15. Hunter

15

HUNTER

I sat at my desk, staring at Jenni Inferno’s file. The faint scent of caramel lingered, a comforting aroma that reminded me of my mate. Fates, I missed her.

Sipping the coffee cup of fae wine, I savored the delicate taste of caramel as I awaited my new student’s arrival.

All I wanted to do was be with Pandora, but I knew I had to do my job.

The door creaked open, and Inferno stepped inside, blowing a piece of her black hair from her face. “Hello, Darkmore,” she greeted, her smile genuine. “I’m Inferno. It’s awesome to meet you. You’re Pandora’s mate. Right?”

“Yes, I am.” I smiled softly, gesturing to the chair opposite me. “Take a seat.”

She settled in, her blue-green eyes alight with hesitation. “So, what’s on the agenda today?”

I leaned back, studying her intently. “I wanted to discuss your goals this term, and more importantly, your relationship with Pandora.”

Inferno's expression softened. “Pandora is amazing. I really care about her. She’s literally the best demon I’ve ever met. We really hit it off. She’s practically my best friend now.”

“Best friends already?” A small smile tugged at my lips. “I’m glad to hear that. She needs solid friendships, people she can trust.”

She nodded, locking her fingers together on her lap. “So do I. She can trust me.”

“Good.” I opened her file. I hadn’t been able to digitize it yet, but Blackthistle had thrown it at me just a day before the term started. Clicking a pen, I started to write a few things. “How are you faring with feeding?”

“I know Mom’s worried that I don’t feed directly.” She shifted awkwardly. “But I’m fine, really. I still fill my reserves.”

“Why aren’t you feeding directly?” I wrote down:

Feeding fear?

“I’m saving my virginity for Death,” she blurted, slapping a hand over her mouth and averting her gaze.

I choked on a breath, coughing a few times to gather my wits. “ Death?”

She nodded. “I’ve had a crush on him since my adolescence when I first saw him. I already told Pandora all about it, but I’m seriously saving myself for him.”

I wrote down:

Delusions restricting feeding.

“And you didn’t befriend Pandora to get to her dad?” I narrowed my gaze at her, watching for any tells.

There weren’t any.

“Of course not!” She frowned, genuinely upset at the question. “I didn’t even know she was his daughter until I embarrassed myself talking about him. Can we move away from this conversation, please?”

“Of course.” I nodded, writing down:

Thinks she’s in love with a predator.

“How are you adjusting being at the academy?”

“It was scary at first,” she admitted, tightening her hands together in her lap. “I missed all of term one. I hadn’t expected my bullies from high school to be attending, but Pandora has genuinely made the adjustment easier than I ever thought it would be.”

I nodded, smiling inwardly as I waited patiently for her to continue. I loved that her and Pandora found a friendship. It seemed both needed it.

“My dad,” she began, her voice cracking slightly. “Losing him over the summer…it shattered everything.”

Empathy pulsed through me. “Would you like to tell me about him?”

Inferno took a deep breath, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “He was an incubus, like me, but he was also a researcher. He was obsessed with understanding demonic magic, and recently, he delved into investigating the dark magic plague. He thought…he thought he could find a cure. A way to purify it without using a magic relic.”

My brows shot up. It was the first time I’d ever heard anything like that. “That’s very interesting.”

“You’re not the only one who thought so.” She snorted, but her eyes filled with tears until they leaked down her cheeks. “I wasn’t home the night he was taken from us. But when I got back...my mom was frantic. There was a black clove scent lingering in the living room that comforted me. It was the only thing that did. Mom said dark magic had taken Dad over. It had infected him completely, thanks to the enchanted sword in his heart.”

I let her continue, not saying anything as she took another shaky breath.

“The sword was imbued with a heavy amount of dark magic, but it didn’t kill my dad. It just gave the dark magic control completely. He tried to kill my mom. Death intervened just in time.”

My brow furrowed as I wracked my brain to try and remember this incident, but I came up blank. There had been so many dark magic related deaths over the summer. “Death saved her?”

Inferno nodded. “Yes. It was his scent that calmed me when Mom told me what happened, but he was long gone by then. I can’t shake the feeling that Dad’s murder is linked to his research. He was onto something, and someone didn’t want him to succeed. One of the relics he’d been coveting was stolen. It was a relic that could break wards.”

This had to be related to Dark Veil.

I sat in thoughtful silence for a moment, allowing her words to settle in the room. “That’s a heavy burden to carry for anyone, Inferno.”

She looked down, her fingers twisting nervously. “I know you have a...different side to your work, with your dad. The vengeance business.”

My gaze shifted slightly. “I do.”

Inferno met my gaze, desperation raw in her expression. “I want vengeance, Darkmore. I need to know who did this to him. I can’t just let this go, and I’ll never be able to heal from it until his killer is dead.”

Vengeance simmered underneath my skin as my fingers tapped lightly against my desk. “If dark magic is involved, this case may be drawn out. Vengeance, though needed, may consume you.”

“I don’t care,” she replied fiercely. “He was my dad.” A sob tore from her. “He didn’t deserve to die like that.”

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I can empathize with your pain, truly?—”

“He was researching the dark magic plague, and that’s what killed him. Someone wanted him silenced. Please, help me.” Her bottom lip wavered.

I studied her for a long moment. My vengeance magic wanted to strike for her. “I’ll help. But promise me you’ll try to focus on your studies, too. Grieving takes time, and you need to heal.”

She gave a small, grateful smile. “Thank you, Darkmore. I promise I’ll try.”

As she left, I couldn’t help the sense of relief filling me knowing that Pandora had someone like Inferno in her corner—even if she was obsessed with Death and had an impending vengeance to take care of.

I reached for my tablet and called my father. It had been two weeks since we last spoke, and the silence gnawed at me. After several rings, he finally answered. “Hunt, it’s good to hear from you.”

“Dad,” I replied, frustration bubbling in my gut. “It’s been two weeks. You couldn’t answer my call before now?”

He sighed, the sound heavy with exhaustion. “I’ve been deep in an investigation, son. Joel is taking over for now.”

“What investigation?”

“The Shadowhearts.”

I exhaled sharply. “ The Shadowhearts? Are you serious? The council was supposed to be handling that.”

“They are now,” he assured me. “But enough about that. What’s on your mind?”

I hesitated, but I decided to talk about why I had called. “I kissed Pandora. Death walked in on us. And she shares her affections with Reed.”

There was a brief silence before my dad let out a squeak. “Well, that’s quite a situation. How’s Death handling it?”

“Surprisingly well,” I admitted, a smile creeping onto my face. “But there’s more. Pandora is my fated mate.”

My father’s tone shifted to one of genuine happiness. “Hunt, that’s wonderful news. I’m so happy for you. I guess that means Death is letting you keep your soul?”

“Thanks, Dad,” I chuckled, feeling a warmth spread through me. “Yeah, I guess he is. But there’s something else. I need your help with a new case.”

“Tell me about it,” he prompted.

I glanced at the open file on my desk. “The client’s name is Jenni Inferno. She’s seeking vengeance for her murdered father. He was an incubus, found with a dark magic enchanted sword in his heart. Inferno believes his murder is linked to his research on the dark magic plague. She suspects a rival scholar or a colleague, but?—”

“You think it has to do with Dark Veil.” My father’s voice took on a serious edge. “This has to tie into the Shadowhearts.”

“A relic was stolen from her house, one used to break wards.” I groaned, scrubbing a hand down my face.

“Shit. We’ll take the case, then.”

“I’ll work it with you remotely. The Demon Council will want to know about the relic, and if Joel is taking over the past case, we need to work with him on this.”

“I’ll be down next week to go over the details. Sensitive topics, you understand.” He paused. “And I’d like to meet Pandora.”

“Of course.”

After hanging up, I tried calling Reed to check in, but there was no answer.

Instead, he sent me a photo of Pandora asleep in his arms.

Jealousy raged through me, and I groaned. I wanted nothing more than to be holding her like that. But at least the two of them were okay.

I stood and poured myself another cup full of caramel wine. As I drank it, my thoughts drifted to Pandora and how far she’d come since we saved her back in June.

I loved her so much.

My mind darkened as I thought about her other three mates. Hemlock, Grimshaw, and Shadowheart. They were feeling guilty, and they should feel that way. Their past actions had hurt my fated mate deeply, and I had little sympathy for them.

Reed, on the other hand, genuinely cared for her. I respected him, and I was thankful she had both of us.

I pulled out a notepad from my desk drawer and began writing a to-do list:

1. Vengeance for Pandora (I can’t harm her mates physically without hurting her, so I’ll claim vengeance by making them own up to what they’ve done in their sessions.)

- Hemlock

- Grimshaw

- Shadowheart

- Her bullies (I can and will harm them physically.)

2. Vengeance for Client: Jenni Inferno’s father.

I set the pen down, my mind racing with thoughts of retribution, and magic hummed in my soul. Each name on the list represented a wrong that needed righting and a balance that needed restoring. I took another sip of the caramel wine, and the warmth spread through my chest as I contemplated my next move.