14. Pandora

14

PANDORA

S erpentine Stadium had become a familiar setting for me. The colossal chamber with sand floors and sandstone walls exuded the same intimidating aura as it did the first time I’d been in here, but I was used to it now.

My dark hair cascaded over my shoulders like a protective curtain as I stepped into the stadium, my senses on high alert. I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel safe without my mates around—specifically Hunter and Reed…and Daryl, and, well, maybe Jenni. She made me feel cared for. She was the type of friend I’d always wanted. She offered the friendship I’d craved locked in the cellar—the same friendship Nebula had.

But learning how to control my powers had given me confidence that I wouldn’t let myself be beaten like I had been last term. If someone tried to hurt me, I’d feed on their soul. Daryl had been teaching me how to be more aggressive with my mindset, and I appreciated it.

I scanned over the familiar faces that I remembered from last term in Practical Applications of Demonic Feeding, but my gaze lingered on Dex, Hemlock, Skel, and Reed.

A pang of longing and hurt spread through my chest.

Dex’s white-blond hair was up in a claw clip with two pieces falling down around his face. His fog gray eyes sparkled with mischief as he winked at me. His tongue rolled out as he flicked his tongue ring on his teeth. His soul radiated longing, pride, and… possession ?

I couldn’t believe he’d sent me a photo of Shadeberry cut up like he did—and the message with it.

My heartbeat sped up as I tore my gaze from him.

Hemlock’s normally bleary red gaze wasn’t bleary. It was sharp and pained. He wasn’t drunk, and I could tell he was struggling with that. He sucked in a ragged breath, reaching up and messing with his septum piercing, almost like a nervous habit.

He didn’t have hatred in his demeanor that I was used to seeing. It was…weird. His soul ached with pure regret and want. I wanted so badly to believe it.

Skel’s black and white streaked hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, displaying the scar over his right eye so plainly that it took my breath away. His right eye was a lighter shade of green, something I hadn’t noticed before. He brought his pipe up, hitting it on his lip ring with a clink before inhaling the fae magic. He didn’t seem to suck at the pipe like his life depended on it, though, which wasn’t what I was used to seeing. Blowing out the smoke, he kept my gaze. His soul was in agony.

“Hey, dream girl.” Reed’s cotton candy scent enveloped me as his arms wrapped around me and pulled me against him. “I missed you.”

I took a deep breath, inhaling his scent and feeling the tension ease. “I missed you, too.”

“Pandora!” Jenni called out, her voice cutting through the murmurs of demons around us. “I was waiting for you.”

“Hey, Jenni.” I pulled away only slightly as she bounced over to me. “I want you to meet my mate, Reed Nyx.”

“Oh!” She smiled, bowing her head in respect before shooting me a sly grin. “This is one of the nice mates, then. Nice to meet you, I’m Jenni Inferno. You can call me Jenni since your fated and I are on a first name basis.”

His brows raised in surprise before a soft smile graced his lips. “That’s great. You can call me Reed, then.”

I could feel jealousy pulsating in the quick glimpse that flashed in my soul from my bonds to the other three.

What right did they have to be jealous?

Reed leaned down and pressed a kiss to my head. “Don’t worry about them.”

“Easier said than done,” I whispered back.

Ashenfell clapped his hands, gaining the attention of the class. “Term two of Practical Applications of Demonic Feeding will have higher expectations, but we’re going to pick up where we left off. Can anyone tell me why demons need to feed?”

“To fill our reserves,” Hemlock drawled out, stretching his arms over his head. His black tee rode up, and it exposed the V on his lower abdomen.

I bit my lip and averted my gaze. I couldn’t check him, of all my mates, out.

Ashenfell nodded. “Why do we need to fill our reserves?”

“To be able to use our demonic powers,” another demon called out.

“Why is that important?” He raised a brow.

“Because without our demonic powers, we can’t feed safely,” Skel muttered bitterly, biting his lip ring.

I had to force myself to look away— again. I admitted that I was attracted to my mates. They were my fated for a reason, but I couldn’t act on that with those three. Not yet.

“Right.” Ashenfell nodded. “Because when our reserves are low, we can’t control our power. It lurches out to feed, and that can be dangerous—fatal, even. Why is it that demons lose control like that in order to fill those reserves up?”

“Obviously because we can’t heal properly with the reserves low.” Dex rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. The sleeves of his shirt tightened as his biceps bulged.

“Good.” Ashenfell’s lips twitched into a satisfied smile. “It’s a survival instinct all demons have. All demons need to feed, but the frequency is different for each subtype. The more you use your powers, the more you need to feed.”

I knew about survival instinct. It was the entire reason my powers had awakened.

“Everyone, grab a mat and a partner,” he announced, flicking his hesitant gaze to me. “Except for Gravesend. Your mat is in the back with a couple of the artificial soul dolls on it.”

I glanced over at where he pointed and found my mat with the two creepy dolls and nodded. It was better than being locked away in a closet.

Reed leaned down and brushed his lips against mine, and electricity zapped between us. “You’ve got this.”

Dex stepped out of the shadows next to Reed with a smirk on his lips and clasped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re my partner.”

Reed rolled his eyes but nodded. “Sure.”

My chest tightened as I flicked my gaze between the two. Since when had they ever been partners?

“I’ll be watching you practice because being a soul eater is so bad ass.” Jenni smiled at me and skipped off to another succubus in the class to partner with.

I walked off to put my bag down by the wall and went to my mat, glancing over my shoulder at Dex and Reed who were on their mat. I felt no hostility in their souls, but it was still weird to see them together in any capacity. Reed hadn’t cared for him in the slightest even before I fell from the cliff.

After the matebonds snapped, he was openly hostile about all three of them. What had Dex done to change that?

“Okay, everyone start practicing,” Ashenfell told us. “I’ll be watching so there’s no foul play.”

Wish he’d had that outlook yesterday when Shadeberry cut my back. I shivered at the thought of shadows slicing my skin again. I was tired of the panic that slammed into me every time a shadow tendril was in my presence, but I knew one day I’d be able to see one and not feel that way.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the doll with curly blonde ringlets. Its blue eyes glowed with an artificial soul, and I could sense just how artificial it was. Analyzing the quality of the soul was something I couldn’t do last term, and it was further proof that I was learning my powers.

With my palm on my stomach, I summoned the death smoke from my gut. Magic slithered up my throat easily. Tendrils of inky blackness spilled from my lips and swirled around my entire body. I targeted the doll, feeling the fake soul residing within it and guided my power into the doll’s parted lips.

The soul was stagnate, easily moldable. Carefully, I started to draw some of the essence out, tasting the blandness. But as my magic sealed over it, a sharp resistance struck me. The doll trembled violently, almost as if the artificial soul was fighting back.

My heart thumped in my throat, and a bead of sweat formed on my temple and rolled down my cheek. Doubt crept into my mind along with the memory of Mother’s voice calling me worthless.

I gritted my teeth, pushing the doubt and her words away. No , I had trained for this. Daryl—my dad —had taught me how to do this. I replaced her words with his in my mind.

Daryl knew I could control my powers, and I did too. I had to stay focused.

My power wavered, but I willed it to consume, tightening my magical grip on the doll's soul. The resistance grew stronger.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Dex and Reed exchange worried glances, and I felt the concern from Hemlock and Skel through a random glimpse of the bond, but I couldn't afford to be distracted by them.

I needed to show them—and myself—that I could do this.

Taking another deep breath, I felt the smoke coil tighter around the soul. I pushed harder, feeling the soul. It wasn’t rebelling like I thought it was. That was my hesitation causing the soul not to be consumed.

The doll's eyes flickered wildly, and for a terrifying moment, I thought it might shatter to pieces.

Summoning every ounce of willpower, I isolated the part of the soul I wanted to extract. It was hard but not impossible, and I could feel my control sharpening. The soul’s resistance—my hesitation—waned, and with a final, forceful push of my powers, I swallowed the portion of the soul I wanted and drew it out.

I felt the stares of my mates, but I tried to ignore the pleasant tingle down my spine due to their eyes on me.

The matebond pulsed, wanting attention, but I had to focus.

Pulling the smoke from the blonde doll, I left three-quarters of it inside. Then, I directed my power into the brown-haired doll. I devoured only a quarter of the soul, and the process was much easier. It wrapped around the part I wanted and consumed. I had no hesitation.

I let the magic pull away from the dolls and settle in my gut. It tasted bitter and bland. My reserves remained the same since the souls were artificial, but it was my biggest victory in this class yet.

I’d controlled the soul eater power inside of me to feed on the amount of the soul I’d wanted.

A victorious smile spread over my lips.

“Dismissed,” Ashenfell called out, and I glanced at the clock on the wall in surprise. The entire hour for the class had passed in the time it took me to draw the souls out.

Jenni barreled into me, wrapping her arms around me with a squeal. Her passion fruit scent filled my nose. “Oh, my Fates! You are so cool!”

“Thank you,” I rasped, hugging her back before she let me go.

“Literally so cool! I’ve never heard of Death having black smoke! ”

“That’s because he doesn’t,” Reed chuckled, coming over and tossing an arm around my shoulders. “Pandora’s the only soul eater who does that.”

“So ominous. I love it!” She grinned, pointing her finger at us both. “Also, you two are so cute together!”

“I’m glad you found a supportive friend,” Reed whispered against the shell of my ear.

“I am, too.” I tip-toed up to kiss his cheek, but he turned. My lips met his, and he kissed me tenderly.

“I’m never going to get over the fact that we’re mates,” he groaned against my lips.

“Me either.” I pulled away, my face heating.

My matebond with the others vibrated as if wanting my attention, but I tried to ignore it as we walked over to our bags and headed out of the stadium.

A wave of heat washed over us as we left the stadium and went outside. I let out a small whimper. “I don’t love this heat.”

“You should totally go to Fate Hollow,” Jenni told me, her voice taking on a somber tone. “They have all four seasons. I went once in autumn with my dad. The colors are stunning.”

“That’s awesome. I’ll have to go.” I smiled softly. I didn’t want to tell her I’d never experienced any other weather than this. It had only been half of a year since I was rescued, but I’d always heard amazing things about Fate Hollow.

Jenni stopped me and pointed out a piece of paper sticking out of my bag. “Hey, what’s this?”

I pulled it out, and the spicy bourbon scent hit me immediately. It was from…Hemlock. How and when had he snuck this in my bag?

Unfolding the paper, my heart skipped a beat.

In the silence of my room,

Where I drank myself into oblivion,

I find myself broken again.

So I broke my past lifeline,

Glass shards and liquid,

Are nothing compared to my fated.

Regret is too simple,

It feels as though my beating heart has been carved from my chest,

And it would be but a small repentance for the pain I’ve caused.

I seek redemption,

Though I do not deserve it,

For every sip that numbed my soul,

I destroyed myself.

All I can offer is a broken, worthless soul,

Coveting fated mates is one thing,

But do you deserve to be bound to a soul like mine?

No.

You deserve so much more than what I have to offer.

For what it’s worth,

I am sorry.

“Sappy poetry?” Reed gaped, his violet eyes widening in shock. “That was not something I expected from him.”

Jenni blinked at the paper before bringing her gaze to mine. “At least he knows he was wrong. That’s a start.”

I nodded, tracing the letter with my fingers. “Yeah. It’s a start, but it’s also a surprise he had this in him.”

Reed frowned. “Hemlock needs to do more than sneak poetry into your bag for an apology.”

Jenni nodded. “Definitely. But it’s a step in the right direction.”

“A step.” I folded the poem up and tucked it back in my bag. Heat flushed my cheeks, and my heart beat so loudly I could barely hear.

He didn’t think he deserved me?

That was…completely the opposite of how he acted before. Was this truly just because we were fated mates? A part of me was surprised he even cared about that. But even broken demons cared about the Fates.

I would know—I was also broken.

“I have to go to my first counseling session with Darkmore.” Jenni groaned before bumping my shoulder with hers. “He’s your mate too, right?”

I smiled, my heart yearning for Hunter. “Yes, he is. You’ll like him.”

“I just wish Death could be my counselor.” She whistled, fanning herself. “Hemlock, Grimshaw, and Shadowheart should be so scared right now. I bet your dad’s pissed.”

“An understatement.” I winced, running a hand over my hair.

“Well, wish me luck. I have some baggage to unpack in this session.” She sighed. “I’ve never actually been to therapy.”

“Good luck.” I frowned, hoping everything was okay. But Jenni didn’t push me about my trauma, so I wouldn’t push her. “Therapy has helped me a ton.”

She hugged me again before waving goodbye to Reed and heading off toward Reform Hall.

Reed and I made our way to my dorm room.

The moment we stepped inside, a sharp, familiar scent of blood hit me. My eyes widened as I noticed the chocolates laid out on my bed.

“Shadowheart,” Reed muttered, running a hand through his hair. “He’s using chocolates to apologize. He did help me with Nightwind, though. I shouldn’t judge too harshly.”

“What happened with Nightwind?” I whipped my head toward him.

“He shoulder checked me into a wall,” he admitted.

A growl tore from my throat. “He what?”

He rested a hand on my head and leaned down to brush my nose with his. “It’s fine. Shadowheart came out and backed him off me. Not sure why, but he seems different.”

“He didn’t just leave me chocolates.” I leaned in and kissed his lips before walking over and picking up the box of chocolates. Opening it, I grabbed one and slid it into my mouth. The chocolate melted on my tongue, and I groaned before offering one to Reed. “He also sent me a photo of a cut up Shadeberry.”

“He got vengeance for you, then,” Reed muttered before eating the piece and nodding. “Alright.”

I put the box on my end table and ran a finger down Nebula’s skull. He didn’t manifest, though.

“If Nightwind does something like that again, tell me,” I murmured. I’d feed off him for Reed. I’d devour Nightwind’s entire soul if he messed with my mate again.

Something primal and blood-thirsty throbbed in my veins.

“I will.” Reed kicked off his shoes and crawled in bed, patting the spot next to him. “Come here. I need to talk to you about something.”

My stomach coiled tightly as I took my shoes off and joined him. “What’s wrong?”

He wrapped me up and cuddled me closely before handing me his tablet. “It’s about Dark Veil, Charlotte, and my mom.”

He showed me the messages between him and Charlotte, his frustration evident. It was clear Charlotte had feelings for him, and that twisted my insides.

“She likes you,” I bit out.

He kissed me gently. “But you’re my fated mate. I feel nothing but disgust for Charlotte. You know that. Even before finding everything out about her betrayal, once I met you, something always felt off with her. I must’ve been blind to it because I’d been so lonely before.”

I nodded, feeling the bond between us pulse. It urged me to mate him, and I sucked in a shaky breath. I was almost glad he couldn’t sense souls or bonds because that would’ve been embarrassing. “I understand that, but she still makes me uncomfortable. What does Hunter think?”

“He sees it as a necessity to get information,” Reed replied with a wince. “I tried to get out of it, but apparently Mom is MIA and avoiding the Demon Council. She even called me and wanted me to pair with Charlotte of all people. I told her no and that I have a mate. She hung up after that.”

Anger flashed through me at his mother’s request. “Okay, that makes me extremely angry. But I get why you need to talk to her. Dark Veil is a threat to all of us. I want to know everything that happens, though.” I took a deep breath, letting the tension ease out of my shoulders. Reed's cotton candy scent was a balm to my frayed nerves. “I trust you. Just...keep me in the loop. This whole situation with Dark Veil and Charlotte makes me uneasy.”

Reed nodded, his eyes sincere. “I understand, and I promise. I don’t like this, either.”

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of our conversation lingering between us.

“You never had feelings for Charlotte, right? Before me?” Insecurity rose in my chest.

He reared back, and the disgust on his face was almost funny. “Of course not!”

“You never kissed her…or slept with her?” I chewed on my lip.

He cupped my face and kissed my lips with vigor. “No, Pandora. I never kissed anyone before you. I’ve never…I’m a virgin, okay?”

Relief flooded me, and I let out a heavy breath of relief. “Thank Fates.”

He kissed me again before pulling me to his chest. “So, how did it go with Jenni? Your ring stayed white, right?”

I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Yes, it did. It was a relief. Jenni’s really nice.”

Reed hummed. “She seems like she’s got a good heart.”

“I think so, too.” The warmth of his body against mine soothed the lingering fears and doubts. “Her soul is almost as pure as yours.”

“Pandora,” he whispered, his breath against my ear. “We'll get through everything with Dark Veil. Together.”

I nuzzled closer, feeling the steady beat of his heart. “I know. Thank you, Reed.”

“Anything for you, dream girl.”

This room felt safe, like a sanctuary from the outside world—especially being in his arms. The chocolates on the bed from Dex, the poem from Hemlock, Skel’s picture of the cat and apology on the back—all of it seemed less overwhelming with Reed beside me.

The bonds I had with my mates, though complicated, was a source of strength I never imagined I'd have.