she did, even without her having an injury. I mean, she hadn’t shut her mouth except for when she was asleep. I wasn’t being rude, either. She actually talked that much.

My head throbbed painfully as she continued her rant.

The walk from Bound Dormitory to Reform Hall was short, but I reveled in the feeling of the sun’s warm rays as a light morning breeze brushed against my skin.

“Oh, and don’t think I’m not going to borrow that dress.” She paused, giving me a once over. “Your dad killed the wardrobe choices. The fact that the Death picked such fancy clothes is beyond me.”

“Technically, he hired someone to choose them,” I mumbled the reminder. “And I would’ve loved some type of pants.”

I’d opted for a silk ivory dress today that draped over my shoulders and skimmed over my body without clinging too tightly, and the embroidered pearl neckline came up to my collarbone. The skirt of the dress fell to my knees, and it swished with every step. I kept my thigh wrapped to hide the scars since the dress showed glimpses of my thighs when I walked. It had taken a lot of effort to convince Dreadful to let me have a minute to myself to go to the communal bathrooms down the hall and secure a stall, but I was, thankfully, able to secure the wrap before she barged in on me.

She’d already talked about my voice…I didn’t want her to see my scars, too.

“Whatever.” She waved her hand back and forth. “By the way, the leg wrap is an…interesting fashion choice. Don’t think it’s gonna stick for others, though.”

“It’s not a fashion choice,” I snapped quickly, smoothing my dress down. “It’s…covering something up, okay?”

The morning sun cast a golden hue across the arid campus, painting Reform Hall with a warm tone. Red flags blessed the stone, and I caught a glimpse of a large spider on the roof and sent a spine-tingling chill through me. I’d read all about the wildlife of the Demon Capital, and since we weren’t in the heart of the city, the academy was exposed to more of the…scarier creatures.

Dreadful’s laugh pierced the air. “Let me guess, a mate mark or a bad tattoo?”

My breath caught on the denial of both as I noticed two men standing close to the entrance of Reform Hall, leaning against the building. They were the two demons I’d noticed yesterday. The ones that made my ring turn black and my blood feel warm.

My heart quickened, and I couldn”t help but steal glances at them as we approached. I was captivated by them.

The demon that smelled like vanilla and smoke had his black hair parted to one side, framing his face in an effortlessly rugged manner. Striking white streaks ran through it, and I loved the contrast. His red-rimmed green eyes met mine, and I realized that the scar was worse than I’d noticed yesterday over his eye. I really wanted to know how he got it, even if it wasn’t my business. He brought the purple pipe to his lips before inhaling deeply. There was a silver ring adorning the bottom of his lip that I hadn’t noticed yesterday. The tattoos of intertwining snakes slithered up his arms, and the spider inked on the back of his hand looked like the one I’d seen on the roof.

Fates, he screamed danger, but I couldn’t help wanting to know more about him. I wanted to know everything about him.

Beside him stood the second man I wanted to know more about, and he exuded an entirely different energy but was equally captivating. The spicy aroma of bourbon lingered around him, giving a warm and inviting quality to the desert air. Despite being an inch or so shorter than the other man, he possessed an all-consuming presence. His bleary red eyes drew me in with their intensity. His tousled black hair fell in loose waves around his face, giving him a disheveled look. The tattoos that decorated his arms depicted hawks in flight and a wolf prowling, along with the skull inked on his neck. I had to admit that I loved the tattoos. The gauges and septum piercing on his features added a rebellious edge, contrasting with the warmth of his scent. He leisurely drank straight from a bottle of liquor, again.

I couldn”t shake the feeling that they would leave a permanent mark on my soul, and for some reason, I desperately wanted to know their names.

“Hello?” Dreadful snapped her fingers in front of my face, and I jolted as I glanced at her. “Oh, shit. Are you covering up hickeys?”

My face flushed with heat. “What are you talking about?”

“Your thigh covering,” she stated with a scowl. “Maybe you’re more of a deviant than I thought.”

“Fates, n—” I went to deny that accusation quickly.

“Who really cares, though.” She rolled her eyes, picking up speed as she noticed the guys. “Oh, my Fates! Were you just eye-fucking Hemlock and Grimshaw?”

Hemlock and Grimshaw?

Surely those were their last names, but…it was a start.

My gaze darted to my ring.

It was black…but was it black because of the guys or because of Dreadful? Deep in my heart, I knew the answer, but I didn’t know why that bothered me so much.

Shame slid through my veins like sludge. “I was just staring because I didn’t know them, and they’re…interesting.”

“You don’t know much about anything,” she teased, but there was thick judgment in her tone. “Interesting? Hemlock, the one with the drinking problem, is a disgrace to nobility. Like, seriously. He’s fucking worthless. Grimshaws are overpowered even without being nobility, and that one is an absolute freak that’s always high. Even his sister stopped hanging around him.”

“Why are you talking about them like that?” I stopped walking, and she stopped a few feet ahead, glaring back at me. “Do you even know them personally?”

“Do you?” she laughed, a manicured hand running through her hair. “If you want to mess around, I guess they could be a good fuck for you, but that’s it. You’re a legendary Gravesend.” She scrunched her nose. “They’d be lucky to dip their dicks in a noble pussy, after all. But you? They’d be fucking blessed.”

My stomach churned, and I felt like I was about to actually get sick.

What the Fates was her problem?

“I’m not interested in anyone but my fated,” I bit out.

My face felt like it was on fire from embarrassment and anger. I knew they could hear us if they wanted to, and nobody deserved to be talked about like that.

Another condescending giggle belted from my roommate. “You actually think you’ll meet your fated? Demons don’t always find our mates, and in the past decade, fated mate discoveries have been in the trenches. Besides, there’s no way you’ve been holding out for your fated. Get real, Gravesend.”

I hadn’t heard anything about the lack of discoveries, but she wouldn’t change my mind about waiting for my fated. I wanted a love story like the one I’d read so many times—a love story like Wren and her mates.

Pursing my lips, I said, “It’s not fair to judge them based on their families.”

I didn’t know why I cared so much, especially when I could feel Hemlock and Grimshaw’s glare burrowing into me. But I didn’t like her disrespecting them. Maybe it was because I also grew up with a less-than-ideal mother. If Dreadful knew where I really came from, she would probably bully me relentlessly.

Throwing her head back, she chortled. “Oh, you’re funny. Meet me at eleven at the cafeteria on the top floor, ‘kay?”

She didn’t even wait for a reply as she turned and strutted into the building.

I couldn’t help but glance back at the guys. I was met with a red pair and a green pair of eyes glaring holes into me. Contempt literally spilled from them, and they were in full demon form. Hemlock’s horns and tail were a dark maroon, but they were stunning. His tail was forked. Grimshaw’s horns were a spiral of white and black, and his tail was black and forked.

They were furious, and I knew they’d been listening to Dreadful and me.

I sank my teeth into my bottom lip and checked to see if my ring was still black. It was. I forced myself to walk past them and into the building.

Dizziness swept through me as I numbly walked through a sea of other students and toward room 103 for Demon Basics with Respa.

I’d been so excited about classes, but after what had happened between Dreadful and Grimshaw and Hemlock, it put a damper on my mood. Still, this was much better than being trapped by my mother.

If I could survive that, I could survive this academy, right?

I stepped into room 103 and made a beeline toward an empty seat near the back. The desert sun streamed in through the windows, and I could feel the heat from it as I slid into my seat.

Other students shot varying degrees of curious glances at me, but I relied on my hair to cover and blanket me like a shield. It was one of the reasons I wanted to keep my hair long, so I could hide in it, as silly as it seemed.

I couldn’t believe Dreadful had spoken so nastily about the two men I’d been interested in. They would never want to be friends with me now, not that I could blame them. I wouldn’t particularly want to be around Dreadful if I could help it, either. Since they saw me with her, I was sure they probably thought the same about me.

Someone sat in the seat next to mine, and the air around me filled with a sweet smell that was like candy—cotton candy.

I glanced over, and it was as if time stopped.

Round violet eyes flicked to mine, and my heart thudded loudly against my ribs. He was tall, at least 6’1, but he possessed a comforting, alluring aura. His dark brown Afro was a soft cascade of spirals that framed his face, and freckles dotted his cheeks against the backdrop of his dark skin. I noticed small constellations tattooed all over one of his arms that disappeared underneath his short-sleeve shirt. He had a heart-shaped face, broad nose, and full lips that curved into a gentle smile as he stared at me.

Despite knowing I should’ve looked away, I was unable to tear my gaze away from the man sitting next to me.

“Hi,” he murmured.

“Hi,” I mumbled back.

“I’m Nyx,” he told me, crossing his arms over the table and leaning forward as the spirals of his hair bounced with the movement. “Last name, obviously. We don’t introduce with first names, but if you want to know it…”

“I do,” I breathed, answering quicker than was probably normal.

His smile grew wider. “Reed. My first name is Reed.”

“I’m Pandora,” I blurted, eyes widening. “Pandora Gravesend. First and last name, so you know both..”

“Beautiful name.” His cheeks deepened in color. “I’m glad you didn’t think that was weird.”

“Didn’t you hear her?” another demon hissed from behind us. “She’s a Gravesend. She doesn’t need to be associating with a half-human!”

Half-human?

Reed’s smile dropped, and he turned his body to face forward quickly without another word to me.

I furrowed my brows before glancing back at the demon who had inserted himself into our conversation. He had dark blond curly hair and blue eyes, and he radiated an air of cockiness that made me want to slap the smirk off his face.

Tilting his head, his smirk grew. “I’m Nightwind, but since you’re sharing first names with the wrong person, you can call me Craig.”

“I’m fine with Reed, thanks.” I turned back to Reed, fully aware Nightwind could hear me. “There is no such thing as a hybrid supernatural. I mean, if one of your parents is human, who cares? You’re still a full-fledged demon.”

Reed looked back over to me, and there was surprise twinkling in his violet eyes. “Are you sure you want to be caught talking to me now that you know? I’m a social pariah.”

I shrugged. “I’m sure I will be too.”

“You’re a Gravesend.” He leveled me with a glance. “That’s impossible.”

“Give it time.” If word ever got out about my mother, I was sure I’d be a target. One thing my mother seemed to be right about was the bloodthirsty nature of demonkind. “Friends?” I stuck out my hand.

His smile slowly came back as he reached out and wrapped his warm hand around mine. “We are on a first-name basis.”

“Good morning, demons!” a young demon, early thirties if I had to guess, greeted the class. She had black hair cut in a pixie style and bright yellow eyes that scanned over the room.

Reed and I pulled our hands back, and a blush spread across my cheeks. My hand felt cold without his.

“Welcome to Demon Basics. I want everyone to introduce themselves, explain why you’re here, and what you hope to achieve from being here. I’ll go first. I’m Respa. I’m a dream demon and your professor for a few different classes this year. I’m here to acclimate you into demon society,” she explained.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, with my heart pounding. I hadn’t been around many demons at all. Being placed in a setting like the academy wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined, but it wasn’t easy either. The thought of introducing myself made me nauseous.

My palms felt clammy as I clasped my hands together in my lap.

Other students began to speak, detailing their reasons for being here and their hopes for the future. There was a large divide between the demons that wanted to be here and the ones that were made.

But I listened intently, my mind racing with thoughts of what I would say when my turn came. My hair fell around me like a curtain, and I took solace in the fact that it hid my nervousness for now.

As the demon on the other side of me finished speaking, all eyes turned expectantly toward me. A wave of panic washed over me like a tidal wave, but I straightened my spine.

“Hello,” I rasped, reaching up and curling my fingers around my throat as a way to gain some type of control. I couldn’t raise the volume of my voice since it was physically impossible for me, but thankfully, the room was silent. “I’m Pan-Gravesend,” I quickly corrected my name as my voice trembled.

My words were caught in my throat, and I found my gaze wandering toward Reed.

His warm violet gaze offered silent encouragement. It was like he knew that I was drowning in anxiety.

You got this,he mouthed.

I took a deep breath and pushed through the introduction. “I’m a soul eater.”

Gasps and whispers broke out in the classroom, and I squeezed my hands together again.

“I’m here because I can’t figure out how to feed,” I squeaked out, hiding behind my long hair once again. “Hopefully, I can learn to do that without killing.”

More whispers and comments were thrown about.

“What’s up with your voice?” another demon asked, but their tone was taunting.

Anxiety suffocated me as I smashed my lips together. Why did it matter? What good did it do to point it out?

I refused to answer as I sank back in my seat.

Respa clapped her hands to regain the attention of the class. “Next.” She nodded her head and gestured to Reed.

He was quick to respond, taking the attention off me slightly, which I would be forever grateful for. “I’m Nyx, and I’m a dream demon. I’m here for a reason similar to Gravesend, actually. I have trauma around feeding.”

The last of the students said their introductions before Respa launched into her lecture, and it seemed the rest of the class had all forgotten about me and my introduction.

She delved into the demonic nature of demons being cut-throat and aggressive. Evidently, other supernaturals thought we were a hair trigger about to go off at any time. I thought the same could be said for the dragons and drakes, but I digressed.

I was paying attention to Respa, but I couldn’t stop myself from stealing quick glances in Reed’s direction. My heart fluttered with a sense of comfort around him. Similar to what I felt around Hunter.

“What’s your next class?” he whispered to me before Respa sent him a sharp look.

I typed out my response on my tablet before turning it for him to see.

Practical Applications of Demonic Feeding with Ashenfell. You?

He smiled softly before grabbing his tablet and typing something out. Only, he didn’t show me his tablet. Instead, a notification bubble popped up on my screen with messages.

Reed Nyx

I have that too. Wanna walk together?

My heart thumped rapidly against my rib cage, and I peeked over at him. He was blushing as he stared at his tablet. I quickly sent my reply.

Pandora Gravesend

Yes, please.

The smile that curled his lips sent a rush of warmth through me, and I forced myself to try to focus on Respa and her introductory lesson.

Maybe it was because I couldn’t stop inhaling the scent of cotton candy drifting toward me from Reed, or maybe it was because I’d read through the first couple of chapters of the textbook on my tablet for this class last night, so I knew what she was talking about, but I couldn’t direct my attention on her words. Demon Basics would be a great source of information about what was and wasn’t socially acceptable, and I knew I needed to know that.

My mother hadn’t exactly taught me common demon manners.

Still, it wasn’t like demons were universally polite. Dreadful surely wasn’t, and she was nobility.

I scowled as I remembered all of the cruel things she said about Hemlock and Grimshaw. Oh, Kalista, why did I want to know their first names so badly? I already knew they wouldn’t want anything to do with me after the way my ring kept turning black around them. That meant they wanted to do me harm, and I couldn’t help wanting to know them anyway.

What did that say about me? Did Mother screw me up that badly?

“And make sure you read the second chapter by Wednesday.” Respa’s words cut through my thoughts, and I jolted.

Students gathered their supplies and left the room en masse. I carefully put my tablet in my bag without hitting Nebula and stood up.

Reed was standing in front of my desk with a gentle smile. “Ready?”

I nodded shyly, my heart hammering in my chest so hard I knew he could hear it. “Serpentine Stadium, right?”

“Yes.” His violet eyes shone with something like excitement, and we walked side by side out of Reform Hall and headed toward the academy’s training hall for Demonic Feeding.

I clutched my bag on my shoulder, thankful I had Nebula with me. My nerves frayed at the edges even thinking about the practicality of feeding. I’d been magically starved for so long that when my magic reserves had filled, I didn’t recognize the feeling. Why did I feel invincible as my mutilated body healed almost instantly from my mother’s shadows? Was that how all demons felt all of the time? And was that due to magical reserves being filled?

My magic reserves were running very low. I could feel an emptiness within my body and soul I hadn’t noticed until it had been filled. It was weird, but I knew it was because I needed to feed. But how could I? The one and only time I managed to feed, I devoured a soul and snuffed out a life, and it was so easy—too easy.

The scorching sun beat down on us as we left Reform Hall, and we strode across the dusty expanse of the campus toward Serpentine Stadium, our feet leaving impressions in the sand. Reed’s were more pronounced than mine, but I liked that they were together.

“Is that a freaking Nyx with a Gravesend?” a few demons giggled in a larger group next to Occult Arch as we passed by.

“His mom’s a fucking human, you know,” another spat.

“Duh,” another chuckled. “Don’t forget what happened to his dad. Like, what a fucked up family…”

“He definitely has mommy issues,” another joked.

Anger swept down my spine, but he kept walking. I wanted so badly to tell them to shut their mouths, but he knew more about demonic socialization than I did. I didn’t want to make anything worse for him, so I followed his lead until we stood in front of Serpentine Stadium.

Above the entrance of the sandstone building loomed an enchanted skull statue that thrummed with magic. Its hollow sockets pulsed with an eerie glow, and it set off an illusion of lava flowing from the skull”s mouth, cascading down in molten rivulets that even sizzled as they met the hot sand-covered stairs.

“I’m sorry.” Reed’s jaw was clenched, and he tightened his fists at his sides. “You’ll hear a lot of talk about me and my family if you hang around me.”

“I don’t care what anyone says.” I reached out and grabbed his forearm to give him a reassuring squeeze before pulling back quickly and fidgeting with my ring. I wasn’t used to physical touch so I shouldn’t be touching anyone like that, even if I craved it. “I mean, my mom was a monster, so I understand mommy issues more than anyone.”

A self-deprecating laugh let loose from deep within his chest. “My mom has been just a shell ever since Dad died. My issues with her aren’t because she’s human but because she checked out on being my mom.”

“You shouldn’t warn me from hanging out with you. I mean, I ate my mother’s soul.” A nervous laugh bubbled from my throat, but it was strained from my vocal cord damage. I hated the constant reminder of the abuse from my mother. “Are you sure you want to hang around me?”

His mouth dropped as he did a double take, and the air seemed to crackle around us. “You…ate your mother’s soul?”

“Yes,” I rasped, admitting my sin without an ounce of guilt.

A maniacal laugh pierced the air as a shadow demon stepped out from the darkness of the looming building.

Every muscle in my body froze at the sheer sense of foreboding surrounding the man. Shadow demons were a common demon subtype, but seeing shadow magic messed with my head. It almost transported me back to that small cellar where I was at my mother’s mercy. I could almost taste the blood.

He moved toward me like a predator, closing the distance with an unnerving confidence. His presence pressed in on me, making my chest tighten with fear. Despite my instincts screaming at me that he was dangerous, something kept me rooted to the spot.

It wasn’t only fear making me freeze. It was as if I wanted to see what he was going to do.

Fates, how screwed up was that?

As he invaded my personal space, a coppery tang clung to him, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that he smelled of blood. His scent literally embodied violence and danger, yet a thrill of excitement coursed through me.

I’d smelled blood my entire life, but his scent was different somehow.

“Pretty and trouble,” he purred lowly, swiping his tongue over his bottom lip. A flash of metal glinted with the sun, drawing attention to the piercing on his tongue. “You devoured your mommy’s soul?”

His taunting, husky voice sent shivers of dread down my spine.

The steady thud of my heartbeat increased and drowned out anything else. “I…who are you?”

His fog gray eyes speared me with a sharp look, and my vision blurred. “Shadowheart, but you can call me Dex.”

“Shadowheart?” Reed wheezed, hitting his chest with a closed fist as he looked at the man in shock.

The man…Dex…never took his eyes off me. White blond hair cascaded around his angular face, drawing attention to his sharp features. Tattoos of swirling shadows wrapped around his biceps and down his arms, visible through the thin fabric of his white shirt. It wasn’t the only thing visible, though. There was a steel rod through each of his nipples, and it actually looked really good on him.

Heat bloomed in my lower abdomen, but I tried not to focus on it.

I couldn’t ignore the large white scar that circled his neck, either. What happened to him to cause a scar like that?

My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I flicked my gaze up to meet his. “Dex?”

A low hum vibrated from his chest. “That’s right, trouble.”

“My name’s Pandora,” I blurted, and Dex grinned wildly.

“You’re giving me your first name, then?”

I’d forgotten the customs, again. But I didn’t mind if he called me Pandora, even if he was a shadow demon. My soul vibrated with a sort of electricity with him in proximity.

I nodded, my heart thumping in my throat.

He reached out, with shadows swirling around his arm, and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Even when you’re a Gravesend?”

I could feel the heat of his breath on my face, his fingers brushing against me in a gesture that felt more like a threat than a caress.

Flinching, my hand came up and knocked his away from me. “Please, don’t.” I ran my fingers through my hair to let it fall back around me.

A smirk twisted his lips as his gaze lifted over my shoulder, then he flicked it back to mine.

“I’ll see you later, trouble,” he promised as his shadow tendril moved forward and caressed my cheek softly, in a way I hadn’t known shadow magic to be capable of before.

Fear slammed into me as I realized it was shadow magic, and it knocked my breath away. Flinching, I stumbled into Reed, practically scrambling on the uneven sand to move away from the shadow tendril.

“Hey, fuckers.” Dex shoved his hands in his pockets with a cheeky smile as Hemlock and Grimshaw walked toward him.

“Keeping company with a noble?” Hemlock sneered, not even bothering to glance my way.

“Careful, or you’ll smell of death,” Grimshaw added with disgust dripping from his voice.

“I already smell of blood, and noble or not, her negative emotions are like a magical feast,” Dex bragged as the three of them ascended the stairs to Serpentine Stadium. “Besides, you know damn well she smells like caramel. It’s fucking delicious.”

“Are you alright?” Reed gently touched my shoulders, shifting my focus to him. His violet gaze was warm and comforting.

I allowed myself to lean into his touch for a brief moment before straightening and stepping out of his personal space. “Yes. I’m so sorry.”

“No need to apologize to me,” he murmured, guiding us up the stairs. “But how did you get the three of them to notice you like that? Their reputations are brutal. I went to high school with them, and I remember how vicious they can be.”

“I didn’t mean to,” I whispered, voice crackling.

“Just try to avoid them,” he murmured, concern flickering in his gaze as he stared at me. “You’re too kind for demons like that.”

Magic flowed across my skin like static electricity as we walked underneath the lava illusion and entered the stadium. The air was thick with anticipation and heavy with the scent of sand and sweat. Red mats were strewn across the sandy floor.

Students hung around different parts of the spacious room, but my eyes zeroed in on the three demons Reed had just warned me about. They were off in the back in a corner, whispering harshly to each other.

“Glad you all showed up,” a middle-aged demon shouted as he took his place in front of the group of us. He had short salt and pepper black hair with blue eyes and reeked of baby powder. “This is demonic feeding. I’m Ashenfell, your instructor.”

All of the students, including Reed and I, moved toward him.

“I’m splitting everyone into groups based on their demon subtype,” he explained, separating everyone into groups.

Nerves coiled deep in my gut as I realized I was the only one standing alone. Everyone else was in a group with demons of the same subtypes.

Ashenfell stood next to the largest group in the class, the shadow demons. There were five of them, including Dex, and he pointed at each one of them as he spoke. “Shadow demons feed off pain and negativity. They tend to use their shadows to create pain to feed most often, but they can feed off pain or negative emotion already present.”

I caught Dex’s gaze, and my heart rate picked up. His gray eyes had a dead look in them that made my skin crawl, but I could sense there was something more about it.

His lips curled into a sinister smile, and I flinched before focusing back on Ashenfell, trying to ignore the shadow demon.

He strode toward another group of four. “Vengeance demons feed off of vengeance. Their magic reserves fill when they punish someone guilty, and very rarely can they feed off residual punishment. Some say vengeance demons have the most difficult time filling their magic reserves since they need to seek out wrongdoings and punish them to achieve it.”

Hunter was a vengeance demon. I wondered what his process was to feed since he was a counselor. I was sure he would hear many stories of wrongdoings from his students. Maybe he got vengeance on their behalf? His job was definitely ingenious if he did.

Ashenfell gestured toward a pair of two as he walked toward them. “Both incubi and succubi feed off of sexual energy, and they can manipulate their pheromones to cause sexual energy to feed off of. It sounds counterproductive, but the amount of energy they expend doesn’t make a dent in what they feed on. They can also feed off of present sexual energy that they did not cause.”

A shiver shot down my spine as I remembered feeling Dreadful’s pheromones working on Hunter. Thank Fates he hadn’t been affected, and if he had been, he hadn’t shown it. I wasn’t keen on having my desires manipulated in the slightest. Besides, I read about an incubus before that had killed another succubus with his pheromones alone. It freaked me out.

He moved in front of Reed and another demon. “Dream demons feed off of dreams good and bad. They have a dreamscape they can take others to and feed on them there as well, so they don’t have to visit another’s dreams if they don’t wish to. However, visiting others’ dreams can be more fulfilling for the magical reserves.”

My heartbeat was in my throat, and I’d wondered what Reed had meant when he said he had trauma with feeding as well.

Ashenfell glanced at another pair of two that were next to Reed and the other demon. “Drudes are demons that only feed on nightmares. They do not have access to a dreamscape, so they can only visit and feed off others. It’s rather restrictive compared to dream demons.”

He started walking again and stopped in front of a group of three, Grimshaw included. “Fear demons feed on fear. Any fear is great, and they can cause illusions of your darkest fears to feed on, or they can feed on a lingering fear they did not create as well.”

Grimshaw brought that purple pipe to his lips and inhaled deeply before puffing out the smoke that distorted the air. His emerald eyes were red-rimmed, per usual, and they held a heavy amount of contempt as he stared at me.

Glancing down, my ring was black.

Why did he want to hurt me? What had I done so badly? I’d even stood up for him when Dreadful was talking about him and his family—Hemlock, too.

“Chaos demons feed on chaos, obviously.” Hemlock stood among the other three demons with a scowl on his face as he glared at me, and Ashenfell continued, “Chaos also implies feeding on drama since drama is chaos. Most demons can just feed from outsourced chaos since it’s natural to be chaotic—especially for demons. But they can create illusions to disrupt order, like fear demons, and it works quite well.”

Ashenfell pivoted toward me, and my heart plummeted. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, and my ring stayed black.

“Soul eaters feed on souls. They don’t have to kill to feed, but they do tear at pieces of a soul to fill their reserves. This can be done without killing, and a soul can regenerate depending on the amount a soul eater takes.” Ashenfell hesitated as he stared at me. “However, soul eaters can also rip a soul from a body and devour it in one fell swoop.”

A flashback knocked into me, and I squeezed my hands together tightly as I tensed up. All I could see for a moment was black smoke—my magic—entering my mother’s body and devouring her soul before it bottomed out in my belly again. Nausea swirled in my gut as I swallowed back a gag.

Fates, I needed to breathe.

I forced myself to inhale a lungful of air and expel it carefully.

He clapped his hands together and walked back to the front of the room. “Today, we’ll start simple. Pair up with a demon outside of your subtype and practice feeding off of them.” His gaze wandered to me, and he hesitated once again. “Gravesend, being as you’re a soul eater that isn’t quite confident in feeding, perhaps you should sit this exercise out.”

I found myself nodding desperately, but then a presence snuck up beside me.

“No need, Ashenfell.” Dex stood beside me with his hands stuffed into his pockets and an eerie smile on his lips. “I’ll partner with her.”

Hemlock and Grimshaw shared an annoyed look as they wandered off together, and I assumed they were partners.

I noticed Reed over with a vengeance demon, and I frowned. If I had to be partners with anyone, I would’ve wanted it to be him. But considering the exercise, it was best if I wasn’t paired with Reed.

I wouldn’t have wanted to accidentally eat his soul.

“As long as you understand you’re risking your soul, I’ll allow it.” Ashenfell shrugged before he started to go off with other partners and teach.

I almost begged him to come to us first. I didn’t want to feed on Dex. I didn’t want to feed on anyone.

My father had mentioned that I could feed on a soul without killing them, and Ashenfell had just explained that as well. The problem was that the only time I’d fed was when I killed my mother. I didn’t know how to use my powers at all.

I hadn’t even known I was a soul eater until two months ago, and now I was expected to act like the daughter of the most renowned soul eater in the Demon Capital, scratch that, in all of Kalista.

“I don’t feel comfortable feeding off you,” I whispered, my throat aching from all of the talking I’d done today already.

“Aw, come on, trouble. I want to feel your magic on my soul.” A low whine pulled from his throat, sending heat through me.

“But I don’t, I can’t…” I stumbled over my words.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’ll feed on you first.” Black horns extended from Dex’s skull, and his white blond hair parted and fell in allowance. A black forked tail whipped back and forth behind him, and his teeth sharpened as he gave me a grin.

He was in full demon form, as all demons do when they feed, and his scent of blood surrounded me.

“Um, I’d really rather you not,” I rasped.

“Sorry?” He tilted his head to the side. “I can’t hear you. Speak up.”

My throat seized, and even though I opened my mouth to reply, no words would come out.

Inhaling deeply, a sardonic smirk filled his lips. “Fates be damned, trouble. I can feed off you without doing anything. You’re full of negative feelings and pain.”

“I…” My throat tightened further as it throbbed, but desperation flooded my soul as I forced the words to come out. “Please, don’t use your shadows on me.”

His gray eyes lit up with excitement, and it was bone-chillingly creepy to see that the dead-like gaze was still present. “But that’s the whole point of this exercise. Just because you’re a noble and Death’s daughter doesn’t excuse you from it.”

No, no, no.

My vision narrowed, tunneling in on the shadows wrapping around Dex’s body. They moved the same way my mother’s shadows had before she used them on me. The sound of other students practicing feeding became distorted.

Don’t.

Dex stuck his tongue out. The piercing in the center of it glinted from the light as he reached his hand out toward me. Hot, burning shadows curled around my throat like fingers before sharp pain exploded from where the shadow magic touched, and the skin of my neck split open. Warm blood spilled down, each small gush in tune with my pounding heartbeat.

Fear and adrenaline whipped out, tearing my veins open and bleeding inside of me. I was frozen. I couldn’t even try to reach up and stop the bleeding like I had when my throat had been cut open by my mother.

My muscles trembled, and tears leaked down my cheeks.

Fates, breathe, Pandora. Breathe.

I glanced down, seeing the red blood staining my outfit, and oddly enough, my ring was stark white. Maybe it was as broken as I was, or maybe Dex didn’t know he was causing me harm. If that was even possible. I mean, there was blood pouring from my neck. And I wasn’t healing.

His shadows expelled.

I dropped to my knees, not even registering the mixture of dull and sharp pain throbbing all over my body.

Dex’s bloodless lips twisted in a mockery of a smile as he kneeled next to me. “Come on, trouble. Eat my soul.”

I couldn’t reply, and my brain was nothing but static as I felt like I was being tugged back into Mother’s clutches. Shadows danced in my vision, and the phantom pain of her shadows twining around my thigh and cutting into bone bloomed to fruition.

She’s dead.

She can’t hurt me.

“Why aren’t you healing?” Dex’s voice sliced through the fog.

She’s gone.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Fucking breathe, Pandora.

My lungs spasmed as I sucked in a sharp, greedy breath in the form of a gasp. My muscles wouldn’t stop shaking.

“What’s wrong with Pandora?” Reed’s voice sounded far away. “What did you do to her?”

Dex’s growl reverberated within the stadium. “I did what I was supposed to do for the exercise, you fucking asshole!”

“Sounds like the princess is giving us a show,” someone snorted.

“Who cares?” another drawled. “Nobles can be so fucking dramatic.”

“Don’t talk about her like that!” Reed shouted.

“Oh, so now the human’s son is taking up for her?”

“Someone take her to Darkmore’s office, now,” Ashenfell snapped.

“Darkmore? Of course. Nobles stick together, huh?” someone chuckled humorlessly.

“I’ll shadow-travel her there,” Dex mumbled somewhere around me, and warm arms banded around my waist, hoisting me up to my feet.

Numbness spread through my body like a drug, but the plus side was that I couldn’t feel the pain.

“I doubt she’ll want you to,” Reed interjected. “I’ll take her there.”

“I’m faster.”

Shadows enshrouded us, and my heart felt like it was about to burst as I clung to Dex. I had never been shadow-traveled before, but I’d seen my mother do it countless times.

I killed her.

She can’t hurt me anymore.

But shadow magic still could. Fear splintered my heart as Dex stepped out of the shadows and into Hunter’s office.

I only knew it was his office because of his voice. My vision was blurred with my tears, and darkness crept in.

“What the Fates is this?” Hunter’s anger was palpable in his tone. “What did you do to her?”

“It was the exercise in Demonic Feeding. I didn’t do anything I wasn’t instructed to do.” Dex scoffed from above me, his fingers digging into my thigh as he cradled me to his chest.

He was so hot, and sweat dripped from my skin, mixing with my blood.

The weight of the past pushed into my skin like the shadows had, and it felt like I was being suffocated.

A strangled cry tore from the depths of my soul as his shadows brushed against me, unleashing a torrent of pain and anguish that I’d bottled up for the past two months.

“Fuck, trouble,” Dex hissed.

I shoved my fingernails into Dex’s arms, fighting against him and his shadows. I needed to get away from his shadow magic. “Let me go!”

His grip slackened. “Pandora…what?—”

I hit the rock ground with a thud, and it felt so similar to the sandstone floors of the cellar.

My body convulsed with the force of my sobs, each breath ragged and gasping as I lowered my cheek to the cold stone just like I used to before she hurt me.

“Did you use your fucking shadows on her?” Hunter barked, rage simmering in each word.

The memories of my mother came rushing back with a vengeance, each one more visceral than the last. Dex’s shadows loomed over me, but all I could see was Mother’s shadows.

I tumbled into another living nightmare.

Dex let out an audible gulp. “I mean, I’m a shadow demon. I feed off pain?—”

The wound around my neck still seeped blood, and it dripped onto the floor. The blood was a stark reminder of my life before. I constantly bled, and I was bleeding again.

A wave of nausea that rocked me to my very core sent bile rising in my throat.

I pushed up and leaned over, clutching my stomach. The taste was acrid and foul, burning my already throbbing throat as it clawed its way up from the depths of my stomach. Vomit spilled forth in a violent expulsion.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I retched again and again, my body wracked with spasms of pain and revulsion.

I killed her. She’s gone. I’m safe. Fates, I’m out of that cellar. I’m fucking safe.

“Get the fuck out!” Hunter bellowed, and a loud bang cracked through the room.

“But, she…”

“She’s hurt because of you, Shadowheart! I know exactly who you are, and we will be discussing this in our session; I can promise you that.”

More shadows whipped through the room, and panic consumed me.

“Fine, Darkmore.” A dark laugh burst from Dex. “I look forward to talking about this. She’s a fucking noble. Nobody thought she’d be this weak from a little bit of pain.”

“Mother fucker!” A roar left Hunter, vibrating the room from the force of it.

Warm, soft hands roamed my back in soothing motions and pulled my hair back. “He’s gone, Pandora. He’s gone.”

He’s gone.

She’s gone.

As I emptied the contents of my stomach onto the rock floor that reminded me too much of my life before, a sense of relief washed over me. The last of the bile dribbled from my lips, and I collapsed in a trembling heap in Hunter’s open arms.

“I’ve got you, starlight. I’ve got you.”

The shadows are gone.